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Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems
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Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) was a provider of modular mid-range and high-end computer data storage systems, software, and services. Its operations are now a part of Hitachi Vantara.

Key Information

In 2010, Hitachi Data Systems sold through direct and indirect channels in more than 170 countries and regions, with customers that included over half of the Fortune 100 companies at the time.[1]

It was a subsidiary of Hitachi and part of the Hitachi Information Systems & Telecommunications Division until 2017.[2] In 2017, it merged with Pentaho and Hitachi Insight Group to form Hitachi Vantara.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

Origin as Itel

[edit]

Itel was founded in 1967 by Peter Redfield and Gary Friedman as an equipment leasing company and initially focused on leasing IBM mainframes.[3][4] Through creative financial arrangements and investments, Itel began to lease IBM mainframes to customers at lower costs, which led to Itel ranking second to IBM in revenues.

In 1977, a joint venture between National Semiconductor and Hitachi formed, and was contracted by Itel to manufacture IBM-compatible mainframes branded as Advanced Systems.[3] After initial success shipping 200 such systems and net profits of $73 million, Itel increased investments and personnel to market its Advanced Systems brand. When Itel requested lower prices to compete with IBM, the CEO of National Semiconductor Charlie Sporck, persuaded Itel to commit to long-term contracts with National Semiconductor and Hitachi.

National Semiconductor takes over Advanced Systems

[edit]

When news leaked that IBM was releasing a superior line of computers, customers held back purchases of Itel goods, causing Itel's inventory to build up drastically. Hitachi agreed to Itel's request to cut back on shipment, but National Semiconductor insisted that National had blackmailed Itel. In 1979, Redfield was forced to resign as CEO. National Semiconductor took over Itel Advanced Systems' sales and marketing divisions.

National Semiconductor renamed the National Advanced Systems (NAS) division, assembling and selling IBM-compatibles where the central processing unit (CPU) was imported from Hitachi. National and Hitachi relied upon IBM's gradual and restrained roll-out of newer models to support IBM's technology and market share, which supported NAS's occasional successes.

NAS began shipping its AS/9000 DPC plug compatible mainframes in late 1981.[5] IBM, however, had invested and obtained success in semiconductor technologies which enabled them to build powerful computers at lower costs.[6] Meanwhile, the mainframe market was in decline as mini and microcomputers, and the Unix operating system gained popularity. Mainframe makers such as Sperry, Honeywell, Burroughs, NCR and Control Data were gradually being forced out of the mainframe market. Both NAS and Amdahl (the other IBM plug-compatible mainframe maker), faced technological and sales pressure from IBM.

National Semiconductor and its subsidiary NAS were sued in 1983 by IBM for $2.5 billion on charges of using computer technology secrets stolen from IBM,[7][8] as the result of an investigation by the United States Government into National's collaboration with Hitachi. Hitachi settled with IBM and licensed the mainframe operating system software from IBM. In 1983, NAS ceased manufacturing its line of mainframes (which had Hitachi processors) and became a reseller of Hitachi's mainframe and data storage products.

HDS (1989)

[edit]

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) was founded in 1989 when Hitachi and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) acquired National Advanced Systems (NAS) from National Semiconductor and renamed it Hitachi Data Systems. Before that, the origins of the company had a history that stretched back to Itel, an early player in the mainframe market. Intel's Computer Products Group sold National Semiconductors' IBM plug compatible mainframes. In 1979 National Semiconductor took over Itel and formed National Advanced Systems (NAS). NAS shifted from manufacturing mainframes and began marketing systems from Hitachi. In 1999, Hitachi bought out EDS's share, and HDS became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi. For many years, HDS sold Hitachi IBM plug-compatible mainframes and storage systems, but in 2000, it exited the mainframe business and shifted its focus to enterprise storage.[9]

Joint venture of Hitachi and EDS

[edit]

On February 28, 1989, National Semiconductor and Hitachi announced their agreement that Hitachi and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) would jointly acquire NAS for $398 million in cash,[10] of which Hitachi would own 80%. Memorex Telex and National had earlier, on January 10, 1989, announced plans on a joint venture "under which each company would own half of the unit and National would get $250 million plus four million shares of Memorex Telex". However, National proceeded to negotiate with Hitachi after Memorex's offer expired as National had felt that the Hitachi–EDS offer was a better deal as it entailed no further financial obligation or commitment on the part of National after the sale besides reaping a pre-tax profit of $200 million from the sale. By that time, Memorex Telex was able to arrange financing for the deal, but National had already accepted the Hitachi–EDS deal.

