Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure, and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. and Broadcom Inc., announced on 27th August a powerful new private and hybrid cloud solution. The co-engineered solution brings together Hitachi Vantara’s integrated systems solution of Unified Compute Platform (UCP) RS with VMware Cloud Foundation to assist organisations in navigating the complexities brought on by substantial data proliferation and the escalating requirements of AI. Combining industry-leading automation and software-defined services with enterprise-proven infrastructure enables organisations to modernise their infrastructure for improved performance and scalability, while also reducing total cost of ownership, energy consumption, and carbon footprint, contributing to a greener planet while boosting data infrastructure efficiency.
The announcement comes as more organisations grapple with the costs and complexities of rapidly expanding hybrid and multi-cloud environments. According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Enterprise Infrastructure Tracker: Buyer and Cloud Deployment, spending on compute and storage infrastructure products for cloud deployments, including dedicated and shared IT environments, increased 36.9 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2024. And, as the exponential growth of data and the surge of generative AI (GenAI) continue to transform the technological landscape, organisations are looking for ways to scale their data infrastructure environments and modernise applications without compromising their carbon footprint or IT budgets. In fact, a recent survey found 63 percent of organisations have significant room to improve their enterprise infrastructure and data ecosystem preparedness to support GenAI initiatives.
To address these critical issues, Hitachi Vantara and Broadcom have expanded the companies’ partnership to introduce a robust solution that modernises cloud infrastructure and bolsters data management. The Hitachi UCP RS powered by VMware Cloud Foundation is a forward-thinking platform for both private and hybrid clouds. It aims to spur innovation, simplify operational complexity, and support sustainability objectives by integrating a complete private cloud platform with proven enterprise infrastructure. This modernisation initiative also helps lower total cost of ownership through advanced automation capabilities and adaptable consumption models.
“As more businesses face the realities of the AI age, they are actively seeking solutions that help them scale and improve data reliability without sacrificing cost or environmental commitments,” said Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer, Hitachi Vantara.
“At Hitachi Vantara, we are committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the data infrastructure space. Our enduring collaboration with Broadcom exemplifies our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that not only meet the evolving needs of our customers but also contribute to a greener planet,” he added.
“The longstanding partnership between Hitachi Vantara and Broadcom now delivers a comprehensive and future-ready private and hybrid cloud solution,” said Paul Turner, Vice President, Products, VMware Cloud Foundation Division, Broadcom.
“This not only addresses the current challenges of data management and infrastructure modernisation, but also aligns with organizations’ sustainability goals, making it an essential tool for businesses looking to thrive in the era of generative AI and beyond,” he added.
Key benefits of the integration of the Hitachi UCP RS with VMware Cloud Foundation, powered by Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform One arrays include:
Faster time to value: Offers enhanced performance and resilience, allowing efficient management of more workloads with streamlined infrastructure.
Flexible deployment: Supports running traditional VMs and modern cloud-native containers, as well as emerging private AI workloads.
Simplified management: Provides turnkey integrated infrastructure and advanced automation for cloud operations and life cycle management and pay-per-use consumption model.
Sustainability: Features modern designs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs, including Virtual Storage Platform One arrays reducing CO2 emissions by up to 96 percent and data center storage footprint by up to 35 percent.
The new Hitachi Vantara and Broadcom private and hybrid cloud co-engineered solution sets itself apart with its high-performance, efficient, and scalable capabilities. Among the first Broadcom-approved OEM solutions with the new VMware Cloud Foundation, the solution features integrated software, infrastructure, and hardware firmware life cycle automation through UCP Advisor and SDDC Manager, providing seamless operation.
The platform offers flexibility for deploying business and mission-critical workloads with highly available blended server-based virtualized storage (VMware vSAN) and external storage. Unified management of private cloud infrastructure is made simple with UCP Advisor and SDDC Manager, while automated storage management for VMs and containers ensures multiple SLAs and cost efficiency. By offering a single source for systems, solutions, and services, the platform streamlines operations and reduces multi-vendor friction, all while guaranteeing 100 percent data availability with Hitachi’s Virtual Storage Platform One and supported by Hitachi’s Global Support and Services Team.