NetApp Strengthens Partnerships with Microsoft Azure and Equinix to Facilitate Hybrid Clouds

Storage company NetApp has deepened its partnerships with Microsoft Azure and data center provider Equinix in support of hybrid cloud environments. The company has rolled out its NetApp Private Storage for Microsoft Azure solution, which bridges customers’ IT infrastructures with the Azure cloud environment and facilitates hybrid cloud build outs.

The expanded partnerships are pivotal for all three companies, with NetApp’s new offering available exclusively through Equinix International Exchange data centers. According to test results from NetApp and Equinix, data throughput between NetApp Private Storage and Azure rose 36 percent when the services were connected through the Equinix Cloud Exchange instead of through public networks, making the new alliance a major win for all the companies’ customers.

According to an Equinix blog post, “Bringing NetApp’s storage and applications into close proximity inside Equinix enables secure, direct connections with low latency that’s far superior to what’s available on public networks. It’s like having your storage and compute racked in the same cabinet. But because the solution leverages the Azure cloud, it has added scale, savings and elasticity capabilities.”

"Customers need choice and flexibility to navigate this mobile-first, cloud-first world," said Garth Fort, general manager, Cloud and Enterprise Partner Marketing, Microsoft. "Our work with NetApp, around its expanded portfolio of Microsoft Cloud OS solutions, makes it easier for customers to drive maximum business benefit through their hybrid cloud strategy."

The NetApp solution is connected to Microsoft via the Azure ExpressRoute, which provides a secure, high-speed and low latency connection able to handle enterprise workloads like Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and SAP. The joint offering also provides optimum workload management with granular data control without the need for large capital investments.

Additional benefits include single or multi-region disaster recovery through which Azure is activated only in test and failover scenarios, as well as the ability to easily meet compliance and regulatory requirements since customers can control storage parameters. The solution also features SnapLock data permanence functionality as well as NetApp disk encryption.