Microsoft Acquires WinTarget Storage Technology

Microsoft has acquired String Bean Software's WinTarget storage area networking technology and will add the software to its Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 product, Microsoft said Friday.

WinTarget is a software-based iSCSI storage area network technology that can be used to create a hybrid storage system that supports both file-level and block-level (such as E-mail) data storage. That will simplify storage management tasks and streamline workload consolidation, says Claude Lorenson, Microsoft group product manager for storage.

Adding WinTarget to Windows Storage Server will take some development and integration work that Microsoft expects to complete this summer, Lorenson says. Microsoft Storage Server is sold to hardware vendors that add the software to their server products.

The cost of the deal was not disclosed. Microsoft acquired String Bean's technology assets, and the privately held company will continue as a business to service its existing customers, according to Lorenson.