Hitachi Buys Data Visualization and Analytics Firm

Hitachi's big data and Internet of Things division HDS has acquired Pentaho, a specialist in the integration, visualization and analysis of data.

HDS (Hitachi Data Systems Corporation) says Pentaho will retain its existing brand and continue to be led by CEO Quentin Gallivan, who will now report to HDS SVP of Social Innovation Kevin Eggleston. Pentaho's platform will still be available as a standalone but has also been integrated into HDS' advanced analytics foundation software, including its big data analytics and processing, operational technologies, information management and IoT portfolio.

The firm's Social Innovation solutions, buoyed by the acquisitions of oXya and Pantascene, have been expanding with the launch of new services including Hitachi Live Insight for IT Operations, Hitachi Clinical Repository for Connected Health, and Hitachi Live Insight Center of Excellence. A new platform recently launched by HDS and Pentaho and known as UCP uses SAP HANA to help developers process and refine big data from any source, at scale.

Vernon Turner, IDC SVP of Enterprise Systems says that while Hitachi is building 'a robust analytics framework' combining the consumer giant's 'formidable industrial, societal and business expertise' with its rich data and analytics portfolio, the Pentaho platform provides 'a key unifying element' which will pave the way for new innovations.

Eggleston says of the deal: 'We are now primed to aggressively deliver on our unified vision for Social Innovation and the full promise of the Internet of Things that matter, by bringing to market holistic and sophisticated solutions that have the power to transform our customers' businesses and entire markets, while advancing society as a whole'.

Tokyo-based parent Hitachi, Ltd had consolidated revenues for the year ending March 31st 2015 of 9,761 billion yen or $81.3 billion.

The subsidiary's web site is at www.hds.com .