Texas Business reports: Round Rock--Dell) completed its acquisition of Compellent Technologies Inc., a rapidly-growing provider of highly-virtualized storage solutions with automated data management features, including tiering and thin provisioning, for enterprise and cloud-computing environments.

Under terms of the agreement, Dell paid $27.75 per share in cash for each share of Compellent for a total equity value of approximately $940 million, and aggregate purchase price of approximately $800 million, net of Compellent’s cash. The amounts include the value of Compellent shares currently held by Dell at closing.

Compellent shareholders approved the acquisition at a special shareholder meeting.

The Compellent acquisition is Dell’s latest strategic investment to expand its enterprise storage portfolio which includes EqualLogic and PowerVault.

 Compellent Fluid Data technology combines a data movement engine, intelligent software and modular hardware designed to cut costs. The “Fluid Data” architecture provides block-level intelligence to automatically place data on the right storage tier to optimize performance and maximize cost savings.

 Dell plans to use Compellent’s channel offerings in an attempt to create the leading storage program in the industry through its partners and new initiatives. Dell will combine the best of both companies’ channel deal registration programs, extend the new deal registration program to all partners, and introduce a program in which partners can grow and nurture a customer relationship once they have sold a Dell storage solution.

Dell also announced a dramatically expanded Dell Storage Forum 2011, which will now include Compellent solutions and channel partners. Previously known as the EqualLogic User Conference and Compellent C-Drive, the combined conference will offer keynotes and training on the Dell storage portfolio and will include a channel partner-specific track to provide partners information and resources to quickly add new Dell storage solutions to their portfolio.

 “Compellent complements our storage portfolio by providing next-generation storage solutions and proactive support that help enterprise customers optimize and automate the management and protection of their data,”  Brad Anderson, senior vice president, Dell Enterprise Product Group in a prepared statement.  “Dell continues to invest in areas that help customer’s efficiently manage their massive data growth and provide the leading enterprise solutions for the virtual era.”

 “Compellent and Dell share the vision of helping enterprise and cloud customers optimize their storage investments,” said Phil Soran, president, Dell Compellent in a statement. “Compellent’s Fluid Data architecture helps deliver the vision by allowing customers to keep the right data on the right storage at the right costs. Our team is committed to helping Dell transform the data center with open, capable, and affordable solutions that allow customers to do more with their IT dollars.”