Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix) is a global leader in cloud software, offering organizations a single platform for running applications and managing data, anywhere.
The company’s Nutanix Cloud Platform is designed to enable organizations to build a hybrid multicloud infrastructure, providing a consistent cloud operating model with a single platform for running applications and managing data in core data centers, at the edge, and in public clouds, all while supporting a variety of hypervisors and contai...
Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix) is a global leader in cloud software, offering organizations a single platform for running applications and managing data, anywhere.
The company’s Nutanix Cloud Platform is designed to enable organizations to build a hybrid multicloud infrastructure, providing a consistent cloud operating model with a single platform for running applications and managing data in core data centers, at the edge, and in public clouds, all while supporting a variety of hypervisors and container platforms. Nutanix Cloud Platform supports a wide variety of workloads with varied compute, storage, and network requirements, including business-critical applications, data platforms (including SQL and NoSQL databases and business intelligence applications), general-purpose workloads (including system infrastructure, networking, and security), end-user computing and virtual desktop infrastructure services, enterprise artificial intelligence (‘AI’) workloads (including machine learning (‘ML’) and generative AI workloads), and cloud native applications (including modern, containerized applications).
The company originally pioneered hyperconverged infrastructure (‘HCI’) to break down legacy silos by merging compute, storage and networking into a single, easy-to-use, software-defined data center platform. The company continued to innovate and developed Nutanix AHV, the company’s native hypervisor that offers enterprise-grade virtualization and built-in Kubernetes support. To provide the company’s customers with more choice, the company further engineered its software solutions to run on a variety of server platforms, decoupling the company’s software from Nutanix-branded hardware appliances and powering a variety of on-premises private cloud deployments, as part of the company’s previously-completed transition from a hardware company to a software company. To provide the company’s customers with the flexibility to choose their preferred license levels and durations based on their specific business needs, the company reshaped the company’s licensing by completing a transition to a subscription-based business model. In addition to making hybrid multicloud deployments simple, the company has a further long-term vision to enable developers to build modern container-based applications once and run them anywhere through Project Beacon, the company’s multi-year effort to provide consistent Kubernetes platform management and data-centric platform services across clouds.
The company’s business is organized into a single operating and reportable segment. The company operates a subscription-based business model, meaning one in which the company’s products, including associated support and entitlement arrangements, are sold with a defined duration.
Nutanix Cloud Platform
Nutanix Cloud Platform delivers a rich set of software products, solutions and services to enable the company’s customers to simply run and manage their private cloud, public and managed cloud and hybrid multicloud environments. Nutanix Cloud Platform’s scale-out architecture, enterprise-grade data services and freedom of infrastructure choice enable organizations to standardize on Nutanix Cloud Platform as a single cloud platform to run a wide variety of workloads.
Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) is a distributed HCI for enterprise IT applications. NCI software combines compute, storage, and networking resources from a cluster of servers into a single logical pool with integrated resiliency, security, performance, and simplified administration. NCI includes the following underlying features and services:
Nutanix AOS is the scale-out storage technology that makes HCI possible, delivering enterprise-grade capabilities via a highly distributed software architecture that runs across clusters of servers. Nutanix AOS includes integrated snapshots, replication, and disaster recovery that can be used with block, file, and object storage and for both virtual machines and containers.
Nutanix AHV is the company’s mature enterprise hypervisor - a modern and secure virtualization solution designed to power virtual machines and containers for application and cloud native workloads.
Nutanix Data Services for Kubernetes simplifies and unifies provisioning and operating cloud native applications by extending enterprise data services to containerized apps.
Flow Network Security is a stateful, distributed firewall providing microsegmentation to secure network traffic between applications.
Flow Virtual Networking provides rich software-defined networking with multi-tenant isolation, self-service provisioning, and IP address preservation.
Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) enables organizations to run applications on a unified infrastructure platform across on-premises and multiple public clouds, all operated as a single cloud. NC2 empowers IT operators to place workloads in their clouds of choice without migration or operational hurdles, delivering flexibility and freedom from cloud lock-in.
