MIT SMR Connections x Nutanix x Pure Storage - Rethinking Data Infrastructure for a Virtualized, Cost-Conscious Era

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MIT SMR Connections

Rethinking Data Infrastructure for
a Virtualized, Cost-Conscious Era
21st January 2026 | Spago, Riyadh
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Rethinking Data Infrastructure for a Virtualized, Cost-Conscious Era

 

MIT SMR CONNECTIONS


At MIT SMR Connections, we explore the latest trends in leadership, managing technology, and digital transformation.

 

ABOUT THIS EDITION

 

Data management has evolved from physical storage to virtualized infrastructure and cloud-scale environments. As Saudi Arabia and the UAE accelerate digital transformation, leaders are rethinking how data is stored, governed, and scaled—while grappling with rising licensing costs, vendor lock-in, and the complexity of legacy systems.

This roundtable convenes CIOs, CTOs, heads of infrastructure, and board-level technology leaders to examine how organizations are modernizing their data centers, shifting to modular architectures, and maintaining operational simplicity while upholding enterprise-grade governance.

This edition of MIT SMR Connections, in partnership with Nutanix and Pure Storage, will also spotlight their jointly engineered full-stack virtual infrastructure, combining Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure with Pure Storage’s FlashArray platform.

Briefing Points

  • Virtualization as a $219B Market by 2030 – With a potential market size of USD 218.76 billion by 2030, the solution is poised to gain traction due to the rise of remote work, AI, and multi-cloud adoption, which are driving the need for more flexible software infrastructure rather than rigid hardware stacks.
  • Transforming Pitfalls into Potential – Currently, virtualization faces challenges like performance issues, complex management, security risks, high initial costs, licensing complexities, and the need for specialized skills. How can these obstacles be transformed into opportunities? And what strategies will enable this transformation?
  • Why Switch from Traditional Software – Targeting on-premise and cloud-based data centers, virtualization offers several incentives, including minimal downtime, improved disaster recovery, maximized hardware efficiency, and holistic IT flexibility and scalability. This encourages customers to move away from traditional storage services towards a software-defined infrastructure.
  • Tomorrow’s Storage – The future storage systems will be agile and optional. The goal is to provide external storage that makes data accessible anywhere, at any time you need it. Software infrastructure, like virtualization, is working towards a system where there is no need for a datastore or file system.

Agenda

05:30 PM
Welcome & Networking
06:25 PM
Opening Remarks by MIT SMR Middle East, Nutanix, and Pure Storage
06:30 PM
Rethinking Data Infrastructure for a Virtualized, Cost-Conscious Era

A closed-door roundtable discussion exploring practical strategies for modernizing data infrastructure, managing cost and complexity, and building resilient, governed platforms in a virtualized, cloud-driven era.

07:20 PM
Leader Perspectives and Session Highlights
07:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Networking Dinner

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Venue

Spago, Riyadh

Spago, Riyadh