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Hey WD. Are you killing off Arkeia? 'Solutions... contracts... burble'

Firm sends us impenetrable managementese, we decipher it

Is WD killing off its Arkeia backup product?

After writing about some WD community forum members who have been told the product is effectively going end-of-life, we were sent a "clear statement from WD." Here it is; see what you think.

WD has been developing a full portfolio of network storage solutions for a number of years and is focusing its product development and marketing strategies on NAS products for consumers and professionals. For our WD Arkeia network backup business customers, we are maintaining our emphasis on the core software value we deliver and shifting away from hardware appliances. We will continue servicing current WD Arkeia customers through the extent of their existing maintenance contracts and sustaining the software. WD Arkeia core technology provides the company with innovative IP for protecting data and is a valued piece of WD’s technology portfolio moving forward.

Clear? Not really.

Let's try unpicking it sentence by sentence.

WD has been developing a full portfolio of network storage solutions for a number of years and is focusing its product development and marketing strategies on NAS products for consumers and professionals.

Yes, like MyCloud EX4100 with its Acronis True Image option and, for PCs, WD SmartWare Pro. Arkeia is not a NAS backup product per se. Looks bad for Arkeia.

For our WD Arkeia network backup business customers, we are maintaining our emphasis on the core software value we deliver and shifting away from hardware appliances.

So, there'll be no more hardware appliances but Arkeia software continues; is that what you are saying?

We will continue servicing current WD Arkeia customers through the extent of their existing maintenance contracts and sustaining the software.

Unclear; does this mean no new Arkeia software and or no further development of existing Arkeia software?

WD Arkeia core technology provides the company with innovative IP for protecting data and is a valued piece of WD’s technology portfolio moving forward.

Yeah, right. What WD has not said is that "the existing Arkeia software product will continue being developed and offered to customers," or, alternatively, "development of the existing Arkeia software product is ending and Arkeia hardware products are no longer being offered for sale." Why hasn't one of these simple and clear statements been made?

El Reg suspects the words from Mustela Nivalis are it trying hard not to admit that the existing product has come to its end of life. ®

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