Nutanix Central unifies the control of Nutanix's hybrid multicloud infrastructure, providing global visibility and simplified governance through a single console with federated access and seamless navigation across on-premises deployments and public cloud deployments via NC2.
Nutanix Prism is the unified control plane and UI that provides intuitive, consumer-grade management for end-to-end IT infrastructure management and operations.
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) is a unified management solution for providing intelligent operations, self-service and orchestration, security compliance and visibility, and control of cloud costs. NCM includes the following underlying features and services:
NCM Intelligent Operations optimizes capacity, proactively detects performance anomalies, and automates operational tasks with ease and confidence.
NCM Self-Service and Orchestration streamlines how teams manage, deploy, and scale applications across hybrid clouds with self-service, automation, and centralized role-based governance.
NCM Cost Governance drives financial accountability with intelligent resource sizing and accurate visibility into cloud metering and chargeback.
Nutanix Security Central is a software-as-a-service-based security dashboard that unifies cloud security operations to help organizations simplify security planning and microsegmentation policy definitions.
Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is a software-defined data services platform that uniquely consolidates access and management of siloed block, file, and object storage into a single platform. Powered by rich data services such as analytics, ransomware protection, lifecycle management, and data protection, NUS enables organizations to adapt to fast-changing applications' needs and shift their management focus from data storage to more strategic global data management. NUS includes the following underlying features and services:
Nutanix Files Storage is a simple and secure software-defined scale-out file storage solution, enabling organizations to store, manage, and scale unstructured data by consolidating storage silos onto a single platform, while keeping it secure with integrated cybersecurity and ransomware protection.
Nutanix Objects Storage is a simple, scale-out S3-compatible object storage solution for modern cloud native and big data applications, offering intuitive operations, high performance, security, and flexibility for multicloud deployments.
Nutanix Volumes Block Storage is an enterprise-class, software-defined storage solution that exposes storage resources directly to virtualized guest operating systems or physical hosts using the iSCSI protocol.
Nutanix Data Lens is a cloud-based cyber resilience service offering proactive defense and a global view of analytics for file and object environments that can identify and inform users of malware attacks, such as ransomware, on the NUS platform.
Nutanix Database Service (NDB) is a comprehensive solution for managing diverse database environments and delivering database-as-a-service functionality across on-premises and public cloud environments. NDB automates database lifecycle management and integrates with cloud native development processes.
Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) creates a consolidated orchestration and management environment for large-scale Kubernetes environments and simplifies Kubernetes management and deployment across different development environments. NKP is designed to address the needs of platform engineering teams by enabling them to simply deploy, secure, manage, and upgrade Cloud Native Computing Foundation compliant Kubernetes environments supporting production applications in core data centers, at the edge, or natively in public clouds.
GPT-in-a-Box is a turnkey AI solution for organizations wanting to implement generative AI applications in the enterprise while maintaining control of their private data and applications. GPT-in-a-Box simplifies the deployment of AI applications with pre-certified GPU-enabled hardware from the company’s hardware ecosystem, a full user interface, and integration with NVIDIA and an expanding AI partner ecosystem to support a choice of large language models.
Delivery of the company’s Solutions
Nutanix Cloud Platform can be deployed in core data centers, at the edge, or in public clouds, running on a variety of qualified hardware platforms (including the company’s Nutanix-branded NX hardware line), in popular public cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (‘AWS’) and Microsoft Azure (‘Azure’) through NC2, or, in the case of the company’s cloud-based software and software-as-a-service (‘SaaS’) offerings, via hosted service. The company’s subscription term-based licenses are sold separately or can also be sold alongside configured-to-order appliances. The company’s subscription term-based licenses typically have durations ranging from one to five years. The company’s cloud-based SaaS subscriptions have durations extending up to five years. The company’s customers generally purchase their qualified hardware platforms for deployment of the company’s software from one of the company’s channel partners or original equipment manufacturers (‘OEMs’).
Nutanix Cloud Platform typically includes one or more years of support and entitlements, which provides customers with the right to software upgrades and enhancements, as well as technical support. Purchases of term-based licenses and SaaS subscriptions have support and entitlements included within the subscription fees and are not sold separately. Purchases of non-portable software are typically accompanied by the purchase of separate support and entitlements.
