Breaking Analysis with Dave Vellante

The Road to ‘Service-as-Software.' Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff is articulating a bold vision for the next era of enterprise software. In an exclusive interview with theCUBE on April 25, 2025, Benioff outlined how AI-driven agents and a unified data architecture will transform Software as a Service (SaaS) into what we're calling “Service as Software” – a model where software-based digital agents augment every business process. The Salesforce chief has often quipped that today's CEOs are “the last generation of executives leading exclusively human workforces,” underscoring his conviction that AI agents (what many call agentic AI) will soon work alongside humans in every enterprise. Our premise is that this “digital labor” revolution could be more disruptive than the cloud and mobile waves of 15 years ago, fundamentally redefining how applications function. In this Breaking Analysis, we focus on Salesforce's Agentforce and Data Cloud strategies – the twin pillars of its agentic vision – and how they position the company to become what we call the first software-only hyperscaler. We also examine the broader industry context, including competitive dynamics with Microsoft and Salesforce's interoperability with platforms like Snowflake, Databricks and AWS.FULL ARTICLE: https://thecuberesearch.com/276-breaking-analysis-salesforce-agentforce-data-cloud-a-path-to-the-software-only-hyperscaler/

As the RSAC 2025 Conference approaches, key themes are emerging that are set to dominate the world's largest cybersecurity gathering. Industry dynamics are shifting rapidly – from AI enabling higher velocity threats, an intensified platform consolidation debate, high-profile M&A, rising interest in AI agents (with somewhat tepid adoption in cyber), and shifting security budget priorities.Our research shows that though cybersecurity remains a top priority for information technology leaders, it is not immune from macroeconomic headwinds. Moreover, geopolitical tensions have heightened perceived and actual threats, causing a large portion of customers to change their spending habits. On balance, cybersecurity remains the most challenging sector in tech, where 100% success is virtually unattainable; and failure can cripple a firm's brand.In this Breaking Analysis, we dig into Enterprise Technology Research's Annual State of Security Research (free download). We'll examine the macro picture in cybersecurity, share the shifting spending patterns and priorities exposed in the research, examine the hype and realities of platform consolidation, and share which companies chief information security officers feel are helping them innovate to fight the fight.

At last week's AI Agent Builder Summit, hosted by Scott Hebner of theCUBE Research, the hype around “agentic AI” – autonomous software agents that can orchestrate complex tasks – was on full display. Demos and keynotes painted a bold vision of AI-driven business processes. But scratch beneath the surface, and a sobering reality emerges– Most enterprises are far from ready to reap the benefits of fully autonomous agents. Much work needs to be done to realize the full promise of agentic systems, including organizational alignment to create a true data culture, cleaning up data silos, harmonizing that data, assigning data ownership, data product thinking, getting governance and security right, choosing technology partners, rationalizing SaaS and on-prem applications portfolios, and of course change management to get all this done. Starting the journey toward an agentic enterprise is an exciting imperative, but in our view will take the better part of a decade to realize its full promise. In this Breaking Analysis, we put the summit's optimism into context, examine why enterprise adoption of agentic AI is on a slower trajectory than the hype would imply, and update our “yellow brick road” to agentic – i.e. the stepping stones required to get to the promised land of agentic automation.

00:00 - Transformative Technologies: Navigating Google's Cloud and AI Landscape02:00 - Google Cloud Next 2025: Analyzing Revenue and Market Position04:48 - Analyzing Cloud Services: Insights from the ETR Survey08:53 - Google's Growth in AI/ML11:26 - Analyzing Growth and Revenue in Cloud Services16:54 - Profitability and Operating Margin19:39 - Strategic Capital Allocation and Competitive Edge Analysis23:05 - Data Stack and Industry Partnerships26:42 - Conclusion and Closing

00:00 - Intro00:06 - Bridging Perspectives: Navigating Collaboration in Analyst Relations03:01 - Engaging with Modern Analysts and Influencers05:13 - Navigating Trust and Innovation in the Tech Landscape09:00 - Exploration of Collaboration and Storytelling12:42 - Bringing Analysts and Journalists Together18:03 - The Role of Analyst Relations in Business Strategy22:29 - Guiding Principles for Effective AR Practices30:46 - Impact of AI on Analyst Relations36:48 - Navigating Success: Insights and Journeys in Analyst Relations

