NetApp to develop NetCache next version

The India technology centre of Network Appliance (NetApp), a leading unified storage solutions provider, has announced that it will not only develop and ship the next version of NetCache, but also own the IP for this new product.

NetCache is a software that is used to stream and distribute data. This data can be stored and viewed later, especially when the person receiving it belongs to a different time zone.

Having completed 12 months of operation, the NetApp India centre is currently working on the new version of NetCache, which is scheduled to be launched by August.

Nearly two-thirds of its 75-strong workforce is working on the development of this product, while the remaining are focusing on customer support, which includes both web-based and live technical support.

Speaking to media persons on this occasion, Dave Hitz, founder and executive VP, engineering, said, "India's infrastructure is mature enough to handle high-end development work. Initially, this was the main reason for us to opt for India as a development centre. Besides development and shipping the new version of NetCache, our focus area in India is on the full line of storage management."

Hitz said that India centre was continuing to play a key role in their worldwide operations. "Many of our clients are setting up operations in India and in turn wanting us to be present closer to them. In order to support this growth, we plan to be nearly 300-strong within the next 24 months," Hitz added.

During its inception last year, the company had announced a total investment of Rs 75 crore. Today's announcement to ramp up operations is part of the same investment. The India centre will move into a bigger facility inside a technology park, which has a capacity for 600 people.

According to NetApp officials, the global network storage market is approximately $15 billion, with the external storage market contributing $70 million.

Other engineering centres of NetApp are located in Sunnyvale, North Carolina, Boston and Pittsberg. The customer support centres are located in Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur. The Bangalore centre is responsible for both development and customer support.