IBM and Network Appliance have announced a strategic storage relationship to drive information on demand solutions and to expand IBM’s portfolio of storage solutions. As part of the relationship, IBM and NetApp will enter into an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement that will enable IBM to sell IBM branded solutions based on Network Appliance unified and open network attached storage (NAS) and iSCSI/IP SAN solutions, including NearStore and the NetApp V-Series Systems, as well as associated software offerings.
International Data Corp. (IDC) recently announced that NetApp was the revenue share leader in both NAS and iSCSI for calendar year 2004. Under this agreement, IBM will reach into more countries than any other OEM reseller for NetApp. The agreement also promotes enhanced integration of NetApp applications with IBM Tivoli Storage Manager. In addition, with NetApp customers increasingly seeking a complete tiered storage solution, NetApp will position IBM as its preferred supplier of tape systems in its solutions for NetApp customers. Finally, the two companies are exploring additional strategic opportunities.
“The IBM relationship with Network Appliance is a prime example of how two industry-leading companies, both of whom actively support open standards, can team to offer information on demand solutions,” said Andy Monshaw, GM, IBM Storage Systems. “The choice for customers in the management and storage of information could not be more clear — open solutions from IBM and NetApp that provide systems level innovation versus proprietary point solutions from EMC.”