Scale scales: HCI maverick heads upstack with apps

Come hither if your thing is VDI and biz analytics

Hyper-converger Scale Computing is adding business applications to its offerings with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and business analytics available to its small and medium business customers.

Workspot is supplying the VDI software, which it says is straightforward to use.

Jason Collier, a co-founder at Scale Computing, said in a canned quote: “Our primary driver is simplicity and Workspot is simple. … Through a cloud portal you select a VDI template and the number of desktops and that’s it, a couple of clicks.

There is almost no set-up needed, it says.

Workspot calls its technology VDI 2.0, says it is it is cloud native and designed for hyper-converged appliances, and is already partnering with Nutanix, Atlantis and others. It says you can connect to a VDI session on a host in your data centre without installing anything in the data centre, All the complex operational components are moved into the cloud.

Scale is also partnering with Information Builders to have its business analytics software installed and run on its HCI systems. IB has been around in the business intelligence business for what seems like ages, having been founded in 1975 and developing its FOCUS database product.

The Scale Analytics Appliance, combines Information Builders’ WebFOCUS Business User Edition software and Scale Computing’s HC3 virtualisation platform to provides SMB customers with a reporting and analytics appliance not requiring significant IT support.

Scale CEO and co-founder Jeff Ready said: “The Scale Analytics Appliance … is easy to install and quick to deploy with tons of pre-existing reports, charts, documents and dashboards available that can be used with data discovery to identify trends, patterns and opportunities for their businesses.”

Collier says that Scale 1150 product, with tiered flash and disk is great for running primary, data-generating apps, and business analytics to look at the data and chew through it. He says Scale is thinking along the lines of an SMB app store for its HCI appliances.

Johan Pellicaan has joined Scale as its EMEA MD, coming from hyper-converged competitor Springpath. He had been setting up an EMEA channel structure but Springpath decided to go all-in with its software OEM deal with Cisco, and canned Pellicaan and his structure. Springpath’s loss is Scale’s gain. He’ll establish distribution channel partners across EMEA, building on Scale’s existing UK focus.

Collier said Scale was growing fast; its last quarter saw record new customer numbers, and the customer count has passed 2,000. Scale is nearing profitability and he thinks its SMB focus helps insulate it from the competitive mayhem taking place in the enterprise HCI market. Scale wants to scale up and out. The Nutanix IPO shows an incoming wave of HCI washing over all kinds of enterprise, and, as Collier says, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” ®