Today we’re teaming up with storage firm NetApp and The Wikibon Project to host a #tweetchat on the growing market of software-defined storage (SDS), and the value it brings to the enterprise space. Please join us today at 12pm PST (3pm EST), and use the hashtag #NetAppChat.

NetApp is betting big on SDS, playing an integral part in the evolving architecture that’s prompted a shift in thinking for the data center of the future.  Despite the challenges today’s rapidly changing marketplace poses NetApp, the storage firm is known for latching onto the right trends and “[proving] naysayers wrong,” according to Wikibon co-founder and chief analyst Dave Vellante.  NetApp’s clustering capabilities with its ONTAP solution is the company’s response to a demanding market, and automating the processes around ONTAP is key for NetApp’s push in the enterprise.

Vellante (@dvellante) will actually be moderating today’s TweetChat, along with our Founder and Editor in Chief John Furrier (@furrier).  Other moderators and panelists include VMware’s Duncan Epping (@DuncanYB), NetApp’s Vaughn Stewart (@vStewed), NetApp’s Nick Howell (@that1guynick), Avnet’s Brian Mitchell (@netappgeek), the City of Melrose’s Jorge Pazos (@jpazos), and Netech’s Adam Bergh (@ajbergh).

Here’s a list of just some of the questions that Dave and the guys will address during the #NetAppChat event:

1.    What exactly is Software-Defined Storage (SDS)? How does it fit into the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC)?

2.    The technical definitions of SDS and SDDC are still evolving. What do you think is the best approach?

3.    Tell us about the “evolution of storage” and the role of SDS?

4.    Is this model evolutionary or revolutionary?

5.    What do customers have to say about SDS/SDDC?

6.    How do you see software-defined storage bringing value to the Enterprise market?

7.    What’s going to change for the storage/IT admin in this new world? For the app owner? The VI/cloud administrator?