Intelligent data infrastructure company NetApp has announced the launch of a new suite of products designed to create an enterprise-grade data platform for artificial intelligence. The launch, developed in partnership with NVIDIA, aims to support organizations as they scale AI applications from pilot projects to mission-critical operations by providing a modern data infrastructure capable of handling the demands of AI-driven business.
Powering AI Factories with AFX and AIDE
At the core of the announcement are two key innovations. The NetApp AFX is an enterprise-grade, exabyte-scale all-flash storage system designed for demanding AI workloads. As a certified storage solution for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD supercomputing, AFX serves as a powerful data foundation for AI factories.
Complementing this is the NetApp AI Data Engine (AIDE), a comprehensive AI data service that simplifies data management from ingestion and preparation to serving Generative AI applications. AIDE provides a global view of an organization’s entire NetApp data estate, enabling fast searching and curation while connecting data to any model or tool across on-premises and public cloud environments. It automates data synchronization, ensures data is always current, and includes built-in security guardrails throughout the AI lifecycle.
A Deepened Partnership with NVIDIA
The new platform leverages a deep integration with NVIDIA’s technology. NetApp’s AIDE utilizes the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design, which incorporates NVIDIA accelerated computing and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, including NIM microservices for vectorization and retrieval. This collaboration combines advanced data compression, rapid semantic discovery, and secure, policy-driven workflows to accelerate enterprise AI journeys.
“Enterprises are looking for a trusted, high-performance data foundation to turn massive volumes of information into real intelligence that powers their AI journey,” said Justin Boitano, Vice President of Enterprise AI Products at NVIDIA. “With this new platform, organizations can index and search vast amounts of unstructured data across their enterprise to drive innovation and deliver real business impact.”
Driving AI Adoption Across MENA
The new solutions are positioned to support the ambitious AI strategies of countries across the Middle East. As organizations in the region scale AI initiatives, they face challenges in secure data management, infrastructure integration, and demonstrating measurable ROI. NetApp’s platform is designed to address these priorities with deployment flexibility across on-premises and public cloud environments.
“Across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, AI has moved from ambition to execution, fueling national visions and reshaping entire industries,” said Suhail Hasanian, Senior Director and General Manager, MEA at NetApp. “NetApp is proud to be at the heart of this transformation, helping organizations unlock the true value of their data across hybrid multicloud environments. Through our partnership with NVIDIA, we are enabling enterprises and government entities to accelerate AI adoption through an integrated data foundation that unites compute, software, and storage.”
About NetApp
NetApp is an intelligent data infrastructure company that helps organizations manage data and navigate change in the era of AI. The company’s data platform provides a unified, enterprise-grade foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on NetApp ONTAP and enhanced by the AI Data Engine and AFX, the platform delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world’s largest clouds, it offers organizations the flexibility to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.
Source: Zawya
