Big Blue today beefed up its storage software offerings by agreeing to buy privately-held FilesX – which protects data on Microsoft's operating systems – for an undisclosed sum.

IBM said it plans to fold the Newton, Massachusetts, and Haifa, Israel-based company's technology into its Tivoli Storage Manager range.

FilesX, which was founded in 2000 and has 100 US and Israeli biz and public sector customers on its books, specialises in data protection tools and data recovery apps for large organisations and remote/branch offices running Windows.

In recent months IBM has gone on a sizeable storage spending spree as part of its strategy to make a land grab for new ideas and technologies not traditionally associated with the firm.

It said in a statement that the tie-up would complement the firm's existing file-based software, which is punted at the small to medium business market.

Al Zollar, IBM's Tivoli software general manager, said the acquisition "would reinforce IBM’s mid-market strategy by adding a simple and easy to use full data protection solution – one that also is attractive to enterprise remote offices and departmental situations".

Today's swoop on the startup is Big Blue's second Israeli buy-out this year. In January it gobbled up Tel Aviv-based grid and clustered file storage maker XIV in a deal reported to be about $300m.

Over the past few months IBM has swallowed up Softek, Filenet and NovusCG, and Arsenal Digital Solutions as part of a long-term strategy to help give the firm a leg-up in the expanding storage market. ®

Related stories

IBM kicks off service management house party (20 May 2008)
IBM continues storage land grab with Diligent acquisition (18 April 2008)
IBM grows profits, raises outlook (17 April 2008)
IBM hopes to patent 'dealing with chaos' (10 April 2008)
IBM's cloud computer drifts over Georgia and Ohio (26 March 2008)
IBM updates oh-so-much storage gear (13 February 2008)
IBM explores 67.1m-core computer for running entire internet (5 February 2008)
Brocade's Backbone wants control of the data center (23 January 2008)
IBM ignores foundering economy with top notch Q4 (18 January 2008)
IBM swallows Tel Aviv storage firm (2 January 2008)
IBM buys Arsenal... (7 December 2007)