Hitachi Data Systems partners with HP

Bangalore

July 10th, 2007

Hitachi Data Systems announced it has extended its global OEM agreement with
HP for storage resource management software. Hitachi combines HP's flagship
storage resource management (SRM) software suite, Storage Essentials, with the
company's own software to deliver storage management services to customers. The
move marks an extension to the existing strategic worldwide partnership Hitachi
Data Systems forged with AppIQ in 2003, prior to its acquisition by HP in late
2005.

Giving his comments, Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Bob Laliberte said,
"The OEM alliance is directly in line with Hitachi's storage management
software strategy to provide customers with open-standards-based storage
management solutions that align mission-critical application availability and
performance with a heterogeneous storage infrastructure, under a common
management interface."

The storage resource management software products based on HP software
provide capabilities that are complementary to Hitachi Data Systems' own
portfolio of SRM. "HP and Hitachi are delivering storage management
solutions that enable customers to more efficiently manage their storage
infrastructures-thereby driving deeper value to the business. HP's close
collaboration with Hitachi will continue to drive joint revenue opportunities
for both companies in the future," said Bob Schultz, senior VP and GM,
Enterprise Storage and Software Division, HP.

John Mansfield, senior VP, Global Solutions Strategy and Development, Hitachi
Data Systems added, "HP's storage resource management software coupled with
our own investments in software development have enabled Hitachi to offer
customers comprehensive open-systems SRM portfolio that provides broad platform
support for multiple operating systems and applications."

HP and Hitachi have a long-standing partnership; HP OEMs the Hitachi
Universal Storage Platform V and Network Storage Controller, Hitachi resells
HP's flagship storage resource management (SRM) software suite, Storage
Essentials, Hitachi, Ltd. OEMs servers from HP, and both companies collaborate
in the business PC market segment.