Partners
The company has established relationships with its channel, OEM, ecosystem and cloud partners, all of which help to drive the sale and adoption of the company’s solutions with its end customers. The company’s solutions can be purchased through one of the company’s channel partners or OEMs.
Channel Partners. The company’s channel partners sell its solutions to end customers, and in certain cases, may also deliver the company’s solutions to end customers through a managed or integrated offering. The company’s Elevate Partner Program simplifies engagement for the company’s partner ecosystem using a consistent set of tools, resources, and marketing platforms. The company’s channel partners include distributors, resellers, managed service providers, telcos, and global systems integrators. The company’s top two distributors to its end customers represented 47% of the company’s total revenue for the year ended July 31, 2024 (fiscal 2024).
OEM Partners. The company’s OEM partners typically pre-install the company’s software on hardware appliances and sell to end customers as an appliance. The company’s OEM partners can also sell the company’s offerings as software-only to the company’s end customers. The company’s software is installed on hardware from Cisco Systems, Inc. (‘Cisco’), Dell Technologies (‘Dell’), Fujitsu Technology Solutions GmbH (‘Fujitsu’), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (‘HPE’), and Lenovo Group Ltd. (‘Lenovo’), as part of the Cisco Compute Hyperconverged with Nutanix family, Dell XC series (including the recently announced Dell XC Plus), Fujitsu XF series, HPE DX series appliances, and Lenovo Converged HX series, respectively. HPE also delivers the company’s software with HPE DX series servers as a service through the HPE GreenLake offering. Some of the company’s OEM partners also sell associated support offerings. The company also has ongoing collaborations with Dell to develop a new solution involving the integration of the company’s platform and Dell PowerFlex (which will be the first external storage supported and integrated with Nutanix AHV and the company’s platform) as well as with Cisco to certify Cisco UCS blade servers to enable organizations to repurpose existing deployed servers that are qualified to run Nutanix AHV.
Ecosystem Partners. The company has developed relationships with a broad range of leading technology companies that help the company delivers world-class solutions to the company’s customers. Through the Technology Alliance Partner and AI Partner arms of the company’s Elevate Partner Program, the company’s developer, application, networking and security, data protection, hardware, and infrastructure partners receive access to resources that allow them to validate and integrate their products with Nutanix solutions and engage in joint sales training and enablement. Such integrations enable a simpler deployment and consumption experience for the company’s customers in their environments and increase adoption of the company’s platform. The company has also developed and announced strategic technology partnerships that bring together best-in-class solutions across the ecosystem into integrated offerings and demonstrated interoperability and support for the company’s customers, including partnerships with Citrix Systems, Inc., Intel Corporation, NVIDIA, and Red Hat, Inc. In addition, the company works with its technology partners through co-marketing and lead generation activities in an effort to broaden the company’s marketing reach and help the company wins new customers while retaining existing ones.
Cloud Partners. The company’s partnerships with public cloud providers help the company to realize its intention of a hybrid multicloud. The deployment of Nutanix Cloud Clusters on AWS extends the availability of the company’s core HCI software, along with all of the company’s solutions, to bare metal Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (‘EC2’) instances on AWS. The company also has a partnership with Microsoft Corporation (‘Microsoft’) to offer a hybrid cloud solution on Microsoft Azure by extending Nutanix Cloud Clusters to Azure environments.
Support Programs
Product Support. The company offers varying levels of software support to the company’s customers based on their needs. The company also offers hardware support for customers who purchase the Nutanix-branded NX configured-to-order hardware appliances.
Professional Services. The company provides consulting and implementation services to customers through the company’s professional services team for assessment, design, deployment, and optimizing of their Nutanix environments. The company typically provides these services at the time of initial installation to help the customer with configuration and implementation.
End Customers
The company has end customers across a broad range of industries, such as automotive and other transportation, consumer goods, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, public sector, retail, technology, and telecommunications. The company also sells to service providers, which use Nutanix Cloud Platform to provide a variety of cloud-based services to their customers. The company had a broad and diverse base of over 26,000 end customers as of July 31, 2024, including approximately 1,060 Global 2000 enterprises. The company defines the number of end customers as the number of end customers for which the company has received an order by the last day of the period, excluding partners to which the company has sold products for their own demonstration purposes.
