Cloudera acquires Taikun to boost data & AI across all clouds
Cloudera's move allows the company to accelerate deployment of its platform, including Data Services and artificial intelligence workloads, across a range of settings from public clouds and on-premises data centres to sovereign and air-gapped environments, all managed through a unified control structure.
The need for more reliable and scalable data infrastructure has grown as enterprise IT environments become increasingly complex and distributed. The acquisition of Taikun provides Cloudera with native Kubernetes capabilities aimed at enabling simpler and more flexible operations, even within highly regulated or distributed contexts.
Cloud-like operation anywhere
Taikun's technology will give Cloudera an integrated compute layer, uniting deployment and operations throughout the information technology stack. This aims to deliver a cloud-like experience consistently across different environments. Customers will gain the flexibility to run data and AI workloads in data centres, clouds, or hybrid settings without compromising on performance or control.
Among the benefits highlighted are support for highly regulated environments such as GovCloud, Sovereign Cloud, and air-gapped data centres. Taikun's integration is expected to increase operational efficiency through zero-downtime upgrades and improved resource optimisation. Customers will also have the option to integrate a variety of tools and databases from Cloudera's ecosystem and third-party providers using a "bring your own engine" approach.
Cloudera described the acquisition as part of its approach to ensuring long-term flexibility for customers, enabling adaptation to future business mandates and maintaining alignment with changing requirements for data and AI workloads.
Executive perspectives "This acquisition marks a pivotal step in our mission to bring the cloud experience wherever enterprise data resides," said Charles Sansbury, CEO, Cloudera. "By integrating Taikun's container-native platform in our stack, we are removing operational barriers and enabling our customers to unlock faster insights, make smarter decisions, and drive real-time action in every corner of their business."
Following the deal, Taikun's engineering team will join Cloudera's broader engineering, product, and support organisation, with Taikun's base in the Czech Republic becoming a European development hub for Cloudera. "Our acquisition by Cloudera marks a pivotal moment for us," said Adam Skotnicky, former CEO of Taikun, "Our advanced cloud-native computing platform will enable customers from across the globe to deliver and deploy services and applications seamlessly, whether that's in the data centre or in multi-cloud environments. Only Cloudera is the right organisation for us to join during this critical moment for data and AI."
Industry analysts noted the challenges organisations face due to dispersed data and application management, and suggested that the merger could provide improvements for AI and analytics across diverse environments. "Organisations are suffering more than ever from fragmented data and application management across diverse infrastructures, increasing complexity, costs, and limiting data/AI initiatives," said Sanjeev Mohan, Principal, SanjMo. "The result: compromise on workload placement and data analysis. With Cloudera's acquisition of Taikun and integration in Cloudera's platform, organisations can now run AI and analytics anywhere their data lives - from cloud to edge - accelerating insights, empowering smarter choices, and driving real-time responses throughout their organisation."
Acquisition strategy
This is Cloudera's third acquisition in 14 months, following the purchase of Verta's operational AI platform in May 2024 and Octopai's data lineage and catalogue solution in November 2024. These acquisitions have been aimed at reinforcing Cloudera's platform and ensuring customers have flexibility in how and where they manage data and AI workloads.
