Cloudera updates hybrid platform to support AI growth

Cloudera has updated its hybrid data and AI platform for enterprises modernising data operations across cloud and on-premises environments.

The release focuses on longer support periods, shared platform management across data centres and cloud systems, and new tools to scale workloads and share data without moving it between systems. Platform support will now run until 2032, a change Cloudera argues will help companies avoid repeated upgrade cycles.

The update comes as businesses face growing pressure to expand artificial intelligence projects while maintaining the data systems that support operational and regulatory work. In Australia, Cloudera cited research showing that only 8% of Chief Data and Analytics Officers say their organisations are optimised for AI data readiness.

That gap between AI ambitions and data preparedness has become a recurring issue for large organisations, particularly in regulated sectors where moving sensitive information can create governance and compliance risks. Cloudera's argument is that companies should be able to run analytics and AI workloads across mixed environments without major migrations.

The changes include simultaneous updates for on-premises and cloud deployments, giving customers a more consistent way to manage hybrid estates while avoiding the cost of replatforming systems.

Another part of the release centres on Apache Iceberg, the open table format that has gained traction in modern data architectures. Cloudera says automated optimisation through its Lakehouse Optimiser can improve query performance by 38% and reduce storage overhead by up to 36%, while requiring less manual administration.

The company has also added what it calls cloud bursting, allowing organisations to extend private data centre workloads into the cloud when extra capacity is needed. According to Cloudera, this can be done without duplicating data or rewriting applications, a claim likely to appeal to businesses balancing infrastructure investment with fluctuating demand.

Expanded data sharing is another element of the release. The platform now supports access to live Iceberg tables across external platforms without copying data, helping reduce silos while preserving governance controls, according to the company.

Local context

For Australian organisations, the hybrid approach reflects a broader market pattern in which companies are adopting cloud services selectively rather than moving all core data estates to public cloud providers. Cost management, data sovereignty and operational resilience remain significant concerns, especially in sectors such as financial services, government and healthcare.

Vini Cardoso, Chief Technology Officer for Australia and New Zealand at Cloudera, said many local enterprises are trying to increase AI activity without destabilising the systems that underpin day-to-day operations.

"Many Australian enterprises are looking to accelerate their AI initiatives. However, as requirements evolve, these organisations are often constrained by the need to maintain the stability of data platforms supporting core operations, ranging from customer systems to regulatory reporting. Our latest upgrades address these challenges by eliminating forced upgrade cycles, enabling on-demand scaling without moving sensitive data, and delivering faster, governed insights within a secure hybrid environment. For highly regulated organisations, this provides a sovereign, trusted foundation to scale AI with confidence," Cardoso said.

Product push

Cloudera is presenting the release as a response to rising pressure on enterprise data teams to deliver AI results while controlling infrastructure costs. It cited forecasts that global AI investment will reach USD $3.33 trillion by 2027, arguing that the spending increase is raising expectations for faster deployment and stronger returns from data platforms.

The company is positioning its platform against a backdrop of fragmented enterprise technology estates, where legacy on-premises systems coexist with cloud-based analytics tools. Across the market, vendors have been trying to address that complexity with unified management layers, open table formats and tools that reduce the need for full data migration.

Leo Brunnick, Chief Product Officer at Cloudera, said customers wanted cloud flexibility and data centre control in the same system. "Our customers no longer accept trade-offs. They want the flexibility of the cloud, the control of the data centre, and the ability to scale without disruption. This update delivers all three on a single, unified platform built for modern data and AI," Brunnick said.