How AWS customers achieved 61% ROI with Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP

NetApp is the cloud storage specialist. We help organizations manage their data and get more value from their IT investments. One example is the cost savings that Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP offers customers who migrate to AWS, and other benefits such as:

• NetApp^® ONTAP^® software leads the industry in storage operating environments, according to Gartner and IDC.
• NetApp is a leader in cloud file storage on AWS for enterprise file shares, group shares, data protection, and databases.
• FSx for ONTAP is a native AWS managed service that delivers block and file storage for Windows, Linux, and iSCSI by using the ONTAP suite of enterprise-grade data services.
• FSx for ONTAP offers a 61% return on investment (ROI) and a payback in less than 6 months.

To learn more about how AWS customers achieved 61% ROI, register for the webinar on March 29, 2023, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.

Migrating to the cloud introduces scalability, agility, and cost efficiencies—and cloud storage is no exception. On-premises and self-managed storage offer unique advantages. But organizations are looking to cloud storage to lower their maintenance costs, to scale faster so that they can keep up with the pace of business, and to maintain efficient data backups.

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is an AWS service that provides fully managed shared storage built on a NetApp ONTAP powered storage operating system. Organizations can efficiently migrate workloads to AWS, build applications, modernize data management, and simplify business continuity.

To get hard proof, NetApp and AWS commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact (TEI) study and to examine the potential ROI that enterprises can realize by deploying FSx for ONTAP. Forrester interviewed five representatives from four global organizations that use FSx for ONTAP, focusing on the healthcare, energy, media, and technology industries. Forrester summarized the results through a composite framework in the newly released study, The Total Economic Impact of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP.

The following figure shows some of the significant results that Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP delivered in the study. And a more comprehensive list of benefits includes:

• A risk-adjusted 3-year ROI of 61%
• Payback in less than 6 months
• A net present value (NPV) of $1.62 million
• 31% technology cost savings compared with on-premises storage
• 45% increased labor efficiency
• 40% reduction in time to migrate

So, what are the economic benefits of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP? Here’s a snapshot:

1. Cost savings as compared with on-premises and self-managed environments: Achieve payback in less than 6 months.

On-premises and self-managed storage incurs high up-front costs for hardware, servers, data center licensing, and more. Storage is often provisioned based on 5-year projects, meaning high setup costs for underused storage hardware. As storage demands grow, scaling requires more planning and investments, which are time-consuming and expensive.

With FSx for ONTAP, the composite organization saved up to 31% on technology costs compared with hosting the equivalent storage on premises. Customers also reported greater ease in meeting their growing business demands with FSx for ONTAP.

2. Increased labor efficiency and operational savings: IT staff can work on advanced tasks to support the business.

Legacy self-managed storage environments introduce a host of operational complexity, from provisioning planning and meetings to ongoing maintenance and patching efforts.

FSx for ONTAP reduced the operational uplift by 45% for storage procurement, management, and maintenance. Storage, application, and IT experts were given time back to focus on higher-value tasks.

3. Faster migration time to value: Take advantage of NetApp SnapMirror^® block replication to the AWS Cloud.

Any cloud migration initiative introduces risk. However, FSx for ONTAP customers greatly reduce the business risks of migrating from their legacy environments, helping their storage teams meet company goals for greater customer experiences and digital transformation. On average, the FSx for ONTAP customers in the study migrated intensive storage workloads 40% faster using SnapMirror replication than they would have to another cloud storage solution, and with 45% greater labor efficiency.

Yet, these numbers aren’t all that Forrester heard. Some benefits aren’t quantifiable but are equally important.

Customers found that the training for and use of FSx for ONTAP were seamless. The chief technology officer for a healthcare organization told Forrester, “Teams that have existing experience with NetApp on premises are easily able to transition to using FSx for ONTAP.”

Storage, application, and IT experiences also improved. As the storage administrator lead for a media organization told Forrester, “Ultimately, the other teams we work with are much happier [now] that [FSx for ONTAP] exists.”

Customers praised the inherent security of FSx for ONTAP. The chief technology leader at a technology organization said: “We’re always concerned about security. AWS is as secure as any public cloud out there. Our biggest concern is encryption due to the increased sophistication of hackers breaking through encryption.… But because ONTAP supports strong encryption type languages, that’s a big benefit.”

The chief technology officer of a healthcare organization summed it up well: “Not only are we obtaining improved storage costs, but we are also saving time and resources to manage our environment. We also maintain equal or better performance, higher availability, and better disaster recovery.”

To learn more about Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP and to read the customers’ own words, check out The Total Economic Impact of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP.

And remember to register for the upcoming webinar How AWS customers achieved 61% ROI. You’ll hear from me; Christian Smith from AWS; and our featured guest speaker, Luca Son from Forrester Consulting.