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HP loses Vertica big data boss
Lynch is gone, but at least Lynch is still there
Chris Lynch, the boss of HP's Vertica subsidiary, has walked the plank.
Vertica and its real time data analytics software was bought by HP in April 2010 for about $350m, according to SiliconAngle.
This was then HP CEO Leo Apotheker's first software purchase. It was followed by the 2011 Autonomy acquisition, Apotheker's departure and Meg Whitman's arrival as CEO. The Vertica software has since been integrated with Autonomy's IDOL software. Vertica 51 was released in February this year with various improvements such as a new GUI and a Hadoop connector to move data to and from a Hadoop data store.
Lynch has a rich history as a serial entrepreneur. He ran and then sold ArrowPoint Communications to Cisco for $5.7bn in 2000, sold file virtualiser Acopia to F5 in 2007 for $210m, and then steered Vertica to the HP deal in 2010.
Lynch said he will now spend his time assisting and support up to 20 startups in the Boston area. Just don't spread yourself too thin Chris; you surely can't need the money by now.
With Mike Lynch in charge of the data analytics and search stuff at HP there need be no worry about Vertica software going downhill following Lynch's departure. He's done the decent thing in waiting a year before leaving and now he's looking for more startup minnows needing help from a big fish. ®
Biting the hand that feeds IT
