EMC bags app acceleration firm Asankya to enhance cloud offerings

EMC has quietly snapped up internet data delivery firm Asankya for an undisclosed sum in a move that could enhance its cloud computing offerings.

The storage firm is said to have confirmed the deal, but will not disclose more details. The acquisition was first reported by Incisive Media title Inside Market Data.

Asankya's staff, including chief executive Scott Ryan and chief technology officer Raghupathy Sivakumar, are also rumoured to have joined EMC.

Asankya's web site has been taken down, but the company recently released a Cloud Acceleration Network tool to remove bandwidth problems that can occur when moving interactive applications to the cloud.

The tool provides consistent high-speed performance for internet applications, enabling them to work around congestion and bottlenecks, which could well be of interest to EMC.

Asankya's RAPIDnet service, meanwhile, uses parallel networking to offer a 40 times performance improvement for internet applications, which could also be added to EMC's product offerings.

Specifically, the technology could benefit EMC's recently updated Atmos 2.0 cloud storage platform which promises improved efficiency, capacity and ease of use.

IDC storage analyst Ben Woo expects EMC to use the Asankya products to complement its virtual storage V-PLEX appliance.

"The purchase makes a lot of sense. EMC is focused on enabling information access. This acquisition accelerates that, and is highly consistent with its roadmap," he told V3.

Asankya was founded in 2003, and made a name for itself with the Hypermesh streaming network technology for rich media applications showcased at the Demo Conference in 2008.