Data center infrastructure provider Equinix and storage vendor NetApp launched a new data center service for consuming single-tenant bare metal compute and high-performance storage appliances that are deployed inside the same fully managed cloud, representing the only offer of its kind, according to the vendors.

"Once you combine that with immediate integration and ability to leverage the highly compelling Equinix network underlay and access to our industry leading public cloud onramps, the offer becomes even more compelling," Jason Powers, Equinix Sr. director of product management, told SDxCentral.

Equinix bare metal-as-a-service with NetApp storage helps data center customers modernize their hybrid cloud environments via a consumption model that provides a faster and simpler way to experience the value of Equinix's "global reach, neutrality and interconnection," Powers said. Equinix operates 250 data centers in 71 global metro areas.

The two partners aim to deliver a hybrid cloud solution that provides the availability and acceleration necessary for mission-critical workloads while reducing operational expenses and securing data against ransomware attacks. "With the addition of bare metal-as-a-service, NetApp is uniquely positioned to help customers modernize their data infrastructure across any data, any application workload, and any location – on premises, Equinix Metal, and top three public clouds," Sandeep Singh, NetApp SVP and GM of enterprise storage, told SDxCentral.

Equinix and NetApp's service level objective for deployment time is 45 calendar days from the date a customer places an order to ship, rack, provision and hand over a live appliance. But "in practice, we typically see faster delivery times and are continuing to drive internal automation and operational efficiencies to ensure customers can have a working storage appliance as quickly as possible," Powers said.

Equinix customers have been asking for secure, performant and cost-optimized storage that's adjacent to – but outside of – the public cloud. "We have seen robust interest from both current and prospective customers looking at how they can effectively leverage more compelling hybrid and multicloud architectures to benefit their business and customers," Powers said.

To that point, NetApp's consumable and scalable delivery model offers joint customers a secure data storage solution that can deter cyberattacks in near real time. "Where NetApp Storage on Equinix Metal stands apart is on data security and data protection in an increasingly complex threat landscape," Singh said. "NetApp storage delivers the most secure data storage," along with a ransomware recovery guarantee that compensates customers if they can't recover their data from the vendor's "tamper-proof snapshots" following a breach, Singh said.

NetApp also provides native cloud storage offerings on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, and it claims to be the only certified and supported enterprise storage vendor for VMware hybrid cloud across the big three public clouds. "These capabilities, coupled with the cloud adjacency and global reach that Equinix Metal brings, mean the bare metal-as-a-service with Equinix Metal and NetApp Storage provides a broad portfolio of options for customers to benefit from a hybrid cloud implementation," Singh said.

Plus, the vendor is unique in its offering of block, file and object storage within a single operating system. This allows customers to use the bare metal service for a variety of application workloads and data types with consistent management, automation, data security and overall experience.

According to the vendors, this offering provides flexibility without compromising on control, cost or performance. Powers said they want their customers to be able to run their workloads where they perform best and have the lowest cost, whether that's on premises, on Equinix Metal, or in the public cloud. "NetApp Storage on Equinix Metal is an optimal path to accessing the emerging world of cloud-adjacent storage architectures and the myriad of use cases and opportunities they enable," he said.

And in an increasingly digital world, combining Equinix's edge infrastructure and digital interconnection with NetApp's storage ensures customers won't lose access to the differentiation that comes with hardware innovation. "When and where the physical hardware is located matters," Powers said. "In the case of NetApp storage appliances, Equinix is helping ensure that that solution can be consumed alongside other required infrastructure elements," like compute and networking, "in the cloudy, as-a-service, operating model that modern technology practitioners increasingly expect and demand."

The growth of cloud computing and recent acceleration of artificial intelligence has put "significant pressure on customers to optimize data management to gain a competitive advantage," Singh added. "To do this, they need an integrated, full-stack solution that delivers low-latency access to all major public clouds while ensuring control over their data," which is available through this joint solution as a single subscription, he said.