Zetta: A Betta Cloud Storage Service?

Forgive The VAR Guy for the lame headline. But our resident blogger’s head is spinning as he tries to keep pace with cloud storage start-ups. From A to Z — um, Axcient to Zetta Inc. — numerous cloud storage start-ups are seeking partnerships with managed service providers and VARs. Here’s the scoop.

Zetta unveiled its strategy on April 6, but The VAR Guy has been tracking the company since late 2008. Full disclosure: Our resident blogger went to high school with one of Zetta’s insiders. The company’s management team includes veterans from Netscape, EqualLogic, VeriSign, RSA, Shutterfly, Symantec and EMC.

According to Zetta, the company’s Enterprise Cloud Storage offers:

This isn’t another small business or consumer cloud service. Zetta plans to target mid-size and large enterprises. And yes, Zetta is seeking VARs and managed service providers as it builds a channel partner program.

Also Taking Flight

Zetta is the second cloud storage start-up to surface in recent weeks. The other, Axcient Inc., offers pay-as-you-go data protection for small and midsize businesses. The start-up has a hybrid on-premise and cloud data protection and business continuity service.

Now here’s the part that caught The VAR Guy’s attention:

Oh, and another twist: Seagate/Evault (now i365) veteran Victor Neeley has joined Axcient as VP of sales to drive the company’s partner program.

Hot Stuff

The VAR Guy met Axcient’s Neeley and CEO Justin Moore at Starbucks a few weeks ago. While our resident blogger sipped his daily latte, Moore explained Axcient’s hybrid storage approach. Moore’s key thoughts:

Um, The VAR Guy could list about 20 other companies that are promoting cloud-oriented storage services. But it’s getting a little late, and our resident blogger needs to rest up for a trip into New York City on Tuesday.

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