VAST Data has announced a new collaboration with Microsoft at the Microsoft Ignite event, aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities through Microsoft Azure. The VAST AI Operating System (AI OS), soon to be available to Azure customers, will provide an efficient solution for deploying scalable AI infrastructure in the cloud.
Azure users will have access to a comprehensive range of VAST's data services, which include unified storage, data cataloging, and database functionalities to support intricate AI workflows. This integration facilitates seamless data management across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud settings, providing the scale and automation necessary to drive AI innovation forward.
VAST AI operating system on Azure
The VAST AI OS will operate on Azure's infrastructure, allowing customers to utilise it with familiar tools
The VAST AI OS will operate on Azure's infrastructure, allowing customers to utilise it with familiar tools, governance, security protocols, and billing systems. The system aims to ensure consistent performance and reliability, characteristic of Azure's services.
"This collaboration with Microsoft reflects our shared vision for the future of AI infrastructure, where performance, scale, and simplicity converge to enable enterprises to transform their business with agentic AI," stated Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder at VAST Data.
"Becoming an Azure Partner represents the first milestone in that journey. Customers will be able to unify their data and AI pipelines across environments with the same power, simplicity, and performance they expect from VAST, now with the reach, elasticity, and reliability of Microsoft's global cloud."
Key benefits of the VAST AI OS
Azure customers will benefit from various capabilities of the VAST AI OS, including:
- Built for Agentic AI: Utilise VAST InsightEngine and AgentEngine to execute intelligent, data-driven workflows where the data resides. InsightEngine provides high-performance, stateless compute and database services that improve vector search and data preparation, while AgentEngine coordinates autonomous agents to facilitate continuous AI reasoning across diverse environments.
- Performance at Scale for Model Builders: Optimised for model training and inference, the VAST AI OS enhances Azure GPU and CPU clusters, ensuring efficient data services and predictable performance across multiple regions. VAST capitalises on advanced Azure Infrastructure solutions like the Laos VM Series.
- Seamless Hybrid AI Workflows: A vast DataSpace offers a unified global namespace, eliminating data silos and facilitating effortless data mobility. Users can expand operations from on-premises to Azure swiftly without needing extensive reconfiguration.
- Unified Data Access: VAST's DataStore supports multiple protocols, while its database solution provides fast query capabilities with cost-effective data storage strategies, accommodating diverse workloads seamlessly.
- Cost-Efficient Architecture: VAST's architecture enables the independent scaling of computing and storage resources, reducing costs through effective design and built-in similarity reduction.
Enhancing Azure’s infrastructure
According to Aung Oo, Vice President of Azure Storage at Microsoft, "VAST's AI Operating System running on Azure will give Azure customers a high-performance, scalable platform built on the Laos VM Series using Azure Boost that seamlessly extends on-premises AI pipelines into Azure's GPU-accelerated infrastructure."
This collaboration aims to streamline operations, cut costs, and expedite AI workload efficiency.
Future prospects and initiatives
As Microsoft continues to advance its AI infrastructure investments, VAST will collaborate closely with Azure on developing future platform requirements. This partnership positions VAST as a strategic component of Microsoft's broader AI computing strategy, helping to realise emerging computational innovations.
VAST Data's founder, Renen Hallak, will be present at Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco to discuss the potential for operationalising agentic AI at scale. Additionally, at Supercomputing 2025 in St. Louis, Andrew Jones will join VAST Data to discuss the impact of modern data strategies on AI cloud developments. Interested parties can participate in the conversation by visiting VAST Booth #3204 or Microsoft Booth #1627 for more information.
VAST Data, the AI Operating System company, announced at Microsoft Ignite a collaboration with Microsoft to power the next wave of agentic AI. Available soon to Azure customers, the VAST AI OS provides a simple way to deploy high-performance, scalable AI infrastructure in the cloud.
Enterprises will be able to access VAST’s complete suite of data services in Azure, including unified storage, data cataloging, and database capabilities to support complex AI workflows. This integration will enable organisations to manage data seamlessly across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, delivering the scale, intelligence, and automation required to accelerate AI innovation.
