NetApp Collaborates with Google Cloud to Power Data Infrastructure for Distributed Cloud
MWN-AI** Summary
NetApp has announced an expansion of its collaboration with Google Cloud through a significant four-year Enterprise Agreement aimed at enhancing the deployment of NetApp storage solutions within Google’s Distributed Cloud (GDC). This collaboration is particularly crucial for government and defense agencies managing sensitive data, as it incorporates a secure-by-design data platform to enable AI-driven decision-making while preserving data sovereignty and compliance.
The integration of NetApp’s advanced storage technologies, including AFF, StorageGRID, and Trident, into GDC facilitates the establishment of a private cloud that meets high security standards and allows for localized data management. By doing so, organizations can operate independently from public cloud environments, thus enhancing their control over IT operations and maintaining robust security measures. This alignment is essential for public sector clients facing stringent regulatory mandates regarding data handling.
Cesar Cernuda, President at NetApp, noted that the partnership enables the building of Intelligent Data Infrastructure, which is critical for modernizing operations and fostering innovation. Similarly, Muninder Sambi, VP at Google Cloud, emphasized that the GDC is designed to meet the needs of organizations operating under strict security and compliance protocols, thus supporting mission-critical workloads.
Notably, Google Cloud has also integrated AI capabilities into GDC, enabling customers to utilize generative AI for various tasks, all while remaining disconnected from external networks. Joe Koenig, President at World Wide Technology, highlighted the necessity of combining innovative AI capabilities with robust infrastructure to leverage data effectively. This collaboration reflects a strategic move to empower organizations to harness the potential of artificial intelligence securely and efficiently, ultimately driving transformation in compliance-sensitive industries.
MWN-AI** Analysis
NetApp's recent expansion of its partnership with Google Cloud to deliver a four-year Enterprise Agreement presents a promising opportunity for investors in the technology sector. This collaboration is particularly significant as it enhances NetApp’s Intelligent Data Infrastructure, providing secure storage solutions within Google’s Distributed Cloud—a platform designed for sensitive governmental and defense operations. This focus on compliance, security, and AI deployment in air-gapped environments helps address the growing demand for sovereign data management solutions.
For investors, this move indicates NetApp's strategic positioning in a niche, yet essential, segment of the cloud market—a segment driven by increasing regulatory and security demands. The capability to deploy AI-driven solutions securely through local data management and advanced encryption strengthens NetApp’s value proposition, making it attractive to clients in tightly controlled sectors. As public sector organizations—eager to innovate but constrained by regulatory hurdles—look to modernize operations, NetApp’s offerings are likely to see heightened demand.
Moreover, with the rise of AI applications being integrated into traditional workloads, the partnership also suggests potential revenue growth avenues for NetApp. The company's systems enable public sector clients to leverage AI without compromising on security, making it a pivotal player as industries increasingly push for AI integration.
From a market perspective, NetApp’s innovative approach and strategic collaboration with Google Cloud could enhance its competitive advantage against other data management providers. For investors, this is a signal to track NetApp’s performance closely, particularly as public sector spending on technology continues to grow. While market conditions can be volatile, this partnership offers a solid foundation for NetApp to capitalize on the demand for secure, intelligent cloud infrastructure, positioning the company favorably for the future.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
Collaboration delivers a secure data platform to power AI and sovereignty in private clouds
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Google Cloud with a 4-year Enterprise Agreement to accelerate the deployment of the NetApp storage solutions within the Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped (GDC), Google's sovereign cloud platform delivered by World Wide Technology (WWT). The NetApp data platform within this full-stack, air-gapped private cloud solution delivers the built-in security organizations need to handle sensitive information and meet data sovereignty requirements.
“For government agencies and defense organizations, sensitive and classified data can’t leave controlled environments, but that data is also critical to AI?driven decision?making,” said Cesar Cernuda, President at NetApp. “By embedding NetApp’s secure-by-design storage systems into Google Distributed Cloud, we're enabling customers to build Intelligent Data Infrastructure that provides the foundation to support accredited, enterprise?grade AI directly within sovereign and air?gapped environments. Now, public sector customers can modernize operations, accelerate insight, and innovate responsibly without compromising security, compliance, or national sovereignty.”
Google Distributed Cloud extends customers’ cloud infrastructure and services to the places customers need them, including on-premises data centers and network edges. NetApp AFF, StorageGRID, and Trident solutions enable Intelligent Data Infrastructure that, with the integrated GDC solution, provides private cloud with zero-trust security and the ability to store data locally, manage encryption keys, and maintain control. Leveraging these systems within GDC enables customers to deploy cloud technology and applications, including AI capabilities, while maintaining more control over their IT environments by bringing the cloud closer to where their data is generated or creating air-gapped environments that limit or eliminate outside connections.
“Across the public sector, agencies are being asked to do more with data while operating under increasingly strict sovereignty, security, and compliance mandates,” said Muninder Sambi, VP, Product Management & Supply Chain, Google Distributed Cloud, Google Cloud. “Google Distributed Cloud was designed for exactly these environments, enabling customers to bring modern cloud services and advanced AI capabilities into sovereign, air?gapped, and disconnected settings. By working with NetApp, we are helping government and regulated enterprises innovate where their data resides—supporting mission?critical workloads with the highest levels of security, compliance, and operational integrity, without slowing the pace of transformation.”
Over the last year, Google Cloud has extended its AI capabilities for regulated use cases. Gemini’s advanced reasoning and state-of-the-art generation capabilities are available on GDC to unlock key generative AI capabilities such as automation, content generation, discovery, and summarization on-premises. Customers can operate fully disconnected, while still integrating Google's AI capabilities, enabling innovation while meeting strict security and compliance requirements.
“AI has the potential to transform how every organization operates, even those facing the most stringent controls to meet national security and data sovereignty requirements,” said Joe Koenig, President at WWT. “Leveraging data-driven insights to power your business requires a combination of innovative AI capabilities with powerful infrastructure.”
Additional Resources
- NetApp Expands Collaboration with Google Cloud to Provide Data Storage for Distributed Cloud Infrastructure
- NetApp and Google Cloud solutions
About NetApp
For more than three decades, NetApp has helped the world’s leading organizations navigate change – from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp is the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.
At the heart of that infrastructure is the NetApp data platform – the unified, enterprise-grade, intelligent foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on the proven power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and OS, and enhanced by automation through the AI Data Engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.
Disaggregated by design, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services, and control so enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without lock-in. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world’s largest clouds, it gives organizations the freedom to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.
With NetApp, data is always ready – ready to defend against threats, ready to power AI, and ready to drive the next breakthrough. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking enterprises trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.
Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on X , 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.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260416100502/en/
Media Contact:
Kenya Hayes
NetApp
kenya.hayes@netapp.com
Investor Contact:
Kris Newton
NetApp
kris.newton@netapp.com
FAQ**
How does the collaboration between NetApp Inc. NTAP and Google Cloud enhance data sovereignty for government agencies dealing with sensitive information?
What specific AI capabilities are available on the Google Distributed Cloud through the partnership with NetApp Inc. NTAP, and how do they meet compliance requirements?
Can you elaborate on the security features of NetApp Inc. NTAP’s storage solutions that integrate with Google Distributed Cloud to create air-gapped environments?
What potential returns on investment do you foresee for public sector clients utilizing NetApp Inc. NTAP’s Intelligent Data Infrastructure in conjunction with Google’s AI technologies?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP).
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