Upon its founding in 1992, NetApp Inc.’s original business model was based on selling Unix workgroup filers to software design teams. From there, the company branched into becoming a leading network-attached storage provider. Now, the company’s website promotes itself as the “Data authority in the hybrid cloud.” This is a company that has learned to evolve over it’s 26-year history.

NetApp is now clearly focused on data, protecting it, moving it efficiently, and making copies as needed. “What’s changed now is branching out from just the NetApp system, to be able to carry that capability to the cloud and other places that people want to keep their data,” said Mark Bregman (pictured), senior vice president and chief technology officer at NetApp. “We’ve continually evolved, and we’re doing it again.”

Bregman spoke with Dave Vellante (@dvellante) and Lisa Martin (@LuccaZara), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, at the IBM Think event in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discussed NetApp’s relationship with IBM Corp. and potential uses of the blockchain. (* Disclosure below.)

Support for IBM’s machine learning

One component of NetApp’s evolving business approach centers around its relationship with IBM. The company often provides the storage solution underlying IBM’s technology in machine learning and other cognitive areas.

“We’re a key partner in understanding how to bring new capabilities in storage and data management to support their new capabilities in cognitive computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning,” Bregman said. “The work that IBM is doing in the whole area of AI and machine learning is tremendous, and we’re benefiting in many ways.”

In addition to its work with IBM, NetApp is also exploring potential new technologies surrounding the blockchain. The company has been looking closely at how use of the blockchain could facilitate the handling of data through its life cycle, according to Bregman.

“My own personal view is that all the excitement about the cryptocurrency relationship to blockchain … in the long term [isn’t] going to matter that much,” Bregman said. “On the other hand, these distributed ledger technologies, of which blockchain is one, are going to be fundamentally important.”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the IBM Think event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for IBM Think. Neither IBM, the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE