Exclusive: How NetApp is navigating the fourth wave of technology with AI-driven data infrastructure

NetApp's Chief Technology Evangelist, Matt Watts, has spent nearly 20 years at the company, constantly evolving his role to stay at the forefront of technological innovation.

 

Speaking about NetApp's journey through waves of disruption, during a recent interview, Watts reflected on the company's ability to adapt and innovate.

 

"If you look back over the last 10 years, I've always tried to create roles that keep me motivated and deliver value to NetApp," he said.

NetApp has successfully weathered three significant technological waves—mid-range modular systems, virtualization, and cloud adoption. Now, the company is positioning itself for the fourth wave: intelligent data infrastructure powered by AI.

"There are four common steps companies repeat with every wave," Watts explained. "First, there's a rush to adopt the technology, often without much structure. Then, over time, businesses simplify, consolidate, automate, and optimize. Recognizing these steps allows us to help companies approach AI adoption more efficiently."

Watts believes learning from past trends will enable businesses to minimize complexity as they integrate AI into their infrastructure.

Is there going to be a fifth wave?

While the fourth wave is currently shaping industries, Watts predicts that a fifth wave—driven by quantum computing—is on the horizon.

"My gut feeling tells me quantum computing will be the next wave," Watts said. "Quantum has the potential to break current encryption methods, revolutionize networking, and solve previously unsolvable problems."

He added that businesses need to prepare now for post-quantum security challenges, as sensitive data requiring long-term protection could become vulnerable within the next decade.

Advancing intelligent data infrastructure

To support businesses in adopting AI, NetApp has embedded intelligence into its infrastructure. Watts highlighted their unified storage approach as a key solution for ensuring data is available wherever businesses need it.

"Unified storage goes beyond multi-protocol," he said. "It's about supporting any data, any application, anywhere, and providing flexibility in consumption models."

NetApp's intelligent services also integrate security capabilities to detect anomalies or potential threats within customer environments.

"AI will be built in the cloud, on premises, or across hybrid environments," Watts said.

"Our intelligent data infrastructure ensures security, performance, and availability are consistent across all these spaces."

Barriers to AI adoption

Despite AI's potential to boost productivity by up to 30%, Watts noted that businesses face several challenges when integrating the technology.

"Data silos are a major barrier," he said. "AI needs access to diverse data sources to train effectively, yet many businesses struggle to unlock their data."

Governance and security are additional hurdles. "As we train large language models, we must ensure sensitive data isn't unintentionally exposed," he added. "That's why an intelligent data infrastructure that safeguards information is crucial."

Identifying transformative trends

Watts shared insights into how NetApp determines when a technological trend will evolve into a significant wave.

"I look at the maturity, applicability, and accessibility of the technology," he said. "AI's turning point came when ChatGPT launched, making AI's programming language the spoken word. That democratized AI and turned it into a wave."

Watts expects a similar moment for quantum computing.

"Quantum will reach a point where the technology becomes accessible to the masses," he explained. "That's when it will truly become transformative."

Knowing when to let go

Watts emphasised that companies must learn to let go of outdated systems and approaches to stay agile in a fast-moving landscape.

"It's about value," he said. "Businesses should ask: Does this make us more efficient or productive? If the answer is no, then it's worth considering outsourcing or moving away from that process."

Watts cited Microsoft 365 as an example, explaining how businesses once dedicated resources to maintaining email systems.

"Now, Microsoft does that more efficiently," he said. "Recognising when to let go allows businesses to focus on innovation."

Embracing change

NetApp's success in adapting to technological change stems from its willingness to embrace disruption.

"We lean into change rather than resist it," Watts said. "Instead of defending past successes, we focus on creating value within the next wave."

He recalled a pivotal moment in NetApp's history when Microsoft 365 rendered their legacy email solution obsolete.

"We knew defending that business would be futile," Watts said. "Instead, we shifted focus to the emerging opportunity."

What does the future of NetApp look like?

NetApp's forthcoming Insight event will showcase its latest advancements in data infrastructure.

"We've refreshed our entire product line," Watts revealed. "We'll announce new integrations with AI platforms like Bedrock, SageMaker, and Vertex."

The event will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Sydney, with speakers from companies such as TPG and Luminous sharing insights.

Watts is particularly excited about showcasing innovations in disaggregated architecture.

"There's plenty to discuss," he said. "We'll have experts, partners, and customers there to share their experiences."

As NetApp continues to innovate in data infrastructure, Watts remains confident the company's approach will ensure it thrives through future waves of disruption.

"Every day, there's something new to learn," he said. "That's what keeps this industry so exciting."