The acquisition was envisaged to provide Hitachi with a better presence in the United States to compete with IBM. The entity was renamed Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).

EDS stake

[edit]

On January 29, 1999, Hitachi announced it would take over EDS' stake in HDS, appointing Jun Naruse as CEO of its new subsidiary.[11] Naruse was an engineer with the RAID Systems Division who was involved in developing storage systems. Having total control of the company, Hitachi infused Hitachi Data Systems with its corporate culture, ethics, and practices.

Storage

[edit]

On April 6, 2000, Hitachi Data Systems announced a re-organization to focus on storage systems rather than mainframes.[12] Shortly thereafter (June 26, 2000), the first HDS storage product was unveiled, the Freedom Storage Lightning 9900, featuring the crossbar switched architecture to interconnect memory, disks, servers, and other external devices instead of the traditional bus architecture.[13] In addition to HDS sales, HP OEM’d[14] and Sun resold[15] the 9900 and succeeding generations, which had additional capabilities such as virtualization of external Hitachi and third-party storage systems to form storage pools.[16]

In January 2001, HDS announced the Thunder 9200, a mid-range modular storage system aimed at the small and medium business market, sold mainly through resellers.[17]

Hitachi Data Systems high-end and mid-range modular storage systems were complemented by software for storage management, content management, business continuity, replication, data protection, and IT operations.[18]

In 2002, Hitachi acquired Comstock Systems Corp, and analysts estimated that the acquisition would lead to a 35% percent market share.[12]

Cloud computing

[edit]

HDS moved to use the term cloud computing, culminating with an announcement on October 25, 2011.[19] In August 2014, in partnership with Avnet, HDS announced cloud partners.[20]

Acquisitions

[edit]
  • On February 6, 2007, Hitachi Data Systems acquired Archivas, a provider of digital archiving and content management products.[21]
  • On August 20, 2010, Hitachi Data Systems acquired the intellectual property and core engineering team of ParaScale, developer of storage software which uses a clustered file system on multiple Linux servers to present a single file-storage appliance.[22][23][24]
  • On September 7, 2011, Hitachi Data Systems acquired BlueArc which developed a clustered network attached storage product.[25][26] It was estimated HDS had been responsible for about half of BlueArc's sales in 2010.[27]
  • On February 13, 2012, Hitachi Data Systems acquired Shoden Data Systems, a provider of data center technology in South Africa and across the sub-Saharan African continent.[28]
  • On September 26, 2012, Hitachi Data Systems acquired Cofio Software a provider of unified data protection and orchestration workflow software in San Diego, with engineering in Broadstone, England.[29]
  • On August 10, 2014, Hitachi Data Systems acquired Sepaton, a provider of computer appliances using data deduplication.[30]
  • On May 31, 2015, Hitachi Data Systems acquired oXya, a provider of services for SAP HANA from SAP.[31]
  • On June 4, 2015, Hitachi Data Systems completed the acquisition of Pentaho, marketing big data and data analytics. Pentaho is part of a company-wide movement of HDS towards Social Innovation using emerging technologies, including the Internet of things.[32]
  • On September 17, 2019, it was announced that Hitachi will integrate Hitachi Vantara and Hitachi Consulting to accelerate the global expansion of Hitachi's Social Innovation Business and Digital Growth. In January 2020, the integrated companies began operating under the brand Hitachi Vantara and were led by Toshiaki Tokunaga. Though not technically an acquisition, Hitachi Vantara absorbed Hitachi Consulting.

