Network Appliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP), the leader in advanced networked storage solutions, today announced the grand opening of its newest technology center in Research Triangle Park. At a press conference today, Dan Warmenhoven, CEO of Network Appliance, welcomed local businesses, community leaders, university officials, and NetApp employees to the new facility and spoke of the company’s continued commitment to growth in the RTP area.

“NetApp selected RTP as a primary location because it offers a technology-rich business climate, the availability of a talented and highly educated workforce, affordable housing, and top educational and research facilities,” said Dan Warmenhoven, CEO of Network Appliance. “NetApp is proud to continue to invest in this top-tier business center. Our growth and expansion in RTP will enable us to expand our development capabilities and enhance our customer service and support.”

NetApp has been in the RTP area since 1999 and in 2004 purchased three buildings from Cisco Systems, Inc., in RTP, located at 7301 Kit Creek Road. The space is 520,000 square feet and capable of accommodating more than 2,000 employees. The company currently employs 360 employees in the Kit Creek Road facility and operates a 24x7 global service and support center in addition to a state-of-the-art data center with a capacity of multiple petabytes.

In September, NetApp® RTP received top honors in the “Best Places to Work in the Triangle” award competition from the Triangle Business Journal, ranking in the top ten for the second consecutive year. NetApp was selected among 125 Triangle businesses and was among one of three distinguished winners in the large company category.

NetApp has a strong working relationship with North Carolina State University and participates in the university’s “ePartners” program. For the past three and one-half years, NetApp has been a “Super ePartner,” the highest level of corporate involvement. The “ePartners” support the university’s computer science department financially and undertake collaborative work with faculty and students. Network Appliance has worked with UNC, Chapel Hill, and Duke University.