German storage management software company Open-E is expanding into the United States with technology it says is compatible with just about any storage connectivity standard.

Open-E CEO Krzysztof Franek says the company has been selling its storage software since 2003 and wants to take advantage of growth in network-attached storage (NAS) and iSCSI in the U.S. market.

Open-E’s selling points include compatibility with multiple standards like SCSI/iSCSI, GbE/10GbE, Fibre Channel, and Infiniband. Franek thinks his software is also easier to use than technology from market leaders Network Appliance and EMC. 

“These guys have very good solutions, but they are very complicated to understand,” he says. “You really need a lot of training.”

Open-E is also compatible with systems from most hardware vendors, as well as the Oracle database, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and virtualization platforms from VMware, Virtual Iron and XenSource.

The vendor, which says it has 8,000 customers, recently opened an office in Tokyo and is setting up shop in Boston, and Redwood City, Calif. Its European headquarters are in Munich.

Open-E’s software - Data Storage Server (DSS) Lite IP-Storage operating system – is available for a free download at the company’s Web site until Jan. 31. The typical cost is between $700 and $1,500, Franek says.

The company’s target customers are the assemblers who set up NAS storage systems, such as system integrators and value-added resellers. (Learn more about Network-Attached Storage products from our Network-Attached Storage Buyer's Guide.)