This year’s KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA conference will bring together some of the most ambitious and creative leaders in cloud computing to present and discuss the latest industry trends and solutions.

As the event title implies, Kubernetes, the open-source system for automating deployment, scaling and management will be the main focus. However, the business leaders, industry analysts and developers in attendance will be discussing much more, according to theCUBE industry analyst John Furrier, who noted that despite its popularity, not every company is adopting Kubernetes and some are still seeking out solutions specific to the container layer. 

Furrier spoke with Savannah Peterson (pictured), a special co-host of theCUBE’s coverage of KubeCon Oct. 26-28, about the upcoming conference, as well as the need for enhanced management and scalability in Kubernetes. Peterson is a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Consumer Tech, the founder of digital strategy group Savvy Millennial, and an international public speaker, community builder and innovation strategist.

The need for a comprehensive yet simple container solution

Companies are still looking for a comprehensive solution that addresses container intricacies that Kurbernetes does not yet, Peterson pointed out.

“If you look at the data … people are excited about Kubernetes, but they haven’t taken the plunge to shifting over their stack or fully embracing it because of that complexity,” she explained.

Taking a broader perspective and considering long-term business implications, Furrier believes healthcare and FinTech are the verticals that will be the most impacted by Kubernetes. These sectors have inadvertently created “supercloud models” in which they have shifted spending “from CapEx to OpEx and [are] driving top line revenue as part of that,” he said. As a result, these companies, which were once customers of the information technology providers, are now becoming the providers too, which Furrier describes as a “big supercloud trend.” Other verticals will likely include managed service providers, such as retail and oil and gas.

“We believe that the rise of the supercloud is here,” Furrier said. But what distinguishes this version from previous iterations is that “it’s not yesterday. It’s cloud lift and shift and run a SAS application,” he added.

Corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Capital One and various insurance companies have already undergone what Furrier described as “this true enterprise [digital] transformation.” Going forward, edge use cases may increase from the expanding “internet of things,” which suggests the telecom vertical will be completely disrupted, Furrier explained.

“I’m personally really excited about the edge applications that are possible here and can’t wait to see what happens next,” Peterson added.

KubeCon is the ‘new school’ for app innovation

Open source’s staying power combined with Kubernetes’ efficiency and the widespread adoption of container solutions such as Docker have created what Furrier considers the “complete ecosystem of opportunity to create the next operating system [in] software development,” he said.

“To me, KubeCon is at the center of software, Software 2.0, 3.0 … supercloud,” he added. “[It’s] not where the old school is. It’s where the new school is.”

As the most prominent event for Kubernetes users and analysts, the gathering is also an opportunity to predict which startups or industry leaders will create the new winning innovation in the market. IBM acquired Red Hat, which was already a major player. Furrier suggests it can keep its standing as long as it retains its developer integrity despite the acquisition. And younger companies, such as Platform9, are emerging in the Kubernetes-as-a-service space and are also poised to scale quickly.

“Whoever can make Kubernetes easier [wins],” Furrier said.

Here’s the complete video interview, one of many CUBE Conversations from SiliconANGLE and theCUBE:

Image: SiliconANGLE