Thriving data solutions for a world of tomorrow

Frontrunners in innovation, NetApp provides effortless solutions with dynamic results Frontrunners in innovation, NetApp provides effortless solutions with dynamic results

NetApp requires no introduction. A power player in the industry, the multinational storage and data management giant is changing the world. Henri Richard, Executive Vice-President, Worldwide Field and Customer Operations, feels that NetApp has significantly transformed internally over the last three years. "People think they know NetApp because of our long-standing status in the industry, however, there is a lot to learn about the NetApp of today." With 25 years of serving customers, NetApp's success is the satisfaction of clients and their burgeoning need for new solutions during a tsunami of rapid changes by the ongoing digital transformation. With storage hardware continuing to be a very important aspect of the company, NetApp's three fundamental imperatives for success are broader than its core offering. The largest is an emblem of what consumers associate NetApp with, which is flash storage. "We have embarked on a journey to become leaders in the industry and we are well on our way," he explains.
NetApp's second vital priority is to be leading-edge in hyper converged infrastructure. "We see hyper converged and converged systems as a growth area for the industry. Consumers are looking for simpler, more scalable solutions that are easy to deploy and hyper converged serves that purpose. NetApp launched its hyper converged offering last quarter, which received an overwhelmingly positive response in the marketplace. This is due to its enterprise capabilities and its integration with NetApp's existing portfolio. In many situations, customers who require hyper converged solutions don't want those to be siloed versus their existing data centre," says Richard.
The third imperative for success is providing cloud data services and allowing customers to access the power of ONTAP, NetApp's renowned operating system in the public cloud.
"We are offering products with Microsoft Azure and AWS that allow our customers to take absolute advantage of NetApp solutions, without buying our hardware. We are being recognised as the Network Attached Storage specialists and are currently the fastest Storage Area Network vendor in the industry," comments the Executive Vice-President.
NetApp has been gaining shares systematically for the last seven quarters in their ambition to become top players, which Richards says is "absolutely legitimate," based on their results.
"In fact, we are already front-runners in many countries in the world, even if we are not globally. In particular, we are top players in the MENA region," he says. "The MENA region's strong attribute is its remarkable growth rate and diversity. The lack of existing incumbent infrastructure allows the opportunity for leapfrogging technology, which stimulates aggressive adoption of leading-edge trends. The public cloud has potential to experience rapid growth and NetApp wants to be a part of that prospect. With NetApp's channel-friendly reputation, partners are comfortable depending on us for the vitality of their own businesses."
Richard relays that there is no doubt that the world is witnessing a digital revolution, which is setting the future in motion. "NetApp and IDC partnered to produce a study called 'Become a Data Thriver: Realise Data-Driven Digital Transformation,' which has amassed the findings from 800 enterprises with regards to their journeys of harnessing data. We are using the results to show customers a path towards excellence in data management and leveraging the power of data. Take mergers and acquisitions as an example: The target company's ability to control data significantly influences business transactions. If you are looking for an acquisition, a very important part of the due diligence is now asking yourself, "how well is my target company leveraging their data?" and I don't believe 10 or 15 years ago, that would be a part of the conversation. This is a discussion, which NetApp is carrying forward by setting innovative benchmarks for the future in a world where constant disruption is the new norm," he adds.
- Fatima Abbas