Violin Memory

The company was founded in 2005 as Violin Technologies by Donpaul Stephens and Jon Bennett in Iselin, New Jersey.{{Citation needed|date=February 2015}} Series A financing valued over $10 million was raised in 2010. Two more rounds of financing in 2011 raised an additional $75 million. Corporate investors included Juniper Networks and Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC). It was based in Mountain View, California around this time.

Series D financing of $80 million in March 2012 was led by SAP Ventures (arm of SAP AG), and included Highland Capital, GSV and others. The reported valuation was over $800 million.{{Cite news |title= Violin Memory raises $50M, brings valuation to $800M |date= March 30, 2012 |work= Silicon Valley Business Journal |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2012/03/30/violin-memory-raises-32m.html |access-date= August 14, 2013 }}{{Cite web |title= Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities |work= Edgar |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= March 29, 2012 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1407190/000140719012000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml |access-date= August 14, 2013 }}

Violin Memory's initial public offering in September 2013, raised $162 million at a price of $9 a share.{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/violin-memory-cto-leaves-amid-lawsuits-2013-12|title=Newly Public Company Violin Memory Is In Turmoil And The Lawsuits Are Flying|first=Julie|last=Bort|date=December 11, 2013|access-date=February 10, 2015}} Its stock price dropped to $2 a share after its largest partner, Hewlett Packard, became a competitor and due to concerns of how quickly it was spending money. The company experienced losses of $34 million the following year and the board called for the resignation of the CEO.{{cite news|newspaper=The Register|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/07/violin_analysis_lost_cause_salvageable/|access-date=February 10, 2015|title=Can a new CEO pull Violin Memory out of its current slump?|date=January 7, 2014}} Additionally, five shareholder lawsuits were filed against the company, alleging it did not disclose the financial impact expected from a federal shutdown. In December 2013, the company terminated CEO Basile,{{Cite news |title= Struggling Flash Storage Firm Violin Memory Fires Its CEO |date= December 16, 2013 |work= VentureBeat |url= https://venturebeat.com/2013/12/16/struggling-flash-storage-firm-violin-memory-fires-its-ceo/ |access-date= February 3, 2014 }} replacing him with Kevin DeNuccio in February 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/10/violin_memory_resembles_toast/|title=Violin Memory resembles toast|newspaper=The Register|last=Mellor|first=Chris|date=November 10, 2016|access-date=November 22, 2016}}

The New York Stock Exchange de-listed Violin Memory shares in October 2016 because its market capitalization had fallen below $15 million.{{cite news |url= http://www.investopedia.com/news/nyse-moves-delist-violin-memory-vmem/ |title= NYSE Moves to Delist Violin Memory (VMEM) |date=October 28, 2016 |author= James Garrett Baldwin |work= Investopedia |access-date= October 31, 2016 }}

A few days later, it changed to be traded on the OTC Markets Group exchange OTCQX, using the same VMEM symbol.{{Cite news |title= Violin switches stock exchanges fast: OTCQX replaces delisting NYSE as its share trading body |author= Chris Mellor |work= The Register |date= October 31, 2016 |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/31/violin_switches_stock_exchanges_fast/ |access-date= November 8, 2016 }} In November 2016, it was valued at $3.7 million. On December 14, 2016, Violin Memory filed for Chapter 11 Federal Bankruptcy protection.{{Cite web|url=http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/blog/Storage-Soup/Violin-Memorys-sad-song-leads-to-bankruptcy|title=Violin Memory's sad song leads to bankruptcy - Storage Soup|website=searchstorage.techtarget.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-15}}

On April 24, 2017, Violin announced in a press release that they had emerged from bankruptcy, and had been purchased by Quantum Partners LP, a private investment fund managed by Soros Fund Management LLC.{{cite news |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/25/violin_memory_back_and_private/ |title= Violin Memory steps out of bankruptcy, takes the storage stage again |date=April 25, 2017 |author= Chris Mellor |work= The Register |access-date= April 27, 2017 }}

As of October 16, 2018, Violin Systems released the statement that it had agreed to acquire the storage business of X-IO Technologies and in conjunction with the transaction X-IO has renamed itself as Axellio as its new company name.{{cite news |url= https://www.crn.com/news/storage/violin-systems-to-acquire-x-io-storage-business/ |title= Violin Systems To Acquire X-IO Storage Business |date=October 16, 2018 |author= Joseph F. Kovar |work= CRN |access-date= December 18, 2018 }}

Violin does not use solid-state drives (SSD), but instead uses a proprietary design referred to as flash fabric architecture (FFA).{{cite web |title= Violin Memory Delivers 'Business in a Flash' with Concerto 7000 |work= The VAR Guy blog |author= Michael Cusanelli |date= June 27, 2014 |url= http://thevarguy.com/secure-cloud-data-storage-news-and-information/062714/violin-memory-delivers-business-flash-concerto-7000 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20150211234140/http://thevarguy.com/secure-cloud-data-storage-news-and-information/062714/violin-memory-delivers-business-flash-concerto-7000 |url-status= usurped |archive-date= February 11, 2015 |access-date= November 8, 2016 }} The FFA technology consists of a mesh of NAND flash dies, modules{{cite web |title= Violin - a proudly proprietary storage vendor . . . |work= ComputerWeekly.com |author= Antony Adshead |date=October 12, 2012 |url= http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/StorageBuzz/2012/10/violin---a-proudly-proprietary.html}} that organize the mesh of flash dies, and a proprietary switched architecture for fault tolerance.{{cite web |title= we raid vRAID |work= Storage GaGa Blog |author= Chin-Fah, Heoh |date=March 8, 2012 |url= http://storagegaga.com/tag/vraid/}}

In September 2011, Violin announced the 6000 series all-silicon shared flash memory storage arrays.{{Cite web |title= Violin's clean-sheet architecture |work= Storage Mojo blog |author= Robin Harris |date= April 11, 2012 |url= http://storagemojo.com/2012/04/11/violins-clean-sheet-architecture/ |access-date= September 17, 2013 }}

vMOS{{cite web |title= Violin Pairs with Symantec to Deliver Data Management Tools |work= StorageReview.com |author= Brian Beeler |date= August 13, 2012 |url= http://www.storagereview.com/violin_pairs_with_symantec_to_deliver_data_management_tools}}{{cite web |title= Symantec, Violin in no-strings fling for flash array software|work= The Register |author= Chris Mellor |date=August 14, 2012 |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/14/violin_symantec/}} is Violin Memory's software layer that integrates with the FFA to provide data protection, management and connectivity to the host.

