Data storage seen as growth sector

SEATTLE, March 6 (UPI) -- Electronic data's growth has led to new investment prospects as U.S. high-tech companies see dollar signs in storing the information, a published report said.

Data-storage companies Isilon Systems Inc., Double-Take Software Inc., CommVault Inc., Mellanox Technologies Ltd. and Riverbed Technology Inc. have filed for initial public stock offerings in recent months, USA Today reported Tuesday.

Riverbed's shares have risen more than 200 percent since they were first offered in September, the newspaper said.

Established companies see opportunities in the data flood, too.

Hewlett-Packard Development Co. said it would buy storage-software maker PolyServe. Storage giant EMC Corp. has made several acquisitions, including its $2.1 billion purchase of RSA Security Inc. last year.

"We are creating more digital information than we can store," EMC Executive Vice President Mark Lewis told USA Today, adding this year, for the first time, there will not be enough storage capacity for the electronic data people create.