Backblaze to Present Strategy for Future-Proofing AI Initiatives at Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations, & Cloud Strategies Conference 2025

Key Terms

retrieval augmented generation technical

Retrieval augmented generation is an AI approach that combines a search of relevant documents with a text‑writing system: the AI first pulls up factual material from a library or database, then uses that material to produce a concise answer or summary. For investors it matters because this makes AI-generated research and press-release summaries more grounded in actual sources—like a researcher quoting files—so the output is usually more accurate and traceable than free‑form AI, though source quality still affects reliability.

rag technical

A RAG (red-amber-green) status is a simple color-coded system used in reports and dashboards to show the health, progress, or risk level of a project, metric, or business area. Think of it as a traffic light: green means on track, amber means caution or potential issues, and red means serious problems. Investors use RAG indicators to quickly spot emerging risks or improvements that could affect future performance and value.

s3-compatible technical

S3-compatible describes a cloud storage service or product that uses the same programming interface as Amazon S3, so existing applications and tools can store and retrieve files without rewriting code. For investors this matters because it lowers the cost and risk of moving data, reduces dependence on a single vendor, and gives companies more flexibility to shop for cheaper or faster storage — like using a common electrical plug that fits many outlets.

multi-cloud technical

Multi-cloud is the practice of using services from two or more cloud computing providers instead of relying on just one. For investors, this matters because it can lower operational risk and increase flexibility—similar to renting units from different landlords to avoid being stranded if one has problems—and it can affect a company’s costs, growth potential, and resilience, which in turn influence revenue stability and valuation.

egress fees financial

Egress fees are charges a company pays when it moves data out of a service provider’s network or cloud storage to another location. For investors, these costs matter because they can be recurring and scale with usage, shrinking profit margins or making customers think twice about switching providers—similar to a heavy toll on a frequently used bridge that raises the effective cost of doing business and can affect revenue and customer retention.

vendor lock-in technical

Vendor lock-in happens when a company becomes dependent on a single supplier's products or services in a way that makes switching to a different provider difficult, costly, or risky — like being tied to one brand of tool that won’t work with others. For investors this matters because it can raise future costs, limit a company's flexibility to adopt better or cheaper options, and create operational or reputational risks that could affect profitability and valuation.

cloud storage technical

Cloud storage is the practice of keeping digital files and databases on remote computers accessed over the internet instead of on a local hard drive, like renting a secure virtual filing cabinet you can open from any device. For investors it matters because it changes how companies spend and earn money — reducing upfront equipment costs while creating ongoing service revenue — and raises considerations about security, regulatory compliance and scalability that can affect profitability and risk.

Head of GTM Patrick Thomas to outline how an independent data layer solves today’s data sprawl and creates long-term AI agility

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Insert after "Meet with Backblaze at Gartner IOCS" paragraph of release issued Dec. 2, 2025, at 1:01 p.m. PT/4:01 p.m. ET: About the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference: Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on cloud strategies and infrastructure and operations trends at the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conferences 2025 taking place December 9-11, 2025, in Las Vegas. Follow news and updates from these conferences on X using #GartnerIO. Gartner is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

The updated release reads: 

BACKBLAZE TO PRESENT STRATEGY FOR FUTURE-PROOFING AI INITIATIVES AT GARTNER^® IT INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS, & CLOUD STRATEGIES CONFERENCE 2025

Head of GTM Patrick Thomas to outline how an independent data layer solves today’s data sprawl and creates long-term AI agility

Backblaze, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLZE), the high-performance cloud storage platform for the AI era, today announced that Patrick Thomas, head of go-to-market (GTM), will present a theater session at the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations, & Cloud Strategies Conference 2025 (Gartner IOCS), taking place December 9–11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thomas’s session will give infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders a strategic playbook for building an independent data layer to overcome data sprawl, optimize storage economics, and create the flexible foundation required for AI and multi-cloud initiatives.

The presentation will address a central challenge facing I&O leaders: decades of accumulated data sprawl and fragmented infrastructure—often marked by vendor lock-in and unpredictable egress fees—are major blockers to delivering AI-driven workloads such as retrieval augmented generation (RAG), inference, analytics, and multi-cloud compute. Thomas will outline how adopting an independent, vendor-neutral, S3-compatible data layer enables organizations to consolidate storage, unlock data mobility, and eliminate cost barriers that impede innovation.

Thomas will also highlight real-world examples of how organizations, including Big Cartel, Decart, urlscan.io, and a Fortune 100 media company, have modernized their architectures with independent cloud storage. Several of these organizations achieved reductions of up to 80% in storage costs while improving performance and unlocking new AI and data-intensive workflows.

“Infrastructure and operations teams are under pressure to deliver both innovation and reliability,” said Thomas. “Backblaze exists to make those teams unstoppable—solving their toughest storage challenges with the performance, transparency, and trust they need to move faster. Gartner IOCS is where those conversations happen, and we’re excited to be part of it.”

Session Details

• Title: Backblaze: The Business Case for an Independent Data Layer—Future-Proof for AI
• Speaker: Patrick Thomas, Head of GTM
• Date/Time/Location: Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 9:50–10:10 AM PST, Gartner IOCS Theater Session

Meet with Backblaze at Gartner IOCS

Attendees can visit Booth 244 in the Cloud Solution Village to discuss their storage strategy and receive a personalized playbook for building an independent data layer. Backblaze experts will be available throughout the conference for tactical and architectural conversations.

About the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference

Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on cloud strategies and infrastructure and operations trends at the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conferences 2025 taking place December 9-11, 2025, in Las Vegas. Follow news and updates from these conferences on X using #GartnerIO. Gartner is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

About Backblaze

Backblaze (NASDAQ: BLZE) gives businesses the freedom to innovate without limits by removing the barriers of lock-in, complexity, and cost. Our high-performance cloud object storage accelerates AI workflows, powers data-heavy applications, streamlines media management, and protects critical data. As an award-winning independent cloud, we provide unparalleled levels of interoperability that enable over 500,000 of our customers to reach and serve hundreds of millions of end users in 175 countries around the world. For more information, please go to www.backblaze.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251202691108/en/

Press Contact:

Yev Pusin

Head of Communications

press@backblaze.com

Source: Backblaze, Inc.