Worldwide purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA) factory revenues posted no year-over-year growth, totaling just under $655.3 million, in the third quarter of 2012 (3Q12), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Purpose-Built Backup Appliance Tracker. However, the total PBBA open systems market posted just under $567.5 million in revenues, representing 6.4% growth from the prior year's third quarter. The total worldwide PBBA capacity shipped reach 366,956 terabytes, growing 37.5% year over year.

"The total worldwide PBBA market remained flat in the third quarter of 2012 over the prior year. However, the open systems portion of the PBBA market did experience some revenue growth," said Robert Amatruda, research director, Data Protection and Recovery. "We believe the leveling off of revenue growth in the worldwide PBBA market in the third quarter of 2012 is a short-term phenomenon with customers defering spending on data protection and recovery products. We remain very upbeat at the long-term growth opportunities for the PBBA market with the underlying customer drivers remaining unchanged. Customers will continue to embrace PBBAs to improve their backup windows and recovery time objectives or modernize their backup infrastructure."

Total Worldwide PBBA 3Q12 Results

EMC maintained its lead in the overall PBBA market with 66.6% revenue share in the third quarter, followed by IBM and Symantec with 10.8% and 6.8% market share, respectively. Symantec exhibited strong year-over-year growth in the PBBA market in the third quarter of 2012 while HP and IBM saw their revenues decline.

Top 5 Vendors, Worldwide PBBA Factory Revenue, Third Quarter of 2012
(Revenues in $ Millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Purpose Built Backup Appliance Quarterly Tracker, December 19, 2012

Taxonomy Notes:

IDC defines a purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA) as a standalone disk-based solution that utilizes software, disk arrays, server engine(s), or nodes that are used for a target for backup data and specifically data coming from a backup application (e.g., NetWorker, NetBackup, TSM, and Backup Exec) or can be tightly integrated with the backup software to catalog, index, schedule, and perform data movement. The PBBA products are deployed in standalone configurations or as gateways. PBBA solutions deployed in a gateway configuration connect to and store backup data on general-purpose storage. Here, the gateway device is serving as the component that is purpose built solely for backup and not for supporting any other workload or application. Regardless of packaging (as an appliance or gateway), PBBAs can have multiple interfaces or protocols. Also, PBBAs often can provide and receive replication to or from remote sites and a secondary PBBA for the purpose of disaster recovery (DR).

IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Purpose Built Backup Appliance Tracker provides vendor share, market size, and forecasts for purpose-built backup appliances. IDC provides key market insights and growth for vendors participating in the PBBA market as well as those that may introduce new products. Revenue and capacity for disk systems behind PBBA gateways is included in the PBBA market sizing and also in the forecast. Some PBBA solutions integrate the data movement engine (backup application) with the appliance, while others serve as only a target for incoming backup application data. Both solutions are included in the PBBA market sizing, although segmentation between the two product categories is provided.

For more information about IDC's Worldwide PBBA Quarterly Tracker, please contact Hoang Nguyen at or hnguyen@idc.com.

About IDC Trackers
IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query tools. The IDC Tracker Charts app allows users to view data charts from the most recent IDC Tracker products on their iPhone and iPad.

About IDC
IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 48 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.