Time to give credit where credit is due.  EMC has learned how to buy companies.  I looked at the post “win” integration and saw land mines everywhere – from product rationalization to personality conflicts – that would rear their ugly heads in short order to give the naysayers ammo in which to shine the negative spotlight onto the deal.

I saw NetApp and Data Domain with natural synergies, and EMC and Data Domain conflicting – in many ways.  Most of the issue I saw was personal – EMC doesn’t “need” DD people – they have a truckload of people.  They “need” the DD product line to sell a whole bunch.  They don’t “need” manufacturing or even a lot of support folks, they don’t “need” sales people or marketing people, etc.  I also figured the DD people would look at EMC by reputation, which means those big, bad, boys from out east who kill all in their path.

All of those things are real concerns.  EMC knows that the price tag on DD makes it a hugely visible play – and that any and all real or perceived screw ups or signs of trouble will be magnified.

Here’s the brilliant part – instead of sending in a gun slinging yankee to show the face of EMC, they sent the exact opposite.  They sent EVP/CMO BJ Jenkins to head the integration team.  BJ is a really brilliant, calm, rational guy.  He isn’t exciteable, or emotional, or someone that you would feel threatened by.  He comes across as caring and forthright.  He’s a sales and marketing guy – and he’s easy to like.  Word is BJ disarmed any pre-determined hostility almost immediately.

Why a Sales/Marketing guy?  Because besides the (now) obvious reasons I just stated, the synergies on this deal are simple – let’s go sell some DD boxes!  Regardless of what you think of EMC, they are a sales and marketing machine with few rivals – so if your mission is aligned with that, they are a good bunch to hang out with.  BJ’s right hand man in this is Mike Gallant – who owns messaging and PR at EMC.  Also a brilliant guy.  If you are trying to quell negative news, make sure you have the spin master on the team.  When it turns out the news is all positive (thus far), having him there lets EMC go on the offensive instead of playing defense – something they are good at.

I was surprised at first when Joe Tucci committed to a $200M number for the last six months of 2009 with DD – not that they weren’t on pace already to hit that, but these deals always have risk.  He didn’t hedge, which tells me the word from the western front is strong.  Joe isn’t known for bravado, if he says it, it tends to be automatic.

Related posts:

1. EMC, Data Domain, and NetApp Post Mortem
2. NetApp buys Data Domain
3. More thoughts on NetApp, EMC, and Data Domain
4. EMC Trying to Outbid Netapp on Data Domain
5. Spinnaker and VMware – a tale of two attitudes

Tags: acquisition, BJ Jenkins, Data Domain, DDUP, deduplication, EMC, Gallant, integration, NetApp, Tucci