NetApp recently threw its hat into the scale-out object storage game with the acquisition of Bycast, a Vancouver, BC-based provider of clustered object storage management software. The acquisition gives NetApp an object management software layer that scales to store billions of objects and a policy engine that provides advanced data management features such as migration; tiering across storage platforms and types; data management, placement, and retention; and scale-out geo-dispersed clusters. NetApp now has the strong foundational technology it needs to continue its cloud storage infrastructure push.