Corporate affairs

[edit]

The corporate headquarters are in Santa Clara, California, with business offices in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.[33]

Corporate culture, social responsibility, and work environment

[edit]

The culture of Hitachi Vantara is influenced by the values of Hitachi: wa (harmony, trust, and respect), Makoto (integrity, honesty), and kaitakusha-seishin (pioneering spirit and challenges).[34]

Hitachi Data Systems appeared in Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2012,[35] 2013[36] and 2014[37] and was ranked No. 8 in the Fortune list of top-paying companies in 2012.[38] Chief Executive Magazine gave HDS a ranking of No. 16 in its “40 Best Companies for Leaders” list for 2012.[39] Hitachi Data Systems was recognized among the "Best Companies to Work For" in France[40] and Poland[41] in 2011. In 2010 Hitachi Data Systems was accredited by the Best Companies organization in the United Kingdom.[42]

Products and services

[edit]

Hardware

[edit]
  • Virtual Storage Platform. High-end storage platform focused on consolidation for enterprise storage and IBM mainframe needs, including virtualization of internal and external heterogeneous storage into one pool and managing all data types.[43]
  • Hitachi Unified Storage VM. A unified system with enterprise storage virtualization for small and medium companies that can centrally consolidate and manage file, block, and object data.[44]
  • Hitachi Unified Storage 100 Family. Modular storage which enables central consolidation of file, block, and object data with up to 3PB capacity.[45]
  • Hitachi NAS Platform, by BlueArc. The Hitachi NAS Platform provides integrated network attached storage (NAS) for file sharing and file server consolidation with models for large enterprises and medium companies.[46]
  • Hitachi Content Platform (HCP). A distributed object storage system, available as a preconfigured hardware appliance or as a virtual software appliance, enables IT organizations and cloud service providers to store, protect, preserve, and retrieve unstructured content. The Content Platform is the foundational component of the HDS cloud architecture.[47]

Software

[edit]
  • Storage Management. Storage management software allows the configuration, day-to-day operation, performance tuning, and monitoring of Hitachi storage environments. Many management processes can be automated based on policies set by the storage administrator.[48]
  • Cloud Storage. Hitachi Content Platform is the foundation of the Hitachi Data Systems cloud architecture. It can be deployed in public, private, or hybrid cloud storage models.[49]
  • Replication. Hitachi software supports in-system as well as remote data replication for data migration or to meet companies’ business continuity and disaster recovery objectives.[50]
  • Data Protection. Hitachi data protection software is used to manage backups and snapshots.
  • IT Operations. Hitachi IT operations software monitors the IT infrastructure and simplifies IT administration, including security and asset management, and software distribution.[51]

Hitachi TrueCopy

[edit]

Hitachi TrueCopy, formerly known as Hitachi Open Remote Copy (HORC) or Hitachi Remote Copy (HRC) or Hitachi Asynchronous Remote Copy (HARC), is a remote mirroring feature from Hitachi Data Systems storage arrays available for both open systems and IBM z/OS. Truecopy is an implementation of IBM's PPRC protocol.

Synchronous TrueCopy causes each write to the primary volume to be performed to the secondary as well, and the I/O is considered complete only when updates to both primary and secondary have been completed. Asynchronous TrueCopy stores time-stamped IO packets in the primary disk array and transfers them to the secondary array subject to link bandwidth. When the primary array's buffer is exhausted, it starts flagging tracks on the primary to be duplicated to the secondary when bandwidth permits.

Related products include:

  • Hitachi Raid Manager, software to control TrueCopy operations
  • Hitachi Command Control Interface (CCI)
  • Veritas Cluster Server (VCS) agent for Hitachi TrueCopy

Services

[edit]
  • Assess and Consult. These services evaluate and assess customers’ IT environments for adoption of new technologies and can also prepare an economic justification for investments in new storage infrastructures.[52]
  • Plan and Design. Based on the customer's requirements and current IT environment, these services design and generate a plan to meet service level objectives.[53]
  • Install and Implement. These services use proven methodologies and best practices to customize, transition, and operationalize the customer's purchased storage systems and software for rapid, accurate deployment.[54]
  • Integrate and Transition. These services leverage multiple techniques to transparently migrate data to new Hitachi technologies while applications keep running.[55]
  • Manage and Optimize. These services use ITIL principles and Hitachi Data Systems' best practices to manage a customer's storage infrastructure.[56]
  • Education. Hitachi Data Systems Academy provides product and technology training courses in a variety of formats which can lead to HDS Certification in several tracks.[57]

Partners

[edit]

