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NetApp takes inspiration from the cloud in its latest ONTAP software update

The company said the updates will enable more innovation in data centers and deliver cloud-like experiences in hybrid infrastructure environments.
Written by Natalie Gagliordi, Contributor

NetApp on Tuesday announced updates to its flagship software ONTAP that the company said will enable more innovation in data centers and deliver cloud-like experiences in hybrid infrastructure environments. The company also introduced a more flexible NetApp Keystone Flex Subscription service and a new NetApp SolidFire Enterprise SDS solution. 

The network data storage provider said the new offerings line up with NetApp's overall business focus and reinforce the company's intended growth in the cloud market. NetApp's cloud data services business showed 192% growth at the close of the quarter last month.

As for the updates, NetApp said it has improved its ONTAP storage operating system with offer greater consolidation, deeper cloud integration, and continuous data availability. Updates to the Keystone Flex Subscription service include a new "pay-as-you-grow" subscription option that is meant to offer customers a cloud-like experience on premises. 

Meanwhile, through the new NetApp SolidFire Enterprise SDS solution, NetApp said it's providing a foundation for private cloud with its Element software serving as standalone software-defined storage that can be deployed on any hardware.

"Digital transformation has accelerated to the point where projects that used to take years to accomplish now need to be completed in months or even weeks," said NetApp president César Cernuda. "With its rich data-centric software innovation, NetApp is uniquely positioned to help organizations quickly adapt and sustainably transform in today's hybrid cloud world. Now, we make it easier for them to develop applications in the cloud, move applications to the cloud, or create cloudlike experiences on premises."

NetApp's cloud pivot has been well pronounced in 2020. The company made three key acquisitions this year that illustrate how cloud is now a key priority within the organization. In June the company bought Spot, providers of workload optimization services for public clouds. NetApp said it planned to offer Spot's as-a-service platform for continuous compute and storage optimization, targeting traditional IT buyers with enterprise applications, cloud-native workloads and data lakes.

The Spot acquisition followed its purchase of Talon Storage back in March and its deal to buy CloudJumper announced in April. NetApp said the acquisition of Talon would add new remote and branch office capabilities to its portfolio of cloud data services, which includes Azure NetApp Files, a file-storage service for running workloads in Azure without the need to modify code. With CloudJumper NetApp is aiming to bolster its desktop virtualization capabilities. 

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