Five Companies That Came To Win This Week

The Week Ending Aug. 22

Startup SimpliVity agrees to use Cisco UCS servers, Apple shares hit a record high on possibility of new products, and HP earnings show the company’s comeback is continuing. Meanwhile, mobile app startup Xamarin and flash storage startup PernixData land huge funding rounds.

Sources: Startup SimpliVity Inks Deal With Cisco, Will Use UCS Servers For Hyper-Converged Appliances

SimpliVity, a hyper-converged infrastructure startup, inked an agreement with Cisco Systems to improve its position in one of enterprise technology's hottest market segments, CRN reported this week.

SimpliVity uses Dell's x86 server hardware for its hyper-converged appliance, OmniCube. But under its deal with Cisco, it's going to be using Unified Computing System (UCS) servers. Partners feel that's a bold move to gain traction in the Cisco channel while also simultaneously giving Hewlett-Packard something to think about.

Apple Stock Hits Record High As Partners Anticipate An 'Exciting' September

Apple shares closed at a record high this week as investors couldn't contain their excitement over the potential for new ground-breaking products coming this fall.

The expected release of the iPhone 6 in the coming weeks drove Apple shares over the $100 mark, which is even more impressive when taking into account the company's 7-for-1 stock split in June.

HP's Q3: PCs, Servers, Networking Business Going Strong

HP's third-quarter earnings included evidence that CEO Meg Whitman's turnaround plan is starting to have a real impact. HP beat Wall Street's revenue forecast and delivered earnings per share in line with what analysts had forecast.

Whitman said she's bullish on HP's future growth. "HP is quicker to recognize changes in markets, and responding faster than ever before," she said during the earnings call.

Mobile App Development Startup Xamarin Lands $54M, Plans Global Expansion

Xamarin, a San Francisco-based mobile application development startup that Microsoft was considering acquiring earlier this year, raised $54 million in a Series C round and plans to expand internationally.

Xamarin lets developers build native iOS and Android apps using Microsoft's C# programming language. That's a capability Microsoft doesn't currently offer, and it's a big reason why many of Microsoft's 6 million-strong global .Net developer community can’t stop raving about Xamarin.

Storage Player PernixData Closes $35M Funding Round

Hot flash storage startup PernixData landed $35 million in Series C funding this week and said it plans to use it to add to its marketing and engineering muscle. The startup has now raised $62 million, and despite not yet being cash-flow-positive it's still on track to turn a profit, according to Jeff Aaron, vice president of marketing at PernixData.