As companies move from AI experiments to production, the conversation is becoming more practical. CIOs and IT leaders are asking whether their infrastructure can keep up, whether AI applications can securely access the right data, and how they can control costs without adding more complexity.
Those questions point to a simple truth: you cannot be ready for AI if your data is not ready. And that same data foundation also matters for cloud modernization, cyber resilience, enterprise applications, and hybrid cloud operations.
AI depends on the infrastructure behind it
Enterprise data is often spread across file systems, applications, data centers, and clouds. It can be difficult to access, expensive to move, and governed through different security models. That may be manageable for a pilot, but it becomes a much bigger challenge when AI and other data-intensive workloads move into production.
Organizations need an intelligent data infrastructure that can deliver performance at scale, keep storage costs under control, provide secure access, and fit into the Azure environment they already use.
See the story come to life at Microsoft Ignite
Microsoft Ignite takes place November 17–20 in San Francisco, and NetApp will be there as a Visionary sponsor. Our theme is simple: Bring AI directly to your data.
At Ignite, attendees can:
- Visit NetApp Booth #5253 to explore our Microsoft Azure, AI, and intelligent data infrastructure story.
- Attend the theater session, “Skip the copy tax and ground AI on enterprise file data,” to see how AI can use enterprise file data on Azure NetApp Files without first creating another copy.
- Connect through VIP meetings and The Club for focused conversations with NetApp leaders and intelligent data infrastructure specialists.
- Attend the NetApp Reception, co-sponsored by Microsoft and Red Hat, to connect with customers, partners, and the teams bringing these solutions to life.
Make your Ignite conversation count
If you are attending Ignite, schedule a VIP meeting with a NetApp intelligent data infrastructure specialist. Bring your AI, Azure modernization, cyber resilience, or hybrid cloud priorities, and use the time for a focused discussion about your environment and next steps.
Schedule a VIP meeting with NetApp
The model is only part of the story
Successful enterprise AI takes more than a good model. It requires a data foundation that can deliver performance, manage costs, support secure access, and work across the places where enterprise data already lives. The same foundation can also help organizations modernize critical applications, strengthen resilience, and simplify hybrid cloud operations.
Several recent Azure NetApp Files enhancements are designed around those priorities.
More performance for demanding workloads
Large Volume Breakthrough Mode expands Azure NetApp Files performance for demanding AI, high-performance computing, analytics, SAP, VMware, and other data-intensive enterprise workloads. Faster access to data can help organizations get more value from compute investments and support production-scale applications through a first-party Microsoft Azure storage service powered by NetApp technology.
Better economics as data grows
Not every dataset needs to remain on high-performance storage all the time. Enhanced Cool Access gives IT teams more flexibility to align storage costs with how data is used, keeping active data on high-performance storage while moving less frequently accessed data to a more economical tier without giving up access to information that may still be valuable.
A simpler path to modern identity
Microsoft Entra Kerberos authentication for Azure NetApp Files supports identity modernization and simplifies SMB access. As more people, applications, and AI systems use enterprise data, modernizing identity alongside infrastructure helps organizations maintain clearer control over who can access that data.
If you are heading to Ignite, stop by Booth #5253, attend our theater session, or connect with the NetApp team for a deeper conversation. I would welcome the opportunity to hear what you are working on and discuss how NetApp and Microsoft can help turn your enterprise data into an advantage.
Learn more about NetApp at Microsoft Ignite 2026
