Running artificial intelligence agents across an enterprise requires more than access to computing power. Companies also need to manage data security, governance and performance across cloud and on-premises systems, particularly as agentic workflows move into production.

At last year’s EVOLVE25 event, Cloudera Inc. positioned itself as a platform for hybrid workloads, with an “AI anywhere” approach that encompasses the edge, on-premises infrastructure and the cloud. Now, the company is looking to make good on that promise as enterprises put agentic AI to work across increasingly complex data environments, according to Paul Nashawaty, principal analyst for theCUBE Research.

“Last year, the narrative was about establishing a hybrid, ‘AI anywhere’ foundation,” he said. “This year, expect the conversation to pivot to the operationalization of that vision. The focus has moved from abstract potential to the mechanics of running production-grade AI at scale, proving that enterprise data architectures can handle the rigors of agentic workflows.”

At Cloudera EVOLVE26 in New York City, theCUBE will cover how the company is translating its hybrid AI strategy into production capabilities, including advances in data governance, agentic workflows and AI deployment across distributed environments. TheCUBE’s exclusive coverage airs Oct. 27, featuring conversations with industry leaders and experts. (* Disclosure below.)

Cloudera builds on ‘AI Anywhere’ approach

Cloudera, once slow to embrace public cloud, has now made hybrid infrastructure central to its AI strategy. In August, the company launched the Cloudera Anywhere Cloud platform, designed to support the deployment and management of AI applications across public clouds and on-premises environments. The platform also provides a way for organizations to bring AI capabilities to proprietary data without moving sensitive information between systems.

“Cloudera Anywhere Cloud reflects a strategic maturity toward ‘AI everywhere,’ moving from just having access to data to having the capability to deploy agents where the data lives,” Nashawaty said. “It highlights an architectural shift where the compute moves to the data, rather than the alternative, which is critical for reducing latency and maintaining governance in distributed enterprise settings.”

That shift addresses a practical obstacle for enterprises: AI agents need access to business data, but moving that information between environments can introduce security risks, compliance concerns and additional costs. Cloudera Anywhere Cloud is designed to give organizations greater control over where AI workloads run while supporting applications on existing infrastructure and maintaining consistent governance across distributed environments.

The approach also reflects Cloudera’s effort to make hybrid AI deployments more manageable as organizations expand beyond pilot projects. Rather than requiring enterprises to consolidate their data in a single environment, the platform supports AI workloads across existing infrastructure.

“Organizations shouldn’t have to choose between innovation and control,” said Cloudera’s Chief Product Officer Leo Brunnick. “Cloudera Anywhere Cloud brings the speed and flexibility of the cloud directly to enterprise data, allowing customers to accelerate AI initiatives while maintaining complete ownership of it, with optimized cost of infrastructure and tokens.”

The question heading into EVOLVE26 is how effectively that approach can support production AI at scale. Beyond deploying agents, enterprises must account for workload performance, infrastructure costs and the controls needed to manage autonomous systems across distributed environments.

Mistral partnership advances sovereign AI capabilities

Data sovereignty is another part of Cloudera’s hybrid AI strategy. For enterprises operating across national borders or in regulated industries, the ability to use proprietary information without transferring it to external AI services can influence which models and platforms they adopt.

Cloudera is positioning its governed data architecture as a foundation for those deployments, allowing organizations to manage AI workloads while retaining control over sensitive information. The company’s approach also distinguishes it from infrastructure providers focused primarily on computing capacity, according to Nashawaty.

“Cloudera’s competitive edge is its ability to bridge the gap between data-at-rest and data-in-motion,” he said. “While other cloud infrastructure providers offer raw compute, Cloudera is distinguishing itself by providing an open, governed data layer that remains consistent across hybrid environments. It isn’t just about storage; it’s about providing the trusted data foundation that AI applications require to be performant and compliant.”

That strategy gained another component in September when Cloudera announced a partnership with French AI developer Mistral AI SAS. The collaboration, announced ahead of the EVOLVE26 event in São Paulo, brings Mistral’s AI models and customization capabilities closer to enterprise data managed through Cloudera’s platform. It gives customers another option for developing specialized AI applications without sending proprietary information to external environments.

One significant element is Mistral Forge, which allows enterprises to customize AI models using their own data. That capability could be particularly important for organizations with strict data residency requirements or concerns about exposing intellectual property, according to Steve McDowell, chief analyst at NAND Research.

“Mistral Forge is the most compelling part of this announcement,” he said. “Being able to use enterprise data to create and fine-tune a Mistral model without moving that data is extremely powerful. It brings a known model backed by a known entity, which can appeal to enterprises concerned about the origins of open-weight models, most of which are developed in China. It’s a more flexible approach than we see with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, which all require you to bring your data to them.”

The partnership will also be part of the conversation at EVOLVE26 in New York, where Cloudera and Mistral AI are scheduled to participate in hands-on sessions focused on deploying enterprise AI applications. The program will address the practical challenges of moving agentic workflows into production while maintaining control over enterprise data.

For Cloudera, the larger challenge is demonstrating that its hybrid AI architecture can simplify deployment without requiring enterprises to sacrifice flexibility or control. TheCUBE’s coverage will provide additional perspectives on how those capabilities are being applied and where organizations continue to encounter obstacles as they scale AI.

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of EVOLVE26 on Oct. 27. Plus, you can access theCUBE’s exclusive content on demand after the event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of EVOLVE26, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE podcasts

SiliconANGLE’s “theCUBE Pod” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, which you can enjoy while on the go. During each podcast, SiliconANGLE’s John Furrier and Dave Vellante discuss the biggest trends in enterprise tech, including AI, cloud, cybersecurity and infrastructure, with context and analysis.

SiliconANGLE also produces our weekly “Breaking Analysis” program, where Vellante examines major developments in enterprise tech, combining insights from theCUBE with spending data from Enterprise Technology Research, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Guests

During EVOLVE26, theCUBE will feature interviews with industry executives, technology leaders and experts discussing Cloudera’s latest innovations, the challenges of scaling agentic AI and the growing importance of data governance across hybrid environments.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for EVOLVE26. Sponsors of theCUBE’s event coverage do not have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE