SolidFire

Cloud

Major new Azure integration highlights NetApp cloud announcements

October 23, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Major new Azure integration highlights NetApp cloud announcements
NetApp is touting the new Azure NetApp Files as a huge extension of their Microsoft relationship, which gives them a level of integration with their Azure cloud that Microsoft has not done before with anyone. Other announcements include the General Availability of NetApp Cloud Insights, NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP, and new ONTAP support for NetApp HCI.

Cloud

NetApp places big bet on hyperconverged infrastructure

June 28, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp places big bet on hyperconverged infrastructure
At their C3 partner event this week, NetApp exhorted partners to ramp up their efforts to sell NetApp’s new HCI offering based on Solidfire technology, while not letting up on their FlexPod CI activities.

Software

New ONTAP 9.3 release highlights NetApp Data Fabric announcements

October 4, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on New ONTAP 9.3 release highlights NetApp Data Fabric announcements
NetApp has announced upgrades to key software products that make up their Data Fabric, including ONTAP 9.3.

Servers

‘Old news’ of NetApp HCI solution availability still the big INSIGHT highlight to NetApp channel

October 4, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on ‘Old news’ of NetApp HCI solution availability still the big INSIGHT highlight to NetApp channel
The first-ever NetApp HCI solution, announced in June, will be available in October, and that, rather than the shinier and newer announcements at INSIGHT, was what had solution providers buzzing.

Storage

NetApp turns on Watson-powered Elio virtual support for customers

October 4, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp turns on Watson-powered Elio virtual support for customers
Elio is a chatbot that provides first level technical support using IBM Watson technology. NetApp has also enhanced their ActiveIQ cloud-based analytics.

Partnerships

NetApp, Cisco bring SolidFire software to all-Cisco platform with FlexPod SF

June 22, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp, Cisco bring SolidFire software to all-Cisco platform with FlexPod SF
The second stage of the NetApp transformation strategy emphasizes expanding their market to buyers beyond traditional storage and infrastructure decision makers, and they think FlexPod SF will help them there.

Storage

Entry into hyper-converged market highlights multiple major NetApp announcements

June 5, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Entry into hyper-converged market highlights multiple major NetApp announcements
Other highlights include the new version of their ONTAP software, a new usage-based consumption option to purchase infrastructure, enhancing their OCI software, and expanding their free controller upgrade program to credits for a broader array of NetApp purchases.

Data Centre

NetApp learns from past integration failures to leverage SolidFire

September 30, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp learns from past integration failures to leverage SolidFire
Twelve years ago, NetApp acquired scale-out NAS startup Spinnaker, and began a long and horrific series of integration problems. This year, they acquired SolidFire’s scale-out technology, and took steps to learn from the lessons of the past.

Channel Programs

NetApp reworks channel strategy to get its mojo back

September 28, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp reworks channel strategy to get its mojo back
Over the last year, NetApp has reshaped its channel strategy extensively, and will soon cap it with a new Hard Deck policy. Unlike a similar named policy of an old competitor, NetApp thinks this one will be highly popular with partners.

Cloud

NetApp transformation goes far beyond product: CTO Bregman

September 27, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp transformation goes far beyond product: CTO Bregman
Mark Bregman, NetApp’s CTO, sits down for a detailed talk about NetApp’s technology strategy going forward, and why the company is convinced it has made the difficult transition from a vendor of yesterday to a vendor of tomorrow.