CTERA Networks calls its main storage tool CTERA. The difference between it and the company name is the product now has a 4.0 on the end of it, signifying the latest version.
CTERA 4.0 includes all the previous features such as cloud and hybrid cloud storage, gateways and management, but adds mobile security, SLAs for cloud storage, and file sync and file share. The new file sync and share comes courtesy of a new unified client.
On the file sync and share side, many cloud storage providers don’t allow this, seeing it as a security risk, at least when the files being accessed are part of a backup pool.
On the SLA front, these can be apportioned per tenant because the service provider can control where exactly the data is stored.
451 Research has already boned up on the new tool. “CTERA has been unique in the breadth of cloud storage applications it offers and its platform's ability to handle large-scale deployments,” argued Simon Robinson, vice president at 451 Research. “The new release expands the company's footprint in enterprise file sync and share applications, while deepening its roots as a cloud storage enabler.”
CTERA, meanwhile, is looking to add more to its storage system.
“With this new release CTERA continues to execute on its vision of a cloud storage platform that combines all the must-have cloud storage applications under a unified platform that is infrastructure-agnostic,” said Liran Eshel, CEO of CTERA.
One service provider already bases its storage wares on CTERA.
“Leveraging our investment in a Canadian-based infrastructure and developing a portfolio of cloud solutions relevant to the Canadian marketplace, we have partnered with CTERA to launch RCloud Services: Backup & Recovery,” said Eric Fletcher, VP Marketing Ricoh Canada. “As a premier managed service provider, we found the enterprise-grade security features and private branding capabilities invaluable in delivering a service that our customers can rely on.”
Customer Marco Lanza, CIO of the Angelini Group, likes the privacy aspects of CTERA. “We chose CTERA for its tight integration with our infrastructure and its ability to provide a truly secure and completely private solution. Alternatives we looked at all fell short when it came to keeping all data and metadata in-house, maintaining control over encryption keys, and integrating with our Active Directory – CTERA was the only solution to tick all the boxes.”
Finally the Université Paris Diderot is looking forward to file and sync as a way of boosting its research, said CIO Stoned Elipot. “We needed a way to securely share files among our faculty for our researcher community, some of whom are constantly roaming worldwide. CTERA provided us with an easy way to set up a private file sync and share environment with team collaboration capabilities and most importantly, complete control over data security and encryption. This allows us to offer our users a secure, efficient alternative to public, consumer-grade applications.”
CTERA is Cool, Just Ask Gartner
Gartner recently named CTERA as one of five Cool Vendors in Storage Technologies for this year.
Other cool storage vendors include Delphix, Panzura, Pure Storage and Scality.
So what makes CTERA cool? Let’s let the company brag, er, explain.
“The Cloud Attached Storage architecture combines secure cloud storage services with on-premises appliances and managed agents,” the company said, claiming that “CTERA pioneered the cloud storage gateway concept, with tens of thousands of units deployed, and its scalable cloud service delivery platform is used by leading service providers and enterprises, on the public or private cloud infrastructure of their choice.”
Gartner expands on that thought, explaining that “CTERA Networks offers unique, unified cloud storage integration hardware and software (including EFSS) within an expanding partner ecosystem.”
Based on that simple analysis, Gartner believes IT, when thinking about using public or cloud storage for mobile workers and remote branch offices, should look at CTERA solutions.
Gartner believes the CTERA goods are particularly suited for SMBs, but also have a place amongst service providers, who base services upon the CTERA platform, as well as integrators and enterprises. Pretty broad customer brush!
“The CTERA Networks offerings address file sync and share, backup and primary data delivery using on-premises hardware optimized to transport data to a public or private cloud environment. The company uniquely offers a cost-efficient solution to support remote and branch office (ROBO) environments on a large scale,” Gartner explained. “The lightweight local footprint of a CTERA Networks storage unit, the elimination of additional backup software and the resultant operational simplification make CTERA Networks an attractive solution for supporting extensive ROBO environments.”
CTERA Partners Up
CTERA is building up its overall presence with the help of partners, and the affordability of its tools. “The partnership ecosystem continues to expand with native integration of CTERA Networks' capability into the CISCO Integrated Service Routers Generation 2 (ISR), integration with EMC's Atmos, IBM's General Parallel File System (GPFS), Hitachi Data Systems' Hitachi Content Platform (HCP), Dell DX, OpenStack Swift and many relationships with telcos and MSPs in Europe and the U.S.,” Gartner argued.
But CTERA isn’t on easy street yet. “CTERA Networks is a relatively new company, founded in 2008 and competing in an intensely active segment of the market. Their presence is growing in the U.S. with SMB customers (from a revenue perspective) and in Europe with a number of large telco and communication service provider (CSP) partners. As a small but fast-growing company, risk exists that CTERA Networks may struggle to adequately deliver in a timely manner to its diverse customer set,” Gartner added.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
