NetApp Collaborates with Google Cloud to Power Data Infrastructure for Distributed Cloud

Key Terms

air-gapped technical

A system described as air-gapped is physically isolated from public and private networks so it cannot be reached over the internet or company LAN, like a safe kept in a room with no phone line. For investors this matters because air-gapping reduces the risk that critical data, trading algorithms, backups or industrial controls will be accessed or tampered with by hackers, but it can also increase costs and slow information flow compared with connected systems.

data sovereignty technical

Data sovereignty is the principle that digital information is subject to the laws and control of the country or entity where it is stored or processed. For investors, it matters because where data lives affects a company's legal obligations, costs, ability to sell services across borders, and exposure to government access or restrictions — like owning a house that must follow the rules of the town it sits in.

zero-trust security technical

A security approach that assumes no user, device, or network location is automatically trustworthy and requires continuous verification of identity, device health, and permissions before granting access. For investors, it matters because firms that adopt this model reduce the risk of costly data breaches, regulatory fines, and business interruptions—similar to a bank requiring ID checks at every door rather than relying on a single locked entrance—potentially protecting reputation and long-term value.

on-premises technical

On-premises describes hardware, software or services that a company runs inside its own physical facilities rather than using external cloud or hosted providers. For investors this matters because on-premises setups often imply larger up-front capital spending, greater control over data and operations, and different ongoing maintenance and regulatory responsibilities—similar to owning a house instead of renting, with trade-offs in cost, flexibility and risk.

encryption keys technical

Encryption keys are secret pieces of digital information used to lock and unlock data, similar to passwords or a pair of physical keys that secure a safe. They matter to investors because they protect customer and company data, enable secure transactions, and help meet legal rules; poor key handling can lead to data breaches, regulatory fines and reputational damage that can reduce revenue and share value.

generative AI technical

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

Collaboration delivers a secure data platform to power AI and sovereignty in private clouds

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Google Cloud with a 4-year Enterprise Agreement to accelerate the deployment of the NetApp storage solutions within the Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped (GDC), Google's sovereign cloud platform delivered by World Wide Technology (WWT). The NetApp data platform within this full-stack, air-gapped private cloud solution delivers the built-in security organizations need to handle sensitive information and meet data sovereignty requirements.

“For government agencies and defense organizations, sensitive and classified data can’t leave controlled environments, but that data is also critical to AI‑driven decision‑making,” said Cesar Cernuda, President at NetApp. “By embedding NetApp’s secure-by-design storage systems into Google Distributed Cloud, we're enabling customers to build Intelligent Data Infrastructure that provides the foundation to support accredited, enterprise‑grade AI directly within sovereign and air‑gapped environments. Now, public sector customers can modernize operations, accelerate insight, and innovate responsibly without compromising security, compliance, or national sovereignty.”

Google Distributed Cloud extends customers’ cloud infrastructure and services to the places customers need them, including on-premises data centers and network edges. NetApp AFF, StorageGRID, and Trident solutions enable Intelligent Data Infrastructure that, with the integrated GDC solution, provides private cloud with zero-trust security and the ability to store data locally, manage encryption keys, and maintain control. Leveraging these systems within GDC enables customers to deploy cloud technology and applications, including AI capabilities, while maintaining more control over their IT environments by bringing the cloud closer to where their data is generated or creating air-gapped environments that limit or eliminate outside connections.

“Across the public sector, agencies are being asked to do more with data while operating under increasingly strict sovereignty, security, and compliance mandates,” said Muninder Sambi, VP, Product Management & Supply Chain, Google Distributed Cloud, Google Cloud. “Google Distributed Cloud was designed for exactly these environments, enabling customers to bring modern cloud services and advanced AI capabilities into sovereign, air‑gapped, and disconnected settings. By working with NetApp, we are helping government and regulated enterprises innovate where their data resides—supporting mission‑critical workloads with the highest levels of security, compliance, and operational integrity, without slowing the pace of transformation.”

Over the last year, Google Cloud has extended its AI capabilities for regulated use cases. Gemini’s advanced reasoning and state-of-the-art generation capabilities are available on GDC to unlock key generative AI capabilities such as automation, content generation, discovery, and summarization on-premises. Customers can operate fully disconnected, while still integrating Google's AI capabilities, enabling innovation while meeting strict security and compliance requirements.

“AI has the potential to transform how every organization operates, even those facing the most stringent controls to meet national security and data sovereignty requirements,” said Joe Koenig, President at WWT. “Leveraging data-driven insights to power your business requires a combination of innovative AI capabilities with powerful infrastructure.”

Additional Resources

• NetApp Expands Collaboration with Google Cloud to Provide Data Storage for Distributed Cloud Infrastructure
• NetApp and Google Cloud solutions

About NetApp

For more than three decades, NetApp has helped the world’s leading organizations navigate change – from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp is the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.

At the heart of that infrastructure is the NetApp data platform – the unified, enterprise-grade, intelligent foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on the proven power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and OS, and enhanced by automation through the AI Data Engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.

Disaggregated by design, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services, and control so enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without lock-in. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world’s largest clouds, it gives organizations the freedom to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.

With NetApp, data is always ready – ready to defend against threats, ready to power AI, and ready to drive the next breakthrough. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking enterprises trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.

Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260416100502/en/

Media Contact:
Kenya Hayes
NetApp
kenya.hayes@netapp.com

Investor Contact:
Kris Newton
NetApp
kris.newton@netapp.com

Source: NetApp