All: More on WDC & Crag Technology, from
Rochester Post Bulletin newspaper (Roch is home of a WDC
design lab, formerly the Enterprise division).
Article is focussed on Roch-specific details, but goes into what
Crag does. It looks good to me, sounds like the business EMC
is in. It mentions new Roch. site manager Brian Nass.
I used to work for him at IBM, he is very driven, and very
sharp. If other up-&-coming execs are like him, that's good...
Here is it (there is no web link, or I wouldn't be typing all this!):
"Western Digital Corp. is moving to strengthen its appeal to makers
of server computers with the purchase of a small, West Coast-based
technology firm.
WD this week announced it has acquired Crag Technologies of San Jose,
Calif., for about $12 million in stock.
Crag specializes in data storage subsystems, which can include
disk drives such as those designed in WD's Enterprise Storage
laboratory in Rochester. Crag focuses on storage for servers based
on Microsoft's Windows NT operating systems.
WD primarily is interested in Crag's programming talent, WD spokesman
Bob Blair said, calling it "very much a software technology
acquisition."
It will complement the hard drive expertise available in Rochester
and Irvine, Calif., the company's main development lab for desktop
disk drives, he said Wednesday.
WD will operate the company as a subsidiary. It is expected to ship
its first products in nine months to a year.
To date, Crag has worked on software that manages data storage
and subsystems of disks that are grouped together to avoid data loss.
In the announcement, WD Chairman Chuck Haggerty said the Crag
purchase is a step in moving WD beyond disk drives to "develop
additional components for OEM (computer) customers' storage
solutions."
Michael Williams, who was general manager for WD Rochester from
September to January, will lead Crag as senior vice president
and general manager, the company announced. Williams was moved
to California in January, when WD reorganized its two major
businesses. Brain Nass is now Rochester site manager for the
newly formed Drive Products Division.
Williams and some other WD executives at one time for Crag
or its predecessor companies." |
