The News: VAST Data attended the recent SC23 conference on high-performance computing with a notable presence. VAST used the conference to showcase its recent announcements including cloud partnerships and its Data Platform strategy.
SC23 Recap: VAST Data
Analyst Take: SC23 had a huge turnout. Although the massive nature of the event may have made it impossible to keep up with every exhibitor in attendance, one that certainly could not be overlooked was VAST Data. It had a large central booth, a giant “VASTronaut” statue, VAST team members in full space gear, and a sea of people donning sparkly blue VAST cowboy hats (which were also handed out).
Despite the theatrics, VAST’s presence at SC23 was not all for show. The conference, which focused on HPC and AI, was also an opportunity for VAST to demonstrate the strides it has made in the space over the past year. VAST has expanded from a scale-out file and object storage solution to the VAST Data Platform, which includes the VAST Data Store, VAST Database, VAST Data Space, and, soon, the VAST Data Engine. The new direction for VAST, which was announced earlier this year, sets a clear vision: VAST wants to be “The Data Platform for AI.” At SC23, VAST took the opportunity to further drive home this message, as well as share other recent announcements such as cloud partnerships with CoreWeave and Lambda.
I attended multiple SC conferences in my time with The Evaluator Group, and now The Futurum Group, and have been impressed with progress VAST has made from year to year. It has gone from disruptive storage startup looking to make some noise at SC to being a central player that no attendee could possibly ignore. I expect the world of HPC, and therefore the SC conference, to continue to be influenced by the growing AI trend. Thus, as a company that is quickly cementing its place as a leader in managing AI data, I expect VAST to maintain this presence for the foreseeable future (one hopes with cowboy hats in hand).
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Mitch comes to The Futurum Group through the acquisition of the Evaluator Group and is focused on the fast-paced and rapidly evolving areas of cloud computing and data storage. Mitch joined Evaluator Group in 2019 as a Research Associate covering numerous storage technologies and emerging IT trends.
With a passion for all things tech, Mitch brings deep technical knowledge and insight to The Futurum Group’s research by highlighting the latest in data center and information management solutions. Mitch’s coverage has spanned topics including primary and secondary storage, private and public clouds, networking fabrics, and more. With ever changing data technologies and rapidly emerging trends in today’s digital world, Mitch provides valuable insights into the IT landscape for enterprises, IT professionals, and technology enthusiasts alike.
