NetApp announced on October 15, 2025, a deepened collaboration with Google Cloud, introducing block storage capabilities in Google Cloud NetApp Volumes. The enhanced platform now supports unified NAS and SAN protocols, along with Gemini Enterprise integration, enabling enterprises to accelerate AI adoption without data migration complexity.
Table of Contents
NetApp-Google Cloud: Key Enhancements
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Announcement Date | October 15, 2025 |
| New Capability | iSCSI block storage support |
| AI Integration | Gemini Enterprise native integration |
| Storage Protocols | NAS (NFS/SMB) + SAN (iSCSI) unified |
| Availability | Generally available upon request |
Block Storage Transforms Enterprise Workloads
Google Cloud NetApp Volumes now supports both file and block storage through the Flex service level, adding iSCSI block protocol to existing NFS/SMB file services. This unified approach enables enterprises to host virtualized environments, manage self-managed databases, and run business-critical applications without infrastructure fragmentation.
Pravjit Tiwana, Senior Vice President at NetApp, emphasized: “We’re giving enterprises more flexibility and power, without added complexity. Customers benefit from consistent low-latency performance, enhanced data management with snapshots and replication, and operational simplicity of managing both file and block storage from the same service.”
Gemini Enterprise Integration Accelerates AI
The breakthrough integration allows customers to use NetApp Volumes data as a native source for AI applications, building bespoke AI agents without custom code or RAG pipelines. This tight integration between Vertex AI platforms and NetApp storage enables enterprises to incorporate context-specific data from vetted sources, significantly improving AI-generated output quality.
The NetApp data platform enables any AI model—on-premises or in major public clouds—to securely access a customer’s entire data estate without moving data between environments.
Enhanced Global Data Unification
New FlexCache capabilities in NetApp Volumes seamlessly unify global data estates across cloud and on-premises into Google Cloud. Data stored in other ONTAP-based storage across data centers or multiple clouds becomes instantly visible and writeable in NetApp Volumes environments, with granular data transfer only when requested.
SnapMirror enables effortless data and snapshot migration between environments, supporting hybrid use cases including cloud migration, disaster recovery, and workload balancing.
For complete technical specifications, visit NetApp’s product updates page for detailed documentation.
Explore more enterprise cloud guides on our cloud infrastructure section covering hybrid storage solutions.
Industry Validation
Dave McCarthy, Research VP at IDC, noted: “NetApp’s data platform is the first unified storage built natively into the world’s largest public clouds, enabling enterprises to securely access their entire data estate without incurring delays and costs from data movement.”
The Bottom Line: NetApp’s enhanced Google Cloud integration removes traditional barriers to enterprise cloud adoption. By combining unified file/block storage with native Gemini Enterprise integration, businesses can accelerate AI transformation without costly data migrations or infrastructure complexity.
FAQs
Is block storage in Google Cloud NetApp Volumes available now?
Yes, it’s generally available to customers upon request starting October 15, 2025.
Does this require moving existing data to Google Cloud?
No, FlexCache enables seamless access to on-premises and multi-cloud data without migration.