Hitachi Data Systems has four types of partners: Technology, Global Systems Integrators, Hitachi TrueNorth Partners, and Hitachi TrueNorth Advisor Partners.[58]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Hitachi Data Systems

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from Grokipedia
Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) was a multinational information technology company specializing in enterprise data storage systems, software, and services. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, it operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., providing integrated solutions for data management, including modular mid-range and high-end storage arrays, virtualization technologies, and consulting for high-availability environments. Formed on May 1, 1989, as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. (holding an initial 80% stake) and Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS, with 20%), HDS acquired the assets of National Advanced Systems, Inc., and officially adopted its name on October 23, 1989. In 1999, Hitachi purchased EDS's remaining shares, gaining full ownership and expanding its focus on e-commerce, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and storage area networks (SANs). Throughout its operation, HDS grew into a top-tier storage vendor, with revenues of around $1.6 billion in its ending March 31, 1999, when it employed approximately 2,300 people across 30 countries. By 2007, this had expanded to about 3,400 employees in countries. The company developed key product lines such as the Freedom 7700E storage subsystem, Skyline series enterprise servers, and Pilot Series mainframes, alongside software for data protection to optimize storage efficiency and support business continuity. HDS also pursued strategic acquisitions, including BlueArc in 2011 for high-performance and in 2015 for analytics and integration capabilities, enhancing its portfolio in , IoT, and analytics-driven infrastructure. In September 2017, Hitachi restructured its data operations by merging HDS with the Hitachi Insight Group and Pentaho, officially changing the name of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation to Hitachi Vantara Corporation on September 26, 2017, to create a unified platform for hybrid cloud, data infrastructure, and sustainable IT solutions. This integration positioned the entity within the broader Hitachi Group—founded in 1910—to address global challenges through technology, data, and innovation, continuing HDS's legacy in powering resilient data ecosystems for enterprises worldwide; as of 2025, Hitachi Vantara remains active in these areas.

History

Formation and early development

The origins of Hitachi Data Systems trace back to Itel Corporation, founded in 1967 as an equipment leasing company that initially focused on leasing mainframes at reduced costs to businesses. In the early 1970s, Itel expanded into the large-systems computer business, including storage-related assets, notably through its 1971 acquisition of Information Storage Systems, Inc., a developer of technologies, in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at approximately $60 million. This move positioned Itel as a key player in providing IBM-compatible peripherals, including disk drives and subsystems, amid growing demand for affordable solutions in mainframe environments. By the mid-1970s, Itel had partnered with , which manufactured IBM-compatible mainframes marketed through Itel's Computer Products Group from 1976 to 1979. In October 1979, National Semiconductor acquired Itel's Computer Products Group, rebranding it as National Advanced Systems (NAS) and shifting its emphasis toward mainframe peripherals, particularly storage. Under NAS, the company ceased mainframe manufacturing in 1983 to concentrate on storage products, developing IBM plug-compatible disk subsystems such as the 7380, a direct replacement for the IBM 3380 that offered enhanced capacity and performance for enterprise . These early storage solutions featured high-density Winchester disk technology, supporting multi-gigabyte capacities and channel-attached interfaces for seamless integration with and compatible systems, addressing the era's needs for reliable, scalable in large-scale . Hitachi Data Systems was formally established on May 1, 1989, as a U.S.-based provider of storage systems through a joint venture between , Ltd. and (EDS), which together acquired full ownership of from . The company was headquartered in , and on October 23, 1989, was officially renamed Hitachi Data Systems to reflect its new alignment with 's global technology portfolio. This founding marked the transition to a dedicated storage-focused entity, building on 's legacy while leveraging 's expertise in innovations for mainframe and open systems.

