GlassHouse Technologies Guides Companies to Data Management Solutions

As companies and individuals have made the move from print and paper documents to electronic data, a whole new realm of needs has arisen dealing with the appropriate means to keep electronic data protected and available when it's needed. Some companies need to simply backup data for archiving or business continuity while others, such as those in the financial industry, have guidelines for managing data that need to be met to fulfill compliance requirements with laws created by the federal government. Regardless of what a given organization's data management needs may be, guidance about the appropriate procedures and storage devices that need to be put in place can often be best given by a consulting company that isn't a representative of a particular data storage vendor. GlassHouse Technologies, at 4305 Hacienda Drive, provides just that type of consulting and services.

"We are an independent firm that is not affiliated with a hardware or software company," says Carole Gunst, marketing director for GlassHouse Technologies. "One service we offer is advising companies on business data continuity by starting with an audit of the system they have in place, then advising them on how they can better address their data storage needs. In many cases, we are able to help clients take advantage their current resources without further investment. We can also work with clients to assess the need for new technology, develop guidelines for what they need from hardware and software vendors, and design and implement new storage environments. It can be beneficial for companies to have someone from the outside come in to point them in the right direction and handle the implementation."

GlassHouse is a privately-held, venture-funded corporation. Founded in 2001, the company has received four rounds of financing totaling $35 million. GlassHouse's client base includes enterprises in the financial services, manufacturing, insurance, health care, biotechnology, life sciences, media, telecommunications, and technology sectors. It serves its clients by providing solutions for data protection and recovery, storage management, storage business practices, and storage support services. GlassHouse currently serves hundreds of customers worldwide, including Hartz Mountain Industries Inc., Pitney-Bowes Inc., Virgin Mobile, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

GlassHouse's Pleasanton sales office has been in Hacienda since September of 2004. This global company is headquartered in Framingham, Mass., with offices in Durham, NC; Hartford, Conn.; Minneapolis; New York; Oceanside, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; and here in Pleasanton. In England, GlassHouse has offices in Weybridge, Havant, London, and Chester. Currently, GlassHouse's 6,000 square foot Pleasanton office is the workplace for 16 staffers. Today, about 300 people are employed by the company worldwide.

"We partner with our clients to control cost, mitigate risk, and improve service levels in their data storage and information technology environments," Gunst says. "We recently began providing corporate compliance offerings that help companies prepare to demonstrate and prove that their storage environment meets corporate compliance guidelines such as the Federal Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. It's important for them to ensure that their data storage operations are in order whether or not they think a formal audit will take place. We're always rolling out new services and will grow as our customer base grows. Right now, our customer base is expanding rapidly."

Photo: GlassHouse Technologies staff members look out from the company's glass-walled conference room.

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