8 Hot New Startups At XChange '09

Want new technology? Everything Channel and the Sightline Group produced the Sprout showcase of technology startups, delivering eight channel-focused companies for an audience of differentiation-hungry VARs, system integrators and solution providers in Washington, D.C., this week. Test Center Managing Editor Ed Moltzen kicks off the showcase here.

Hosts Ray Robidoux, left, and Fred Brown of the Sightline Group worked closely with Moltzen and the XChange team to finalize a list of startups that leaned heavily toward storage but also included a fair number of Web-based tools and even a social networking platform for channel companies. The Sprout demo sessions at this XChange included a twist -- each startup presented a short, YouTube-like video and followed it with the traditional one-on-one chat with either Brown or Robidoux. The breakdown:

This Summit, N.J.-based storage vendor promises to "deliver information at the speed of business" with its solid state storage appliance targeting companies looking to stretch their IT dollars in a challenging economic environment. The use of SSDs promises up to 90 percent less spent on power and cooling costs as compared to a typical magnetic spinning disk array, according to WhipTail's Brian Feller, vice president of sales and marketing, left, seen here with Fred Brown.

A Web security specialist out of Bethesda, Md., RioRey does one thing very well -- stopping distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks on customers' Web sites, according to Dan Vertrees, senior vice president of sales and marketing, right, with Ray Robidoux. With hundreds of installations around the world, RioRey's appliance-based solutions come in 1U and 2U flavors for standard racks. Partners enjoy generous lead generation from RioRey and lightning fast sales cycles, Vertrees said -- think three hours instead of three months.

Pranah Storage provides a unified system with its purpose-built storage box. The Stillwater, Minn.-based startup has developed both the software and hardware for its SAN and NAS delivery vehicle, bringing "capabilities that previously only existed for large organizations and delivering them to SMBs," according to Dave Walstad, Pranah's vice president of sales and marketing, left, talking to Fred Brown. A bonus for disk drive resellers is that they are free to pop those drives into the Pranah appliances they sell.

This collaboration software developer out of San Diego sells what is essentially an open-source alternative to Microsoft SharePoint. Target customers are "anybody who is looking to create an Internet, extranet or knowledge base within their organization," according to Marc Davis, director of alliances at Mindtouch, right, with Ray Robidoux. Benefits for partners include a competitive price tag and, for service providers and development-oriented solution providers, the ability to generate a lot of recurring revenue around maintenance, strategy and tailored growth of the platform.

Straight out of the Ukraine, StarWind Software is a developer of software that ties into any Windows server and works closely with virtualization platforms to create block storage. The startup boasts a highly credentialed programming team -- half of whom are Ph.D.s in computer science or math, according to CEO Zorian Rotenberg, who adds, "We even have one rocket scientist." StarWind also has U.S. headquarters in Burlington, Mass.

This Atlanta-based Web security vendor promises to stand in between an organization's Internet users and potential threats to cybersecurity without any noticeable delays to the surfing experience. Brad Burkle, right, VP of Channels and Alliances, made the case to Ray Robidoux for his company at Sprout, describing a "pure wire" to safe Web surfing that provides channel partners with a robust, recurring revenue model security solution that eliminates the need to manage hardware and software in a client environment.

Delivering consistent cellular coverage and PBX-driven savings on call costs is what makes Agito Networks tick, according to Amit Chawla, president and CEO of the Santa Clara, Calif.-based startup, left, with Fred Brown. Agito already supports more than 50 handsets, including Blackberry products, and Chawla promised Apple iPhone support before the year is out. Ideal channel partners for this vendor include providers of PBX and wireless LAN solutions to the enterprise.

This developer of a social networking platform for businesses may be the most "startuppy" of the startups showcased at Sprout. Tiny offices? Check. Lots of Red Bull on hand for the overworked staff? Check. Web 2.0 creds, funky name and an enthusiastic serial evangelist at the helm? Check, check and check. So where does Naperville, Ill.-based Myabui -- the name means "safe, enclosed space" in New Guinea -- fit into the channel? The free software certainly doesn't lend itself to great margins, admits founder and CEO Michael Rhodes, seen here at left watching Myabui's video with Ray Robidoux. But the closed nature of this social site means that unlike Twitter or Facebook, companies that build out Myabui networks can actually track how effective their Web-based information and marketing campaigns really are.