NetApp said that it will provide the storage infrastructure to support BT’s new Virtual Data Center (VDC). BT is offering a multi-tenanted service aimed at mid-sized and larger businesses that are looking to move all or part of their IT resources onto a pay for use platform.
BT already hosts data and applications for a wide range of businesses. Reportedly, VDC aims to move customers from tailored hosting arrangements to a service where organisations can buy the exact capacity they require. BT has added the ability to configure an entire data center from a single console with the ability to provision servers, storage, and network resources with built-in resilience and business continuity.
The company said that partnership allows BT to automate the day-to-day storage management resources needed, which in turn allows BT’s engineers to focus their time and energy on revenue generating activities.
According to NetApp, a blade service architecture, combined with NetApp storage systems and virtualisation software allows BT customers to have their infrastructure and Windows-based applications up and running on the VDC. Once the system is up, existing VDC customers will be able to deploy a virtual server. It also takes care of basic storage management, the storage infrastructure is self managing.
Patrick Rogers, vice president of Solutions and Alliances at NetApp, said: With NetApp, BT can provide a flexible, cost-effective alternative to in-house data centers. BT utilised the twin technologies of server and storage virtualisation – already proven in their own data centers – to deliver IT as a Service. NetApp is excited to be a foundational element in their VDC architecture.
