Uplink: AI, Data Center, and Cloud Innovation Podcast

Storage For The AI Tidal Wave

AI doesn’t slow down because we run out of ideas. It slows down when the data can’t move fast enough, the racks can’t get enough power, and the infrastructure stack can’t evolve quickly enough to keep up with GPU-scale reality. In this episode of Uplink, Michael Reid sits down with Renen Hallak, Founder and CEO of VAST Data, to unpack the infrastructure challenges shaping the next era of AI. Renen shares the long arc behind what looks like “overnight success,” and why he believed early on that AI would fundamentally change the requirements for storage and data platforms. The conversation explores how software-defined storage eliminates old trade-offs between performance and capacity, why decoupling software from hardware creates leverage during supply shortages, and what efficiency really means when supporting modern AI training and inference workloads. They also dive into the rise of neoclouds, the changing competitive landscape around hyperscalers, and why AI infrastructure is being rebuilt layer by layer. Finally, the episode looks ahead to agentic AI, where thousands of specialized agents behave more like artificial workers that require orchestration, observability, and governance at scale. Join a conversation about AI infrastructure, cloud evolution, storage architecture, and the next bottlenecks shaping the future of compute. 🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.uplinkpod.com/ [https://www.uplinkpod.com/]  📺 Watch on YouTube: https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube [https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube]  🔗 Learn more about Megaport: https://www.megaport.com/ [https://www.megaport.com/]

Edge Ready: Cisco, AI, and the Next Network Wave

What if the real AI boom hasn’t started yet? Brink Sanders, SVP of Global Networking Sales at Cisco, joins us to map the shift from GPU-packed data centers to edge networks where AI operators, robots, and latency-sensitive apps will live, and why simplification is now the most valuable feature in enterprise networking. We dig into the unification of Meraki and Catalyst with a single license model, how G2’s product leadership is speeding innovation and slashing complexity, and why customers want hybrid choice without penalty: cloud where possible, on‑prem where required, and a smooth path between them. We get candid about the next bottlenecks – not model size, but campus and branch design. As inference grows and agentic workflows proliferate, east‑west traffic inside sites surges, and the security model must evolve beyond user-only thinking. Brink lays out how segmentation, identity, and observability adapt when AI agents become first-class actors. He also shares Cisco’s AI Canvas approach to cross-domain operations, plus a peek at a deep networking model trained on Cisco’s knowledge to assist CCIE‑level operations. If you’re choosing between platforms, clouds, and models while trying to keep options open, this conversation offers a pragmatic path forward. 🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.uplinkpod.com/ [https://www.uplinkpod.com/] 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube [https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube] 🔗 Learn more about Megaport: https://www.megaport.com/ [https://www.megaport.com/]

Breaking the Egress Trap: Redefining Cloud Economics

What if cloud storage were fast, predictable, and free of egress surprises? In this episode of Uplink, Wasabi CEO & Co-Founder David Friend joins host Michael Reid to break down how a clean architecture and a simple, one-price model reshaped the economics of cloud storage – especially for AI-driven workloads. David shares why S3 compatibility was essential, how software-driven durability achieves eleven nines without late-night rebuilds, and how Wasabi scaled from a bold prototype to selling a petabyte every few hours. We explore hidden cost traps like egress and API fees, the rise of SSDs over HDDs, and the demands of next-gen AI applications. He also walks through sovereignty and compliance options—from replication strategies to fully managed, isolated deployments—and shares founder stories spanning ARP synthesizers, trend-spotting apps, and decades of building with the same engineering team. 🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.uplinkpod.com/ [https://www.uplinkpod.com/] 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube [https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube] 🔗 Learn more about Megaport: https://www.megaport.com/ [https://www.megaport.com/]

Reinventing the Internet: SCION and the Future of Connectivity

The internet’s greatest strength—connecting everything to everything—has become its biggest risk for industries that can’t afford downtime or hijacks. In this episode of Uplink, we sit down with Martin Bosshardt, CEO of Anapaya, to explore how the SCION protocol brings private-network control to the public internet – without replacing BGP. Martin unpacks how this architecture enables multiple trusted paths, keeps routing invisible to attackers, and confines data flows within national boundaries, all while improving performance and resilience. From banking to healthcare, he shares real-world examples of how SCION protects critical infrastructure and enables digital sovereignty in an increasingly hostile landscape. If you care about securing critical systems, reducing attack surfaces, and building reliable networks for AI-era workloads, this episode is for you. 🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.uplinkpod.com/ [https://www.uplinkpod.com/] 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube [https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube] 🔗 Learn more about Megaport: https://www.megaport.com/ [https://www.megaport.com/]

Hustle and Growth: The Megaport France Story

What does it take to build a technology business from scratch in a new market? In this episode of Uplink, Emmanuel Sevray, Head of Sales SEMEA, and Lionel David, Solutions Architect at Megaport, reveal how they transformed a virtually non-existent operation into a thriving business serving over 100 major French companies in less than four years. From delivering 50 Gbps during peak mass-mailing campaigns to turning customer challenges into platform innovations, Manu and Lionel share how a small team of five created a blueprint for success now shaping Megaport’s growth across Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We explore the importance of complementary skills, the agility of making big decisions in 24 hours, and how ecosystem partnerships power expansion. Their story is one of hustle, creativity, and technical excellence. 🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.uplinkpod.com/ [https://www.uplinkpod.com/] 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube [https://mp1.tech/uplink-on-youtube] 🔗 Learn more about Megaport: https://www.megaport.com/ [https://www.megaport.com/]