Growth Strategy
The key elements of the company’s growth strategy include landing new end customers; expanding sales to existing end customers; driving renewals and retention in existing end customers; building on the company’s hybrid multicloud vision; deepening engagement with channel, OEM, cloud, and ecosystem partners; and driving profitable growth. Key drivers of profitable growth include a growing renewals base, leverage from the company’s partners and alliances, and a continued focus on improving sales, marketing, and research and development efficiencies.
Sales and Marketing
Sales. The company primarily engages with its end customers through the company’s global sales force who directly interact with key IT decision makers while also providing sales development, opportunity qualification and support to the company’s channel partners. The company has established relationships with the company’s channel partners, who represent many of the key resellers and distributors of data center infrastructure software and systems in each of the geographic regions where the company operates. The company also engages its end customers through the company’s OEM partners, which license its software and package it with their hardware and sell through their direct sales forces and channel partners. The company expects to continue leveraging its relationships with the company’s channel and OEM partners, and deepening relationships with the company’s cloud and ecosystem partners, to reach its end customers.
Marketing. The company’s marketing team enables its global sales force and sales via the company’s partner ecosystem. The company’s marketing focuses on educating its customers, prospects, partners, media and analysts, and influencers about the benefits and business outcomes the company’s cloud software platform and solutions can deliver. The breadth of the company’s product portfolio allows the company to engage multiple buyer and user personas across the organization, including senior executives, IT professionals, and developers. Over the past year, the company has focused on raising awareness for the company’s newly updated brand identity and new strategic narrative that highlights the company’s evolution in corporate positioning from being the pioneer and a leader in HCI to now bringing one platform to solve the market’s toughest challenges in operating hybrid multicloud environments. The company enhanced this narrative to include the value of the platform for enterprise AI and cloud native workloads throughout the year as well. The company engages buyers through a variety of outbound and inbound marketing programs that include email, digital marketing, corporate and third-party events that generate customer and prospect awareness - including the company’s annual user event, .NEXT, in-person and virtual demand generation activities, social media outreach, media and analyst relations activities, learning certifications, community programs, platform test drives, thought leadership, and the company’s website. The company’s robust community empowers customers and partners to share and discuss best practices for leveraging the company’s solutions, as well as network with peers. The company fosters strategic marketing partnerships with the company’s ecosystem of technology, channel, OEM, system integrator, and service provider partners to expand market reach, increase brand awareness, and drive business growth. Through the company’s unified Elevate Partner Program, the company offers qualified partners access to market development funds, co-branded marketing campaigns, joint demand programs, and comprehensive learning paths.
Manufacturing
The Nutanix-branded NX series appliances are manufactured by Super Micro Computer, Inc. (‘Supermicro’). Supermicro designs, assembles and tests the Nutanix-branded NX series appliances and it procures the components used in the NX series appliances directly from third-party suppliers. The company’s agreement with Supermicro automatically renews annually in May for successive one-year periods thereafter, with the option to terminate upon each annual renewal.
Competition
The company faces competition from, among others:
Software providers that offer a broad range of virtualization, infrastructure and management products to build and operate enterprise and hybrid clouds, such as VMware, Inc. (‘VMware’) by Broadcom Inc. (‘Broadcom’);
Providers of public cloud infrastructure and SaaS-based offerings, such as AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and Azure; and
Traditional IT systems vendors, such as Dell, HPE, Hitachi Data Systems (‘Hitachi’), International Business Machines (‘IBM’), Lenovo, Pure Storage, Inc. (‘Pure Storage’), NetApp, Inc. (‘NetApp’), and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (‘Huawei’), that offer integrated systems that include bundles of servers, storage and networking solutions, as well as a broad range of standalone server and storage products.
Intellectual Property
As of July 31, 2024, the company had 513 U.S. patents that have been issued and 168 non-provisional patent applications pending in the United States. The company’s issued U.S. patents expire between 2033 and 2044.
History
Nutanix, Inc. was founded in 2009. The company was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2009.
