IBM Names Head of New Data Storage Software Group

Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM, which took market share from data storage giant EMC in 2001 with its "Shark" storage machine, says Zisman will be general manager of the storage software business.

Zisman, who already has developed a business strategy for storage software, will lead the effort to develop software that will develop software for companies that may have storage equipment from several different makers and want to manage it more easily.

"We have built some incredible storage technology but along with it has come a fair amount of complexity," Zisman says.

Sun, EMC, IBM and software company Veritas DGC are all trying to simplify storage, he says.

"Everyone recognizes that we're not going to move things forward at the pace we want if we can't hide a lot of this complexity from the customer," he said.

Demand for such software is growing from corporations that have storage machines made by IBM, EMC and Houston-based Compaq Computer, among others.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun, which has up until now competed against IBM in computer servers, on Wednesday said it would offer storage equipment, services and software, bulking up an already crowded market.

The storage market grew rapidly in 2000 but in 2001 spending slowed and with revenues from hardware increasingly more difficult to come by, storage companies are turning to software to boost revenues.

Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC, for instance, in November created a software division as part of a strategy to focus less on hardware, where demand has weakened due to overcapacity and lower tech spending.

Zisman joined IBM in 1995 when the company bought Lotus and most recently was vice president of emerging business development reporting to vice chairman John Thompson.

Thompson, who worked closely with IBM CEO Louis Gerstner, plans to retire on Sept. 1. Gerstner will step down as CEO on March 1, ceding his spot to Chief Operating Officer Sam Palmisano.

Zisman reports to Linda Sanford, who heads the storage division. He'll be in charge of Storage Tank storage management software due out this year.

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