Joint venture with EDS and ownership changes

Hitachi Data Systems was established on May 1, 1989, as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. and Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS), with Hitachi holding an 80% equity interest and EDS holding 20%. The venture was formed to acquire National Advanced Systems Inc. from National Semiconductor Corp. for $398 million in cash, enabling the combined entity to leverage Hitachi's expertise in mainframe hardware and storage technology alongside EDS's strengths in IT services, sales, and support. This structure allowed HDS to distribute, sell, and service Hitachi's mainframe and peripheral equipment, initially focusing on the U.S. market while laying the foundation for broader operations. During the , the emphasized operational collaborations, including the adaptation of Hitachi's proprietary mainframe technologies for compatibility with open systems environments, which facilitated greater with client-server architectures. EDS contributed significantly to HDS's global sales and services expansion by utilizing its established network to enter key markets in and , enhancing distribution channels and providing integrated consulting and maintenance services. These efforts helped HDS grow its international presence, with revenues reaching approximately $2 billion by fiscal 1996, driven by demand for enterprise storage solutions. In 1999, acquired EDS's remaining stake in the , assuming full ownership and control of HDS effective April 21, 1999; the terms of the transaction were not publicly disclosed. This shift transformed HDS into a wholly owned of , Ltd., allowing for streamlined decision-making and deeper integration with Hitachi's broader IT portfolio while preserving the operational focus on storage and services.

Growth through acquisitions

Following the establishment of full ownership by Ltd. in 1999, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) pursued inorganic growth through targeted acquisitions to broaden its capabilities in storage management, data protection, and software. These moves, starting in the mid-2000s, allowed HDS to integrate complementary technologies and enhance its competitive position in enterprise storage markets. In February 2007, HDS acquired Archivas Inc., a Waltham, Massachusetts-based provider of digital archiving and software, for an undisclosed sum estimated at up to $120 million. This acquisition strengthened HDS's offerings in fixed-content storage and compliance-focused archiving, enabling better handling of for industries like media and healthcare. By August 2010, HDS purchased the intellectual property assets and engineering team of ParaScale Inc., a developer of scale-out (NAS) solutions, after the startup's financial difficulties. The deal, terms undisclosed, integrated ParaScale's Infinity software-defined storage technology into HDS's portfolio, supporting scalable, cluster-based storage for growing data volumes. In September 2011, HDS completed the acquisition of BlueArc Corporation, a high-performance NAS provider, in an all-cash transaction valued at nearly $600 million. Building on a prior five-year OEM partnership, this move expanded HDS's capabilities in handling large-scale file storage for media, scientific, and big data applications, with BlueArc's hardware-accelerated architecture rebranded under Hitachi NAS. The acquisition spree continued in August 2014 with Sepaton Inc., a Marlborough, Massachusetts firm specializing in purpose-built backup appliances with data deduplication. Terms were not disclosed, but the integration enhanced HDS's data protection solutions, offering faster, more scalable backup for enterprise environments facing exponential data growth. In May 2015, HDS acquired Corporation, an open-source integration and analytics software leader, for an undisclosed amount. This addition introduced advanced analytics tools to HDS's ecosystem, enabling unified from storage to insights, though full integration occurred amid evolving corporate strategies. These acquisitions, with several involving investments over $100 million, significantly diversified HDS's portfolio in storage hardware, software, and services, fueling expansion in key markets and contributing to sustained revenue growth through the mid-2010s.

Shift to cloud and integration into Hitachi Vantara

In the mid-2010s, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) began pivoting toward to address evolving customer demands for scalable, flexible storage solutions. A key component of this shift was the enhancement and promotion of the Hitachi Content Platform (HCP), an system launched in versions supporting hybrid environments by 2014. HCP enabled organizations to store, share, and protect across private and public , with features like integration for to services introduced in 2016 through tools such as Hitachi Data Migrator to Cloud. Additionally, HDS expanded its hybrid offerings between 2014 and 2016, including secure via HCP Anywhere version 2.1, which facilitated enterprise while maintaining compliance in multi-cloud setups. These initiatives positioned HDS to compete in the growing market, leveraging prior acquisitions to bolster capabilities in object and hybrid architectures. However, HDS faced significant challenges during this period, including intense competition from cloud-native providers like (AWS) and consolidated giants such as Dell EMC, which eroded in traditional storage segments. By 2016, these pressures contributed to declines, with HDS's parent segment in Hitachi's Information & Telecommunication Systems reporting a 4% year-over-year drop in the first quarter, amid broader industry shifts toward cloud adoption and reduced demand for on-premises hardware. Reports also surfaced suggesting internal reevaluations of high-end storage development in response to cloud disruption, though HDS publicly denied halting such investments. Overall, consolidated s for Hitachi fell 9% in the first half of fiscal 2016, reflecting the competitive headwinds impacting HDS's transition. On September 19, 2017, Hitachi announced the formation of Hitachi Vantara through the merger of HDS, Hitachi Insight Group, and Pentaho, consolidating these entities into a unified digital solutions provider focused on data infrastructure for hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The new company aimed to harness Hitachi's operational technology (OT) expertise with IT innovations to tackle complex business challenges, particularly in IoT and data analytics. Following the merger, HDS operations were fully absorbed into Hitachi Vantara, with the legacy HDS branding progressively phased out by 2018 as the new entity standardized its identity across global operations. Pre-merger, HDS employed over 6,000 people worldwide; post-integration, roles were streamlined into the broader structure of Hitachi Vantara, which combined workforces from the merged companies to enhance efficiency in delivering converged data solutions. This absorption marked the end of HDS as an independent subsidiary, redirecting its cloud and storage legacy toward Vantara's expanded portfolio.

