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September 28, 2016
Topics: Cloud Volumes ONTAP 2 minute read
Data is the most important part of a system. Applications are just a way of accessing information and helping to make sense of it. It’s why we have applications in the first place: as a way to organize and manipulate data.
It's All About the Information
It's the data that transforms a common piece of application software into something of unique value to an organization.
An empty Excel spreadsheet isn’t very useful, but a fully populated model with complex logic and charts can be the thing that determines the success of a sales campaign. Anyone can sign up for software-as-a-service CRM, but it’s the set of contact information that turns a generic tool into something of tremendous value.
Moving Your Data to the CloudAn organization might also have specialized, proprietary applications that it has developed to solve business problems unique to that organization. In this case, the applications use data and are data, as anyone who has hunted for lost source code can attest to.
When it comes to enterprise cloud solutions, moving to the cloud means moving data, not just applications. Cloud is well suited to new ways of building applications, but what about all the specialist applications that already exist and provide real value to the business?
Rewriting those applications to be cloud native is neither simple nor fast, so is the end value worth it? Do cloud-centric storage solutions offer the necessary features, such as NetApp® Snapshot® copies, clones, replication, scalability, performance, and reliability?
Data is also valuable. Keeping the data safe by using enterprise features such as encryption and audit trails is vital at a time when major security breaches are happening so frequently, and these are just the ones we know about.
Moving data outside the organization’s boundaries and trusting the security of data to an external third party are not things to be taken lightly.
Why Do You Need an Enterprise Cloud Solution?
There are real advantages to the operational model that cloud systems provide, so the option cannot be dismissed out of hand. New systems can be provisioned quickly, without waiting for physical hardware to arrive and be installed. Unused systems can be turned off, immediately reducing spending. Experiments can be tried and quickly stopped if they don’t work out. New opportunities can be quickly seized as they present themselves.
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP® (formerly ONTAP Cloud) provides an enterprise cloud solution that lets you take advantage of the benefits of cloud without losing the benefits of existing systems and approaches. Instead of being forced to choose between one of two suboptimal choices, Cloud Volumes ONTAP provides a way to use cloud if and when it is useful, and in a known, controllable way.
Want to get started? Try out Cloud Volumes ONTAP today with a 30-day free trial.
