NUTANIX .NEXT AMERICAS 2019 — Nutanix says it’s making it easier for customers to integrate secondary storage into the company’s enterprise cloud platform, while also adding new capabilities to allow users to run VDI systems using Nutanix private clouds.

Both announcements were unveiled here at the cloud software and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) software vendor’s Nutanix .Next 2019 user and partner conference in Anaheim, California, where Nutanix outlined the newest features and capabilities in its products to an estimated 7,000 attendees.

Nutanix Mine, a new product that integrates secondary storage operations with the company’s Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Platform, allows customers to add these capabilities for use with a private cloud. Using a single management console, customers can manage their HCI environment and backup operations, removing the need for standalone systems used to back up and recover business data in the event of a disaster. Nutanix Mine provides ongoing management, scaling and troubleshooting for a customer’s secondary storage.

The other big news is the extension of its public cloud Xi Frame desktop-as-a-service product to private clouds for the first time, giving companies new capabilities to deliver their apps and desktops through a hybrid cloud approach.

With Nutanix Xi Frame, customers will be able to access applications and virtual desktops from public clouds including AWS and Azure using any browser and any device. Now using Xi Frame with the Nutanix AHV hypervisor, users can extend their desktop delivery to private clouds using the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud platform.

Greg Smith, vice president of product and technical marketing for Nutanix, told Channel Futures that that both new capabilities will help customers better fulfill their individual needs within their IT infrastructures.

Nutanix’s Greg Smith

“Using Nutanix Mine means that customers can get an integrated experience and can manage their secondary storage, but still can choose the right data backup products for their needs,” said Smith. “This can be managed and monitored with the company’s user interface, the Prism management console. The bottom line is that for the first time, data center managers can rely on a single pane of glass to manage their primary storage, primary infrastructure and secondary storage for data backup.”

These new capabilities address what Smith called a severe customer pain point for users, including the cost and complexity of manage different systems for backup and recovery. “Mine will make this easier for customers.”

For the channel, the new capabilities will add new opportunities, said Smith.

“Channel partners can now help their customers build more efficient data backup solutions and offer an array of solutions tailored for each client,” he said. “A lot of channel partners have been separately helping customers with data backup. That is a complex task. By bringing this together, it will help channel partners sell it and get their customers up and running faster.”

The new Xi Frame desktop-as-a-service capabilities came as a result of feedback and requests from customers, said Smith.

“Our customers asked for VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure), not just from their public clouds but from their own data centers,” he said. “This means that IT teams can now select the right cloud – public or private – for all their VDI projects.”

And that gives channel partners more ways to help their customers by helping them to modernize their data centers and move critical applications and desktops to the cloud, he said.

“Channel partners can become more strategic advisors to their clients,” said Smith.

Nutanix Mine will first be available for integrations with Veeam and HYCU backup products in the second half of 2019, while Mine for use with Commvault, Veritas and Unitrends backup products will be available in a future release, according to Nutanix.

Nutanix Xi Frame for Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Platform deployments using AHV is available immediately.