HPE has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire cloud data management and protection specialist Zerto for $374 million.

The move expands HPE GreenLake and continues HPE Storage’s shift to a cloud-native, software-defined data services business, the company said.

Zerto’s journal-based continuous data protection (CDP) technology includes disaster recovery, backup, and data mobility in a single platform that spans on-premises, hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Zerto will be available as a service through HPE GreenLake and Data Services Cloud Console.

“Zerto’s market-leading cloud data management and protection software expands HPE GreenLake cloud data services, allowing customers to protect their data and rapidly act on insights, from edge to cloud,” commented Antonio Neri, president and CEO of HPE.

The solution is designed to help customers recover quickly from ransomware, cyber attacks, and other planned data downtime, returning data to its pre-attacked state.

Zerto also easily replicates and migrates data between VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V environments, as well as natively to AWS and Microsoft Azure.

“Customers continue to face significant issues managing data complexity across hybrid and multi-cloud environments,” said Tom Black, senior vice president and general manager of HPE Storage.

“Zerto further positions HPE to help solve these customer challenges and become the leader in data management and protection through HPE GreenLake cloud services.”

Founded in 2009, Zerto is co-headquartered in Herzliya, Israel and Boston. The firm’s 500 employees serve more than 9,000 customers – including enterprises and 350 MSPs.

HPE says the addition of Zerto will “significantly accelerate” its transformation to become a leading data management and protection provider, while Zerto will benefit from HPE’s global scope and presence.

The acquisition is expected to close during HPE’s fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Zerto’s management team will join HPE following the close of the transaction, with the company organised under HPE Storage.

“The HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud strategy and strong leadership is a perfect match for Zerto,” commented Ziv Kedem, CEO of Zerto.

“Coupling Zerto’s industry-leading cloud data management and protection software platform with HPE’s cloud data services and go-to-market reach will offer an unparalleled experience for our collective customers and partners.”