DENVER, CO – With a theme of “More than Ready”, Commvault kicked off its annual user conference, Commvault GO, by announcing the launch of a new venture and a new brand, Metallic, within the Commvault family.
Metallic, billed as “A Commvault Venture”, is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio currently encompassing three offerings that provide backup and recovery to the mid-market: companies from 500 to 2500 employees. 
Its genesis occurred when Commvault looked at its portfolio and realized that growth wasn’t there, and that what was missing was customer choice. With the new SaaS offering, they can now decide whether to use Commvault’s legacy products or to move backup to the cloud without losing the power of the proven Commvault engine.
Three editions: Metallic Core Backup and Recovery, Metallic Office 365 Backup and Recovery, and Metallic Endpoint Backup and Recovery, are available now in the U.S. only, on either monthly or annual subscriptions. A free trial provides full access capped at 1TB or 25 users for 45 days.
Metallic will roll out globally over time, sold exclusively through partners, and Canada is in the top five countries to receive the service after the initial 90-day shakedown, said senior vice-president and general manager of Metallic, Robert Kaloustian in an interview.
Metallic was built in just nine months, he explained, acting very much like a startup within Commvault. The first couple of months were spent listening to customers, partners, and service providers, discovering their pain points and learning about their requirements. The solution, the team learned, had to be flexible, scalable, and easy.
Only after that consultation did development begin, with the challenge of switching legacy software developers to an agile sprint methodology somewhat mitigated by the fact that underlying the new product was a core of proven technology including Commvault’s 812 patents.
“It’s a luxury other companies don’t have,” he noted. ” We knew we could build a SaaS data protection solution with no compromises because it’s built on Commvault DNA. We put everything aside except experience.”
Although part of Commvault, the Metallic team was not constrained ; under chief executive officer of eight months Sanjay Mirchandani (former CEO of IT automation firm Puppet), the focus on simplicity extends through all products.
“The addition of Metallic is also a smart move by Commvault,” noted Evaluator Group analyst Mitch Lewis in a post. “A SaaS solution opens up a new market for Commvault and nicely complements its existing portfolio. Metallic’s focus on a simple, easy to use SaaS product while still offering robust backup and restore functionality will make it an attractive option for organizations that may have otherwise prioritized a SaaS solution over Commvault’s existing products.”
“We’re changing the way we talk about ourselves,” said Matt Tyrer, senior manager, solutions marketing. “It’s the idea behind being ready – what do customers need to be ready for? In many cases, they don’t know.”
The refreshed branding, he said, makes it easier to communicate the value Commvault can provide.
Along with Metallic, the company showcased its newest acquisition, Hedvig, a software defined storage solution, which is also retaining its branding, being billed as A Commvault Venture alongside Metallic.
Commvault also announced that it has joined an initiative to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The Business Avengers campaign brings together 17 companies in multiple industries, including big names like Microsoft, Unilever, and Nike, each of which has committed to represent one of the 17 goals.
The campaign site said, “The Business Avengers collectively represent the role that business can play and is playing in delivering the Global Goals through 2019 and 2020, driving awareness, collaboration and action from the private sector towards achieving the Global Goals by 2030.”
Commvault will represent SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
“Commvault is showing its leadership and enthusiasm for protecting the environment at a time when the IT industry has surpassed the airline industry in terms of carbon footprint,” said Gail Gallie, co-founder of Project Everyone, the organization coordinating the initiative, in a statement. “Commvault is leading by example to drive awareness on how innovation and technology can improve efficiencies in an environmentally-conscious way to better protect our planet.”