EMC Embraces Rivals' APIs

EMC and Veritas Software signed a deal to exchange application programming interfaces for storage system and storage software technologies. The deal covers EMC APIs for the company's Symmetrix, Clariion and Celerra arrays, along with APIs for Veritas' Volume Manager, File System and Foundation Suite software. The two vendors also agreed to work on joint support programs.

Also last week, EMC signed a framework to develop an API agreement with Hitachi Data Systems. The actual API exchange is expected to happen in a few weeks, but both companies are committed to it, an EMC spokesperson said.

The Hitachi deal came as the two companies unveiled a patent cross-licensing agreement to settle pending lawsuits filed against each other nearly a year ago. Part of the settlement includes Hitachi making an undisclosed "balancing payment" to EMC.

John Murphy, executive vice president of Advanced Systems Group, a Denver-based channel partner of EMC, Hitachi and Veritas, said it will take some time before the ramifications of the API and patent agreements between EMC and Hitachi are clear, but for now it looks as if the two are mutually trying to sell more software.

"They figure if they lose the [hardware business], they can sell more software," Murphy said.