Intel entered into a strategic technology and business collaboration with BlueData, the two companies announced on Tuesday. In addition, Intel Capital will make an equity investment in BlueData.
To simplify big data solutions
The collaboration will combine BlueData’s infrastructure software for big data and the leading data center architecture based on Intel’s Xeon processor technology. The collaboration will also simplify the deployment process of big data solutions so that the rate at which they are adopted is accelerated.
Intel has made a large number of investments and undertaken several initiatives in the big data market, and the benefit of these will help it in achieving the objective it is aiming for with this partnership. Some of the chip maker’s recent deals include a strategic collaboration with Cloudera for Apache Hadoop and projects focused on Apache Spark.
“Intel architecture provides a high-performance, secure, robust foundation for big data analytics. BlueData’s innovative software delivers the simplicity, agility and efficiency of big data-as-a-service in an on-premises model,” Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said. He further said both companies are focusing on bringing big data into the mainstream, and by doing so, they will be able to unlock more value for their enterprise customers.
BlueData will tailor its big data infrastructure software to suit Intel’s architecture, while Intel will divert some engineering and marketing resources towards a joint engineering roadmap and joint customer acquisition. Joint go-to-market strategies that include coordinated product, channel and sales programs will be executed by both companies together.
Second investment from Intel this week
A partnership with Intel will do a lot of good for a small company like BlueData, which since its launch in 2012 has raised $39 million in three funding rounds. Intel’s investment in BlueData is part of the $20 million funding round led by the chip maker’s capital arm. Intel’s senior VP and general manager of the Software and Services Group, Doug Fisher, will join BlueData’s board of directors.
This is Intel’s third investment in the BlueData since 2012 and the company’s second major investment this week. Yesterday, the chip maker announced plans to invest significant money and resources into Mirantis, an OpenStack company. At around 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Intel shares were up 2.7% at $26.82, and year to date, the stock is down by almost 28%.
