- “Kubernetes solves deployment challenges—but it introduces complexity we help eliminate.”
- “AI is powerful, but enterprises need control, cost efficiency, and security to make it work.”
At Gitex Global 2025, Paulo Pereira, VP of Pre-Sales and Systems Engineering – EMEA at Nutanix, explains how the company is tackling Kubernetes complexity, enabling secure AI adoption, and delivering consistent data across hybrid multi-cloud environments.
Nutanix is known for simplifying enterprise IT. Kubernetes is a hot topic today. What problems does Kubernetes solve—and what new challenges does it create?
Before we talk about Kubernetes, let’s start with containers. Containers are popular because they enable faster application deployment and portability. They’re easy to move across environments, which is why enterprises love them.
But containers need orchestration—and that’s where Kubernetes comes in. Kubernetes is powerful, but it’s complex. A production-ready Kubernetes solution isn’t just one piece of software; it involves 20+ CNCF projects working together. Each has its own release cycle, bug fixes, and compatibility issues.
With Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP), we simplify this. We select the right components, validate them, and release them as a tested distribution. Customers can deploy easily without worrying about integration headaches.
And it’s not just about deployment—it’s about operations. Keeping Kubernetes updated and secure is hard because of frequent changes. NKP reduces operational complexity by up to 90%, making Kubernetes manageable for enterprises.
Finally, let’s talk about talent. Kubernetes expertise is scarce—maybe 5% compared to virtualization skills. NKP provides tools that allow infrastructure engineers to deploy and operate Kubernetes without needing deep expertise. That’s a big differentiator.
“Hybrid multi-cloud is the foundation for consistency—same software, same services, everywhere.”
— Paulo Pereira, VP, Pre-Sales & Systems Engineering – EMEA, Nutanix
AI is everywhere, but it’s resource-intensive and costly. How does Nutanix help enterprises adopt AI without adding complexity or skyrocketing costs?
AI delivers incredible value—productivity gains, automation, insights—but it comes with challenges. Most AI services today are cloud-based APIs, and enterprises have two major concerns:
- Data Privacy: To make AI useful, you need to feed it your own data—documents, IP, processes. The risk? That data could be used for future model training and exposed to others.
- Cost: AI APIs are billed by tokens—every word in your query and response counts. Costs can escalate quickly, especially with advanced models.
Our approach is different. Nutanix offers a validated AI infrastructure—optimized CPUs, GPUs, and storage—plus Nutanix Enterprise AI, which connects to sources like Hugging Face or NVIDIA. You can deploy models on-prem, define endpoints, and give developers API credentials just like they would for cloud AI.
The experience for developers is the same—but you have full control over data, costs, and security. It’s a self-managed AI solution that runs on your infrastructure, giving enterprises flexibility and peace of mind.
Security is critical when deploying AI and containerized workloads. What are the top three controls Nutanix insists on before going into production?
Great question. Security in AI and Kubernetes environments is non-negotiable. Here are the top three controls:
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensure only authorized users can access models, infrastructure, and sensitive data. Nutanix Enterprise AI comes with RBAC out of the box, fully integrated down to the Kubernetes layer.
- API Security: Most AI interactions happen via APIs. Securing endpoints and credentials is critical. Our solution includes built-in API security to prevent unauthorized access.
- Auditing and Monitoring: Like physical security needs cameras, digital environments need visibility. We provide real-time monitoring of infrastructure, models, and usage. You can suspend endpoints instantly if needed.
These controls ensure enterprises maintain data integrity and compliance while leveraging AI and Kubernetes.
Enterprises struggle to keep data consistent across on-prem, cloud, and edge environments. How does Nutanix solve this?
This is the core of Nutanix’s value proposition—hybrid multi-cloud consistency. Our Nutanix Cloud Platform runs on-prem and across major public clouds—AWS, Azure, and soon Google Cloud.
You use the same software, same services, same license, and the same management interface everywhere. This unified operating model makes replication and data access seamless.
For Kubernetes specifically, we offer Nutanix Data Services for Kubernetes (NDK). Containers were designed as stateless, but most modern apps need persistent storage. NDK provides storage services—snapshots, replication—across environments.
Even if you run Kubernetes natively on AWS (EKS) or Azure (AKS), we’ve ported our OS into a container to deliver these services there. So whether it’s on-prem or cloud, your data layer stays consistent and synchronized.
Gitex is a global stage. What is Nutanix showcasing here, and how does it stand out from the competition?
At our booth, you’ll see hybrid multi-cloud in action—deploying workloads on-prem and in public clouds with a unified interface. We’re also showcasing Kubernetes deployment and lifecycle management with NKP, plus Nutanix Enterprise AI running real-world applications.
We believe a demo is worth a thousand slides. Customers can experience our technology firsthand, see how components work together, and understand why Nutanix simplifies complexity better than anyone else.
Closing Thoughts
Paulo’s insights highlight Nutanix’s mission: simplify enterprise IT while enabling innovation. From reducing Kubernetes complexity to delivering secure, cost-efficient AI and ensuring data consistency across hybrid multi-cloud environments, Nutanix is helping enterprises embrace the future without fear.
