Features - Financial Plays Of The Week:

STORAGE PROCEEDS WITH PATENT SUITS, NEW PRODUCTS

Losing a patent suit to Hitachi Data Systems won't stop Storage Computer from pursuing other intellectual property complaints or slow the introduction of new products.

The Nashua, NH, maker of storage delivery systems said it will "aggressively pursue" the litigation currently pending against rival Veritas Software. Storage alleges that products from Mountain View, California-based Veritas infringe on three of its U.S. patents.

In addition, the company recently introduced its CyberNAS 4000 networked attached storage system and is completing the field trials of its CyberBorg VSA with its advanced Virtual Storage Architecture and remote replication feature sets.

CyberBorg VSA is an optically connected storage system developed for the Storage Wide Area Networks (SWAN) market space. It is being used at Fortune 50 and select international companies.

The unsuccessful court action was the latest in an increasingly litigious sector. Storage players, large and small, seem to be constantly trading lawsuits to block rivals from using patented technology or in some cases obtain license payments or a portion of revenues.

Storage said it is reviewing the decision and weighing and appeal.