NetApp enhances cloud portfolio, eyes on mid-market

BANGALORE/MUMBAI: Understanding the growing demand for cloud computing, especially in the small and medium businesses, NetApp is enhancing its cloud portfolio, by adding storage capability. It has also tied-up with Tata Communications to provide NetApp-based cloud service to the customer.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press briefing here today, Surjit Sen, Director – Channels, Marketing & Alliances, NetApp India, said, “Cloud is the buzzword in IT today. If we see from the implementation aspect, at present around five per cent of the Indian enterprises have actually adopted cloud services, but around 40 per cent of them are showing interest to move in this step.”

He added, “Considering the role of mid-size enterprises, this number would be even more. Developments like virtualization and networking is helping to make workable solutions that are both affordable and efficient for the medium and small business.”

Surjit Sen said it would be difficult to measure the growth rate of mid-market.

“We are definitely expecting a positive growth in this market space. About ten per cent of our revenues come from this segment, and this proportion would see a quantum growth in coming years,” he added.

NetApp today introduced the latest version of its operating system-Data ONTAP 8. It also added new features such as NetApp Data Motion, Performance Acceleration Module II, NetApp Dynamic Data Center Solution and Fast Start Workshop and New Disk Shelf.

Sen said, “Our ONTAP 8 offering combines Data ONTAP 7G and Data ONTAP GX under a single code base in a phased approach that will allow customers to leverage the combined scale-up and scale-out capabilities.”

The company has joined hands with Tata Communications to build cloud infrastructure on NetApp platform and also introduce it to their cloud-based services. Tata will soon start implementing new offering like Data ONTAP 8.

According to Tata Communications' vice president – Managed Services, Marketing and Alliances, Alok Bardiya, Tata Communications has built its global hosting, on-demand storage services based on leading technologies and industry practices.

“Using NetApp for our cloud-based services allows us to easily manage and monitor our infrastructure to provide secure, 24x7x365 availability and lower costs for our enterprise customers while relieving them of the day-to-day management of their IT infrastructure,” said Bardiya.

According to Bardiya, there's the trend of consolidation and costing cutting; and this trend makes more sense for cloud computing.

“Majority of Indian large and mid size enterprises are outsourcing services to some extent. Many small and medium enterprises (SME) wants applications on-demand model,” he added.