Corporate affairs

Headquarters, leadership, and global presence

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) was headquartered at 2845 Lafayette Street in , serving as the central hub for its North American operations and executive leadership. The maintained additional major offices in , , to facilitate collaboration with its parent , Ltd.; in , , for European market coordination; and in Bangalore, , supporting research, development, and service delivery in the region. HDS's leadership evolved alongside its growth as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Gary Moore served as the first president and CEO from the company's formation in 1989. John Staedke served as president and CEO from 1992 until 1996, guiding its early market entry. Steven West succeeded Staedke as president and CEO in 1996, serving until 1999 and focusing on expanding product offerings and global sales. Subsequent leaders included Shinjiro Iwata (2001–2006) and David Roberson (2006–2009), who advanced HDS's position in storage and IT services following Hitachi's full ownership in 1999. Jack Domme became CEO in 2009 and led through a period of acquisitions and innovation in storage solutions until 2016. Ryuichi Otsuki assumed the role of CEO in 2016, overseeing the strategic merger with Hitachi TrueNorth and the transition into Hitachi Vantara in 2017. Ownership changes, such as Hitachi's full acquisition of EDS's stake in 1999, influenced leadership transitions by integrating more Japanese executives into key roles. As of 2014, HDS had expanded to operations in more than 100 countries and regions, employing approximately 6,300 people worldwide to support its international customer base. This global footprint reflected the company's emphasis on localized sales and services while leveraging centralized R&D. HDS's organizational structure included dedicated divisions for research and development, sales and marketing, and professional services, with a strong focus on U.S.-Japan collaboration to combine American market insights with Japanese technological expertise.

Corporate culture and social responsibility

Hitachi Data Systems cultivated an innovation-driven corporate culture that prioritized employee development and to advance storage technologies and IT solutions. The company implemented structured training programs, such as the Global Sales Boot Camp for new hires, to equip employees with expertise in and technical skills, fostering a capable of addressing complex challenges. This emphasis on continuous learning contributed to a collaborative environment where employees trusted leadership and took pride in their contributions, as evidenced by HDS's repeated recognition in the . HDS earned accolades from the Great Place to Work Institute and Fortune magazine, ranking among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2012, 2014, and 2015 based on anonymous employee surveys assessing trust, respect, and work-life balance. These honors reflected initiatives like ethical leadership programs and global career opportunities, which built a sense of community and innovation across its diverse, international workforce. As part of the Hitachi Group, HDS integrated broader diversity efforts, including the promotion of gender equity and inclusion to enhance problem-solving and talent retention, aligning with the group's commitment to empowering women in technology roles. In terms of social responsibility, HDS contributed to 's overarching CSR framework, which emphasized through technology donations and community partnerships for digital inclusion, such as e-learning programs to bridge educational gaps in underserved areas. The company also supported employee-driven for disaster relief and non-profit initiatives, reinforcing a culture of ethical giving. On , HDS advanced energy-efficient solutions in the 2010s, earning certifications and helping reduce the environmental impact of data centers, in line with Group's broader achievements like a 74% reduction in CO2 emissions at facilities since 2010. Despite these strengths, HDS faced challenges during economic downturns, including workforce reductions as part of Hitachi's response to the 2009 global recession, which involved thousands of layoffs across the conglomerate to address financial losses. Pre-merger restructuring in 2016-2017 led to over 100 layoffs in as the company shifted focus toward and IoT initiatives, balancing cost efficiencies with targeted hiring in emerging areas. These measures, while difficult, supported long-term adaptability in a rapidly evolving IT landscape.

