Quantum Extends StorNext Data Management Benefits to Customers With Public Cloud Accounts and Third-Party Object Storage

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM) today announced significant new enhancements to its award-winning StorNext^® scale-out file system that take unstructured data management to higher levels of efficiency and flexibility. These enhancements in StorNext release 5.4 include the ability to integrate existing public cloud storage accounts and third-party object storage — starting with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, NetApp StorageGRID, IBM Cleversafe and Scality RING — as tiers in a StorNext-unified namespace. Another new feature provides embedded application deployment in StorNext appliances, leveraging industry-standard virtualization technology to simplify integration with asset manager, data management and data sharing applications.

StorNext 5.4 is the latest example of the significant enhancements in Quantum's scale-out storage portfolio over the past two years, as the company continues to focus on delivering high-performance, cost-effective, multi-tier solutions for managing unstructured data in highly demanding environments. During this time, Quantum has also built on its long-standing leadership in media and entertainment and expanded its market reach in areas such as video surveillance, genomics, academic research and government security. As a result, the company's scale-out storage revenue has grown rapidly — 56 percent year-over-year in the most recently completed quarter, which represented the 21^st consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

The Challenge of Unstructured Data Growth
The massive growth in unstructured data continues unabated, driven by advances such as 4K video cameras and the proliferation of IoT sensor technology, and the ability to analyze and leverage this data is an increasingly critical component of an organization's business or mission. IT professionals face an ongoing challenge of how to manage and retain this data — and make it readily accessible when needed — in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

StorNext: Powerful File System and Multi-Tier Data Management
Long used for bandwidth-intensive video capture, production and distribution workflows, StorNext is increasingly being deployed by data-intensive enterprises around the globe for a broad range of use cases, including:

• Technical computing and big data analytics in imaging environments such as genomics, academic research and video surveillance.
• Real-time editing and manipulation of massive media datasets for entertainment.
• High-performance archive.
• Large-scale content repositories.

StorNext provides a unique combination of:

• The fastest streaming file system performance in the industry.
• Automated, policy-based data management through StorNext Storage Manager™ for cost-effective tiering across primary disk, object storage, tape and the cloud.
• Heterogeneous OS support (Windows, Linux, UNIX, MacOS).
• Multi-protocol support, including Fibre Channel, Ethernet, InfiniBand, iSCSI, NFS, SMB/CIFS and S3.

StorNext has been deployed in more than 120,000 clients, and its customers include the five largest media companies in the world, all the top U.S. broadcast networks, Airbus Defence and Space, AOL Huffington Post, Baylor College of Medicine, BBC Sport, Calgary Police Service, CERN, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, MLB Network, NASA, NIH, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of North Carolina, University of Notre Dame and UFC (to read StorNext customer success stories, visit www.quantum.com/customerstories).

StorNext 5.4 Enhancements
StorNext 5.4 provides a number of new features and benefits, including:

• Seamless Cloud Integration — A new feature in StorNext Storage Manager enables users to move data into and out of their public cloud accounts and/or existing third-party object storage (private cloud), thereby extending their StorNext-managed, tiered storage environment, protecting prior investments and reducing the cost and complexity of cloud storage administration. StorNext 5.4 currently provides support for AWS (S3, Glacier, GovCloud, C2S) and Microsoft Azure and also offers a connection to the Google Cloud through standard S3 protocol. Augmenting Quantum's own Lattus^® object storage, StorNext 5.4 includes support for NetApp StorageGRID, IBM Cleversafe and Scality RING, and Quantum plans to add integration for other object storage offerings.
• Embedded Applications — Dynamic Application Environment (DAE) is a virtual computing space on StorNext-powered Xcellis™ workflow storage appliances that enables applications to run within the high-performance, shared storage environment. By eliminating the need for dedicated servers and additional networking, the DAE reduces the time, cost and complexity of deploying and maintaining applications.
• Expanded SSD Options — A new Xcellis configuration includes SSD-based metadata storage at a lower price for smaller deployments with high-performance requirements.

StorNext 5.4 is currently shipping with all newly purchased Xcellis, StorNext M-Series and StorNext Pro™ Solutions offerings, as well as Artico™ archive appliances. It is available at no additional cost for StorNext 5 users under current support contracts.

