Features - Storage Innovations:

IXOS, NetApp TO PROVIDE INFORMATION LIFECYCLE MGMT SOLUTION

IXOS SOFTWARE AG and Network Appliance Inc announced a solution that tightly integrates IXOS' Enterprise Content Management (ECM) suite with Network Appliance SnapLock to provide a scalable, comprehensive platform for archival and retrieval of business-critical information that must remain unaltered. The solution offers enterprises an alternative to traditional optical or tape storage by delivering a robust information lifecycle management (ILM) solution capable of handling diverse ECM requirements, from creation through disposal.

The NetApp SnapLock solution supports WORM (write-once, read-many) magnetic disk storage via open protocols such as CIFS and NFS and provides superior security and reliability, fast performance and low cost of ownership. The joint solution enables businesses to comply with regulations such as SEC 17a-4, Sarbanes-Oxley, GoB and Basel II through the creation of non-rewritable, non-erasable data, thereby preventing critical files from being altered or deleted until a specified date. In addition, the security and auditing features inherent to the NetApp storage systems enable enterprises to meet the stringent privacy and confidentiality requirements of regulations such as HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Data Protection Act.

As the only ECM vendor to support leading business applications including Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes, SAP, Siebel and Peoplesoft, the IXOS ECM suite enables customers to seamlessly integrate and cost-effectively archive, preserve, access and manage content within existing infrastructures. The breadth of the two offerings enables enterprise customers to consolidate capabilities under one open ILM platform to realize significant benefits, including faster data search, retrieval, replication, backup and recovery; improved data migration; unlimited scalability; and reduced administrative costs and risks associated with data security and regulatory compliance.

For example, users of the solution for Lotus Notes will realize benefits through the ability to consolidate Domino servers, which in turn helps reduce Lotus system administration cost and complexity, while also enabling enterprises to scale Domino server capacity in real time, without downtime.

"Many corporations are finding it difficult to meet compliance regulations across their applications infrastructure without a high level of customization," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of solutions and alliances at Network Appliance. "With IXOS, we provide a single, open platform for ILM that is easy to deploy, easy to use, and flexible enough to meet storage requirements across different architectures, protocols and enterprise applications."

The solution is the result of a growing need for enterprises to tackle complex issues regarding regulatory compliance. According to an August 2003 survey of more than 100 large public companies conducted by META Group, 65 percent are actively involved in an ongoing compliance project, while 25 percent are said to be planning to initiate a project in the near term.

"The Network Appliance philosophy complements ours, by supporting different classes of data and uncomplicated integration to open APIs like SnapLock to provide flexible solutions for regulatory compliance," said Richard Gailer, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at IXOS. "This partnership reaffirms our commitment to providing customers with the value of best-of-breed solutions to manage information throughout its lifecycle. Together, we will continue to help businesses leverage their current infrastructure and investments for maximum return."