Dell buys automation software provider Gale Technologies

IDG News Service - In a move aimed at strengthening its ability to offer converged systems, Dell has acquired infrastructure automation software provider Gale Technologies.

Dell will fold the company's technologies into a newly formed Enterprise Systems and Solutions division. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition should help Dell offer more comprehensive converged infrastructure offerings, which combine servers, storage, software and network devices into single integrated packages. The new Enterprise Systems and Solutions Organization will focus on providing such integrated packages.

Gale Technologies' software helps administrators automate routine provisioning tasks, such as setting up servers, across heterogeneous environments. Through the use of templates and other tools, the software is well suited for combining physical and private cloud services into a single management environment.

As of the company's third fiscal quarter, which ended Nov. 2, Dell's server and networking business grew 11 percent year-over-year, thanks in part to such integrated systems sales.

Dell will combine Gale's own technologies into the Dell's Active System Manager, a configuration management tool. The combined offering will allow customers to manage not only in-house resources but private cloud deployments using VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization technologies as well.

Founded in 2008, Gale Technologies is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Dell will retain Gale employees and provide additional sales and engineering assistance for the Gale product line.