00:00 - Navigating the AI Frontier: Insights into Breaking Analysis, Linguistic Conflicts, and Software Evolution05:06 - From Web 2.0 to Enterprise 3.015:12 - Harmonized Source of Truth22:41 - Microsoft's Agentic Ambitions31:23 - Salesforce's Hyperscaler Journey35:14 - The Road Ahead for Enterprise Platforms38:52 - Industry Evolution: Overcoming Challenges and Future Outlook

In this special breaking analysis, we're pleased to introduce a new predictions episode featuring some of the top analysts at theCUBE Research. With us today are six of our industry analysts:Bob Laliberte, who covers networking, Scott Hebner on the AI front, Savannah Peterson who will be talking about the impact of consumer tech, Jackie McGuire our newest cybersecurity analyst, Christophe Bertrand who will be discussing his predictions on cyber resiliency, and Paul Nashawaty who leads our App/Dev practice. Thank you all for being here. We really appreciate the collaboration and we are very excited for our inaugural team predictions.

In this special breaking analysis, we're pleased to host our fourth annual data predictions power panel with some of our collaborators in the CUBE Collective and members of the Data Gang. Joining theCUBE Research's Dave Vellante are five of the top industry analysts focused on data platforms. Sanjeev Mohan of Sanjmo, Tony Baer of dbInsight, recent IDC graduate Carl Olofson, the always engaging Dave Menninger, who is with ISG, and Brad Schimmin with Omdia.Follow theCUBE's live event coverage https://www.thecube.net/Their discussion focuses on the rapid transformation of the technology and data landscape, driven by advancements in AI and accelerated computing. They also analyze market trends, highlighting the increasing dominance of machine learning and AI in enterprise spending priorities. For daily news for CIOs, check out our parent publication at https://siliconangle.com/In addition, they explore emerging technologies such as inference-time data consumption, the evolution of AI-driven enterprise applications and the importance of metadata management. The conversation also turns to the growing security challenges associated with AI implementation and the need for better tools to manage and protect AI systems effectively.Be sure to follow Dave's weekly Breaking Analysis podcast as well, for the deep data dives on enterprise computing trends, from spending patterns to Wall Street implications.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLenh213llmcZMTRZKjnAwesSCiuLQT21E#theCUBE #BreakingAnalysis #theCUBEResearch #CUBECollective #TechPredictions #DataGang

This special Breaking Analysis outlines a bold plan for spinning out Intel's foundry business, relying on multi-stakeholder investments from tech giants, private equity, and government funding, coupled with strategic partnerships with industry leaders like TSMC or possibly Samsung. Because only TSMC (or Samsung) has the necessary expertise to design, build and operate modern foundries and get to profitability in a reasonable timeframe.

In this Breaking Analysis we look at the security landscape and unpack the multi-dimensional relationship between IBM and Palo Alto Networks to better understand how industry collaboration can improve cyber defenses and modernize security operations. With us are two senior executives from each firm, Mohamad Ali, SVP and Head of IBM Consulting and BJ Jenkins, the President of Palo Alto Networks.

In this Breaking Analysis, Dave Vellante, chief analyst at theCUBE Research, reviews the changes Microsoft made to its financial reporting with a special focus on Azure impacts. He shares how it affects the cloud data and gives his thoughts on Microsoft's AI reporting.Follow theCUBE's live event coverage https://www.thecube.net/Microsoft recently updated its Azure financial reporting, aligning with AWS to better reflect consumption-based revenue, which led to increased growth rates but lowered overall revenue due to the removal of slower-growth segments such as enterprise mobility and security and Power BI per-user pricing. For daily news for CIOs, check out our parent publication at https://siliconangle.com/AI services now contribute significantly to Azure's growth, with up to 11% in the most recent quarter, driving investor confidence. However, this change also highlights that Azure's market share had been overstated in prior reports. As Microsoft positions itself as a leader in AI, this shift is expected to push competitors to disclose their AI revenue, intensifying market competition.Read the full article https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/16/microsofts-financial-disclosures-reveal-azures-market-position/Be sure to follow Dave's weekly Breaking Analysis podcast as well, for the deep data dives on enterprise computing trends, from spending patterns to Wall Street implications.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLenh213llmcZMTRZKjnAwesSCiuLQT21E#theCUBE #BreakingAnalysis #theCUBEResearch #MicrosoftAzure #AI #EMS #AIRevenue