Products and services

Storage hardware solutions

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) began developing enterprise storage hardware in the mid-1990s, with the introduction of the 7700 Scalable Array in 1995, a mainframe-class system designed for high-availability environments supporting both mainframe and open-systems workloads. This early product featured an internal switch for scalable performance and was recognized for disaster-tolerant capabilities by the RAID Advisory Board in 1997. The 7700 series established HDS's foundation in robust disk arrays, emphasizing redundancy and non-disruptive operations for mission-critical data. By the mid-2000s, HDS expanded into markets with the Adaptable Modular Storage (AMS) series, introduced in as part of the TagmaStore lineup to address growing demand for flexible, cost-effective storage. Models like the AMS200 and AMS500 offered scalable capacities up to 88.5 TB, intermix support for and drives, and single- or dual-controller configurations, enabling and consolidation for small- to medium-sized enterprises. These modular systems prioritized ease of use and energy efficiency, filling a gap between high-end mainframe storage and entry-level solutions. HDS's flagship enterprise storage evolved with the Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) series, launched in 2010 to deliver unified, high-performance disk arrays for data centers. The VSP supported up to 8 PB of effective capacity and was backed by HDS's 100% data availability guarantee, equivalent to 99.99999% uptime through features like active-active controllers and nondisruptive upgrades. This platform integrated virtualization operating system (SVOS) for optimized across block and file protocols. In 2013, HDS advanced its hardware with all-flash configurations in the VSP F series, incorporating Accelerated Flash (HAF) modules for enterprise workloads requiring low latency. The VSP F series achieved up to 1 million , enabling consolidation of demanding applications while maintaining the series' high reliability and scalability to petabyte levels. By 2015, HDS held approximately 9% of the worldwide enterprise storage systems market revenue, according to IDC, positioning its hardware as a key player in arrays.

Software and management tools

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) developed a range of software solutions focused on , replication, and optimization, integrated with its storage hardware to enhance enterprise data infrastructure from the through 2017. These tools emphasized reliability, efficiency, and scalability, supporting disaster recovery, , and content handling in mission-critical environments. A of HDS's replication portfolio was Hitachi TrueCopy, a synchronous remote replication software that enabled continuous, host-independent of volumes between primary and secondary sites for zero-data-loss disaster recovery and . This solution maintained mirror images of production volumes at remote locations, ensuring nondisruptive operations suitable for high-availability scenarios. To address storage efficiency, HDS introduced Hitachi Dynamic Provisioning in as an advanced thin-provisioning tool that allocated virtual storage capacity on demand, simplifying administration and reducing physical storage requirements by enabling over-provisioning without immediate hardware expansion. This software layered over storage pools, allowing dynamic allocation of space as usage grew, which improved utilization in block-based environments. In the realm of object storage, the Hitachi Content Platform (HCP), launched in 2010, provided a distributed system for managing , including fixed-content archiving and policy-based retention. HCP supported scalable , integrating metadata tagging to facilitate search and compliance, and was available as hardware appliances or virtual software. HDS expanded its capabilities through the 2015 acquisition of , incorporating open-source tools for , visualization, and processing that included Hadoop ecosystem support for distributed and ETL workflows. This integration enabled HDS customers to process large-scale datasets across hybrid environments, enhancing and IoT applications. By 2012, HDS unified its management offerings with Hitachi Command Suite, a centralized platform that provided a single for monitoring and automating storage operations across block, file, and object domains, including multi-vendor environments through pools. This suite streamlined provisioning, , and replication tasks, reducing administrative complexity in heterogeneous data centers.

