HP is beefing up its storage business through the purchase of StorageApps.

Headquartered in New Jersey, StorageApps describes itself as a "leading provider of storage virtualization solutions". No we don't know what it means either, but it must be very impressive if HP is willing to splash out $350m worth of stock to get its mittens on the business.

"StorageApps virtualization technology is intended to allow customers to easily implement and manage storage networks. This technology also enables customers to pool storage devices from different vendors, easily add capacity and readily move data among the devices independent of server operating systems or network infrastructure. As a result, customers can choose the best storage technology for their needs and more flexibly scale their networks to meet the unpredictable storage demands of their businesses."

So there you have it. StorageApps virtualization technology will become a component in HP's Federated Storage Area Management (FSAM) strategy. An explanation of this can wait another day. ®