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Although organizations have embraced microservices-based applications, IT leaders continue to grapple with the need to unify and gain efficiencies in their infrastructure and operations across both traditional and modern application architectures. Within this article, “modern applications” refers to microservices-based applications running in containers. A 2023 VMware report found that 90% of organizations agree that Kubernetes technology is transforming the way their business operates. According to the 2024 State of Production Kubernetes report from Spectro Cloud, 85% of organizations have Kubernetes in virtualized data centers, and 75% of organizations are committed to adopting Kubernetes for future infrastructure needs. However, three quarters of respondents say that Kubernetes complexity, security, and (lack of) skills have inhibited their adoption. IT leaders must address these unsolved issues and complexities to drive agility and efficiency across their entire application portfolio. Conquering container-based challenges Containerized applications aren’t new, but IT leaders continue to struggle with the fragmentation and silos caused by maintaining separate infrastructure for traditional and modern applications. Managing both architectures with different operating models reduces agility, delays time to market, hampers innovation, and significantly increases costs. A single platform that deploys and manages both VMs and container clusters with a single operational model would help resolve these issues, while enabling IT to efficiently manage all application architectures. IT leaders need a single platform that will allow them to: Run and manage VMs and container clusters with consistent operations, policies and security controls Operationalize all VMs and containers at scale Maximize productivity for platform engineers and VI admins Offer consistent and multiple levels of secure tenancy models for better fault and cyber-threat isolation Accelerate innovation by ensuring Kubernetes versions are conformant with the upstream Kubernetes community VMware Cloud Foundation is the platform for today… and tomorrow Running traditional and container-based applications on the same platform at scale enables organizations to break down silos, reduce operational complexity, address skills gaps, and leverage the benefits of a consistent, unified approach to infrastructure management—driving agility, productivity, and cost savings. VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is one such solution. Much of what VCF offers is well established. VCF brings together compute, storage, networking, and automation resources in a single platform that can host VMs and containerized applications. In this way, VCF simplifies management, operations, policies, and security across the entire application portfolio. VCF also delivers a consistent approach to lifecycle management, automation, and configuration, streamlining operations and reducing the need for separate toolsets. It also provides a single view and monitoring capabilities across workloads, giving IT teams comprehensive visibility into their environments. This much is known. Integrated Kubernetes, however, is VCF’s best-kept secret, despite VMware consistently ranking in the top 3 contributors to Kubernetes over the past decade, securing a prominent place as a top-tier contributor in the ecosystem. Lack of headlines aside, VMware continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Kubernetes, underlining its deep commitment to continuous innovation and leadership in container technology. Accordingly, VCF is ideally positioned to help organizations bridge the gap between traditional and modern application architectures, enabling a smooth transition and coexistence of both application types. VCF offers enterprise organizations: A single platform to run both VMs and Kubernetes clusters, eliminating redundant licenses and lowering total cost of ownership Improved asset utilization for higher efficiency and efficient capacity planning A consistent operating model and policies for operationalizing at scale, facilitating unified lifecycle management and automation across VMs and containers reducing OpEx Ability to deploy Kubernetes conformant with upstream releases available within weeks Success in today’s world demands seamless integration of both traditional and container-based environments on a single platform.  VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) empowers organizations to do precisely that, while also breaking free from infrastructure operational silos and increasing efficiency, thereby maintaining a competitive edge in an increasingly complex market. Ready to take your infrastructure to the next level? Explore how VMware Cloud Foundation can drive efficiency, innovation, and cost reduction for your organization— visit our website to get started. source

Organizational AI maturity matters. Dedicated leadership, strong governance, and strategic use of metrics can improve results and set the foundation for long-term AI success. source

