PRESS RELEASE: FLEXdata becomes first NetApp Keystone partner in QLD
11 July 2022: FLEXdata has been announced as the first Queensland-headquartered partner for NetApp’s Keystone offering. Launched in late 2021, Keystone is a storage-as-a-service subscription that provides hybrid cloud privacy with public cloud features. Of note is the service’s range of flexible payment solutions, from pay-as-you-grow to leasing and fixed or variable options, making Keystone an ideal ‘on ramp’ for new-to-cloud to ready-to-scale businesses.
Luke Mulcahy, Solution Architect for FLEXdata, says NetApp Keystone is a good fit for their own business and customers. “Keystone provides an alternative commercial model that aligns with the way more of our customers tell us they want to consume. We already provide our customers with managed services, but they are currently overlaid on top of client-owned assets, so Keystone enables us to provide more term-flexibility across the overall service.”
Mulcahy says that they increasingly see businesses who have been directed to move ‘to the cloud’ yet still have a significant percentage of their core services running on-premises on old and expensive to replace infrastructure assets. “Keystone presents them with the opportunity to refresh their on-premises equipment to align with their business spending models while continuing their cloud journey. It provides them with a bridge to consume infrastructure as a service, save money while improving performance, and eliminate the risks inherent in using ageing technology. And they can choose to manage their own infrastructure if they have the capability, or ask us to do it for them.”
Mulcahy also says that Keystone offers organisations that manage large fluctuating data sets a way to scale up and down at will and provide a known cost per terabyte for storing data assets. FLEXdata has already entered discussions with several organisations that are excited about transitioning to Keystone in conjunction with FLEXdata’s managed services offering.
FLEXdata was well-placed to achieve the Keystone Operations Services Certified (KOSC) level, where NetApp provides Level 1 and 2 support and responsibility for hardware break/fix. “KOSC perfectly reflects our existing operational model; it’s a natural extension of what we’re already doing,” says Mulcahy. “Due to our relationship with NetApp, we already held the bulk of the certifications needed, and we achieved the remaining ones over just a few weeks.”
NetApp spokesperson Neville James, Director of Channel and Alliances at NetApp Australia and New Zealand says that he is delighted that FLEXdata has added their Keystone to their service portfolio.
“We’re honoured to partner with such an innovative and dynamic company in Queensland, and we’re looking forward to supporting more local customers with our unique technology and FLEXdata’s exclusive services.”
About FLEXdata:
FLEXdata Solutions Pty Ltd. is an Australian System Integration company, helping organisations assess, plan, build, integrate, optimise, and support their mission-critical enterprise environments.
With a team of expert consultants and engineering staff covering multiple disciplines and advanced technologies, FLEXdata Solutions works closely with our clients to drive IT operational efficiencies, maximise the value of their information assets, secure networks/applications/data and improve overall productivity and customer satisfaction.
About NetApp
NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloud-like experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media contact: Kristal Jamieson [email protected]