VAST AI Operating System
The VAST AI Operating System will run on Azure infrastructure, enabling customers to deploy and operate it using the same tools, governance, security, and billing frameworks they have become accustomed to. The solution will deliver unified management, consistent performance, and Azure-grade reliability.
“This collaboration with Microsoft reflects our shared vision for the future of AI infrastructure, where performance, scale, and simplicity converge to enable enterprises to transform their business with agentic AI,” said Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder at VAST Data.
“Becoming an Azure Partner represents the first milestone in that journey. Customers will be able to unify their data and AI pipelines across environments with the same power, simplicity, and performance they expect from VAST, now with the reach, elasticity, and reliability of Microsoft’s global cloud.”
Advantages of the capabilities of the VAST AI OS
Azure customers will be able to take full advantage of the capabilities of the VAST AI OS running on Azure, including:
- Built for Agentic AI: Leverage VAST InsightEngine and AgentEngine to run intelligent, data-driven workflows directly where data lives. InsightEngine delivers stateless, high-performance compute and database services that accelerate vector search, RAG pipelines, and data preparation. AgentEngine orchestrates autonomous agents operating on real-time data streams, enabling continuous AI reasoning across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- Performance at Scale for Model Builders: Designed for the demands of model training and inference, VAST AI OS keeps Azure GPU and CPU clusters saturated with high-throughput data services, intelligent caching, and metadata-optimized I/O to ensure predictable performance from pilot to multi-region scale. VAST benefits from the latest Azure Infrastructure solutions including the Laos VM Series using Azure Boost Accelerated Networking.
- Seamless Hybrid AI Workflows: An exabyte-scale DataSpace creates a unified global namespace that eliminates data silos and enables effortless data mobility. Customers can instantly burst from on-premises to Azure for GPU-accelerated workloads without migration or reconfiguration.
- Unified Data Access: VAST’s DataStore supports file (NFS, SMB), object (S3), and block protocols, while the VAST DataBase combines transactional performance with the query speed of a warehouse and the economics of a data lake, allowing diverse workloads to run on one platform without compromise.
- Elastic, Cost-Efficient Architecture: VAST’s Disaggregated, Shared-Everything (DASE) design enables independent scaling of compute and storage resources within Azure. Combined with built-in Similarity Reduction, the platform minimises storage footprint and reduces cost for large-scale AI infrastructure.
Azure’s GPU-accelerated infrastructure
“VAST’s AI Operating System running on Azure will give Azure customers a high-performance, scalable platform built on the Laos VM Series using Azure Boost that seamlessly extends on-premises AI pipelines into Azure’s GPU-accelerated infrastructure,” said Aung Oo, Vice President, Azure Storage at Microsoft.
“Many AI model builders in the world leverage VAST for its scalability, breakthrough performance, and AI-native capabilities. This collaboration can help our mutual customers streamline operations, reduce costs, and accelerate time-to-insight for AI workloads of every size.”
Future of AI infrastructure
As Microsoft continues to invest in the future of AI infrastructure, including its own custom silicon initiatives, VAST will work closely with the Azure team to align on next-generation platform requirements. This collaboration positions VAST as a strategic element of Microsoft’s broader AI computing strategy, helping to unlock the full potential of emerging innovations in compute.
Together, the companies will aim to ensure that future AI systems, regardless of the processor or model architecture, are fuelled by an AI operating system built for scale, performance, and simplicity.
Upcoming joint appearances
Renen Hallak, VAST Data Founder and CEO, will be at Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco and available for joint customer meetings, to discuss how Azure and the VAST AI Operating System will enable enterprises to operationalise agentic AI at global scale.
At Supercomputing 2025 in St. Louis, VAST Data will host Andrew Jones, Engineering Leader, Future Supercomputing & AI Capabilities, on November 19 in a conversation exploring how Azure AI and modern data strategies are shaping the AI cloud. Register to join the breakfast session and be part of the discussion on the future of AI infrastructure.
Representatives from both VAST and Microsoft will also deliver technical presentations and demos in their respective booths throughout the event. Learn more by visiting VAST Booth #3204 and Microsoft Booth #1627.