In the world of cybersecurity, we’re facing a dangerous paradox. Organisations are investing more in sophisticated defense tools than ever before, yet the attack surface is expanding at an uncontrollable rate, leaving them perpetually on the back foot. The accelerated push to digital transformation, cloud adoption, and remote work has created a sprawling, fragmented, and often incomplete landscape of assets. The real threat today isn’t always the sophisticated zero-day exploit, it’s the unpatched server you forgot about, the orphaned cloud instance spun up for a test project, or the former employee’s account that still has privileged access. Let’s be clear; this isn’t a new problem. But its scale is something else entirely, resulting in what can only be described as asset anarchy. For years, security and IT teams have struggled with a fundamental question: What do we actually have? The traditional answer from cybersecurity teams, a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) or a series of spreadsheets, is dangerously obsolete. These are static snapshots based on limited integrations in a dynamic world, rendering them inaccurate the moment they’re completed. This visibility gap creates very tangible and real-world risks. As Kang Yeong Wong, vice president of sales for Asia Pacific at Axonius, notes, “Inactive employee accounts with excess privilege, for instance, may still be hidden within the network. Shadow IT and unmanaged devices can serve as access points for a cyber attack.” This isn’t just about security. Wong adds that these invisible assets “can impair an enterprise’s ability to make informed decisions while incurring additional costs from inefficient processes and idle assets.” The data backs this up. According to Foundry’s 2023 Security Priorities Study, 75% of security decision-makers say their tech stack is becoming more complex, and a third of organizations are unaware of the root cause behind their data security incidents. This gets to the very core of the issue. Teams aren’t just busy; they’re drowning in data from dozens of siloed tools. Endpoint security, vulnerability scanners, cloud posture management – each of these security tools provides a different, incomplete piece of the puzzle. Without a unified view, there is no single source of truth. So where does that leave us? If the old methods are broken and the data is overwhelming, how can any organization hope to get ahead? From Disjointed Data to Intelligent Action The challenge has evolved beyond simple asset discovery. Finding assets is one thing; understanding their context, relationships, and security posture in a way that drives intelligent action is another entirely. This is where things must shift from basic asset management to what Axonius calls “asset intelligence.” The goal is to create a “complete, accurate, and always up-to-date asset data model,” as outlined by Wong. That means this isn’t just another inventory. It’s a living, breathing map of your entire technology footprint. Axonius tackles this through its Axonius Asset Cloud. The platform’s foundation is a massive library of integrations, the “Adapter Network,” that connects bi-directionally to hundreds of systems, ranging from security and IT tools to cloud providers and identity solutions. By aggregating and correlating data from all these sources, the platform aims to solve the “silo” problem. It can identify a device from an endpoint agent, cross-reference it with vulnerability data from a scanner, check its user permissions in Active Directory, and see its network traffic through a firewall log, all in one place. This unified model provides the context needed to move from visibility to what the company terms “actionability.” Actionability means having the insight to prioritize what matters, like a critical vulnerability on a public-facing server belonging to a business critical project team, and the tools to remediate it directly. The platform is designed to address a range of critical use cases across an organization: Cyber and Software Assets: Moving beyond static lists to provide continuous visibility into devices and software, uncovering coverage gaps, and managing the full lifecycle. SaaS Applications: Tackling shadow IT by discovering all SaaS applications in use, monitoring for misconfigurations and optimizing license costs. Identities: Unifying identity management and security to strengthen hygiene, manage entitlements, and governing the entire account lifecycle, from onboarding to deprovisioning. Exposures: Consolidating findings from various security tools to correlate and prioritize risks, enabling teams to focus mitigation efforts where they will have the most impact. A Case Study in Clarity The practical application of this approach can be seen in their work across Southeast Asia. Wong shared the example of a leading Indonesian bank that was struggling with a sprawling IT environment across hundreds of branches. “The bank realised it had limited visibility into its IT assets,” he explained. This lack of a unified view created uncertainty around endpoint security, and audits revealed servers being installed by individual branches without central oversight. It was a classic case of asset anarchy. By deploying Axonius, the bank was able to establish a comprehensive and credible asset inventory. “We’re proud to have been instrumental in the bank’s asset management program to ensure compliance with security frameworks and controls,” Wong stated. The result was not just a tick-box for compliance with Indonesia’s security framework, but a tangible improvement in security maturity and hygiene. Ultimately, the cybersecurity landscape demands a foundational shift. Responding to threats is no longer enough. Organizations must preemptively understand and manage their entire attack surface. In an era where every device, every user, and every application is a potential vector, knowing what you have isn’t just an IT task. It’s the bedrock of your entire corporate strategy. To see the platform in action and how it can transform your asset management, visit the Axonius website today. Axonius Kang Yeong Wong CISA CISSPVP of Sales, APAC  Wong Kang Yeong is the Vice President of Sales for the Asia-Pacific region. He brings more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity to Axonius. Wong has extensive knowledge in cybersecurity, serving in a range of diverse roles from consulting, auditing, and solution design to presales and sales. He has a successful track record guiding customers in their cybersecurity transformation

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, even the most established companies must adapt their internal cultures to remain competitive and innovative. This is evident in the intersection of tradition and modernity within legacy manufacturing firms. As digital transformation accelerates, the challenge for these organizations is not only to update their technology, but also to foster workplace environments that inspire creativity and engagement and sustain high performance. The following case study explores one such journey of transformation within a venerable German manufacturer. The case study reveals how 200-year-old Wieland Group successfully transformed its IT department culture by integrating a principle held by Stefan Zach, vice president of global IT, that “having fun correlates directly with performance.” Zach says, “The company’s IT department has developed a unique cultural model that demonstrates how traditional German manufacturing companies can successfully implement modern workplace practices while maintaining operational excellence.” Together with Zach’s leadership colleagues, the 125-member IT team has created a sustainable framework that balances autonomous team structures with high-performance expectations, resulting in exceptional employee retention and business outcomes. This transformation occurred organically over more than 20 years, suggesting that cultural change requires patience, consistency, and genuine commitment to employee development. (See also: How IT and OT are merging: Opportunities and tips.) Wieland Group overview Founded in 1820 and headquartered in Ulm, Germany, Wieland Group represents one of the world’s leading suppliers of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products. With 10,500 employees across 90 locations globally and annual revenue of 6 billion euros, the company has successfully navigated two centuries of industrial evolution. In 2019 Wieland acquired   Global Brass and Copper Holdings Inc., which expanded Wieland’s global footprint significantly, cementing its position as a market leader in specialized non-ferrous products. source

