NetApp Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. announced that they have collaborated to offer new validated solutions for secure, scalable, and simplified AI. NetApp Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. are expanding FlexPod to support AI adoption across different organizational sizes and maturity levels, using pre-tested, validated architectures and enterprise-grade data management as a consistent foundation. These solutions support use cases such as enterprise AI deployments, AI inferencing and RAG workflows, and edge computing.

FlexPod reduces integration complexity while allowing AI capabilities to run directly where the data resides, with built-in, end-to-end security. This architecture includes disaggregated storage for independent scaling of performance and capacity with NetApp AFX; future functionality of data discovery, preparation and governance capabilities from NetApp AI Data Engine (AIDE) which integrates the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design; and distributed security and Zero Trust-aligned controls across the AI pipeline for AI-specific risks from Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA. Underpinning the Secure AI Factory, Cisco AI networking infrastructure with Nexus One transforms the network into a deterministic, high-performance fabric to maximize XPU utilization, reduce job completion times, and deliver predictable AI outcomes at scale.

NetApp Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. have collaborated with NVIDIA to build FlexPod Solutions based on NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures, enabling organizations to design, deploy, and scale high-performance AI factories. This solution enables enterprises to support AI inferencing, containerized, and virtualized workloads at the edge while maintaining low latency and operational consistency. By extending proven FlexPod architecture to remote and edge locations, customers benefit from faster time to value and reduced operational complexity compared to bespoke infrastructure or isolated IT stacks at each site.

Combining Cisco Unified Edge with flexible NetApp storage options delivers a flexible, validated converged solution. Centralized fleet management, policy-based configuration, and automated orchestration enable repeatable deployments and simplified operations across highly distributed environments.