Stashka Lepera

It's been a busy few weeks for enterprise storage! My latest Research Note looks at Pure Storage's new Enterprise Data Cloud, its unified approach to data management that spans hybrid environments through centralized orchestration and automation: → Pure Fusion orchestration - Centralized management of storage fleets with self-discovery and policy-driven provisioning → Workflow automation - Pre-built templates and cross-platform orchestration spanning storage, compute, and network layers → Integrated security partnerships - Native integrations with Rubrik Security Cloud and CrowdStrike LogScale for cyber recovery and threat detection → AI Copilot general availability - Fleet-aware operational intelligence with specialized agents for security, performance, and support → Enhanced Pure Protect - Broadcom VMware-to-VMware recovery capabilities expanding disaster recovery options TL;DR: EDC highlights Pure's evolution from storage vendor to data platform provider, addressing the shift toward data-centric infrastructure driven by AI and advanced analytics requirements. Read my full take, including competitive positioning, implementation considerations, and strategic recommendations, at the link. #EnterpriseStorage #DataManagement #HybridCloud #AI #PureStorage #StorageAnalysis #TechAnalysis https://lnkd.in/ezn7zWVT

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Pragmatic Engineer did a great deep dive on "Building MCP servers in the real world": https://lnkd.in/ghBu9fwV Great insights on the growing use of *internal* MCP servers, like for documentation, data analytics, debugging, issue triaging, etc. That's why MCP auth and networking is so important. I highly recommend the Pragmatic Engineer newsletter -- I finally upgraded to a paid subscription today, reimbursed by Microsoft in PD budget.

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One thing NetApp has been working on for a long time is building a truly vendor-neutral multi-cloud data platform, and they are emphasizing this at #NetAppINSIGHT this year. Between Azure NetApp Files, Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, and of course NetApp's own hardware, it provides a unified and integrated data platform with FlexCache enabling anywhere-anywhere access to data. Syam Nair Sandeep Singh Jeff Baxter Naomi DeMarco Guy Currier Alex Smith

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💡 Why did SiriusXM move to Portworx and Red Hat OpenShift? It came down to two things: lower TCO and greater flexibility. In this clip from theCUBE, Nate Mason, Director of Platform Operations at SiriusXM, shares how the team built a scalable, hybrid cloud platform that spans on-prem, cloud, and edge - without locking themselves into costly legacy infrastructure. 🎯 The result? A fully integrated architecture that just fits. 🎥 Watch the story: Why TCO and Flexibility Drove SiriusXM’s Move to Portworx + Red Hat https://lnkd.in/e_4RtDpC #Portworx #RedHatOpenShift #SiriusXM #HybridCloud #CloudNative #DevOps #Infrastructure #Kubernetes #TCO

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As generative AI becomes more integral to enterprise operations, building trust is paramount. 🔐 ​ 🎙️ Our experts from Cohesity, Pure Storage, and Tricentis reveal the most critical emerging trends in this space, from using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models to ground AI in trusted data to the necessity of testing the data that AI is trained on. ​ Praveen Vunnava, Global Field Chief Technology Officer at Cohesity, shares how modern enterprises can stay ahead of evolving threats by leveraging AI-powered threat detection, implementing a zero-trust architecture and establishing dedicated cyber event response capabilities. ​ Matthew Oostveen, Chief Technology Officer for APJ at Pure Storage, explores why trust is the new frontier in enterprise AI. He details how intelligent infrastructure, including RAG implementations and autonomous storage systems, is key to scaling AI confidently, sustainably, and responsibly. ​ Dheeraj Yadav, Senior Manager of Solution Architecture at Tricentis, takes us inside the world of intelligent automation. He emphasises rigorously testing the data and models behind GenAI is crucial for ensuring compliance, eliminating bias, and achieving reliable, secure outcomes in your AI initiatives. ​ True innovation isn't just about building powerful models—it's about ensuring they are responsible, secure, and reliable from the ground up. Tune in here for the full conversations:  ​ 🎧 With Cohesity: https://lnkd.in/ew-9ZuBF  🎧 With Pure Storage: https://lnkd.in/ef7XRqtD  🎧 With Tricentis: https://lnkd.in/e5bqZ5gu  ​ #NCS #ImpactInsights #TechPodcast #AI #AITrust #DataProtection #ResponsibleAI #Innovation

