Igneous Unveils Data Management Enhancements for Broader Data Visibility

SaaS data management vendor Igneous is bringing data management enhancements to its DataDiscover and DataFlow products.

The updates will give customers deeper visibility into their unstructured data, wherever it’s stored and needs to be used. DataFlow is for organizations that are always moving data between on-premises and cloud storage. It allows them to leverage new NAS devices and use cloud file systems or objects without vendor lock-in. Customers also can use DataFlow with any tiers and systems to move data, the company said.

DataDiscover gives users visibility of all data. It enables data owners to interact with live views so they can search for or see the data they need. The idea is to allow them to spend more time doing their jobs, instead of looking for their data.

Igneous services are all deployed as SaaS and can be enabled by deploying a virtual machine. DataDiscover and DataFlow enhancements will be available starting May 15.

The enhancements will simplify data storage for channel partners and their customers, Christian Smith, vice president of product for Igneous, told Channel Futures.

Igneous’ Christian Smith

“When organizations are managing multipetabytes worth of NAS data, having these capabilities means users can be more productive,” said Smith. “Decisions can be made on where to move data from cloud or other tiers. And it gives flexibility by being able to choose which NAS and location makes the most sense for data.”

DataFlow also aims to help companies with workflows that are turning into hybrid configurations. The product makes it easier to move large amounts of data from on-premises to the cloud, Smith said.

Channel Exclusivity

All Igneous products are exclusive to the channel. That includes through cloud marketplaces on AWS and Azure.

“Channel partners can help their customers with large amounts of NAS data with our suite of services to help control cost, leverage the cloud, and help organizations be more productive with their data,” said Smith.

The company based many of the new enhancements on customer and partner feedback, said Smith.

Because the company’s platforms are SaaS-based, the new data management enhancements are enabled automatically for customers, simplifying deployment.

Grant Tomlin, client account manager for Igneous channel partner InterVision Systems, said the product updates will be useful for customers. The improvements are relevant to all industries because unstructured data is growing rapidly in many verticals, he said.

InterVision’s Grant Tomlin

“With this rapid growth of unstructured data comes a challenge of finding data, moving data and protecting data,” said Tomlin. “Igneous solves this challenge with a suite of data management services that gives end users visibility, agility and protection that is essential to manage the data sprawl our clients are experiencing. I believe that Igneous is solving a challenge that is becoming more prevalent across the board.”

Customers have been looking for years to do this more simply, but it has been a cumbersome task, said Tomlin.

“Igneous gives our clients the flexibility to use their incumbent NAS devices they have previously invested in and use Igneous to improve their data management workflow,” he said. “Having a partner that fits seamlessly into our company’s vision is …

… fantastic for our shared vision of IT transformation.”

The Analyst View

Christophe Bertrand, an analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group, likes the product updates.

ESG’s Christophe Bertrand

“They are addressing the ‘big rock’ of unstructured data at scale,” he said. “And specifically favoring the more complex questions of ‘what’s what and where.’”

The new automation improvements to the workflow module are also critical for customers and partners, said Bertrand.

“The vendor-agnostic approach and support is key to being able to solve large environments issues. At the end of the day, it’s about improving operational efficiency, reducing business risk and optimizing costs.”

And the updates are particularly helpful for channel partners with customers that are large data users, he said.

“I see the Igneous solution as a great platform to help with specific HPC-type of vertical workflows that are particularly sensitive to the limitations of traditional approaches and their costs,” he said. “This is a horizontal solution, but I see Igneous being very disciplined with their go-to-market, prioritizing specific solutions/workflows, rather than trying to go too broad.”

For partners, the data management enhancements offer more flexibility, said Bertrand.

“This gives partners that specialize in these solutions a platform that not only solves the end-user problem today, but can also be deployed to adjacent industries and workflows and offer many consulting and service opportunities,” he said. “These enhancements confirm that Igneous is looking well beyond just data protection to position itself as an agnostic intelligent data management platform for the enterprise, broadening its addressable market.”