Pure Storage Unveils 3-Tier Data Cloud Strategy to Do More With Less
▼ Summary
– Pure Storage announced a new Enterprise Data Cloud strategy to unify data management, automation, and cyber resilience across diverse IT environments.
– The strategy is built on three core pillars: an Intelligent Control Plane for automation, a Unified Data Plane for consistent data performance, and integrated Cyber Resilience services.
– New capabilities include AI Copilot for natural language management and workflow templates that can cut complex tasks like VM migrations from days to minutes.
– The platform offers significant efficiency gains, such as doubling storage capacity without increasing power consumption and accelerating AI inference by up to 20x.
– All new software capabilities are included for customers at no extra cost, either with new hardware or via updates to existing systems.
Navigating the complexities of modern data management requires a platform that transforms storage from a simple appliance into a strategic asset. Pure Storage has unveiled a comprehensive Enterprise Data Cloud strategy, a unified architectural approach designed to help organizations leverage data for AI, ensure application performance, and bring order to data chaos. This vision empowers storage administrators to achieve significantly more with fewer resources, addressing the persistent industry challenge of proliferating data silos.
The fundamental problem many IT leaders face is the rapid creation of data silos, which complicates governance, management, and security across the enterprise. Pure Storage’s response is a substantial series of product updates centered on an Enterprise Data Cloud model. This model promises end-to-end data control, automation, and cyber resilience across diverse environments. A key benefit for customers is that these new capabilities are delivered seamlessly, either with new hardware or through software updates to existing systems, reflecting the company’s Evergreen architecture philosophy.
The Enterprise Data Cloud strategy is built upon three interconnected pillars, each addressing a critical aspect of data management.
The first pillar is the Intelligent Control Plane, which acts as the central brain of the operation. Similar to an air traffic control system, it provides a unified layer for automating data provisioning, protection, and governance. This automation simplifies the management of vast data estates, freeing IT teams from manual tasks. A standout feature is the AI Copilot, which allows administrators to manage storage using natural language commands instead of complex code. This is powered by the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling the AI to communicate with other systems like VMware or OpenShift to understand the entire IT landscape. Additionally, pre-built workflow templates can automate multi-step processes, such as migrating virtual machines from one platform to another, reducing a process that once took days to a matter of minutes.
The second pillar is the Unified Data Plane, serving as the universal foundation for all data. It functions as a common operating system that allows any data type, from traditional databases to AI workloads, to run consistently across on-premises data centers, public clouds, and edge locations. This eliminates the silos created by disparate storage systems. The platform is renowned for its exceptional efficiency; Pure Storage can deliver up to 29 times more capacity per rack than competitors. With the introduction of new 300TB Direct Flash Modules, the company has doubled storage capacity without increasing power consumption, a critical advantage in power-constrained data centers. This efficiency frees up resources for investments in AI and other strategic initiatives.
The third pillar focuses on Cyber Resilience, acting as an integrated immune system for data. This represents a philosophical shift from rapid backup to rapid recovery. The goal is to restore business operations quickly from trusted, clean datasets after a cyber incident. This is achieved through connected threat detection that integrates with security partners like CrowdStrike and Splunk, allowing the storage platform to become an active part of the security architecture. Built-in defenses include real-time malware scanning and enhanced threat hunting capabilities. For recovery, Pure Protect Recovery Zones provide isolated environments where businesses can safely test and restore applications without impacting production, ensuring a confident and swift return to normal operations.
Beyond the overarching strategy, several specific announcements deliver immediate, practical benefits. The Workflow Orchestration templates enable migrations, such as from VMware to OpenShift, to be completed in minutes instead of days. For AI initiatives, a new integration between Pure’s Key Value Accelerator and NVIDIA Dynamo can turbocharge AI inference by up to 20 times without requiring changes to existing models, maximizing the return on GPU investments. The doubling of storage capacity without a corresponding increase in power draw provides a significant strategic advantage, allowing organizations to grow their data footprint sustainably.
A particularly compelling aspect of these announcements is the business model. Unlike many competitors, Pure Storage includes these new software capabilities as standard. Both new and existing customers with active subscriptions receive the updates, protecting their investments and ensuring the platform continuously improves over time. This approach underscores a commitment to delivering ongoing value. Collectively, these developments signal a maturation of the Pure Storage platform into a cohesive solution that gives customers true control, enabling them to manage increasing data complexity and do much more with much less.
(Source: ITWire Australia)
