XIOtech Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology, has been named a Preferred Alliance Member of the Worldwide Briefing Network by Microsoft Corporation.
XIOtech, represented in SA by Smart Storage Technologies (SmartStor), a specialist open-systems data storage solutions company, has been chosen based on its significant contributions in the areas of hardware, software and support. These contributions feature XIOtech's application-driven storage solutions - products and services that allow applications to communicate directly with storage.
"XIOtech's selection as a Microsoft Preferred Alliance Member is significant," says Noel Northcott, executive director at SmartStor. "The organisation has been valuable in leveraging the Windows .NET platform to provide substantial value to joint enterprise customers. The ease of use that XIOtech's MAGNITUDE hardware platform provides has definitely helped reduce engagement preparation time."
XIOtech was the first storage vendor to develop a working Hardware Provider for Microsoft's Volume ShadowCopy Service (VSS), part of the next generation of Microsoft's .NET Server operating system.
VSS automatically orchestrates backup services between server applications and storage hardware without interfering with the user's access to data and applications.
"Because VSS is a core operating system component, complexity and cost for both customers and developers is decreased," Northcott explains. "It also delivers a high degree of functionality heretofore available only in expensive, proprietary middleware solutions. Microsoft storage software and hardware partners use a common application program interface, which enables customers to enjoy a wide variety of best-of-breed solution components."
As one of the Preferred Alliance Members, XIOtech is involved with Microsoft Technology Centres (MTCs) across the US, representing Microsoft's Worldwide Briefing Network. The MTCs provide customers and partners with an optimal environment for evaluating, architecting and building connected solutions based on .NET.
"XIOtech's success at the MTC demonstrates the benefits of their application-driven storage solution including VSS and future functionality. It also shows the company's commitment to achieving tight integration with Microsoft operating systems and application software," says Northcott.
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