The New Stack Podcast

Goodbye SaaS, Hello AI Agents

Mar 13, 2025

Join Janakiram MSV, a seasoned analyst known for his insights into data evolution and AI, as he discusses the shift from traditional SaaS to intelligent AI agents. He highlights how data management has advanced over the years, emphasizing the journey from spreadsheets to sophisticated AI solutions. Janakiram delves into the complexities of orchestrating these agents, akin to Kubernetes managing containers, and the new challenges of handling dynamic data. The conversation offers a glimpse into the future of service delivery and the transformative role of actionable AI in enterprises.

30:02

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Episode guests

Janakiram MSV

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The shift from SaaS to AI agents represents a transformative evolution in data management and computing infrastructure, enabling automated decision-making and efficient workflows.

Orchestrating AI agents poses significant challenges in resource allocation and memory management, similar to the complexities faced with Kubernetes in container management.

Deep dives

Evolution of Data Management

The evolution of data management reflects a significant journey from spreadsheets in the 1980s to sophisticated big data analytics today. Initially focused on basic data storage, the introduction of relational databases transformed raw data into structured information, paving the way for better accessibility and historical analysis. This progression continued through the development of data warehouses and big data solutions, which enabled comprehensive insights and predictive analytics. Ultimately, the shift toward intelligent data management set the stage for AI-driven actions, marking a shift toward automating decision-making processes in software applications.

Intro

5min

Evolution of Data Management and Computing Infrastructure

2min

From SaaS to AI Agents: The Future of Service Delivery

6min

The Evolution of AI Agents and Integration

6min

Orchestrating AI Agents with Kubernetes

11min

The transition from SaaS to Services as Software with AI agents is underway, necessitating new orchestration methods similar to Kubernetes for containers. AI agents will require resource allocation, workflow management, and scalable infrastructure as they evolve. Two key trends are driving this shift:

Data Evolution – From spreadsheets to AI agents, data has progressed through relational databases, big data, predictive analytics, and generative AI.

Computing Evolution – Starting from mainframes, the journey has moved through desktops, client servers, web/mobile, SaaS, and now agentic workflows.

Janakiram MSV, an analyst, notes on this episode of The New Stack Makers that SaaS depends on data—without it, platforms like Salesforce and SAP lack value. As data becomes more actionable and compute more agentic, a new paradigm emerges: Services as Software. AI agents will automate tasks previously requiring human intervention, like emails and sales follow-ups. However, orchestrating them will be complex, akin to Kubernetes managing containers. Unlike deterministic containers, AI agents depend on dynamic, trained data, posing new enterprise challenges in memory management and infrastructure.

Learn more from The New Stack about evolution to AI agents:

How AI Agents Are Starting To Automate the Enterprise

Can You Trust AI To Be Your Data Analyst?

Agentic AI is the New Web App, and Your AI Strategy Must Evolve

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