Nasuni is a leading hybrid cloud storage solution that powers business growth with effortless scalability, built-in security, and fast edge performance using a unique cloud-native architecture. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Nasuni’s Chief Innovation Officer Data Intelligence and AI Jim Liddle to learn more about the company.
Jim Liddle’s Background
What is Liddle’s background? Liddle said:
“I’ve been working in the tech industry for over 25 years, as an entrepreneur, and also in technical and sales-related leadership roles. My journey began with hands-on coding and development, which eventually led me to found Storage Made Easy, a company that provided a multi-cloud data management and data protection solution which unified on-premises and on-cloud company storage assets.”
“This venture was a significant milestone in my career, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Nasuni, where I now serve as the Chief Innovation Officer. At Nasuni, I focus on Data Intelligence and AI, looking at both Nasuni AI product opportunities and our own internal use of AI.”
“As the Chief Innovation Officer at Nasuni, my main responsibilities include leading the development and execution of the company’s data intelligence and AI strategies. My focus is on helping to drive product innovation to enhance the Nasuni File Data Platform, ensuring it provides cutting-edge solutions for customers.”
I collaborate closely with our product team, and other cross-functional teams, to drive product improvements so that businesses can ultimately leverage the full potential of their unstructured data sets for more informed decision-making.
Favorite Memory
What has been Liddle’s favorite memory working for the company so far? Liddle reflected:
“My favorite memory with Nasuni was when we released the first version of Nasuni Access Anywhere within 90 days of being acquired. That was a big milestone and an achievement I am proud of.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Liddle explained:
“Nasuni is disrupting the file storage market with a cloud-based approach that replaces traditional on premises primary and secondary file storage. Nasuni does this by providing cloud file data services that leverage object storage delivering a simpler, lower cost, and more efficient SaaS solution that scales easily on-demand to handle rapid unstructured data growth.”
“This process starts with the Nasuni File Data Platform, which is powered by our global file system, UniFS. UniFS is Nasuni’s patented global file system that bridges NAS and SAN access to the scalable object storage of the cloud while providing global access to the data. UniFS is able to operate at unlimited scale without any degradation of performance.”
“The platform offers organizations a unique solution that surpasses the limitations of traditional NAS setups and other cloud providers. By providing a hybrid cloud storage solution, with intelligent edge caching technology to ensure data is located where it is needed, Nasuni enables seamless scalability, allowing businesses to adapt their storage needs as they grow. This scalability is combined with infinite versioning technology and other built-in security measures, ensures data integrity, and protection against ransomware attacks and other disasters, resulting in minimized organizational risk.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges has Liddle and the team face while building the company? Liddle acknowledged:
“The rapid daily expansion of AI has presented a significant challenge in the tech sector, particularly from a technical perspective. As AI algorithms and models continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace, professionals in the field, such as myself, are constantly racing to keep up with the latest AI advancements.”
“This means continuously learning about new techniques, frameworks, and tools, which can be both time-consuming and mentally taxing. Moreover, the sheer volume of research papers, vendors, blog posts, and online resources related to AI can make it difficult to filter out the most relevant and valuable information.”
“To overcome this challenge, I find it essential to be proactive in setting aside dedicated time and prioritizing the acquisition of knowledge that aligns with my specific enterprise area of focus.”
“Additionally, collaborating with peers, attending conferences and workshops, participating in online communities, and simply being intellectually curious, can help stay abreast of the latest products, tools, trends, and best practices in the AI field.”
Evolution Of Nasuni’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Liddle noted:
“Since I joined Nasuni in June 2022, our technology has continued to evolve to meet customer needs. Our guiding principle has always been to ensure that Nasuni remains an infinitely scalable, efficient, secure, accessible, collaborative, and cost-effective platform.”
“We recently updated our ransomware detection and protection, integrating it with Microsoft Sentinel, and expanding our capabilities to offer customers even better data protection.”
“Additionally, we also recently announced Amazon S3 protocol support as part of the Nasuni Edge Appliance. Adding S3 to the list of supported protocols brings additional flexibility to organizations looking to modernize applications, improve performance, and expand the volume of data being incorporated within the Nasuni File Data Platform.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Liddle cited:
“We have had quite a few fiscal milestones recently. In January, we announced a 46% growth in new customer bookings, along with record results for our fiscal year ending in 2023. We had significant growth in 118% net revenue retention.”
“A notable technology milestone is the launch of Nasuni IQ, an addition to our hybrid cloud storage solution. Nasuni IQ provides enterprises with advanced data intelligence capabilities, enabling them to manage, assess, and optimize their unstructured data environments for use with AI applications.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Liddle about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“We have some customer success stories that highlight the impact of our recent addition to the Nasuni File Data Platform, Nasuni IQ. Scott Sinclair, Practice Director of Cloud, Infrastructure, and DevOps at ESG, emphasized the significance of Nasuni IQ in enabling organizations to leverage unstructured data effectively. He noted that Nasuni IQ helps in data discovery and facilitates critical curation before utilizing AI services, which is essential in today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape. The Nasuni File Data Platform’s ability to consolidate disparate data silos into a single namespace simplifies management, and Nasuni IQ further optimizes storage resources for secure data preparation for AI-driven insights.”
“Rob Ruggiero, Global Infrastructure Architect at SGSCO, highlighted how Nasuni IQ has become an indispensable tool for their file data oversight. He noted the intuitive features that allow tracking of active users, dynamic directory monitoring, and insights into file interactions. Ruggiero emphasized that Nasuni IQ’s capability to identify hotspots and trace file movements has enhanced their monitoring capabilities, enabling visualization of data collaboration patterns.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Liddle assessed:
“Nasuni is targeting a $51 billion market in unstructured data (IDC), poised for triple growth in the next four years. With 60% of companies expected to adopt hybrid cloud by 2026 (Gartner), Nasuni’s focus on hybrid cloud solutions positions it well to assist enterprises in their digital transformation and scalability efforts.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Liddle affirmed:
“In addition to the technology, what sets Nasuni apart is our deep commitment to our customers and how much we value customer feedback. Unlike many companies, we prioritize listening to our customers’ input, and incorporating their suggestions into new versions of our product. At Nasuni, customer-driven improvements are at the core of our approach, reflecting our dedication to putting customers first.”
“The Nasuni team is also truly exceptional. Every member of the Nasuni team is passionate about their work, creating an environment where dedication and enthusiasm yield outstanding results and incomparable offerings.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Liddle concluded:
“Some of Nasuni’s future goals include further expanding our global reach and market presence and continuing to disrupt the legacy file store market. We aim to continue innovating and enhancing our product offerings to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Our primary objective is to maintain our customers’ satisfaction. We strive to simplify data management for companies, providing clarity on their data assets and facilitating robust protection measures.”
