NetApp Expands Support Programs for Enterprise All-Flash Array

According to an IDG Research Services survey commissioned by NetApp, Inc., more than 60% of IT services are currently delivered on-premises with no cloud component.

This figure is expected to drop to 35% in three years, while services provided by a hybrid cloud infrastructure are projected to more than triple.

The NetApp All Flash FAS (AFF) 8000 series storage array is gaining traction with customers who are restructuring their data centers as part of their roadmap to embrace the cloud. The array has become one of the fastest growing products in NetApp’s history. The company announced new programs and a smaller-footprint AFF model to help enterprises and NetApp’s ecosystem of partners make the transition to a hybrid cloud future.

“While any flash-only array will boost application performance, too many organizations underestimate the costs associated with bringing in a new storage architecture to support that flash,” said industry analyst Howard Marks, chief scientist, DeepStorage, LLC. “NetApp’s all-flash AFF delivers the performance organizations are looking for while running the proven Data ONTAP architecture. Enterprises avoid the training and application integration expenses that come along with forklift upgrades to immature technology.“

Highlights include:

• Free Controller Upgrade: Customers who purchase a three-year SupportEdge Premium contract by December 31, 2015, are eligible for a new AFF controller free of charge as part of the renewal process.
• Extended Support Price Protection: This offer enables customers to extend their standard three-year warranty and support for up to four more years. Customers can choose this option at point of sale or during renewal.
• New AFF Series Model: The new 6U model of the AFF8080 EX is a smaller-form-factor version of NetApp’s top-of-the line unified all-flash array. It delivers the range of enterprise-grade capabilities with up to a 40% reduction in footprint. available, the new model can be set up to address mainstream SAN workloads in as little as 15 minutes. Qualified partners and customers can request risk-free trial systems to see the impact of flash performance on their own workloads.
  

All-Flash Array That Future-proofs Customers and Partners for Hybrid Cloud
All-flash storage changes the way companies do business by speeding application performance and improving server efficiency. The AFF8000 series delivers the enterprise-grade benefits that make all-flash systems ready for broad deployment, with performance and the industry’s best data management in a single solution.

The AFF series incorporates FlashEssentials software optimizations, which increase flash performance and efficiency. FlashEssentials is included in clustered Data ONTAP, the foundation for Data Fabric, NetApp’s vision for the future of data management. AFF models can be ordered as standalone systems and in FlexPod converged infrastructure validated designs. Professional services, delivered by NetApp or its partners, help users identify those workloads that are best served by all-flash systems.

“The cloud is creating a new wave of data center consolidation as customers plan for their transition to the hybrid cloud. They are thinking ‘flash first’ for performance and efficiency gains, but are wary of new architectures that create isolated data siloes,” said Lee Caswell, VP, product and solutions marketing, NetApp. “NetApp’s AFF series solves this challenge for our customers with the only system capable of seamless data management across flash, disk, and cloud resources. For our channel partners, the AFF offers an easy on-ramp to the cloud that maintains the enterprise-grade capabilities and investment protection their customers demand.“

NetApp distribution partner Jim Kebert, VP, NetApp solutions, Avnet, Inc., commented: “We are committed to driving flash adoption from early trials into mainstream adoption. We look forward to working with NetApp, and the ability to seamlessly integrate flash into FlexPod solutions. This helps our community of partners and the enterprise customers we serve simplify deployment with long-term investment protection across disk and cloud resources.“

John Woodall, VP, engineering, Integrated Archive Systems, Inc., added: “NetApp AFF allows resellers to leverage flash training and services offerings for environments ranging from $25,000 standalone installations to the most complex enterprise environments. We leverage the depth of NetApp AFF application integration and the new integration with support for Cisco ACI with the latest AFF FlexPod Cisco Validated Design.“