In the latest episode of Breaking Analysis, theCUBE Research Chief Analysist Dave Vellante and Principal Analyst Rob Strechay break down Oracle's growing momentum, highlighting the company's strategic moves in cloud infrastructure, AI integration and its legacy database business. Oracle's unique multicloud strategy, unveiled at Oracle Cloud World, takes center stage, with Larry Ellison's bold vision of a password-free future and a focus on unmatched security. Follow theCUBE's live event coverage https://www.thecube.net/The episode also dives into Oracle's strong financial performance, boasting a 44% operating margin and rapid cloud revenue growth, positioning it as a serious competitor to Amazon and Google. With automation and AI driving new levels of efficiency, Oracle's focus on mission-critical applications sets it apart in the cloud market.Read the full article https://siliconangle.com/2024/09/14/larrys-world-just-live/For daily news for CIOs, check out our parent publication at https://siliconangle.com/Be sure to follow Dave's weekly Breaking Analysis podcast as well, for the deep data dives on enterprise computing trends, from spending patterns to Wall Street implications.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLenh213llmcZMTRZKjnAwesSCiuLQT21E#theCUBE #BreakingAnalysis #Oracle #theCUBEResearch #AI #automation #CloudRevenueGrowth

In the latest Breaking Analysis, Dave Vellante, chief analyst at theCUBE Research, and George Gilbert, principal analyst at theCUBE Research, provided a detailed analysis of Snowflake's transformative journey and its future aspirations and gave some of their takeaways from Snowflake's Data Could Summit. They discussed the company's shift from a scalable data warehouse to an AI-driven data cloud and application platform, emphasizing the strategic leadership of new CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy. Follow theCUBE's live event coverage https://www.thecube.net/

In this Breaking Analysis, theCUBE Research analyst George Gilbert and I share how we see the next data platform, what we sometimes call the 6th data platform evolving. And we'll give you a preview of what we expect at next week's Snowflake Summit, including the company's response to metadata catalogs, the integration of Snowpark and new application developments.Follow theCUBE's live event coverage https://www.thecube.net/Snowflake is at a pivotal moment as the company faces new challenges in the evolving data platform landscape. Snowflake, known for its innovative data cloud vision and superior integrated data platform, now seeks to lead in AI and data applications. However, market forces are pressuring its core values of simplicity, efficiency and trusted data. For daily news for CIOs, check out our parent publication at https://siliconangle.com/The shift towards open storage formats and data catalogs, alongside the AI revolution, tests Snowflake's ability to extend its value proposition and compete in new markets. To succeed, Snowflake must flawlessly execute both organic and inorganic innovation while attracting new developer personas and maintaining profitability.Read the full article https://siliconangle.com/2024/06/01/sneak-peek-snowflake-data-cloud-summit-2024-reframing-future-data-platforms/Be sure to follow Dave's weekly Breaking Analysis podcast as well, for the deep data dives on enterprise computing trends, from spending patterns to Wall Street implications.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLenh213llmcZMTRZKjnAwesSCiuLQT21E#theCUBE #DataCloudSummit #BreakingAnalysis #Snowflake #6thDataPlatform #DataManagement #AI

It's estimated that firms on average have between 60 and 75 security tools installed. Although leading vendors logically market the benefits of addressing tools sprawl and complexity through consolidation, the data suggests that more than half the firms are increasing the number of security vendors installed, with a very small percentage able to effect vendor consolidation.Adding to the challenge is an environment where security operations pros have too many priorities to manage, including identity, vulnerability management, patching, endpoint, security and information event management, antivirus, zero trust, cloud security and more. Finally, firms are investing in artificial intelligence to relieve the crushing labor burden security analysts are facing but are being forced to balance innovation with the daily battle.In this Breaking Analysis, we preview RSA Conference 2024 with our colleague Erik Bradley of Enterprise Technology Research. We'll provide a detailed analysis of a recent survey conducted by ETR, perfectly timed ahead of RSA.