HPE sets to stride further into AI and analytics with the acquisition of BlueData, provider of EPIC big data-as-a-service software able to run large-scale distributed machine learning and analytics workloads in Docker containers.
Financial details of the deal are not available.
“BlueData has developed an innovative and effective solution to address the pain points all companies face when contemplating, implementing, and deploying AI/ML and big data analytics. Adding BlueData’s complementary software platform to HPE’s market-leading Apollo Systems and professional services is consistent with HPE’s data-first strategy and enables our customers to extract insights from data – whether on-premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid architecture,” HPE says. “We are excited about the significant value we can deliver for our customers by working with the talented team at BlueData.”
Founded in 2012, BlueData is best known for EPIC, a software platform using Docker container technology to make deployment of large-scale machine learning and big data analytics environments easier. HPE plans to use combine the BlueData software platform with existing software-defined infrastructure to create an "all-encompasing and easy-to-implement" container-based AI and analytics solution.
According to IDC, the AI/machine learning and big data market will be worth $160 milllion by 2022. However not all organisations have the skills required to extract business value and actionable insights from data, leading to demand for faster and more cost-effective solutions of the sort.