VAST Data has announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance AI infrastructure through Azure, featuring the VAST AI Operating System designed for agentic AI and seamless hybrid cloud integration.
VAST Data has announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft to deliver advanced, high-performance AI infrastructure through the Azure cloud platform. Unveiled at Microsoft Ignite, this partnership will provide Azure customers with access to the VAST AI Operating System (OS), designed specifically to support the emerging demands of agentic AI , AI systems capable of autonomous, intelligent decision-making and action.
The VAST AI OS promises enterprises a unified suite of data services that include storage, data cataloging, and database functionalities. This integration is tailored to support complex AI workflows seamlessly across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. The system is engineered to deliver the scale, intelligence, and automation essential for accelerating AI-driven innovation. Importantly, the VAST AI OS will operate within Azure infrastructure, allowing customers to deploy and manage it using the familiar governance, security, billing, and operational tools inherent to Microsoft’s platform, ensuring consistent performance and reliability at an enterprise level.
Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder of VAST Data, articulated the collaboration as a key step toward a future where AI infrastructure combines performance, scalability, and ease of use. He highlighted that becoming an Azure Partner allows customers to unify their data and AI pipelines across various environments, harnessing the power of VAST’s platform alongside Microsoft’s global cloud capabilities.
The VAST AI OS on Azure will include several advanced features designed for the rigorous demands of AI development and deployment. Key among these is the built-for-agentic-AI architecture that leverages VAST’s InsightEngine and AgentEngine. InsightEngine facilitates high-performance compute and database services that accelerate vector search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and data preparation tasks directly where data resides. AgentEngine enables autonomous agents to operate on real-time data streams, supporting continuous AI reasoning across hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
Performance optimisation for AI model builders is another cornerstone of the offering. The VAST AI OS keeps Azure’s GPU and CPU clusters efficiently utilised by providing high-throughput data services, intelligent caching, and metadata-tuned input/output operations. The system also benefits from Microsoft’s latest Azure Infrastructure innovations, including the Laos VM Series equipped with Azure Boost Accelerated Networking, enhancing throughput and reducing latency.
A significant advantage of this collaboration is the seamless hybrid AI capability. VAST’s exabyte-scale DataSpace technology creates a unified global namespace that eliminates data silos and allows instantaneous bursting from on-premises infrastructure into Azure’s GPU-accelerated cloud workloads without the need for migration or reconfiguration. This flexibility supports enterprises in scaling AI workloads dynamically according to demand.
Furthermore, VAST’s DataStore supports a flexible array of protocols including file (NFS, SMB), object (S3), and block storage, while their integrated DataBase combines transactional speed with data warehousing query capabilities and the cost efficiencies of a data lake. This unified data access allows diverse workloads to coexist without compromise on a single platform.
The architecture behind VAST’s platform is designed for elasticity and cost-efficiency. Its Disaggregated, Shared-Everything (DASE) model allows separate scaling of compute and storage resources within Azure. Alongside built-in Similarity Reduction technology, the platform significantly reduces the storage footprint and associated costs for large-scale AI infrastructures.
Aung Oo, Vice President of Azure Storage at Microsoft, affirmed that this collaboration enables Azure customers to harness a high-performance, scalable AI platform built on advanced Azure hardware. He emphasised the importance of VAST Data’s scalability and AI-native features in supporting model builders worldwide, noting that the partnership helps streamline operations, control costs, and accelerate insights for AI workloads spanning all sizes.
Looking forward, Microsoft’s ongoing investments in AI infrastructure, including custom silicon developments, will be closely aligned with VAST Data to address next-generation platform needs. This collaboration positions VAST as a critical component in Microsoft’s wider AI computing strategy, aspiring to power future AI systems efficiently regardless of their processor or model architecture.
The partnership will be showcased in upcoming industry events. Renen Hallak, VAST Data’s CEO, is scheduled to attend Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco to engage in a series of discussions on operationalizing agentic AI globally via Azure and VAST technology. Additionally, at Supercomputing 2025 in St. Louis, VAST Data will host sessions including a conversation with Andrew Jones from Microsoft on AI and modern data strategies shaping the AI cloud, alongside technical presentations and demonstrations from both companies.
This collaboration underscores a broader trend whereby VAST Data is partnering with leading cloud providers to expand AI infrastructure capabilities. In parallel initiatives, VAST has collaborated with Google Cloud to integrate AI workflows and with CoreWeave to build a global AI cloud powered by NVIDIA technology, enabling faster and more cost-effective generative AI and HPC workloads. VAST’s partnerships extend to Akamai for edge AI inference optimisation and G42 Cloud to support AI supercomputing, reflecting a comprehensive ecosystem approach to meeting the diverse requirements of AI innovation across industries.
With its strong emphasis on scalability, performance, and seamless integration, the VAST AI Operating System on Microsoft Azure marks a significant advancement for enterprises looking to harness the next wave of AI technologies with operational simplicity and global cloud reach.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] Tech Africa News – Paragraphs 1-11, 13-15
- [2] VAST Data press release – Paragraphs 1-3
- [3] VAST Data website – Paragraphs 1-2
- [4] VAST Data press release on Google Cloud – Paragraph 16
- [5] VAST Data press release on CoreWeave – Paragraph 16
- [6] Akamai and VAST partnership – Paragraph 16
- [7] G42 Cloud partnership – Paragraph 16
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative was first published on November 18, 2025, in a press release by VAST Data. The Tech Africa News article on November 24, 2025, appears to be a republishing of this press release, with no significant new information added. This suggests the content is recycled, which may affect its freshness score. Press releases typically warrant a higher freshness score due to their timely nature. However, the lack of new insights in the Tech Africa News article indicates limited added value. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found between the two versions. The Tech Africa News article does not appear to be republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The quotes from Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder of VAST Data, and Aung Oo, Vice President of Azure Storage at Microsoft, are consistent with those in the original press release. No variations in wording were found, indicating the quotes are reused. This suggests the content is not original or exclusive.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from Tech Africa News, which is not a widely recognized or reputable source. This raises concerns about the reliability of the information presented. The press release from VAST Data is a primary source and is considered reliable. However, the Tech Africa News article’s lack of additional verification or sourcing diminishes its overall reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about the collaboration between VAST Data and Microsoft align with the information in the original press release. The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The language and tone are consistent with typical corporate communications, and there are no inconsistencies in spelling or phrasing. The structure is focused and relevant, with no excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for the subject matter.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is a republishing of a press release with no significant new information, indicating recycled content. The quotes are reused without variation, suggesting a lack of originality. The source, Tech Africa News, is not widely recognized, raising concerns about reliability. The lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets further diminishes credibility. These factors collectively lead to a ‘FAIL’ assessment with high confidence.
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