NetApp extended its collaboration with Google Cloud, introducing a unified storage approach that consolidates file and block workloads into a single managed service. The new Flex Unified service level within Google Cloud NetApp Volumes is designed to simplify data management and enable enterprise AI workloads by allowing applications to access data directly without requiring movement or duplication.
NetApp’s Flex Unified service pools file and block storage into a single architecture available across all Google Cloud regions. This allows enterprises to run performance-intensive workloads, including high-performance computing and VMware environments, without modifying existing applications. In short, this is modernization without re-architecture, a requirement for enterprises that cannot afford disruption.
“This is an example of traditional data storage enablement companies working with enterprises that increasingly want to move their data to the cloud to utilize all of the cloud capabilities, especially to support AI,” said Jack Gold, president of J. Gold Associates. “Working with a cloud provider like Google to move such data enables NetApp to offer the flexibility for the data that enterprises have in place to access new capabilities.”
Additionally, NetApp introduced a data migration service aimed at simplifying movement across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Growing Focus on Sovereign Cloud
The expanded partnership, announced at Google Cloud Next, is part of a wider NetApp–Google Cloud relationship that goes beyond public cloud services. The two companies recently entered a four-year agreement to deliver storage capabilities within distributed and air-gapped cloud environments. These deployments target government agencies and regulated industries that require sovereign cloud infrastructure, where data residency and security requirements prohibit traditional cloud models.
In these sovereign environments, NetApp’s storage platforms integrate with Google’s distributed cloud infrastructure to support isolated, fully controlled data operations. World Wide Technology is involved as a managed service provider to help handle the complexities of this infrastructure. Delivering air-gapped cloud infrastructure requires not only technology integration but also ongoing management in highly regulated contexts.
Additionally, NetApp has adopted Google’s enterprise AI platform internally, using it to streamline product development and sales processes. The integration allows AI systems to access enterprise data directly from NetApp-managed storage without requiring duplication into separate data stores.
This approach addresses a key inefficiency in current AI architectures: the need to move data closer to compute resources. By enabling models to query data in place, the partnership reduces latency and storage overhead, and simplifies governance. It also provides a working model for enterprises planning to deploy generative AI using proprietary datasets while maintaining control over access and compliance.
Competitive Market
The multi-faceted partnership between the two companies is an example of how the tech sector is moving beyond traditional cloud storage integration. NetApp contributes its experience in enterprise data management, while Google Cloud provides a distributed, AI-focused platform. The result is a unified data layer that spans environments, from hyperscale cloud to air-gapped infrastructure.
The competitive challenge for Google and NetApp is that they are not the only two companies pursuing this strategy. Hyperscalers and storage vendors alike are building similar solutions, combining data services with AI capabilities. Gaining market share may depend less on individual features and more on getting the job done, specifically by delivering consistent performance across increasingly complex AI-based environments.
