Lenovo and NetApp form global strategic partnership

Lenovo and NetApp have forged a partnership to develop solutions that combine the companies' technologies.

The two companies are co-developing a range of new Lenovo-branded storage products that combine NetApp's all-flash data management solutions with Lenovo's ThinkSystem infrastructure.

These products will utilise core software technology from NetApp and will be manufactured by Lenovo.

Additionally, Lenovo and NetApp announced a new joint venture company in China to deliver storage products and data management solutions localised and tailored to meet China's specialised requirements and distinct cloud ecosystem.

The new venture is expected to be operational by spring 2019, pending local approvals.

"Lenovo is committed to driving the new IT - Intelligent Transformation - through an expanding customer-centric set of data center offerings," says Lenovo chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing.

"Lenovo is committed to both organic and inorganic growth to meet the needs of our customers, and maintaining the strongest global partnerships in the data center industry.

"In today's global economy, customers demand new approaches to IT infrastructures that support their digital transformation; through this partnership, Lenovo and NetApp will offer a comprehensive portfolio of products, solutions and service that is unrivalled in the market today," adds NetApp CEO George Kurian.

"Combining our complementary strengths in customer-centric innovation, Lenovo and NetApp will establish a new standard to accelerate our customers' success.

Lenovo executive vice president and Data Center Group president Kirk Skaugen says, "Lenovo and NetApp are uniquely positioned to deliver the next-generation of high-performance data management solutions across the globe offering customers unprecedented new performance, value and choice.

"Lenovo, now the world's fastest-growing server company, remains committed to our vision of being the most trusted data center partner for our customer's digital transformation. We are bringing these new storage and data management solutions immediately to companies in more than 160 countries with an unmatched supply chain and services network, and through an ever-strengthening global channel partner ecosystem.

The first solutions from this partnership – Lenovo ThinkSystem DE and DM Series – will be globally available for purchase immediately.