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Just read this article on the Broadcom licensing debacle - worth a read! Highlights: -Massive Licensing Shake-Up: Broadcom’s switch from VMware's traditional licensing to expensive bundles like VCF is causing customer uproar—some report 8–15x cost increases. -Enterprise Adoption Surges: Despite the backlash, 87% of VMware’s top 10,000 customers have signed up for VCF—though how many are actually using it is up for debate. -Private Cloud Comeback?: Broadcom claims private cloud is now the top priority for global firms, with 69% considering moving workloads off public cloud—but analysts say actual repatriation is much lower. I'm skeptical. While Broadcom paints a rosy picture of customer satisfaction and cloud strategy alignment, much of the adoption may be driven by forced bundling rather than real enthusiasm or usage. 🔎 Worth reading if you want to understand the tension between vendor strategy and real-world IT priorities in the evolving cloud landscape. https://lnkd.in/eJcJnXDq

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Product market fit is dead. Founders now have to reinvent every 6 months before they fall behind. In my latest conversation, I sat down with Bipul Sinha, the former VC turned Rubrik CEO ($18B in the public markets today) who built one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies of the last decade. We covered why the old startup playbook is broken, and what it takes for founders and VCs to win in a world of AI agents, compressed product cycles, and disappearing mid-size venture outcomes. A few takeaways: ➡️ Running a startup is like driving 100mph in the dark… You’re not making decisions based on what’s 20 miles ahead, you’re reacting to what’s 10 feet in front of you and must survive by following your intuition. The biggest risk is missing something. That’s why Bipul Sinha’s decision-making modus operandi is to make a gut call first - then bring in his full team to express everything they’re feeling about a situation. Once he’s surfaced all angles, he uses those inputs to validate (or veto) his original instinct. It’s how he did venture & how he runs Rubrik today. ➡️ Product market fit is no longer a one-and-done milestone Bipul Sinha believes in today’s rapidly evolving markets, you now have to repeat zero-to-one every six months. This shift has massive implications for venture. When a new market becomes real, a flood of startups rushes in. One of them will hit escape velocity and scale from $500M to $10B+, while the rest will get consolidated under $500M. In Bipul’s view, the middle is collapsing to expose a huge pool of smaller outcomes and very few huge winners, and VC firms need to evolve fast for this new reality. ➡️ Bipul’s prediction: there will be a trillion-dollar cybersecurity company within five years He believes we’re massively underestimating where this market is headed. With AI set to boost global productivity by 5-10+%, the surge in new software, systems, and workflows will require unprecedented levels of security. And yet, today’s largest cybersecurity company is just $100B. If Nvidia can reach $3T in under a decade, why not cybersecurity next? Tech moves in nonlinear waves, and the winners will be the ones who stop benchmarking the future against the past. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/dx2A2Pq7

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Another solid quarter for Pure Storage. The company's new Enterprise Data Cloud strategy is resonating with customers, as they grapple with data management for AI deployments. What's interesting though is that the company is seeing traction across a number of areas: shifting virtualization priorities, data brokerage and management, as well as hyperscaler demand. CEO Charles Giancarlo warns of some supply chain headwinds, but overall a very positive quarter for the company. You can read my analysis here on diginomica 👉

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Standing confidential workloads up on the cloud is no small feat and does require the right experience. #CVM (Confidential VM) offerings on #Azure are a key architectural component to success with attestable and Hardware-enforced boundaries. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gvdgBFRm

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