In an effort to catch up to rivals in some areas and better differentiate itself in others, Hitachi Data Systems Corp. is readying a product blitz that includes new backup appliances, IP storage, management software and vertical-oriented bundled services.

On the hardware and software agenda are object-based storage and switch-resident software, due later this year, and arrays that use ATA drives, due early next year, according to executives of the Santa Clara, Calif., division of Tokyo's Hitachi Ltd.

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