Analyst(s): Brad Shimmin
Publication Date: July 16, 2025
With a new architectural approach, Pure Storage aims to simplify enterprise data management, unify fragmented data silos, and accelerate AI adoption. At its Accelerate 2025 conference, the company introduced its Enterprise Data Cloud (EDC), a new architecture and control plane designed to bring cloud-native agility and automation to on-premises and hybrid data estates.
Key Points:
- Pure Storage launched the EDC, a new cloud architecture designed to unify an enterprise’s entire data estate into a virtualized cloud governed by a single, intelligent control plane.
- The company announced significant hardware and software updates, including new FlashArray and FlashBlade models and the AI Copilot, all tailored to accelerate performance for demanding, latency-averse AI workloads.
- Pure Storage is strategically shifting from a storage hardware provider to a comprehensive data platform company, focusing on delivering business outcomes through automation, enhanced security, and AI enablement.
Overview:
At its Accelerate 2025 conference, Pure Storage signaled a decisive shift from a storage hardware vendor to a comprehensive data platform provider focused on the unique demands of the AI era. The centerpiece of this evolution is the Pure Storage Enterprise Data Cloud (EDC), a new architecture designed to unify an organization’s fragmented data silos into a single, virtualized data cloud. This move addresses the longstanding challenges of data fragmentation, lack of visibility, and fragile manual workflows that hinder modern data-driven initiatives.
Pure Storage EDC is powered by an intelligent control plane, Pure Fusion, which enables policy-driven automation across the entire data estate. Instead of managing individual arrays, IT teams can provision and manage storage resources based on business outcomes and workload requirements. The aim is to reduce complexity and the potential for human error by delivering a seamless, self-tuning experience akin to modern cloud services.
This strategy is directly fueled by the explosive growth of AI, which requires a new approach to data infrastructure. Pure Storage is positioning data as a mission-critical asset and data centers as “AI factories” that turn data into business outcomes. Underscoring this commitment, the company unveiled new hardware, including FlashBlade//S R2, specifically engineered for demanding AI pipelines. A 2024 study from The Futurum Group highlights this trend, revealing that 43% of companies plan to adopt generative AI for process optimization and business transformation. Any investment in digital infrastructure that improves data accessibility and performance for AI will help secure the success of these projects.
Further aligning with market trends, Pure Storage announced the General Availability of its AI Copilot. This natural language interface allows users to manage the EDC, handling everything from simple status checks to complex root-cause analysis across operations for a wide range of user roles. This sets the stage for more advanced agentic AI workflows capable of autonomously managing security, performance, and operations.
Conclusion
Pure Storage’s introduction of EDC represents a strategic evolution to meet the challenges and opportunities of the AI era. By creating a unified data plane with policy-driven automation and an AI-powered management interface, the company is moving beyond infrastructure to deliver tangible business value. The success of this vision will depend on the broad adoption of the EDC architecture and the expansion of its partner ecosystem, but the move positions Pure Storage as a key enabler for enterprises looking to build their own “AI factories.”
For more detailed insights from the event, see Pure Storage’s EDC announcement.
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Author Information
Brad Shimmin is Vice President and Practice Lead, Data Intelligence, Analytics, & Infrastructure at Futurum. He provides strategic direction and market analysis to help organizations maximize their investments in data and analytics. Currently, Brad is focused on helping companies establish an AI-first data strategy.
With over 30 years of experience in enterprise IT and emerging technologies, Brad is a distinguished thought leader specializing in data, analytics, artificial intelligence, and enterprise software development. Consulting with Fortune 100 vendors, Brad specializes in industry thought leadership, worldwide market analysis, client development, and strategic advisory services.
Brad earned his Bachelor of Arts from Utah State University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Brad lives in Longmeadow, MA, with his beautiful wife and far too many LEGO sets.
