In this episode of Hack the Future, Hugh Williamson, Senior IT Architect at Fujitsu, is joined by Ben Wu, Executive Architect at NetApp, to explore hybrid cloud optimization and how organizations can unlock real business value through smarter data management.

🎯 Topics covered include:

00:00 – What is this podcast about, and who’s joining us?
00:33 – Why do businesses struggle to manage and value their data?
00:58 – Why is hybrid cloud the default model now—and what’s the problem?
01:16 – How did organizations end up in hybrid cloud environments ‘by accident’?
01:50 – Where do hybrid cloud inefficiencies come from?
02:13 – What are zombie VMs and orphaned snapshots—and why do they still exist?
02:57 – How does duplicate data add to the cost burden?
03:23 – What does ‘ROT’ mean, and why does it matter?
03:39 – How does single-tiered storage kill budgets?
04:22 – What is workload misplacement, and how does it impact performance and cost?
05:14 – Why do application performance needs change over time?
05:43 – What did we find in a real customer assessment?
06:33 – How does the advisory process actually work?
07:03 – What are policy-based controls, and why are they powerful?
07:33 – Why is incremental optimization better than big-bang transformation?
08:07 – How does the Fujitsu–NetApp partnership deliver results?
08:39 – How does NetApp enable data fabric and workload alignment?
09:09 – What are the first steps for customers to get started?
09:53 – What’s the key takeaway from this session?
10:15 – How can you reach out and get started?

Whether you're an IT leader or business strategist, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you scale smarter in a hybrid cloud world.