In 2017, Nutanix launched a franchise in Luxembourg. Over the past seven years, market shifts and technology trends transformed the industry. However, Nutanix remained loyal to its success strategy and has evolved into a go-to brand for Luxembourg companies when it comes to IT infrastructure. Fabrizio Heitzmann, Sales Manager at the company, looks back at the journey so far and talks about future challenges for Luxembourg organizations.

Where does Nutanix stand after seven years on the Luxembourg market?

Our approach has always been centered on providing the best customer experience. This was true when we launched Nutanix Luxembourg seven years ago with just five customers, and it has not changed for the 90 customers we serve today. Moreover, those five early customers are still with us. They now form a dynamic community, sharing ideas and practices on how to maximize the potential of our platform, and they even help to introduce Nutanix to new customers.

Building a reputation in Luxembourg takes time, but once it’s established, things go really fast. We always aim to create a long-term impact for our customers, and this is now paying off. Despite our rapid growth, it is important to keep our start-up mentality. For me, this means that we stay accountable to both, the market and our customers’ success. Education is a big part of that, so we leverage Nutanix’ global resources to train the people who use our platform. By staying close to our customers, we can better understand their challenges and support their strategies.

In fact, Luxembourg is like a laboratory for Nutanix. It provides a unique environment where we work with businesses of all sizes, from small companies to large enterprises. It gives us valuable insights into what resonates across the market.

What were the biggest successes of Nutanix in the past six months?

We have recently onboarded ten new customers with exciting and scalable projects. This uptick in demand has been driven, in part, by uncertainty in the market. Obviously, the acquisition of our main competitor VMware has been a catalyst, but I always make it clear to prospects that Nutanix is not a plan B. We have been doing the right thing long before this acquisition. In my opinion, what happens now highlights the market’s need for open infrastructure and intuitive tools that empower companies to run their business. VMware is a great technology, but we decided to take another approach and this has led to our success today.

What sets us apart in Luxembourg is that we never push our technology. Not every customer is ready to innovate, but when they are, we are here, with flexible solutions, to help them in their endeavors. In more mature markets, Nutanix has long been present in the enterprise domain, but in Luxembourg this is a major evolution; our projects are growing in size and scalability.

Finally, Nutanix’ growth is also the result of our focus on developing a strong partner network. Our partners are the reason why we can scale and stay close to the market. We prioritize training our partners to ensure they have the right skills to position Nutanix with our customers.

What are the challenges the Luxembourg market is facing today?

Companies are seeking greater stability and security, driven by legislation such as DORA, the new EU standard designed to ensure data protection through specific architectural requirements. Many customers have questions about this, so we actively work to educate the market. Nutanix’ platform is already aligned with the DORA principles, offering the architecture and a range of services to help companies secure their data and prevent breaches.

Another challenge is the shortage of infrastructure specialists. Finding the right profile is a real nightmare for Luxembourg companies. We support them by providing intuitive technology. A CIO once told me that using Nutanix actually helps him attract and retain talent. Our platform is 100% software- and API-driven. It provides a new way of working that appeals to professionals.

Last but not least, there is a growing buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI), with more CIOs launching AI projects. Again, Nutanix is prepared to support these efforts by delivering the data services required to accelerate AI adoption. No matter how AI evolves over the next six months, our platform is equipped to run these projects. I dare say we are ahead of the competition, and we already have customers using Nutanix for AI projects.

What are the most significant changes you see after seven years in Luxembourg?

Seven years is an eternity in IT. We are mainly witnessing a shift in key stakeholders, both at the CIO level and in operational teams. New generations are coming in with refreshing ideas. I’m also pleased to see a growing number of women in those roles.

In recent years, we have seen businesses strive thanks to the impact of IT. This now results in a stronger focus on innovation with more bold initiatives, customers who are willing to disturb the status quo, and companies hiring profiles with different backgrounds and visions. We are only scratching the surface of this new era. It’s an exciting time to work in IT.

Besides AI, do you see other trends that CIOs should be aware of?

Hybrid multi-cloud is here to stay. We are seeing that more Nutanix customers recognize the value of building their own cloud. Even companies that initially went all-in on Azure or AWS now have a solution that is ready to be used on-premises, with the security and control they desire. Organizations understand that architecture matters. Our ability to extend into public cloud from the same interface is helping customers rationalize their cloud strategy. Ultimately, we want to ensure that an application runs where it makes most sense. Technology should not dictate this.

Finally, what is the main ambition for Nutanix in Luxembourg?

We aim to be the first name that comes to mind when companies think about IT transformation. There are still plenty of projects to pursue, but our market expansion will always be grounded in the core principles that drive our success: accountability, a focus on business outcomes, and our role as strategic partner. We can’t cover everything, but from an architectural standpoint, Nutanix is a smart choice.