Global storage software market revenues were up 7.2% to $3bn for the first quarter of 2010, compared to $2.83bn for the same quarter a year ago. It represented a 1.6% decline sequentially, according to research and analytic firm IDC.
EMC led the overall market with revenue of $696m, an increase of 13.7% compared to $612m in the same period last year. It accounted for 23% revenue share for the quarter.
Symantec held onto second position with revenue of $528m, representing 17.5% revenue share, while IBM finished third with revenue of $430m, representing 14.2% revenue share. The list is followed by NetApp with 8.3% of revenue share, while CA and HP rounded out the fifth spot with a statistical tie accounting for 3.9% and 3.5% revenue share, respectively.
IDC said that much of the overall growth was due to the release of storage spending following budget freezes in 2009. Expenditures and projects that were postponed or cancelled in late 2008 and 2009 resulted in a backlog of projects that are starting to be switched on again.
Data protection and recovery, the most material of all the storage software segments, was up 10.6% from a year ago. EMC, CommVault, IBM, and HP all witnessed double digit year-over-year growth in this segment. EMC and CommVault had the strongest year-over-year growth with revenues up 46.6% and 24.9%, respectively for data protection and recovery.
Laura DuBois, research director of storage software at IDC, said: The gains in the storage software market in the first quarter of the year were the result of overall growth from many of the leading vendors as well as the weak performance in 1Q09 due to economic conditions during that period.
“However, market demand for storage solutions has clearly returned, with five of the top six vendors showing positive growth year over year. Another quarter of growth will be a strong indicator that the storage software market is in recovery.
