Dell is bringing more cloud products under the APEX umbrella

APEX Navigator for Kubernetes and more join Dell’s hybrid and multi-cloud software-as-a-service family.

Dell has reconfigured several of its multicloud and hybrid services under the APEX brand as part of a series of announcements at Dell Technologies World on May 22. The change is in response to customer demand for large-scale multicloud and hybrid hosting, said Sam Grocott. senior vice president of product marketing at Dell Technologies at the event’s press conference.

“Dell APEX now spans our portfolio to give customers greater freedom for technology to support businesses as they need it,” said Chuck Whitten, co-chief operating officer, Dell Technologies, in a press release.

Jump:

From cloud to earth and back

Dell’s existing APEX SaaS system includes several new services that support cloud storage from the data center to the edge. Multicloud services, formerly known as Project Alpine, will now operate under the same banner as APEX Storage for Public Cloud. This moves Dell’s software-defined block and file storage to the public cloud, said Caitlin Gordon, vice president of project management at Dell Technologies.

The new subscription calls on cloud services from three directions:

• From earth to cloudor bringing software customers use in their data centers to the public cloud
• Cloud to earthor bringing cloud-based operating models from different service providers into the data center
• APEX as a Service and subscription offers have changed

Additions or enhancements to Dell’s APEX portfolio include:

• Dell APEX cloud platforms
• Dell APEX Hosting for Public Cloud
• Dell APEX Navigator for Multicloud Storage and Kubernetes
• Dell APEX Compute
• Dell APEX PC-as-a-Service
• Dell Technologies and Databricks Collaborate on Dell Object Storage with Databricks’ Lakehouse Platform

Essentially, Dell’s data protection storage services are carried over into this product line and added with some interoperability.

APEX cloud platforms offer the following benefits, Dell said:

• Expand and optimize the customer’s on-premises cloud ecosystem.
• Combining common platforms and automation.
• It offers a familiar, simple operational and development experience suitable for non-specialist or small teams.
• Extending data and applications to multi-cloud environments.
• Ensuring consistent compliance and governance.

APEX offers customers looking to move to the cloud a choice of cloud providers. For example, land-to-cloud customers using the APEX Cloud Platform can now choose between Microsoft Azure, Red Hat OpenShift and VMware.

“VMware and Dell Technologies have a nearly two-decade history of co-engineered solutions and innovation,” said Dave McGraw, vice president of partner solutions engineering in VMware’s Chief Technology Office. “The introduction of Dell APEX Cloud Platform for VMware expands customers’ VMware multi-cloud deployment options, providing greater choice and flexibility to modernize applications while simplifying multi-cloud operations.”

“Microsoft and Dell are simplifying hybrid cloud management with an integrated solution that provides unified operations for customers across the Azure public cloud and their on-premises and edge environments,” said Bernardo Caldas, corporate vice president of Microsoft Azure Edge PM, in a press release. expenditure.

Ground-to-cloud support for Kubernetes and more

Two new SaaS offerings have been added to the cloud-to-ground aspect of APEX Navigator: APEX Navigator for Multicloud Storage and APEX Navigator for Kubernetes. Both are public cloud hosts that can deploy and manage any storage type and public cloud. These Dell SaaS products can also be API connected as needed if customers have their own monitoring tools.

The latter includes cloud-native application mobility, device discovery and storage for anyone using Kubernetes’ Dell storage devices.

“With the growth of cloud-native software and Kubernetes, more and more tasks need to be done in cloud environments,” said Gordon.

SEE: See our direct comparison between Dell APEX and HPE GreenLake

Availability of APEX-as-a-service

APEX block and file storage to AWS, APEX PC-as-a-Service, APEX Compute, and Dell object storage and Databricks Lakehouse Platform connectivity are now available with some geographic restrictions. Specifically, PC service and computing can be used in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

In the second half of 2023, Dell expects to add APEX Cloud Platforms (global), APEX Block Storage for Microsoft Azure (global), APEX Navigator for Multicloud Storage (from the US with expansion plans), and APEX Navigator for Kubernetes ( US , United Kingdom, France and Germany).

Competitors of Dell’s software as a service

Dell’s hybrid, multi-cloud and edge SaaS competes with HPE GreenLake, IBM Cloud, Cisco Systems Cisco+, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and others. In the past, it also competed with Microsoft Azure and VMware.

Disclaimer: Dell paid for my airfare, lodging, and meals to Dell Technologies World May 22-25 in Las Vegas.