Research Finder
Find by Keyword
Nutanix and Pure Storage Move to Full Stack Integration as Virtualization Market Evolves
General availability of Nutanix Cloud Platform on Pure Storage FlashArray arrives as enterprises evaluate long-term virtualization and data center strategies.
12/11/20205
Key Highlights
- Nutanix and Pure Storage announced the general availability of a jointly engineered solution combining Nutanix Cloud Platform with Pure Storage FlashArray.
- The offering supports mission-critical workloads with consistent performance, predictable scaling, and straightforward recovery workflows.
- Cisco FlashStack now includes validated designs with Nutanix, broadening the integrated ecosystem available to channel partners.
- The solution will be delivered through global channel partners and is positioned for customers evaluating VMware alternatives.
The News
Nutanix and Pure Storage announced the general availability of their jointly engineered solution that brings Nutanix Cloud Platform together with Pure Storage FlashArray, completing the integration and validation work that began earlier this year and making the combined stack available for production deployment through their global channel partners. For more information, read the Nutanix blog.
Analyst Take
This GA milestone shifts the focus from an anticipated collaboration to a viable option in enterprise infrastructure planning. Customers are reevaluating long-standing choices in compute, storage, and virtualization, and some are looking for approaches that preserve familiarity while addressing the pressures created by recent industry changes. In our view, the combination of Nutanix Cloud Platform and Pure Storage FlashArray enters that discussion with clear intent. The architecture separates compute and storage but keeps a unified operational model that aligns with how IT teams already manage virtualized environments.
From a data platform perspective, the strength of the solution lies in predictable performance, consistent storage behavior, and straightforward recovery workflows. Pure Storage provides a stable foundation with its established data services, while Nutanix brings a complete virtualization and management layer that many organizations already use for on-premises and hybrid deployments. Together, the companies offer an alternative path for customers who want to modernize without adopting a completely new operational framework.
Some organizations are reassessing their long-term virtualization strategies as licensing structures, support programs, and ecosystem commitments continue to evolve. This has created interest from some enterprises in alternatives that do not require a wholesale redesign of the data center. In that environment, we believe the Nutanix and Pure Storage integration is an option for customers seeking to reduce reliance on their existing vendor partner while maintaining enterprise-scale capabilities. The addition of new Cisco FlashStack designs strengthens this position by giving channel partners validated architectures they can use when guiding customers through virtualization platform evaluations and migrations.
The opportunity ahead will be defined by execution. The architecture appears to be sound, the ecosystem is broad, and partner engagement is likely to increase as virtualization refresh cycles accelerate. The next step is ensuring that partners have the guidance, tooling, and documentation required to support evaluation, workload sizing, and long-term lifecycle planning. If Nutanix and Pure Storage can deliver that level of clarity, the integrated solution has the potential to become a regular consideration for customers exploring VMware alternatives and planning their next phase of data center modernization.
What Was Announced
Nutanix and Pure Storage confirmed that engineering work is complete and that Nutanix Cloud Platform and Pure Storage FlashArray now operate as a fully integrated environment for virtualized workloads. The offering is designed for customers who want to pair Nutanix software with external all-flash storage while maintaining a consistent operational model across compute, storage, and virtualization layers.
Validation is expanded across a wide range of server platforms used in enterprise data centers, including Cisco, Dell, HPE, Lenovo, and Supermicro. Nutanix and Pure Storage also added new Cisco FlashStack designs that incorporate Nutanix for organizations standardizing on UCS. These designs extend the choices available to customers who want Nutanix as part of an integrated, pre-validated reference architecture.
The companies stated that the integrated platform will be delivered through their channel partners. This aligns with the early access program that began over the summer, where selected partners, including Expedient, tested the combined stack in preparation for customer deployments.
Leadership noted that the announcement comes at a time when many organizations are reviewing their virtualization environments and evaluating new infrastructure options. The companies described the integrated solution as one intended to address those needs with predictable performance and operational continuity.
Looking Ahead
The market conditions that shaped the original Nutanix and Pure Storage announcement in May persist. Some enterprises are entering 2026 with heightened interest in alternatives that preserve operational continuity while giving them more control over long-term architecture. Some customers are now thinking in three to five-year horizons and looking for platforms that support a predictable modernization path without forcing disruptive changes in tooling or skills.
We believe this creates a favorable environment for the Nutanix and Pure Storage integration. Success will be defined by the partnership's ability to execute at scale. The companies now offer a combination of external all-flash storage, a mature virtualization stack, consistent data services, and a broad hardware ecosystem. For customers evaluating alternatives, this solution potentially provides a level of familiarity that reduces the friction typically associated with platform transitions. The addition of Cisco FlashStack designs strengthens the case by providing well-understood deployment patterns, validated guidance, and established partner routes for implementation.
The competitive landscape will likely intensify in 2026 as more vendors position themselves to capture customers reconsidering their virtualization strategies. Nutanix and Pure Storage are entering that phase with an integrated solution, aligned messaging, and a channel-centric approach that matches how most enterprise virtualization projects are delivered. The key questions now are scale and execution. If early deployments progress smoothly and partner guidance continues to mature, this joint platform could become one of the primary options customers consider when planning their next-generation infrastructure.
We will be watching for customer proof points, migration patterns, and reference architectures that help organizations understand the operational implications of moving away from their existing supplier and adopting a Nutanix and Pure Storage model. The decisions made in the months ahead will shape data center strategies for years to come, and this integration arrives at a moment when many organizations are ready to evaluate alternatives with greater urgency and purpose.
These core infrastructure projects represent ‘heart and lung transplant’ levels of risk for many enterprises, so they should not be embarked on lightly. Enterprises should always look beyond the hype and negative sentiments online and evaluate their options carefully, weighing any perceived benefits against the risks of project overruns and the flashy vendor pitches not manifesting in tangible results. However, on first blush, this approach by Nutanix and Pure Storage passes muster and is worthy of consideration.
Don Gentile | Analyst-in-Residence -- Storage & Data Resiliency
Don Gentile brings three decades of experience turning complex enterprise technologies into clear, differentiated narratives that drive competitive relevance and market leadership. He has helped shape iconic infrastructure platforms including IBM z16 and z17 mainframes, HPE ProLiant servers, and HPE GreenLake — guiding strategies that connect technology innovation with customer needs and fast-moving market dynamics.
His current focus spans flash storage, storage area networking, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), software-defined storage (SDS), hybrid cloud storage, Ceph/open source, cyber resiliency, and emerging models for integrating AI workloads across storage and compute. By applying deep knowledge of infrastructure technologies with proven skills in positioning, content strategy, and thought leadership, Don helps vendors sharpen their story, differentiate their offerings, and achieve stronger competitive standing across business, media, and technical audiences.
Steven Dickens | CEO HyperFRAME Research
Regarded as a luminary at the intersection of technology and business transformation, Steven Dickens is the CEO and Principal Analyst at HyperFRAME Research.
Ranked consistently among the Top 10 Analysts by AR Insights and a contributor to Forbes, Steven's expert perspectives are sought after by tier one media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and CNBC, and he is a regular on TV networks including the Schwab Network and Bloomberg.