NetApp: Changing IT industry 'takes no prisoners, just leaves dead bodies'

NetApp talks disruption to IT industry and future strategy at channel conference

Disruptions to business models through cloud computing and flash are problems the IT industry needs to solve, according to NetApp, which laid out its channel plans at its Partner Executive Forum today.

Speaking at the Lisbon event today, Henri Richard, executive vice president of worldwide field and customer operations at NetApp, said: "In the IT industry at the minute, we have two fundamental issues at the same time: business model change and technology change. Cloud disrupts the traditional business model and flash disrupts current technology models.

"There is a fight ahead of us, and this is a fight that doesn't take prisoners, just leaves dead bodies."

In the opening presentation today, Richard said that the vendor racked up $5.5bn (£3.8bn) in revenue for its financial year ending in 2016, adding that more than $4bn of that figure was brought in by partners.

He also cited IDC figures claiming that NetApp is currently number two in the world, and number one in Europe, for flash technology.

Flash featured heavily throughout the conference, following the vendor's acquisition of SolidFire earlier this year.

It is one of NetApp's main priorities for 2017, with Bill Lispin, vice president of worldwide channel, saying the company is going to "double down on flash".

The channel priorities for this year include driving its key technologies, leveraging its distributors more and having partners be more self-sufficient.

"We want to shift to partners having a level of self-sufficiency. We are spending a lot of money investing in partner enablement, giving the same training for partners as we do our sales team," Lispin explained.

Richard said that the vendor's partners would be fundamental in fighting the disruptions to the IT industry.

Thomas Ehrlich, vice president of pathways and operations in EMEA, added: "I realise that configuring our product isn't always easy. As in real relationships, sometimes it isn't easy, but it is worth it."