HP Buys Mass. Data Analytics Co.

Hewlett-Packard has agreed to acquire Vertica, a privately held, a real-time analytics platform provider based in Billerica, Mass.

HP says the acquisition will add to its information optimization services. Vertica offers real-time business analytics for large and complex sets of data in physical, virtual and cloud environments. HP will adopt Vertica's ability to analyze massive amounts of data quickly and effectively which results in just-in-time business intelligence.

In today's highly competitive environment, customers need the ability to manage the increasing amounts of data and growing streams of information with more flexible, more dynamic architectures, Shane Robinson, HP's executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer, said in a statement. Vertica's unique platform combines simplicity with industry-leading performance, allowing HP to leap ahead of the industry in the race to analyze massive amounts of data.

HP expects the acquisition to close in the second quarter of its fiscal year 2011. Neither company would disclose the financials of the deal.

By combining Vertica's offerings with HP's brand and global reach, customers will benefit from the commitment, expertise and resources from the largest technology company in the world, Christopher Lynch, president and chief executive officer, Vertica, said in a statement. Combined with HP, we will be able to better help customers develop flexible business performance solutions that improve decision making and streamline business processes.

Analytics acquisitions have become a trend in the data services industry as of late. One of HP's rivals, IBM, has made a string of them in the past year, the most recent being Netezza in November.

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