BakBone Software

Infobox_Company
company_name = Bakbone Software Incorporated
company_type = Public (NASDAQ|BKBO)
company_slogan = "Solutions for Multi-Platform Data Protection."
foundation = 2000
location_city = San Diego, California
location_country = USA
key_people = James R Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer
num_employees = 230+
industry = Computer software
products = NetVault
revenue = around 50 million USD (2007)
homepage = [http://www.bakbone.com/ www.bakbone.com]

BakBone Software (nasdaq|BKBO) is an international storage management software company that develops and globally distributes software solutions to the network storage and open systems markets. BakBone's suite of near-line archival, continuous real-time data replication and backup/restore software provides scalable data protection from the workgroup to the enterprise. BakBone's products are utilized by companies for clients such as Shell, Sony, Bellsouth, Mitsubishi Motors, AT&T, IBM, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota and Los Alamos Laboratories. The products are distributed through a worldwide network of OEMs and solution providers.

History

The company in its present form was founded in March 2000. The NetVault product was originally an AT&T product and part of the CommVault department within AT&T. [ [http://www.networkworld.com/archive/2000/99427_06-19-2000.html?nf AT&T back-up software builds strong Bakbone ] ] In 1993 a small software company Willow Ltd managed by Harry Brayne and Andrew Unsworth took on some development work on behalf of AT&T. [ [http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2000/d2000-0095.html WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2000-0095 ] ] Willow Ltd had expertise in storage products and specifically the ability to control tape robotic libraries for which NetVault at the time didn't support.

Around 1997 several things happened. Firstly, AT&T split its non-telephony divisions and CommVault division became its own entity through a management buyout. [ [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CommVault+Systems+celebrates+one+year+anniversary+as+an+independent...-a019437376 CommVault Systems celebrates one year anniversary as an independent company with record sales and growth. - Free Online Library ] ] But the future of the NetVault product could not be agreed between Willow and the newly formed CommVault Inc. NetVault at the time needed a major overhaul. In fact, Fabrice Helliker, the development manager at Willow, had a blueprint for a new product. Eventually an agreement was reached with CommVault and Willow Ltd parting ways leaving Willow Ltd in sole ownership of NetVault.

Willow Ltd was then split from its parent group and was renamed NetVault Ltd. Andrew Unsworth stayed with the parent group and was no longer involved with NetVault until 2000 when he joined BakBone as the managing director for Europe. [ [http://www.secinfo.com/dRqWm.4Ggpz.htm SEC Info - Bakbone Software Inc - 6-K - For 11/30/01 ] ] Fabrice Helliker and his team re-designed the NetVault 6 product from the ground up, completely discarding the old product, then at version 5.0.4. [ [http://sec.edgar-online.com/2001/11/19/0000912057-01-540412/Section10.asp BAKBONE SOFTWARE INC - BKBOF Amended Annual and Transition Report (foreign private issuer) (20-F/A) Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees ] ] Two years later in January 1999, NetVault 6.0 was released. [ [http://www.taborcommunications.com/dsstar/00/0418/101518.html DSstar: NEC Soft Launches NetVault from BakBone Software ] ]

Pat Barcus, who was responsible for the creation of the NetVault Japan office [ [http://www.cofio.com/management.htm Cofio Software | The Company ] ] , and Anthony Cerqueira, organized a buy out of NetVault Ltd. with a Canadian shell corporation, Net Resources Inc., together with Archie Nesbitt and Raju Wani. The action was completed in March 2000 and the company was renamed BakBone Software, and headquartered in San Diego, CA. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Feb_29/ai_59662198 Net Resources/BakBone Software Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire NetVault Ltd | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] Anthony Cerqueira and Pat Barcus stayed in the company for a few years until Keith Rickard joined as CEO. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5243/is_200106/ai_n20443653 Bakbone Software names storage industry veteran Keith Rickard chief executive officer, president. | M2 Presswire | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] Andrew Unsworth, as Managing Director for Europe, stayed with BakBone until 2005. Fabrice Helliker, as the VP Engineering and later CTO, stayed with BakBone until 2006. [ [http://www.freshnews.com/news/tech-people-move/article_21311.html?BakBone SAN DIEGO- BakBone Appoints Douglas Spencer as VP R&D and Fabrice Helliker as CTO; Collaboration to Sharpen BakBone's Next-Generation Technology Vision and Strategy ] ]

In 2000, BakBone acquired Tracer Technologies based in Washington D.C. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_March_3/ai_59998622 Net Resources/BakBone Software Announces Agreement to Acquire Tracer Technologies, Inc | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] Tracer was an optical archival company.

In late 2005, the company acquired Minneapolis-based Constant Data Inc., a developer of continuous real-time data replication solutions for heterogeneous enterprise environments. [ [http://www.byteandswitch.com/document.asp?doc_id=84394 BakBone Nabs Constant Data - EMC News Analysis - Byte and Switch ] ]

In mid 2006, the company was delisted from the Toronto stock exchange for failing to make SEC filings. [ [http://sec.edgar-online.com/2006/05/09/0001193125-06-105609/Section6.asp BAKBONE SOFTWARE INC - BKBO Unscheduled Material Events (8-K) EXHIBIT 99.1 ] ]

Products

Bakbone offers an enterprise level integrated data protection software suite called "NetVault" that comprises archiving, backup and restore, reporting and continuous real-time data replication for heterogeneous server environments. It also has products that span the following feature areas:

*Application Data Protection
*Backup and Restore
*Device Integration
*Disaster Recovery
*Disk-to-Disk
*Network Attached Storage
*Open File Protection
*Replication
*Reporting and Monitoring

References

External links

* [http://www.bakbone.com/ Bakbone official website]
* [http://www.hotstocked.com/companies/b/bakbone-software-inc-BKBO-51670.html?action=showHistory HotStocked.com description of company.]
* [http://www.networkcomputing.com/story/singlePageFormat.jhtml?articleID=18200314 Article comparing different backup software, including NetVault.]
* [http://www.sun.com/storagetek/management_software/data_protection/bakbone/perspectives.xml Partner, Sun Microsystems, describes the Bakbone products they resell.]
* [http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com/backup-software.html List of major backup software companies, with descriptions.]
* [http://www.overlandstorage.com/PDFs/Carnegie.pdf Story of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute's use of Bakbone products.]
* [http://www.e-business.com/pdf/BakBoneCorporateOverviewFinal_ENG.pdf An external corporate fact sheet]