Fujitsu Technology announced this week that it will resell EMC's high-end Symmetrix storage systems along with its own Prime Power servers, which use Sun Microsystems' Solaris operating system and chips similar to Sun's UltraSparc models.
Fujitsu Technology says it's taking on IBM, Compaq and Hewlett-Packard with its servers, including very high-end 128-processor models due in April. But the machines also compete with Sun's own.
Sun has tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sell its own storage products along with its servers, but EMC continues to be a popular choice. IBM, Compaq and HP also are trying to push their own storage lines, as storage systems become increasingly important, sophisticated and profitable.
Fujitsu Technology, though, evidently believes it has more to gain than to lose by signing deals with EMC.
Under the deal, Fujitsu Technology, will be allowed to sell EMC products in the North American market. EMC has separate relationships with Fujitsu Limited, the parent company, and the German venture Fujitsu-Siemens.
In a separate move, Fujitsu Limited also announced a new storage software subsidiary called Fujitsu Softek. The company, based in Sunnyvale, and led by Chief Executive Officer Stephen Murphy, will have 285 employees and projected first-year revenue of US$90 million, Fujitsu said in a statement. It will sell storage software from Fujitsu's Amdahl subsidiary.
