Cloud

Nutanix .NEXT 2020: What's on Tap for the Virtual Conference

With Nutanix CEO and founder Dheeraj Pandey on his way out, the hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud leader is already making news.

Bob Keaveney

Bob is the managing editor of BizTech magazine.

When technology professionals from around the world gather virtually beginning Sept. 8 for the Nutanix Global .NEXT Digital Experience, they will do so at a crossroads for the company. CEO Dheeraj Pandey, who founded Nutanix 11 years ago and built it into one of the world’s leaders in hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud software, announced just a few days before the conference that it would be his last.

Pandey said he will retire from Nutanix as soon as his successor is installed. At the same time, Nutanix also announced a $750 million investment from Bain Capital, a private equity firm, leading some to speculate about broader changes at the firm, which has 18,000 customers around the world.

But Pandey insisted that his retirement was a decision he made for personal reasons, telling CRN that he wanted to “leave on a high” and that “the high is here,” citing both the Bain Capital investment and the company’s recently announced successful fourth-quarter results. “When you have this maniacal focus and energy to really bring ideas to life, it takes a toll,” he said. “It really takes a toll on you, your family and people close by.”

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Retiring CEO Pandey Will Deliver Nutanix .NEXT Keynote

Pandey’s remarks to customers, media, partners and others on Sept. 8 will be more than just an ordinary user conference keynote address. Pandey will likely reflect on the company’s decade-plus of success under his leadership and discuss what he sees as next for Nutanix, while also offering insight on the technology trends affecting organizations today and in the near future.

Ravi Mhatre, who leads the company’s board of directors, said Pandey had “earned a place among” the “storied founders and legendary visionaries” for which Silicon Valley is famous.

BizTech will cover all the keynotes and several other sessions at .NEXT 2020, bringing you news on Nutanix’s latest tech offerings and reporting on key trends that experts believe will shape the infrastructure landscape.

Infrastructure, DR, End Users Are Key Topics at .NEXT 2020

The virtual, interactive event will bring together visionaries, developers and IT leaders from around the globe to share the latest in hybrid and multicloud computing, data center infrastructure, storage, end-user computing and more. In addition to Pandey’s opening keynote, highlights include sessions on:

Empowering end users. Virtualized end-user computing environments, including virtualized desktop infrastructure and Desktop as a Service, are quickly becoming standard in many workplaces. Experts will discuss how to better manage end-user computing initiatives, how organizations can use virtualization to boost employee productivity and how best to secure virtualized environments.
Building modern infrastructure. Hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud environments simplify networks, allowing organizations to run any application at scale. Benefits include reduced costs, increased performance and greater productivity within IT teams. Nutanix experts and other technology thought leaders will dive deep into infrastructure best practices, including the benefits of HCI over legacy infrastructure, the value of software-defined networks and much more.
Ensuring business continuity. A modern infrastructure includes a plan for business continuity under any conditions. At .NEXT 2020, experts will offer guidance on “bulletproof” strategies for doing just that and discuss the company’s new cloud-based disaster recovery service, Xi Leap.

Well-Known Names Headlining .NEXT 2020

The program will also feature a virtual expo floor where attendees can explore and discover new ways to modernize and optimize their data center operations. And well-known names from worlds outside of technology will also be dropping by to make remarks, including leadership guru Simon Sinek, “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others.

Whether or not you’re attending Nutanix . NEXT 2020 on Sept. 9 and 10, follow us on Twitter at @BizTechMagazine, or the official conference Twitter account, #NextConf. And keep this page bookmarked for all the coverage from the BizTech team.

Getty/gorodenkoff