The News: Dell expanded its APEX as-a-service portfolio at Dell Technologies World. Launches include new APEX Storage for Public Cloud services, hybrid APEX Public Cloud services with partners Microsoft, Red Hat, and VMware, and management consoles for multicloud and Kubernetes use cases. Read the press release here.

Dell Shoots for the Clouds with APEX Dell Tech World Additions

Analyst Take: At Dell Tech World last year, the company previewed Project Alpine, which allows customers to run block, file, and object storage in public clouds. This year, the first versions of those Alpine services became generally available as APEX Storage for Public Cloud.

APEX Storage for Public Cloud includes:

APEX Block Storage for AWS and Microsoft Azure – built on Dell PowerFlex software-defined storage. APEX Block Storage supports multiple availability zone durability on AWS, and availability on Azure is scheduled for the second half of 2023. The goal is to allow critical applications such as databases to run in the cloud with the same performance as on-premises storage.

APEX File Storage for AWS – built on Dell PowerScale (Isilon), supports up to 1 PB in a single namespace.
APEX Storage for Public Cloud also includes the already available APEX Protection Storage, a managed service built on Dell PowerProtect software and available in AWS, Azure, Google, and Alibaba public clouds. APEX Protection Service provides backup targets in the public clouds. This is different than APEX Backup Services, which is based on software from partner Druva. APEX Backup Services protect SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Google Workplace, providing end point protection and automated disaster recovery.

APEX Cloud Platforms

Dell also launched APEX Cloud Platforms for Microsoft, Red Hat, and VMware. The goal is to provide consistent operations and management of those platforms whether they run in the cloud or on Dell on-premises infrastructure. Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure is focused on Azure Arc on-premises services, with Dell software plugging into the Microsoft UI. APEX Cloud Platform for Red Hat OpenShift is aimed at speeding development of cloud-native apps. APEX Cloud Platform for VMware is designed to manage VMware’s enterprise software-defined storage and Kubernetes platforms, all through vCenter. Cloud Platforms for Azure and OpenShift are scheduled for general availability in the second half of 2023. Cloud Platform for VMware is in early access preview, with general availability expected in early 2024.

APEX Navigators for Multicloud Management

APEX Navigator for Multicloud Storage and APEX Navigator for Kubernetes let customers manage their cloud storage and containers deployments through the APEX console. Navigator for Multicloud Storage is a SaaS control plane to manage APEX File, Block, and Protection services. Users can manage API integration, data mobility between public clouds, and adopt Dell’s Zero Trust security. Navigator for Kubernetes facilitates container storage management, including deployment and management of Dell’s Container Storage Modules (CSMs).

APEX Goes Beyond Storage-as-a-Service

APEX began as a storage-as-a-service program, but has expanded into a way to implement Dell’s hybrid and multicloud vision. It has also moved beyond storage, with new services including APEX Compute and APEX PC-as-a-Service that allow organizations to centrally manage bare metal compute and PC resources.

Dell’s Mantra: Multicloud by Design

At Dell Tech World, Dell laid out its mission of helping customers to multicloud by design rather than by default. That takes careful planning and deploying resources across any clouds and on-premises data centers. If the multicloud theme sounds familiar, that is because all major storage vendors are going there. That was the major theme of VMware Explore 2022 and Nutanix .NEXT 2023, and we expect to hear messages around public cloud-like buying experiences coming out of Pure Storage Accelerate and HPE Discover this month. Taking customer data and apps to, across, and back from public clouds will be the key to any storage vendor’s success in the foreseeable future. Dell is among a handful of companies with all the pieces to do this. It is taking steps to use APEX to hold its number one storage market share.

Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.