DEMO: HBMG launches a network in a tiny box

HBMG is one of 53 companies chosen by VentureBeat to launch at the DEMO Spring 2011 event taking place this week in Palm Desert, Calif. After our selection, the companies pay a fee to present. Our coverage of them remains objective.

HBMG, a developer of enterprise content management tools, announced that it is launching a complete network in a box at the DEMO Spring 2011 conference in Palm Desert, Calif.

The newest product, called VECTOR, is basically a data center on wheels. The appliance can run multiple instances of an operating system that users can access through a network — called virtual machines. The device supports about 600 users and up to 100 virtual servers. It looks like it packs a pretty strong punch, too, for being such a small appliance.

HBMG also has a document management service. If you’re familiar with Dropbox, the popular cloud-storage startup that’s been a hit with Internet-savvy types, you can think of HBMG’s software as basically a Dropbox for enterprises. It gives employees a way to quickly store and access files and collaborate on projects. The main service, HBMG’s eManager, lets employees store and access documents in their native file format and then quickly email them or download them from a separate location. The service operates through a Web browser.

One of the features HBMG highlights is security. IT professionals can track any changes to a file and see when it’s been accessed. They can also rigorously control who has access to the file and apply some basic security features like a password lock and other authentication levels. The whole service is also wrapped in a collaboration package — so multiple people can access the file and track what kind of changes have been made.

The company is jumping into a pretty crowded enterprise storage space and going up against titans like cloud storage provider Box.net and Salesforce’s Database.com service. HBMG has been around since 2001, but — so far — has lacked the visibility that other companies have achieved.

HBMG is based in Austin, Texas. It has seen consistent 20 percent annual revenue growth over the past four years. Seven of the top ten engineering firms in the country use its software to keep track of their documents, according to the company.