Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is buying BlueData, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big-data software, expanding its next-gen portfolio.

The acquisition will augment HPE’s data-first strategy, enabling customers to gain actionable insights from their increasing volumes of data.

HPE’s Milan Shetti

“BlueData has developed an innovative and effective solution to address the pain points all companies face when contemplating, implementing, and deploying AI/ML and big data analytics,” said Milan Shetti, senior vice president and general manager, storage and big data global business unit at HPE.

HPE plans to add BlueData’s software to its Apollo Systems and professional services.

“We are excited about the significant value we can deliver for our customers by working with the talented team at BlueData.”

In addition, BlueData’s technology will enable HPE customers to:

Founded in 2012, BlueData offers the EPIC software platform first introduced in 2014. BlueData says it democratizes AI and big data by making it easier and more cost-effective to deploy in distributed ML and analytics environments, whether on premises, in the public cloud, or in a hybrid architecture. The software platform is a container-based solution that helps customers improve agility for their data-science teams and potentially reduce their infrastructure costs.

“Growth in the volume and the types of data in the market continues to accelerate, as does the demand for a fast, easy and unified consumption experience for AI and big data analytics,” said Kumar Sreekanti, co-founder and CEO of BlueData. “From our perspective, data is fuel, and BlueData’s software is the engine that helps businesses consume their data and deliver insights in the most effective and efficient way. We’ve had tremendous customer success by providing a turnkey solution that delivers an as-a-service experience for AI and big data, and [we] are excited to reach even more customers as part of HPE.”

IDC projects that by 2022, the total addressable market (TAM) for AI/ML and big data is expected to reach $160 billion.

Just this week at HPE Discover in Madrid, HPE announced advancements to its intelligence storage strategy with HPE InfoSight, to help manage infrastructure by predicting and preventing problems, as well as providing a foundation for context-aware data management.

The acquisition is expected to close in HPE’s first fiscal quarter ending Jan. 31. The company didn’t disclose financial details about the transaction.