Quantum's Scale-out Storage Momentum
Today's StorNext 5.4 announcement reflects Quantum's continuing expansion and enhancement of its scale-out storage portfolio. Over the past two years, the company has added a range of new offerings that reinforce its end-to-end approach to managing data, from high-performance ingest to long-term archiving. These offerings include Xcellis, Artico, QXS™ hybrid storage, a new StorNext AEL tape library and StorNext Connect™ management tools, which have been well-received by customers and partners, won numerous product awards and been recognized by independent analysts. Most recently, after evaluating Quantum's QXS hybrid storage, Gartner named the company as a Challenger in its October 2016 Magic Quadrant for General-Purpose Disk Arrays.*

Quantum has leveraged its enhanced portfolio and long-standing expertise in scale-out storage to extend the benefits of StorNext-powered solutions to a broader base of customers. The company's success is evident in the rapid growth it has experienced across different scale-out storage markets and use cases — for example, in its most recently completed quarter, Quantum generated double-to-triple-digit revenue growth on a year-over-year basis in media and entertainment, video surveillance, genomics, geospatial applications and unstructured data archive.

Supporting Quotes
John Wastcoat, Vice President, Business Development, Aspera, an IBM Company
"We're excited at the prospect of delivering Aspera Enterprise and Connect Server as part of the new Dynamic Application Environment. Being able to deploy secure, high-speed data movement over the WAN as an integrated part of the StorNext storage environment is a perfect fit for our mutual customers."

Scott Sinclair, Senior Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group
"In the general IT market, Quantum is best known for its strong data protection portfolio. However, its StorNext file system and data management solutions have long addressed key challenges that an increasingly broad range of enterprises are facing due to the tremendous growth in large-scale unstructured data. StorNext 5.4 is an excellent example of how Quantum is extending the power and benefits of StorNext to these customers through innovations that leverage their prior investments and provide greater efficiency and flexibility moving forward."

Molly Rector, Vice President, Global Marketing, Quantum
"More and more enterprises are finding that traditional NAS and general-purpose, scale-out storage solutions can't meet today's demands for managing their growing unstructured data volumes, so they're turning to Quantum for their storage needs. We provide a unique combination of the fastest streaming performance, low-cost capacity and efficient data access — all in a unified namespace that enables users to store, share, preserve and utilize their digital assets to drive business and organizational success."

Additional Resources

• Learn more about Quantum scale-out storage and StorNext: www.quantum.com/products/scale-out-storage/index.aspx
• Read about Xcellis workflow storage: www.quantum.com/products/scale-out-storage/stornext-primary-storage/index.aspx

At 10 a.m. PST, today, Quantum will also be joining Storage Switzerland Lead Analyst George Crump in a live webinar titled "End NAS Sprawl – Gain Control Over Unstructured Data." For more information, go to www.brighttalk.com/webcast/5583/237995.

About Quantum
Quantum is a leading expert in scale-out storage, archive and data protection, providing solutions for capturing, sharing and preserving digital assets over the entire data lifecycle. From small businesses to major enterprises, more than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to address their most demanding data workflow challenges. Quantum's end-to-end, tiered storage foundation enables customers to maximize the value of their data by making it accessible whenever and wherever needed, retaining it indefinitely and reducing total cost and complexity. See how at www.quantum.com/customerstories.

Quantum, the Quantum logo, Artico, Lattus, QXS, StorNext, StorNext Connect, StorNext Pro, StorNext Storage Manager and Xcellis are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

"Safe Harbor" Statement: This press release contains "forward-looking" statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Specifically, but without limitation, statements relating to: 1) benefits and value to customers from using StorNext systems and StorNext-powered solutions, including from StorNext 5.4 and 2) customer demand for and Quantum's future revenue from such systems and solutions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Quantum on the date hereof. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Quantum's actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. More detailed information about these risk factors are set forth in Quantum's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Risk Factors," in Quantum's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 4, 2016 and in Quantum's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 3, 2016, as amended, especially those risks listed in this section under the heading "Our results of operations depend on a limited number of products and on new product introductions, which may not be successful, in which case our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected." Quantum expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

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* Gartner Disclaimer – Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Public Relations Contact:
Bob Wientzen
Quantum Corp.
1 (720) 201-8125
bob.wientzen@quantum.com

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SOURCE Quantum Corp.