CommVault's software kept one index of everything a company had saved, while many rivals sold a separate tool for each job. It backed up, archived and recovered data across servers and storage systems, all from one platform. Its customers included many large enterprises and public agencies. In 2006 corporate data was growing fast, and new rules required businesses to keep their records and find them on demand.

Out of Bell Labs

CommVault grew out of a data management group at Bell Labs and became an independent company in 1996. Its bet was that companies would want one integrated system for every kind of data protection instead of a patchwork. It sold mainly through partners such as Dell and storage resellers. Its single code base set it apart from rivals that stitched together products from acquisitions.

From Backup to Ransomware

CommVault priced its IPO at $14.50 a share in September 2006 on the Nasdaq. It grew into one of the leading backup software companies. Many customers first bought it for basic backup, then used it for archiving and compliance. Later CommVault moved its products to the cloud and added protection against ransomware. It serves large enterprises and government agencies around the world, and it remains publicly traded on the Nasdaq.

Cover: The Giant Wheel, plate 9 from Imaginary Prisons, Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for vaulted halls (a data vault).