NetApp And Cisco Collaborate To Deliver Enterprise-class Converged Infrastructure With Disaggregated Storage For AI

NetApp AFX and Cisco Nexus integration provide the foundation for enterprise-grade AI networking

SAN JOSE, Calif.--( BUSINESS WIRE ) --NetApp® (Nasdaq: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced a major revolution in converged infrastructure with Cisco, building on more than 20 years of collaboration. The new NetApp AFX architecture now integrates Cisco Nexus switches for intra-cluster connectivity and will soon be extended to FlexPod AI. This integration continues the companies’ shared vision to deliver an enterprise-class infrastructure for AI.

NetApp AFX is powered by disaggregated NetApp ONTAP, the industry-leading storage operating system trusted by tens of thousands of enterprise customers across various industries to manage exabytes of data. The integration of Cisco Nexus 400G switches delivers the ultra-high bandwidth, low latency, and lossless networking critical for scaling AI workloads. This ensures customers can meet the performance demands of modern AI networks while maintaining enterprise-grade reliability and simplicity.

"The NetApp Data Platform enables customers to build intelligent data infrastructure that unifies their data to meet the demands of advanced workloads like AI," said Dallas Olson, NetApp's chief business officer. "Through our collaboration with Cisco, NetApp can deliver a unified solution for the AI-ready data center. This collaboration combines the advanced storage architecture of NetApp AFX with Cisco's AI networking technology to set a new standard for performance, scalability, and simplicity in enterprise-grade AI infrastructure."

"Integrating Cisco Nexus switches into the NetApp AFX architecture demonstrates our shared commitment to AI innovation," said Murali Gandluru, vice president of Data Center Networking at Cisco. "Our customers demand operational simplicity without sacrificing performance or security, which requires strategic partners like Cisco and NetApp to address the challenges they face. Together, we will drive the industry forward and support a new era of AI-driven outcomes."

This collaboration will soon expand to FlexPod AI, establishing a flexible, secure, full-stack foundation for hybrid cloud and AI workloads. By seamlessly integrating NetApp AFX enterprise-class disaggregated all-flash storage systems, Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), and Cisco Nexus data center switches, customers can simplify operations through the centralized management capabilities of Cisco Intersight. By combining NetApp storage with Cisco high-performance networking technology, FlexPod AI allows organizations to right-size their infrastructure to meet the needs of their specific AI workloads while providing the security and simplicity needed to accelerate enterprise-scale AI adoption.

NetApp will present presentations and demonstrations at the NetApp INSIGHT 2025 conference, October 14-16 in Las Vegas, showcasing how NetApp is driving transformation across industries. Follow the keynote program at: https://www.netapp.com/insight/

NetApp's statements about unannounced products and services and future plans are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. They should not be relied upon in making purchasing or other decisions. They do not constitute a commitment, obligation, guarantee, or assurance of any kind by NetApp, including with respect to availability, functionality, pricing, or timing.

Additional Resources

• FlexPod: Data Infrastructure and Storage Management
• Cisco and NetApp deliver AI networking and storage technologies for enterprise data centers

About NetApp

For more than 30 years, NetApp has helped the world's leading organizations navigate the transformations of the data and AI era, from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp has become the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.

At the core of this infrastructure is the NetApp Data Platform, a unified, enterprise-class intelligent foundation for connecting, protecting, and leveraging data across all clouds, workloads, and environments. Leveraging the power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and operating system, and enhanced by the AI ​​data engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.

The NetApp data platform uses a disaggregated design that isolates storage, services, and control, ensuring that enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without hindrance. As the only enterprise-class storage platform that can be natively embedded in the world's largest cloud, it gives organizations of all types the flexibility to run any workload anywhere while maintaining unified performance, governance, and protection.

With NetApp, data is always ready to defend against threats, support AI, and enable the next disruptive innovation. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking companies trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.

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Disclaimer: The original text of this announcement is the official authorized version. Translations are for convenience only. Please refer to the original text, which is the only legally binding version.

Contacts

Media Inquiries:
Kenya Hayes
NetApp
kenya.hayes@netapp.com

Investor Inquiries:
Kris Newton
NetApp
kris.newton@netapp.com