Symantec this week announced plans to integrate deduplication into its NetBackup, Backup Exec and Enterprise Vault offerings.

"Data deduplication, or single-instance storage, involves the elimination of redundant data," explains Computerworld's Lucas Mearian. "Hash algorithms mark data blocks with unique numbers, and those numbers are compared so that duplicate pieces of data can be left out of the storage process. To date, the primary corporate use of the technology has been for e-mail archiving. The benefits of that use are obvious: a single e-mail can represent thousands of copies of one attachment."

"Currently, NetBackup users can manage third-party deduplication appliances from Data Domain, EMC, FalconStor and Quantum through an OpenStorage API interface," writes The Register's Chris Mellor. "Symantec says integrated deduplication is available today in NetBackup and Enterprise Vault, offering deduplicated archiving, deduplicated backup storage and global deduplicated remote office backup... PureDisk technology will be used to add deduplication to Backup Exec 2010's backup client and media server later this year. Symantec will also add deduplication to the backup client and media server in NetBackup 7, thought to be due in 2010."

More here from iTWire ... more here from Network World ... more here from SearchStorage ... and the press release is here.