MapR Technologies is preparing to launch a Quick Start Migration Service for customers and partners, ChannelE2E has learned. The service will shift customers from third-party Hadoop platforms like Cloudera and Hortonworks (among others) onto MapR's Converged Data Platform.
Hadoop is an open source storage platform that's popular for big data applications. The Hadoop industry continues to enjoy double-digit annual percentage growth rates, but the market is highly fragmented with multiple Hadoop offerings.
Eager to push beyond the traditional Hadoop conversation, MapR now promotes Converged Data Platform -- a streaming system that allows partners and customers to analyze and monetize multiple data sources in real-time. In theory, Converged Data Platform will allow MapR to differentiate itself from rival Hadoop providers like Cloudera and Hortonworks.
MapR Quick Start Migration Service
To build on that theme, MapR is expected to unveil its Quick Start Migration Service in the next few days. The effort surfaces only a few weeks after Pivotal -- part of the EMC Federation of companies -- abandoned its own Hadoop distribution in favor of Hortonworks' offering. No doubt, MapR wants to win over the Pivotal installed base, keeping it away from Hortonworks.
MapR is expected to position the Quick Start Migration Service as an "easy button" for moving to MapR. Watch for Dave Jespersen, vice president of worldwide services, to lead the effort. The migration service apparently will include a "zero downtime and zero risk-of-data-loss" approach. The migration service will maintain a customer's existing platforms while transitioning to MapR.
As of press time, it was unclear if or how MapR will promote the migration service via channel partners. However, I suspect a channel move is coming since MapR has been making aggressive partner program investments over the past six months or so.