Kamanasish Kundu Growth  People stay where they grow. And growth isn’t always about promotions. It could be a new challenge, clarity around what success looks like or the opportunity to lead something from scratch. I’ve seen team members become significantly more engaged when given a chance to stretch into new territory, even without a formal title change. Great leaders create space for progress, not just movement, and help people see the long-term value of stretching sideways before moving up. Growth creates energy, and energy sustains momentum.  Recognition  Motivation thrives on meaningful recognition. Not the generic “great job” that fades in seconds, but specific, timely praise that reinforces what matters. Recognition should be baked into the culture, not reserved for annual reviews. That said, it’s personal. Some value public appreciation, others prefer quiet acknowledgment. The key is knowing your people and making recognition intentional. When it’s consistent and aligned with purpose, it becomes fuel for high performance. I’ve come to realize that giving recognition well and often enough requires just as much discipline as any other leadership habit.  Inspiration  Purpose is what transforms effort into energy. When people understand how their work contributes to something bigger, whether it’s a customer’s joy, a community cause or a shared mission, they bring more of themselves to it. Leadership means connecting the work to the “why.” And in a noisy world, reminding people of that purpose again and again. Striving to inspire through clarity and shared meaning, not charisma, is a quiet but powerful part of the job. For the last decade, I’ve made inspiration a key part of how I support people’s growth because when they understand why their work matters, they care more, focus better and take real ownership.  source

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Microsoft Fabric users will soon face more work to set up analytics workflows for new datasets, as Microsoft is retiring a feature that automatically creates semantic models on enterprise data. Semantic models are structured representations of data that that add meaning and context to the raw information held in Fabric. When creating Fabric assets such as warehouses, lakehouses, or SQL databases, users can make their own semantic model — or use an automatically generated Default Semantic Model. The default option, though, will soon go away by the end of this year, hurting enterprises using them for rapid prototyping or validating data structures, and any Default Semantic Models already created will become regular semantic models, that enterprises must explicitly manage and maintain for themselves, rather than relying on Microsoft’s automated processes. source

Overview In this exclusive DEMO episode, Acceldata CMO Mahesh Kumar joins host Keith Shaw to showcase how agentic AI is revolutionizing enterprise data management. Learn how Acceldata’s platform helps large organizations proactively detect data quality issues, optimize pipelines, and ensure compliance across hybrid environments. With real-world examples from global banks, telecom providers, and pharmaceutical firms, this video and transcript offer a deep dive into next-gen data observability, cross-lake architecture, and how AI agents are reducing manual tasks and risk at petabyte scale. Whether you’re a CIO, CDO, or data engineer, discover how to unlock trusted, actionable insights with speed, security, and scale. Register Now source

Notably, implementing data platforms that specifically target AI-centric data management, such as Vertex and SageMaker, was a less common practice, with only 29.1 percent of companies reporting the use of solutions like this. This is likely because, rather than investing in AI platforms alone, businesses are opting for holistic data modernization strategies that can help not just with integrating data into AI-powered applications and tools, but also with enhancing data governance, security and scalability across the board, not just in the context of AI.  For the vast majority of businesses, investments like these paid off. Asked whether data modernization projects had left them in a better position to use data with AI tools and applications, 95.1 percent of organizations said they had.  Data modernization as the key to AI success  The core takeaway is clear: Building better data infrastructure is an essential step in taking full advantage of AI technology. A business can deploy all of the AI tools and services it wants. But without a modern data platform and management methodology capable of ensuring governance, quality and speed, it’s unlikely to achieve much value.  source

From supply chain to supply network Early on, we made a subtle but significant shift in our overall mindset. Instead of talking about a supply chain, we began thinking in terms of a supply network. This transformed our approach from abstract complexity to more effective management, and as a first step, we captured how orders, data, and decisions flow within the company. The findings confirmed that, above all, better coordination was needed, and more than fancy new algorithms. In fact, we also learned that complexity isn’t always a bad thing, but rather a reality that must be accepted. Our complex, adaptive supplier network system consisted of many self-organizing parts. If we tried to ignore these dependencies and force simplification, we would’ve only created new problems. One manager also warned against piling more complexity on an already convoluted environment, and instead work on strengthening existing connections between all members of the organization. So we shifted our focus and formed cross-functional working groups with representatives from all affected departments to address each key process to ensure everyone was pulling together, rather than just pulling their own. An example of network thinking in practice was the way we eliminated discrepancies between hotel operations and the rest of the business. Initially, hotels managed guest bookings and supply requirements almost independently of each other, and were unaware of new product launches or events that could lead to a surge in demand. The lack of coordination between hotels and other departments led to some nasty surprises. For instance, on busy weekends, key offers would be out of stock because the hotel team was unaware of a promotion, a classic case of strategic misalignment. To address this, we established new communication channels and integrated planning sessions, effectively reintegrating hotels into the overarching supply network. We began treating internal departments as part of the network rather than as isolated kingdoms. source