Hard drive giant Seagate Technology expanded its reach into the small business and home storage markets with Wednesday's acquisition of Mirra.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Mirra produces the all-in-one Mirra Personal Server, a device which combines an intelligent network appliance, client software, and Web services for remote access of data into a single unit, said Mirra CEO Tom Shea.
By itself, the Mirra Personal Server acts as a backup device for multiple PCs in a small business or home, said Shea. However, with the Web software, users can allow other users access through the Internet to files stored on the server, and they can also specify certain folders for use in file sharing across the Internet, he said.
Shea said that Seagate already has branded storage solutions, but that the company is interested in Mirra because customers are looking for plug-and-play solutions in small businesses and homes. "We have a shared vision with Seagate on that," he said.
Going forward, Mirra is working on its next generation of Personal Server, which Shea said will have a smaller footprint, quieter operation, and improved performance. "We're raising the bar another level," he said.
Mirra has always used only Seagate hard drives, and so will not have to qualify a new vendor going forward, said Shea. "That certainly makes things simple," he said.
The Mirra Personal Server is available to the channel through D&H Distributing and Tech Data.
Financial details of the acquisition were not discussed. The deal closed on Wednesday.