Follow us on:
Share on:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Autocar
a day ago
- NZ Autocar
Smart #2 suggests a Fortwo reprisal
Is the Fortwo city car about to be resurrected by smart? If it can find the right mix of affordability and premium feel then the chances are good, according to AutoExpress. A smart concept Fortwo from a few years back. Smart's European CEO, Dirk Adelmann, promised us earlier this year it has the potential to 'define the A-segment'. And smart's head of design, Kai Sieber, was even more emphatic, calling it the core of smart's brand. He added that the company has a 'very clear intention to bring it back into the range.' The company isn't looking to make a cheap town car though. UK CEO Jason Allbutt said it would 'help almost bring the brand together'. It would for sure be electric as well, though no details are available on that front. And it would mean a new platform, possibly borrowed from owner Geely. It has a small city car on sale already. Cost will be important but so will a premium feel. 'We still want to make sure we've got a premium product, and of course, one that has got a good range for a small electric car.' It needs to be 'affordable enough to generate volume, but not move too far away from our heritage or what we stand for' Allbutt explained. Currently, the smallest offering in its range is the nearly 4.3-metre #1 small SUV, while Smart #5 mid-size SUV that's launching soon is more than 4.7 metres long. Regarding a return to a city car, he said 'Customers see Smart as a trusted brand, in terms of quality, premium and innovation. So I think they definitely see that part, and then they can see that replicated in the cars that we're providing today. A Smart #2 will likely retain the tiny footprint and spacious interior of its predecessor, but won't be lumbered by retro design, according to Adelmann. Anyhow, he added, 'Smart doesn't do retro – we are looking at what's next,' he said. Expect a new city car styling direction from the company. But the frameless doors are not negotiable. And there will be wheels right out in the corners. He added: 'Interior space, functionality and versatility are essential', as are turning circle and ease of parking. Expect a full width lightbar up front and back, and a near vertical window and a tall roofline to boost interior space. An older Fortwo concept car. The two-seat layout will feature good head and legroom. Expect a twin-screen layout like in the other smart models. There may even be a Forfour revival as well, to go up against ID.1. It will likely take the #4 badge. This is what Fortwo looked like in 2016. Meantime, asked about progress with #2, and Adelmann says 'We're working on it', dubbed Project 2. Odd numbers are for SUVs, and even numbers for 'other products'.
Techday NZ
a day ago
- Techday NZ
Cloudera upgrades AI services for secure on-premises deployment
Cloudera has announced an update to Cloudera Data Services, enabling enterprises to run private, GPU-accelerated generative AI applications securely within their own data centres. The latest release focuses on addressing the persistent challenge of AI adoption in enterprise settings, where concerns over data protection and intellectual property have created significant barriers. According to a recent study by Accenture cited by Cloudera, 77% of organisations lack the essential security practices needed for safe deployment and management of AI models, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. Cloudera's Data Services update allows organisations to build and scale their own sovereign data cloud on-premises, incorporating governance capabilities and hybrid portability. This approach maintains full control over sensitive data by keeping it behind the firewall, moving away from solely relying on public cloud infrastructure. The company noted that through the new offering, users will have access to cloud-native tools, which can be delivered both on-premises and in public cloud environments. This flexibility is designed to help customers efficiently scale their data operations and move more quickly from AI prototype to production deployment. Security and control Concerns regarding data security in the use of artificial intelligence remain central for businesses, particularly in highly regulated sectors. By making both Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios available within enterprise data centres, the company seeks to extend secure AI infrastructure to on-premises environments. Both offer previously cloud-only capabilities like GPU acceleration, streamlined model deployment, and low-code development options tailored to generative AI applications. The company emphasised that using AI services on-premises enables significant reductions in infrastructure costs and can streamline the data lifecycle. The integration of automated features is aimed at improving productivity and time-to-value for enterprise AI projects without forcing data to leave secure environments. Cloudera AI Inference Service, now accessible within the data centre and supported by NVIDIA technology, embeds NVIDIA NIM microservice capabilities to accelerate large-scale AI model deployment and management. This helps enterprises to keep their data within secure boundaries while operationalising AI at scale. Meanwhile, Cloudera AI Studios offers teams the ability to develop and deploy applications and agents with minimal coding, democratising application development across departments. Productivity and efficiency improvements A "Total Economic Impact" study conducted by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Cloudera, found that a composite organisation using Cloudera Data Services on-premises achieved an 80% faster time-to-value for workload deployment. The study also reported a 20% boost in productivity for data practitioners and operational teams, with total savings cited at 35% due to the modernised cloud-native approach. Efficiency gains were also highlighted, as hardware utilisation improved from 30% to 70% and companies could reduce capacity needs by 25% to over 50% after modernising their stacks. Perspectives and feedback "Historically, enterprises have been forced to cobble together complex, fragile DIY solutions to run their AI on-premises," said Sanjeev Mohan, industry analyst. "Today the urgency to adopt AI is undeniable, but