NetApp and Accenture are expanding their partnership with two new technology
agreements, the companies announced.
The first agreement focuses on joint development and marketing efforts
across several technology areas. The second helps NetApp’s Professional
Services group expand its reach with the help of Accenture’s consultants and
integration services.
Under the agreements, the companies will develop and deliver solutions for
data center optimization and transformation, cloud solution deployment, virtual
desktop deployments, ERP application optimization, and business application
efficiency and virtualization.
According to a survey by Enterprise Strategy Group, business process
improvement and application upgrades and deployments are priorities for end
users in 2011.
“We are seeing IT emerge from a support role to take center stage as a major
business driver for many organizations,” Rockwell Bonecutter, global alliance
channel lead at Accenture, said in a statement.
“Companies today want not only speed and simplicity in their IT
infrastructure solutions, but also maximum flexibility, efficiency and
functionality. Teaming with NetApp, we can help clients transition to a
flexible and efficient shared IT infrastructure, setting the foundation to take
advantage of cloud computing.”
“As customers rethink their IT infrastructures and look for new alternatives
to better align IT to the speed of business, they require solutions that are
both integrated and innovative,” Thomas Stanley, vice president of global system
integrators at NetApp, said in a >statement. “Working with Accenture, we can integrate innovative, industry-leading IT
stacks that help customers move to a shared IT infrastructure that is flexible,
efficient and ready for the future.”
The companies said they have already successfully paired on a project for
mining company Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, in which they helped the
company refresh its IT infrastructure, reduce program risk, improve
infrastructure scalability and reduce operating costs.
“As a global natural resources company, the latest economic downturn
provided us a unique opportunity to focus on business process transformation in
preparation for the eventual recovery in our business,” said Bert Odinet, vice
president and chief information officer at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold,
in a statement.
Cloud Computing 
