BlueXP is now NetApp Console
Monitor and run hybrid cloud data services
Hi, my name is John Woodall. I'm Vice President and Field CTO for General Data Tech, GDT.is focused on serving our service provider enterprise and commercial customers in three focus areas, modern networking, hybrid cloud, and cyber security. And here with Cisco and NetApp, that's in the hybrid cloud pillar, that is my pillar and I couldn't be more proud of the partnership. If I could draw any analogy to the partnership of GDT, Cisco, and NetApp I might have to go with the "Three Musketeers." If I think of Cisco, NetApp, and GDT it is a better together story, it is a stronger together story. The question of, what are the recurring pain points that our customers face? There are several, but I think the number one thing we're hearing now in this economy is cost.control, cost containment, controlling the cost curve. For those customers that have gone heavily into cloud without optimizing that experience, they're definitely dealing with cost. And I think the value of NetApp in this discussion is data is continually growing. And in that context where you have data, creates a cost center. The more data you have in the cloud, the more cost you're going to have in the cloud. Being able to move and place workloads through what NetApp what we would call the data fabric, this consistent, predictable, reliable way of managing and providing services to your data, irrespective of location, that to me is a key enabler for customers today who are trying to control their cost curves, save money, provide simplicity in their operations. You know, it's a really fantastic combination of what Cisco and NetApp have brought together in the market with FlexPod. It is a proven, solid, stable, mature reference architecture that continues to innovate over time. It keeps pace with the market, it addresses emerging workloads like AI and ML, but also the data center and mission critical applications that people have been trusting it with for years. How this helps GDT with our customers, is it gives us a platform that addresses the workloads that the customer has on-prem. It provides an automated standardized infrastructure that is simpler to operate, that has direct impact on cost savings. And then it adds, with especially the NetApp element of this, the ability to extend to the cloud and provide consistent data services and data management irrespective of where the workload is. And for us, that combination simplifies our ability as a partner to address our customer's needs. And so with all of that excellent foundational work we deploy FlexPod for modernization and simplification, consolidation of on-premise or colo located resources. We deploy it for repatriation where customers are looking to move workloads back from the cloud to an on-prem automated standardized infrastructure. We look to do it for DevOps, AI, ML, any of the use cases and applications that customers would typically use an infrastructure for. We prefer to do it with FlexPod because it is single pane of glass management. It allows us to help the customer simplify their operations, it helps us ensure full stack security. So Cisco brings quite a bit to this discussion around security as do NetApp. With autonomous ransomware detection and prevention, the inherently secure storage platform that ONTAP represents with a long list of certifications. That combination I think is unique in the industry, and I think it's something that fits well into a customer's existing security framework, zero trust model, whatever it may be in a way that is easy for them to adopt. FY24, it's gonna be an interesting year. I mean, what's the saying? Maybe live in interesting times. You know, there are a lot of macro things we can't control, but I can tell you there are a number of things that I expect FlexPod to enable in terms of engagement and value to our customers. One is customers look to simplify. You need to simplify operations, you need to control your cost curve. And I think FlexPod and the extensibility and interoperability with the cloud providers, especially around VMware workloads is one example, is an area where we can help control costs. Sustainability is becoming more important for more customers, we're seeing it more in RFPs, RFQs, in our discussions. But I think those are the three areas that I might think that if I look into 2024, it's simplicity, security, and savings. FlexPod is probably the leading example of what a smart modern hybrid cloud platform looks like. What makes me proud of our Cisco and NetApp partnerships? GDT is a company that had, is made up of two specific companies. One was very early with Cisco, the other was the very first partner of NetApp. And I think that combination is powerful because we understand differently than many partners, I think, how each of Cisco and NetApp operate, the structure, the history, the shared success, the ecosystem. And it's a relationship business that is encumbered by technology, that's what we're in. And the relationships that we've built with NetApp, the relationships we've built with Cisco, probably the thing I'm most proud of is the relationships that we've fostered over years together, the other things are byproducts of that. (gentle guitar music)
Cisco, NetApp, and GDT are better together. The smart, modern, hybrid cloud platform of FlexPod helps GDT provide an innovative, cost effective, secure solution to solve customer pain points.