Since NetApp came out with their new blue staple look, I have gotten a few requests from people asking how I came up with the Zerowait name and our logo. I had already named the company Zerowait, because I did not like waiting for answers to anything and I expected that my customers would like a company name that expressed fast service and high availability also. The logo was designed by my friend Albert Zoellner after a few discussions with me. The logo took a couple of months more to come up with.
Partly due to the fact that I am a pilot, Albert wanted the logo to show speed and give an impression of a spinning propeller. So he made a green background and two swooshes to show speed, and pitched the company name at an angle over the green circle. The logo works – because people recognize the logo and seem to enjoy it on shirts, mugs, cars and everywhere else we can put it.
Over the last 18 years the Zerowait name and logo have become recognized in the high availability niche markets we work in. And recognition is what the logo is all about.
I think the important thing to remember about NetApp is that they make very reliable systems and Zerowait helps NetApp customers get more value out of them for our customers. I don’t think their new Logo is iconic in any way. Most people I speak with do not purchase high availability network equipment because of a logo but for performance and reliability reasons. But for the last week or so every NetApp customer discussion I have had has included a comment on their new Logo and an opinion of it.
So with our logo all you have to remember is that fast service is guaranteed.
