Dell APEX Cloud Platform: Hybrid Cloud Innovation for Microsoft Azure

Dell Technologies has introduced a groundbreaking solution, the Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure, which represents a significant step in hybrid cloud innovation. This fully integrated turnkey system, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, extends the hybrid cloud experience of Microsoft Azure to data center and edge environments. It marks the inaugural offering in the Dell APEX Cloud Platform family and the premier solution for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI.

This new solution category, Azure Stack HCI, exclusively includes platforms that provide the quickest time to value for Azure hybrid cloud through deep integration with Microsoft. Dell APEX Cloud Platforms usher in the next generation of infrastructure, offering consistent operations and greater control over workload placement by expanding the choice of on-premises cloud ecosystems. Customers can enjoy increased flexibility and long-term investment protection, thanks to the integration of Dell’s innovations in automated infrastructure management, orchestration, software-defined storage, and next-generation computing.

Streamlining Azure On-Premises

The opportunity to extend Azure cloud services to on-premises environments is substantial, with 48% of surveyed customers in a recent ESG study expanding on-premises deployments. Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Azure provides an ideal solution for customers looking to bring Microsoft Azure to their data centers and edge locations.

This platform builds on decades of collaboration between Dell and Microsoft, combining Dell’s expertise in software-driven management and orchestration with Microsoft’s leadership in cloud services and container orchestration. Douglas Phillips, Corporate Vice President of Azure Edge + Platform, emphasized, “This new solution gives our mutual customers a seamless experience from cloud to edge, wherever their data lives, so they can spend less time managing infrastructure and focus more on transforming their business.”

Enhancing Azure Hybrid Cloud

The Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure is designed to address several key IT priorities:

1. Simplified Management: This offering delivers consistent Azure operations across on-premises locations and the public cloud through native integration with Azure Arc. Automation enabled by Dell’s APEX Cloud Platform Foundation Software significantly streamlines deployment, resulting in an 88% reduction in deployment steps compared to existing integrated systems.

2. Accelerated Application Delivery: The platform optimizes the delivery of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) hybrid and Arc-enabled app and data services, expediting application delivery and simplifying management. Users can enforce consistent security and compliance policies across the Azure landscape through integration with centralized Azure management and governance services.

3. Fastest Time to Value: To ensure customers experience the fastest time to value and ongoing support, Dell ProSupport Infrastructure Suite offers comprehensive support for Dell hardware, system software, and Azure HCI. This suite covers tasks commonly required in a multicloud environment, allowing internal staff to focus on other priorities.

Going Above and Beyond

The Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure goes beyond the Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI category by offering:

1. Lifecycle Management: It provides near-instantaneous availability of new releases and patches, ensuring that the complete infrastructure stack remains compliant. Full-stack lifecycle management simplifies maintenance.

2. Unique Automation: The platform supports automated cluster expansion, enabling rapid addition of on-premises infrastructure to meet workload requirements.

3. Edge Offerings: In the near future, specialized nodes based on the Dell PowerEdge XR4000 edge-optimized server platform will be available to help customers extend Azure to the edge while minimizing cost, footprint, and complexity.

4. Ultimate Flexibility: Upcoming support for additional storage configurations with Dell software-defined storage will make this the only offer capable of linearly scaling storage resources independently from compute resources, addressing diverse performance and scaling needs.