Network Appliance becomes NetApp, redesigns website

netappNetwork Appliance, a leader in data storage and management, has legally changed its name to NetApp. Along with this the company also has a new tagline (Go further, faster), logo and redesigned website.

The rationale behind the move is brand awareness. The company had been known to people as everything from Network Appliance, NetApp, NetApps and Network ApplicationsĀ  – as co-founder and executive vice president Dave Hitz notes on the company blog today, “How can people remember you if they don’t even know your name?” The company feels the name NetApp will reduce this branding confusion.

The San Francisco Bay Area-based company was trading at $40-a-share on the stock market last year, but in January of this year shares plunged to less than $20-a-share, WRAL notes.

We’ve separately heard that the company has made an investment in Qlusters, a data center management and utility computing company. Officially, the company had no comment on the matter.

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About the Author, MG Siegler

MG Siegler writes about technology trends and new media for VentureBeat, with a focus on mobile topics, social elements and key news stories. Before that, MG wrote about technology on his blog, ParisLemon. Originally from Ohio, MG attended the University of Michigan where he studied film. He's previously lived in Los Angeles where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where he did web development. He now lives in San Francisco.