IBM to acquire solid state vendor Texas Memory

IBM is acquiring flash memory system provider Texas Memory Systems (TMS) in a move that will augment Big Blue's line of storage and data centre systems with solid state technology. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

IBM plans to incorporate TMS products into IBM's PureSystems prepackaged hardware systems, as well as into other storage, server and software product lines. Solid state technologies will become a core component of Smarter Storage line of storage systems, said Brian Truskowski, IBM general manager of systems storage and networking.

TMS sells high performance solid state disk-based storage systems under the RamSan product name. The company offers both rack-mounted storage as well as PCIe cards embedded with flash. Solid state disks offer performance and reliability advantages over traditional spinning disk-based drives. IDC estimates that by 2016 enterprise systems will procure nearly three exabytes, or one billion gigabytes, of solid state storage a year.

IBM will continue to support the products TMS has already sold to customers, as well as invest in improving TMS technologies, the company stated.

Based in Houston, Texas, TMS is privately held. It was founded in 1978, and currently employs about 100 personnel.

The deal is expected to close later in 2012.