so are the concerns around data security. What enterprises need are solutions that streamline AI adoption, boost productivity, and do so without compromising on security." "Cloudera Data Services On-Premises delivers a true cloud-native experience on-premises, providing agility and efficiency without sacrificing security or control," said Leo Brunnick, Cloudera's Chief Product Officer. "This release is a significant step forward in data modernization, moving from monolithic clusters to a suite of agile, containerized applications." "BNI is proud to be an early adopter of Cloudera's AI Inference service," stated Toto Prasetio, Chief Information Officer of BNI. "This technology provides the essential infrastructure to securely and efficiently expand our generative AI initiatives, all while adhering to Indonesia's dynamic regulatory environment. It marks a significant advancement in our mission to offer smarter, quicker, and more dependable digital banking solutions to the people of Indonesia." Both the Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios can now be deployed within the security perimeter of corporate data centres, aligning with increased regulatory requirements and company policies for data privacy and sovereignty across different jurisdictions. Follow us on: Share on:
Techday NZ
2 days ago
- Techday NZ
Cloudera launches on-premises AI platform for secure enterprise use
Cloudera has introduced the latest version of its Data Services, enabling enterprises to deploy generative AI capabilities on their own infrastructure and behind their firewall. The updated release makes Private AI available on premises, offering organisations a way to develop and manage AI models securely using their own data centres. This approach addresses growing concerns over sensitive information and intellectual property, allowing companies to keep data in-house rather than relying on public cloud environments. Security and governance are central to the new offering. The inclusion of built-in governance tools and hybrid portability empowers organisations to establish their own sovereign data clouds. According to research by Accenture, 77% of organisations currently lack foundational data and AI security measures necessary to safeguard critical models, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. Cloudera's release directly targets these issues, promising to accelerate enterprise AI deployments. The newly available on-premises capabilities allow organisations to decrease infrastructure expenses, improve productivity for data teams, and streamline AI deployment timelines. These improvements, Cloudera asserts, will help customers move from prototype to production in weeks instead of months. Management of the entire data lifecycle is also available both on-premises and in public cloud, using the same cloud-native services, to provide consistency and flexibility. Users gain cloud-native agility while maintaining a secure environment behind their firewall. Acceleration of workload deployment, automated security enhancements, and a faster time to value for AI initiatives are among the noted benefits. Key features Significant components of this release include the availability of Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios in the data centre for the first time. Both tools were previously limited to cloud environments and are designed to address obstacles commonly faced by enterprises in adopting AI technologies. Cloudera AI Inference Service is now available on premises and benefits from NVIDIA acceleration. It is described as one of the industry's first AI inference services with embedded NIM microservice capabilities. This tool supports the deployment and management of large-scale AI models directly in enterprise data centres, where data is already securely held. Cloudera AI Studios brings a low-code approach to building and deploying GenAI applications and agents. The on-premises availability aims to democratise the AI application lifecycle by offering pre-built templates for both technical and non-technical teams. Results from an independently commissioned Total Economic Impact study by Forrester Consulting highlight operational improvements following adoption. According to the study, a composite organisation saw an 80% reduction in time-to-value for workload deployment, a 20% productivity increase for practitioners and platform teams, and overall savings of 35% from utilising the new architecture. The study also noted hardware utilisation improvements from 30% to 70%, and a reduction in required capacity by 25% to over 50% after infrastructure modernisation. Industry perspectives Industry analyst Sanjeev Mohan commented on the market context, noting the dual pressures of AI adoption and data protection. "Historically, enterprises have been forced to cobble together complex, fragile DIY solutions to run their AI on-premises. Today the urgency to adopt AI is undeniable, but so are the concerns around data security. What enterprises need are solutions that streamline AI adoption, boost productivity, and do so without compromising on security." Leo Brunnick, Chief Product Officer at Cloudera, described the development as a shift in data management strategies, emphasising agility and modern architecture. "Cloudera Data Services On-Premises delivers a true cloud-native experience on-premises, providing agility and efficiency without sacrificing security or control. This release is a significant step forward in data modernization, moving from monolithic clusters to a suite of agile, containerized applications." Toto Prasetio, Chief Information Officer at BNI, highlighted the value of secure generative AI for regulated industries such as banking, where compliance and data protection are paramount. "BNI is proud to be an early adopter of Cloudera's AI Inference service. This technology provides the essential infrastructure to securely and efficiently expand our generative AI initiatives, all while adhering to Indonesia's dynamic regulatory environment. It marks a significant advancement in our mission to offer smarter, quicker, and more dependable digital banking solutions to the people of Indonesia." The latest software release from Cloudera is available for deployment in enterprise data centres and is being presented to customers to demonstrate its AI and data platform capabilities.
