Moshe Yanai
Encyclopedia
Moshe Yanai is an Israeli electrical engineer (B.Sc., 1975, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
). He is also a technologist
and inventor
, businessman, entrepreneur
, aviator
(pilot), investor
, multi-millionaire, and philanthropist
. He is especially well known for leading the development of the EMC Symmetrix, the flagship product of EMC Corporation
, probably the most successful computer storage
system until today.
storage
based on minicomputer
disks
for Elbit Systems
(a joint project with Nixdorf Computer). He went on to develop high-end storage systems for Nixdorf in the United States
. Yanai joined EMC
in 1987, and managed the Symmetrix development, software
and hardware
, from its inception in the late 1980s until shortly before leaving EMC in 2001. His development team grew from several people, recruited among his former Israeli colleagues, to thousands, while he was holding the position of Vice President of EMC's Symmetrix group. The Symmetrix is the main reason for the rapid growth of EMC in the 1990s, both in size and value, from a company with a fading business of (minicomputer
) computer memory
boards
, valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars
, to a tens of billions company. Before leaving he became an EMC Fellow.
He later funded and led an Israel
i Cloud computing
storage
startup company
, XIV, which was bought by IBM
in January 2008 (IBM paid an estimated $300 million for a company invested in with an estimated $3 million). Moshe Yanai continued leading XIV and became an IBM Fellow
. IBM XIV Storage System has become part of IBM's storage products portfolio. Shortly later, in April 2008, IBM bought Diligent Technologies, another storage company co-founded by Yanai. He left IBM in 2010 amid disagreement with IBM on the ways to advance the XIV product. In June 2011 his Alma mater
awarded him the honor Distinguished Fellow of the Technion.
He has been a board of directors
member of several companies.
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a research-intensive institute of technology in Haifa, Israel. Originally called the Technikum, it was founded in 1912...
). He is also a technologist
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and inventor
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
, businessman, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
(pilot), investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
, multi-millionaire, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He is especially well known for leading the development of the EMC Symmetrix, the flagship product of EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation , a Financial Times Global 500, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, develops, delivers and supports information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure hardware, software, and services. EMC is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA.Former Intel executive Richard Egan and his...
, probably the most successful computer storage
Computer storage
Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....
system until today.
Biography
Mr. Yanai began his career in the 1970s, building IBM-compatible mainframeIBM mainframe
IBM mainframes are large computer systems produced by IBM from 1952 to the present. During the 1960s and 1970s, the term mainframe computer was almost synonymous with IBM products due to their marketshare...
storage
Data storage device
thumb|200px|right|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....
based on minicomputer
Minicomputer
A minicomputer is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems and the smallest single-user systems...
disks
Disk storage
Disk storage or disc storage is a general category of storage mechanisms, in which data are digitally recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical methods on a surface layer deposited of one or more planar, round and rotating disks...
for Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit employs 11,000 people worldwide....
(a joint project with Nixdorf Computer). He went on to develop high-end storage systems for Nixdorf in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Yanai joined EMC
EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation , a Financial Times Global 500, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, develops, delivers and supports information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure hardware, software, and services. EMC is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA.Former Intel executive Richard Egan and his...
in 1987, and managed the Symmetrix development, software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
and hardware
Computer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
, from its inception in the late 1980s until shortly before leaving EMC in 2001. His development team grew from several people, recruited among his former Israeli colleagues, to thousands, while he was holding the position of Vice President of EMC's Symmetrix group. The Symmetrix is the main reason for the rapid growth of EMC in the 1990s, both in size and value, from a company with a fading business of (minicomputer
Minicomputer
A minicomputer is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems and the smallest single-user systems...
) computer memory
Computer memory
In computing, memory refers to the physical devices used to store programs or data on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term primary memory is used for the information in physical systems which are fast In computing, memory refers to the...
boards
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
, valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, to a tens of billions company. Before leaving he became an EMC Fellow.
He later funded and led an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
storage
Computer storage
Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....
startup company
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
, XIV, which was bought by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in January 2008 (IBM paid an estimated $300 million for a company invested in with an estimated $3 million). Moshe Yanai continued leading XIV and became an IBM Fellow
IBM Fellow
An IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM’s CEO. Typically only 4 to 9 IBM Fellows are appointed each year, at the annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event in May or June. It is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achieve.The IBM Fellows program...
. IBM XIV Storage System has become part of IBM's storage products portfolio. Shortly later, in April 2008, IBM bought Diligent Technologies, another storage company co-founded by Yanai. He left IBM in 2010 amid disagreement with IBM on the ways to advance the XIV product. In June 2011 his Alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
awarded him the honor Distinguished Fellow of the Technion.
He has been a board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
member of several companies.
Awards
- EMCEMC CorporationEMC Corporation , a Financial Times Global 500, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, develops, delivers and supports information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure hardware, software, and services. EMC is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA.Former Intel executive Richard Egan and his...
Fellow - 2001. - IBM FellowIBM FellowAn IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM’s CEO. Typically only 4 to 9 IBM Fellows are appointed each year, at the annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event in May or June. It is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achieve.The IBM Fellows program...
- 2008. - IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems AwardIEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems AwardThe IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award is a Technical Field Award of the IEEE given each year to an individual, multiple recipients, or team up to three in number that has made outstanding contributions to information storage systems. The award is named in honor of Reynold...
- 2010. - Technion Distinguished Fellow - 2011.