Violin extreme performance storage platform, XVS 8 released October 4, 2018.

The Violin 7000 series includes application aware snapshots, continuous data protection, synchronous replication, asynchronous replication and metro cluster functionality.{{cite web |title= VIOLIN CONCERTO 7000 ALL FLASH ARRAY; PERFORMANCE PACKED WITH DATA SERVICES |work= Product Profile |date= June 2014 |publisher= Taneja Group |url= http://storage.dpie.com/downloads/violin/Taneja-Group-product-profile-Concerto-7000.pdf}}{{cite web |title= Violin Memory gives its flash storage an enterprise-friendly makeover |work= ZDNet |date= June 24, 2014 |author= Nick Heath |url =http://www.zdnet.com/article/violin-memory-gives-its-flash-storage-an-enterprise-friendly-makeover/|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150211063454/http://www.zdnet.com/article/violin-memory-gives-its-flash-storage-an-enterprise-friendly-makeover/|url-status =dead|archive-date =February 11, 2015}}{{cite web |title= Violin: In the data center, no one can hear you scream!|work= IT Trends & Analysis |date= June 25, 2014 |author= Steve Wexler |url =http://it-tna.com/2014/06/25/violin-data-center-one-can-hear-scream/}}

On December 1, 2015, the Violin Memory FSP 7250 and 7600 were announced. The Violin FSP 7250 was marketed as an entry level point product.{{cite web |title = Expanded Flash Storage Platform From Violin Provides Needed Solutions for Customers Seeking Optimization for Extreme Performance; Primary Storage Solutions; and Entry Level Capacity | work = Press release | date= December 1, 2015 |author= Sheryl Anderson |url= http://investor.violin-memory.com/company/investors-overview/press-releases/press-release-details/2015/Expanded-Flash-Storage-Platform-From-Violin-Provides-Needed-Solutions-for-Customers-Seeking-Optimization-for-Extreme-Performance-Primary-Storage-Solutions-and-Entry-Level-Capacity/default.aspx}}

The 7700{{cite web |title= Violin: Violin Memory back in all-flash storage tune with new data management strings |work= Bloor |date= June 26, 2014 |author= Peter Williams |url =http://www.bloorresearch.com/analysis/violin-memory-back-in-all-flash-storage-tune-with-new-data-management-strings/}} series can scale up to ten 6000 or 7000 series arrays for up to 700TB of raw capacity or 3.5 PB with deduplication{{cite web |title= Violin Plays a Flashy Concerto with New 7000 Array |work= InfoStor |date= June 24, 2014 |author= Pedro Hernandez |url= http://www.infostor.com/disk-arrays/violin-plays-a-flashy-concerto-with-new-7000-array.html}}

The Violin 6000 series{{cite web |title= Three New All Flash Arrays 6100 (17.5TB, 26TB and 35TB) Revealed by Violin Memory |work= StorageNewsletter.com (Press Release) |date= August 12, 2014 |publisher= StorageNewsletter.com |url= http://www.storagenewsletter.com/rubriques/systems-raid-nas-san/three-new-all-flash-arrays-6100-17-5tb-26tb-and-35tb-revealed-by-violin-memory/}} all flash arrays include the 6600, 6200 and 6100. The 6600{{cite web |title= Violin Turns Flash Arrays Into Blazing Clusters |work= EnterpriseTech |date= October 18, 2013 |author= Timothy Prickett Morgan |url= http://www.enterprisetech.com/2013/10/18/violin-turns-flash-arrays-blazing-clusters/}} is based on SLC flash and offers 17.5TB of capacity. The 6200{{cite web |title= Violin 6000 arrays feature proprietary flash modules, memory fabric|work= SearchSolidStateStorage.com|date= May 2014 |author= Carol Sliwa |url= http://searchsolidstatestorage.techtarget.com/feature/Violin-6000-arrays-feature-proprietary-flash-modules-memory-fabric}} offers flash performance at capacities from 17.5 to 70TB. The 6100{{cite web |title= Violin strings up cheaper instrument: 17.5TB flash box for $100k + change |work= The Register |date= August 4, 2014 |author= Chris Mellor |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/07/violin_strings_up_cheaper_instrument/}} is a smaller array at lower price of entry with a pay as you grow{{cite web |title= Violin storage adds WFA models, pay-as-you-grow option | work= SearchSolidStateStorage.com |date= July 15, 2014 |author= Carol Sliwa |url= http://searchsolidstatestorage.techtarget.com/news/2240224595/Violin-storage-adds-WFA-models-pay-as-you-grow-option}} option.

{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://www.violinsystems.com/ Company website]
• [https://twitter.com/violinsystems Twitter]

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Category:Computer hardware companies

Category:Computer storage companies

Category:Companies based in San Jose, California

Category:Computer companies established in 2005

Category:2005 establishments in California

Category:American companies established in 2005

Category:Computer companies of the United States