Consulting and support services

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) provided a range of consulting and support services through its Global Services division, encompassing assessment, , , , and migration for enterprise storage environments. These services helped customers evaluate existing , architect optimized solutions, and execute data migrations to enhance and . For instance, HDS consultants assisted in storage reclamation initiatives to identify underutilized capacity and reduce operational costs. Support offerings included tiered maintenance levels, with premium support delivering 24/7 coverage and response times under 15 minutes for critical issues, ensuring for mission-critical systems. Specialized consulting focused on optimization, where HDS experts applied best practices to improve resource utilization and efficiency in IT operations. Additionally, disaster recovery planning services integrated HDS's TrueCopy software for synchronous remote replication, enabling robust business continuity strategies across distributed environments. In the , HDS expanded into , introducing cloud solution packages and portals in 2011 to facilitate private cloud deployments and hybrid environments. These offerings supported cloud migration efforts by providing consumption-based models for file tiering and infrastructure management, allowing customers to scale resources without upfront capital investments. By the mid-2010s, such services complemented HDS's core storage portfolio, aiding transitions to more agile architectures pre-merger.

Partnerships and legacy

Key strategic partnerships

HDS pursued key technology alliances to enhance compatibility and integration with leading software platforms. With , HDS developed storage solutions certified for interoperability with Azure by 2014, enabling seamless hybrid cloud deployments through its Cloud Service Provider Program, which provided direct access to Azure for managed storage services. For , integration with vSphere began in the late , with formal support for advanced features like policy-based storage and Storage DRS announced for vSphere 5 in 2011, allowing optimized virtualization environments. Similarly, HDS collaborated with on database optimization, launching in 2015 a web-based utility and solutions for 12c that identified performance issues and enabled processing for enterprise applications. OEM agreements further broadened HDS's market presence during the 2000s. In 1999, HDS partnered with (HP) to supply high-end storage systems rebranded as HP products, strengthening HP's position in enterprise storage without HP developing its own hardware. A 2002 alliance with involved HDS providing storage technology for IBM's offerings, including joint development of features, which helped both companies compete in the modular storage segment. HDS actively participated in industry consortia to influence storage standards. As a member of the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) since the early , HDS contributed to initiatives like the SMI-S conformant provider software for and held roles, such as Vice Chairman of the SNIA Board in 2009. This involvement supported HDS's focus on open standards for and networking.

Impact and successor entity

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) significantly shaped the enterprise data storage landscape through its early advancements in , which enabled efficient pooling and abstraction of storage resources across heterogeneous environments. The company's Universal Storage Platform, launched in 2004, marked the world's first storage system with built-in functions, including dynamic provisioning that optimized and reduced administrative overhead. This pioneering approach set benchmarks for the industry, influencing the development of scalable, software-defined storage architectures and contributing to broader adoption of virtualization in data centers worldwide. HDS's innovations also extended to emerging standards like NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), where its successor's platforms provided early support for high-speed, low-latency connectivity over Ethernet and fabrics, facilitating the transition from traditional block storage to flash-optimized systems. By integrating these technologies, HDS helped drive the hybrid storage market's expansion during the mid-2010s, as enterprises increasingly blended on-premises hardware with resources; the hybrid cloud segment, bolstered by such solutions, achieved a of approximately 17% from 2018 to 2023. The legacy of HDS's product portfolio endures through Hitachi Vantara, with the Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) series—originally developed under HDS—rebranded and continually enhanced for modern use cases. As of 2025, the VSP line, exemplified by the VSP One platform introduced in late 2024, supports on-premises deployments in data centers, offering unified management of block, file, and object storage while maintaining compatibility with legacy HDS environments. This continuity ensures that organizations reliant on HDS infrastructure can leverage evolved capabilities without full migrations. Formed in September 2017 as a wholly owned of , Ltd., Hitachi Vantara consolidated HDS's storage and infrastructure expertise with analytics from and the Hitachi Insight Group, creating a unified entity focused on data-driven outcomes. In the 2025 Gartner for Primary Storage Platforms, the company was positioned as a , reflecting its strong execution in core storage while advancing HDS's foundational technologies with AI-powered operations and integrations via platforms like VSP One. The integration of HDS into Hitachi Vantara proceeded smoothly, with the rebranding and operational merger retaining the vast majority of HDS's established customer base and avoiding significant service interruptions, as evidenced by stable revenue reporting in Hitachi's 2017-2018 financial disclosures. This transition preserved HDS's market position, allowing Vantara to build incrementally on its predecessor's innovations without alienating long-term clients.

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