EMC already sells deduplication technology in its Avamar appliance product, which it obtained when for $165 million in 2006.

The company also sells the DL4000 virtual tape library, a disk array that runs re-branded software from FalconStor Inc.

Tucci said Data Domain's technology is complimentary to EMC's existing deduplication products. EMC's Avamar product is targeted at deduplication on the application server or source side, reducing the amount of data sent over networks and to primary storage devices. Data Domain's product is aimed squarely at the backup and archive process, or target side.

"I wanted to own this [deduplication] technology on both the target and the source side and I do believe the company that figures out how to do on both sides will have a great advantage," Tucci said.

Asked if EMC would end of life the DL4000 VTL, which is also targeted at the backup side of deduplication, Tucci said they will continue to sell it and "make a nice family" of deduplication products.