Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is the latest storage vendor to move into the archiving market, with the launch today (12 June) of its first digital content archiving and records management system.

The Hitachi Content Archive platform integrates archiving software from digital archiving specialist Archivas with Hitachi's Tagmastore storage hardware to provide a single repository archive boasting 300 terabytes of capacity and capable of storing various data formats, such as documents, emails and images.

Jonathan Grantham, UK sales director at HDS, said the ability to use a single archive platform rather than separate email, image and document archives would cut costs for firms and also make it easier for them to comply with regulators’ requests for files. "The platform features a Google-type search capability so compliance managers can search the whole archive very quickly for the files they need," he added.

The system allows compliance managers to develop and enforce policies governing how and when emails or other content will be archived and destroyed. "You can automate your policies to ensure files are kept in line with regulatory requirements such as the US Sarbanes-Oxley law," said Grantham.

The Hitachi Content Archive launch, follows a similar move by storage giant EMC in archiving management software, and was welcomed by Mark Donkersley, UK managing director of archiving and records management specialist AXS-One. He said IT vendors’ growing interest in archiving systems reflects that of their customers.

In separate news, EMC continued its push to become a broader infrastructure provider last week, paying an undisclosed sum to acquire privately owned application discovery and mapping software specialist nLayers.