The News: NetApp has been named the Microsoft Global Partner of the Year, an accolade that demonstrates the value of its data management solutions for enterprise applications with Azure. This recognition comes with some very specific performance numbers quoted by Microsoft and the success with Japan Coca-Cola and their SAP deployment. As stated, Japan Coca-Cola achieved:
- 50% reduction in cutover time during migrations
- 40% increase in application response time for critical business processes
- 90% decrease in failover time to disaster recovery sites
- 30% lower total cost of ownership in the first month of using Azure NetApp Files.
You can read the full press release on NetApp’s website here.
NetApp Wins Microsoft Global Partner of the Year
Analyst Take: NetApp’s named as the Microsoft Global Partner of the Year its alignment with Microsoft and their data management capabilities. This partnership is significant as NetApp is a first-party offering from Azure, which means it is integrated directly into Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem. This unique status not only enables a deep level of collaboration between the two companies but also delivers a seamless experience when using Azure’s services.
NetApp’s Azure NetApp Files (ANF) was launched in 2019 as an enterprise level file system for mission critical applications, particularly SAP deployments. As one of the customers, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (CCBJI) migrated one of the world’s largest SAP DB2 databases to Azure in five months with zero impact on daily operations. The migration resulted in a 50% reduction in cutover time, a 40% increase in application response time, and a 90% decrease in failover time to disaster recovery sites.
The ability to handle such massive data volumes without disruption is critical for any business today. Thus, seeing 114 applications and 2500 TB migrated is quite a feat. Adding in the data management functions, ANF delivers the resilience needed to maintain business continuity and enable operational efficiency.
NetApp’s status as a first-party offering with Azure, AWS, and Google further establishes its position as a leader in the cloud and hybrid cloud data management space. This unique positioning allows NetApp to provide a consistent and high-performance storage solution across the three major cloud platforms, making it a strong partner for enterprises with multi-cloud strategies.
Modernizing the Economics of an Iconic Brand
NetApp’s solutions have also demonstrated significant cost-saving benefits. For instance, CCBJI reported a 30% reduction in total cost of ownership within the first month of migrating to Azure NetApp Files. This is a critical advantage for enterprises looking to optimize their cloud expenditures while achieving top-tier performance and reliability.
Harsh Kachhwaha, Chief Information Officer of CCBJI, noted the performance of ANF stating, “Azure NetApp Files provides the fastest performance for backup, restore, and recovery for millions of transactions daily.” This high level of performance is crucial for businesses that rely on timely and accurate data processing to make informed decisions and maintain a competitive edge.
Looking Ahead
NetApp’s recognition as the Microsoft Global Partner of the Year is more than just an award; it is a strong indicator of the company’s strategic vision and execution in cloud data management. As enterprises embrace digital transformation, the demand for robust, scalable, cost-effective cloud solutions will continue to grow.
The company’s ongoing innovations in data management, disaster recovery, and cost optimization will likely drive further adoption of its solutions. NetApp’s success story with CCBJI is just one example of how the company’s solutions are impacting hybrid environments.
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.
Other insights from The Futurum Group:
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Author Information
Now retired, Camberley brought over 25 years of executive experience leading sales and marketing teams at Fortune 500 firms. Before joining The Futurum Group, she led the Evaluator Group, an information technology analyst firm as Managing Director.
Her career spanned all elements of sales and marketing including a 360-degree view of addressing challenges and delivering solutions was achieved from crossing the boundary of sales and channel engagement with large enterprise vendors and her own 100-person IT services firm.
Camberley provided Global 250 startups with go-to-market strategies, creating a new market category “MAID” as Vice President of Marketing at COPAN and led a worldwide marketing team including channels as a VP at VERITAS. At GE Access, a $2B distribution company, she served as VP of a new division and succeeded in growing the company from $14 to $500 million and built a successful 100-person IT services firm. Camberley began her career at IBM in sales and management.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from California State University – Long Beach and executive certificates from Wellesley and Wharton School of Business.
