NetApp and Cisco Strengthen Partnership Announcing New FlexPod XCS to Extend Converged Infrastructure into the Hybrid Cloud

Rhea-AI Summary

NetApp and Cisco unveiled FlexPod XCS, a platform enhancing hybrid cloud connectivity and automation for modern applications. FlexPod XCS integrates with leading cloud providers, offering operational flexibility through a pay-as-you-grow model. Key features include enhanced visibility via Cisco Intersight, comprehensive automation, and tailored cost structures. This innovation aims to streamline IT operations and modernize cloud services, reinforcing NetApp's and Cisco's commitment to delivering robust data management solutions.

Positive

• FlexPod XCS enhances hybrid cloud operations with automated connectivity.
• Introduction of FlexPod-as-a-Service enables flexible payment models.
• Comprehensive automation simplifies IT operations, reducing downtime.
• Integration with all major cloud providers increases market competitiveness.

Negative

• None.

New capabilities will increase hybrid cloud connectivity and automation to improve costs and accessibility with native cloud provider integration

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP), a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, together with Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), today announced the evolution of FlexPod with the introduction of FlexPod® XCS, providing one automated platform for modern applications, data and hybrid cloud services.

FlexPod is composed of pre-validated storage, networking, server technologies from Cisco and NetApp. The new FlexPod XCS platform is designed to accelerate the delivery of modern applications and data in a hybrid cloud environment. FlexPod XCS is the first and only hybrid cloud solution natively integrated across all three major public cloud providers. Additionally, organizations will have the option to use FlexPod-as-a-Service, a pay-as-you-grow pricing model for financial and operational flexibility.

“For years, FlexPod has been helping Presidio customers increase app performance, save software Capex, and decrease unplanned downtime incidents,” said Raphael Meyerowitz, vice president, Engineering at Presidio. “With FlexPod XCS, NetApp and Cisco are providing more flexibility, accessibility and scalability to our customers to deliver a seamless hybrid cloud experience.”

“It is great seeing Cisco and NetApp launching FlexPod XCS together in this hybrid cloud era,” said Jeffrey den Oudsten, Chief Technology Officer at Conscia Netherlands. “Standardization on FlexPod XCS brings rich technologies and huge benefits for us and our customers in various ways, with ability to deliver one point for billing, ordering, support and validated designs. Conscia is determined to facilitate the best hybrid cloud infrastructure for its customers, and together with Cisco and NetApp, we have the best-in-class technology partners helping us to deliver on that promise.”

FlexPod XCS simplifies hybrid cloud operations by increasing accessibility and scalability, extending the infrastructure from an on-premises and edge standard to the hybrid cloud. This new offering lays the groundwork for continued joint innovation that will bring new solutions to market for hybrid cloud, containers, and modern workloads.

FlexPod XCS provides a new set of capabilities to the FlexPod platform:

• Hybrid Cloud Connectivity: By extending organizations’ data fabric, customers gain the operational certainty of putting the right apps and data in the right place at the right time.
• Automation: Comprehensive infrastructure automation across all lifecycle phases using Cisco Intersight™ Cloud Orchestrator and NetApp automated scripts and workflows to simplify day-to-day IT operations including configuration, deployment, expansion, and infrastructure consumption and optimization.
• Visibility: Providing an enhanced and unified view of all FlexPod components through Cisco Intersight, enabling organizations to respond to their business needs more quickly with more intelligent resource decisions
• FlexPod-as-a-Service: Lowering initial costs for flexibility and tailoring purchasing options based on budgets and usage
• New Reference Architecture with NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP® (CVO) instances in AWS: FlexPod XCS and ONTAP integration with automation via Cisco Intersight

FlexPod XCS also allows IT departments to gain new insights with full-stack visibility and customized automation capabilities that increase operational productivity. The new FlexPod-as-a-Service consumption model enables customers to have more financial and operational flexibility by aligning costs based on usage.

"Our strategic relationship with NetApp continues to create value for businesses through deep technology integration aimed at solving our customers' biggest challenges,” said Siva Sivakumar, Vice President, Cloud & Compute Product Management, Cisco. “FlexPod XCS powered by Cisco Intersight delivers key new capabilities for our customers such as automation, visibility and hybrid cloud operations into a single unified platform for modern apps, data, and hybrid cloud services.”

“We are proud of our continued innovation with Cisco as we expand FlexPod’s capabilities that solve for organizations’ unique business challenges,” said Mike Arterbury, Vice President, Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure & OEM Solutions at NetApp. “Building on our twelve-year partnership with Cisco, FlexPod XCS combines our best-in-class technologies to simplify the delivery of data and applications, enabling enterprises to run new services more efficiently at the edge, core or in the cloud.”

FlexPod® XCS is in preview for partners and customers and is expected to be generally available globally in mid-2022.

Additional Resources:

• NetApp Blog: FlexPod XCS Extends the FlexPod Infrastructure Standard to the Hybrid Cloud
• Cisco Blog: Cisco and NetApp introduce FlexPod XCS to simplify and accelerate customers’ hybrid cloud journeys
• Learn more about FlexPod XCS and the Cisco-NetApp Partnership
• FlexPod.com

About FlexPod

Trusted by thousands of customers across the globe, the enhanced FlexPod XCS platform brings a new level of visibility and automation that can help propel customers’ journey into hybrid cloud operations.​ Composed of prevalidated storage, networking and server technologies, and management software, FlexPod® XCS is designed to increase IT responsiveness to organizational needs providing intelligent insights to optimize costs and performance, support deployment decisions with cloud-like consumption models, and maintain existing configurations across FlexPod infrastructure. By simplifying the delivery of data and applications, enterprises have an advantage of running new services and workloads at the edge, core, or in the cloud.

FlexPod® XCS pricing is mapped to Cisco Intersight Advantage and Premier Tiers and current FlexPod pricing.

About NetApp

NetApp is a global cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Many of the products and features described herein remain in varying stages of development and will be offered on a when-and-if-available basis. The delivery timeline of these products and features is subject to change at the sole discretion of Cisco or NetApp, and neither Cisco nor NetApp will have liability for delay in the delivery or failure to deliver any of the products or features set forth in this document.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005269/en/

Media Contact:

Kenya Hayes

NetApp

kenya.hayes@netapp.com

Investor Contact:

Lance Berger

NetApp

lance.berger@netapp.com

Source: NetApp

FAQ

What is FlexPod XCS from NetApp and Cisco?

FlexPod XCS is an automated platform designed for modern applications and data in hybrid cloud environments, integrating with major cloud providers.

How does FlexPod-as-a-Service work?

FlexPod-as-a-Service offers a pay-as-you-grow pricing model for customers, allowing financial and operational flexibility based on usage.

When will FlexPod XCS be generally available?

FlexPod XCS is expected to be generally available globally in mid-2022.

What are the key capabilities of FlexPod XCS?

Key capabilities include hybrid cloud connectivity, automation across lifecycle phases, enhanced visibility through Cisco Intersight, and a new Reference Architecture.

How does FlexPod XCS improve IT operations?

FlexPod XCS enhances IT operations by providing automation, unified visibility, and tailored consumption models that respond quickly to business needs.