EMC Drives Automaker’s Storage

EMC , which like other large IT companies curtailed expansion plans because of the struggles of its
dot-com customers, continues to pursue old economy deals.

Last week, the Hopkinton, Mass., data storage giant beefed up its client list with
fast food chain Burger King, this week, it has driven a deal with automaker Ford Motor Company . It also recently sought to extend a deal with reatailer Wal-Mart
(competitor IBM eventally won the job).

Ford, based in Dearborn, Mich., will use EMC hardware and software to protect data (from marketing, financial, manufacturing, product development sources) and
reduce recovery time for hundreds of terabytes of information from days to hours.

Financial terms were not disclosed. EMC services staff will help integrate the equipment into Ford’s current system.

“The challenge facing Ford and so many other companies is how to implement an information protection strategy for an information infrastructure that is constantly
changing and expanding,” said Frank Hauck, an EMC executive vice president. “That it is not easy to do and the management of these installations has
become increasingly complex.”

Shares of EMC, edged up 0.35, or 2 percent, to 15.39 at midday. In the last 52 weeks, the issue has ranged from 10.01 to 82. In other EMC stock news, analysts
at Buckingham Research initiated coverage of the stock with a “neutral” rating.