

EP244 The Future of SOAPA: Jon Oltsik on Platform Consolidation vs. Best-of-Breed in the Age of Agentic AI
8 snips Sep 22, 2025
Jon Oltsik, a security researcher and former ESG analyst, invented the SOAPA concept, which he elaborates on during the discussion. He debates the merits of platform consolidation versus a best-of-breed approach, highlighting how organization size influences these strategies. The talk covers the impact of generative and agentic AI on the Security Operations Center, emphasizing real-world applications and integration challenges. Jon also shares practical insights on leveraging AI for alert triage and security fundamentals in modern threat defense.
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SOAPA Was Meant To Be Open Architecture
- SOAPA envisioned an open architecture with common storage, analytics, and a workbench rather than single-vendor domination.
- Jon Oltsik observes platforms emerged but largest enterprises will remain heterogeneous and verticalized.
SAP's 1990s Centralization Shaped SOAPA
- Jon recounts watching SAP centralize ERP in the 1990s and how it reshaped business processes.
- He used that history to frame his original SOAPA intention and contrast today's single-vendor platformization.
Platform For Small, Heterogeneity For Large
- Platformization suits smaller organizations while large enterprises need heterogeneous, decoupled architectures.
- Jon Oltsik expects hybrid approaches and MSSPs to fill gaps where full centralization isn't feasible.