Week 5: The HyperQ® Emerges!We started Parsec Labs with the intention of solving the following 3 problems: Storage is too expensiveStorage is too fullStorage is too slowIn order to solve these problems, we devised a small rack-mounted appliance (and eventually an adorable desktop version) we termed the "Parsec Control Node" (PCN) or "Parsec Storage Router" (PSR). It wasn't our mission to sell storage hardware or primary storage, but rather help the customer manage their devices. The PSR was developed to be inserted into your storage environment between traditional disk storage and the clients. It was to act as a router and cloud gateway - enhancing the performance and efficiency of existing storage hardware.In early 2014, we racked our brains to come up with a more compelling name for the PCN/PSR. We gravitated towards math, astronomy, and physics terms again to keep our device name in the theme of our company name. One of our Software Engineers suggested the geometrical form "hypercube", one particular type of hypercube being the "tesseract" - essentially a cube (or box) within a cube. The 4 attributes of the PSR software - migration, expansion, acceleration, and Cloud - corresponding to the 4 sides of the cube within a server (box). Also fitting is that the 4 dimensional hypercube can be bigger inside than outside which was somewhat relevant to what our migration feature does to file systems. The problem with both hypercube and tesseract were, that, as generic geometric terms, they were difficult to trademark and we could actually point to other companies that had products similarly named. Walter suggested shortening the name somewhat and making it catchier. One of our partner companies, Quorum, had a DR appliance named the "OnQ" which is where we came up with the idea of shortening hypercube to hyperq. That was when the Parsec Storage Router became the HyperQ®.Above: Assembling the first HyperQ® prototype in the office. Courtesy of the "you build it brigade".Throughout 2014 and into 2015 we recruited Alpha and Beta customers. Initially our focus was geared towards mid-size businesses - those often with restrictive budgets, but who store enough data to really feel the strain of data expansion, migration, and performance lags. However, we discovered early on in our Alpha and Beta programs for HyperQ® that it really could prove equally beneficial in the Enterprise, sometimes perhaps more so. Enterprise-sized businesses really grapple with the sheer amount of data and rate of growth. Migration projects are daunting at that level - expensive in labor and downtime. In addition, we discovered how beneficial the HyperQ® can be with remote and distributed offices or ROBO cases. We worked with customers that used AutoCAD software and had to transfer very large files across the WAN and often had to wait a full day for drawings to complete. The HyperQ® was able to help connect individual data pools into one virtualized namespace and accelerate access from remote sites via our Flash cache. In the end, HyperQ® has a bit of something for everyone.Today we continue adding more functionality to the already feature-rich HyperQ® and selling several customized versions in both OEM and monthly subscription options. Our customers range from Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) to individual companies and from large enterprise business to small local companies. The HyperQ® is currently operating in South Africa, India, Poland, Belgium, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several states across the U.S.Learn more about HyperQ and Parsec Labs at our website: www.parseclabs.comContact us! www.parseclabs.com/contact-us We would love to show you a demo or have a conversation about your storage.Read last week's entry on "Parsec Labs: The Location and Starting Work" here. https://www.parseclabs.com/locationandstartingwork
