Cloud Native Chronicles

Recorded at KubeCon 2026, Michael Meelis (Platform Engineer at ITQ) sits down with Steve Wade (Founder of Platform Fix) to discuss one of the biggest challenges in platform engineering: complexity.
At KubeCon, it’s easy to get lost in the growing CNCF landscape. But are all these tools actually helping organizations deliver value, or just slowing them down?
This episode explores why simplifying platforms, focusing on developer experience, and aligning with business outcomes is far more important than adopting every new tool.
In this episode they discuss:
Why the CNCF landscape leads to tool sprawl
The risk of building platforms for technology instead of business value
Developer experience and why many platforms fail their users
Why Git should be the real interface of your platform
The downside of tools like Backstage when misapplied
The hidden cost of “new tools” and operational overhead
Real world example: reducing complexity and saving €500K annually
Why platform engineering is ultimately about people, not technology

👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native

Recorded live at KubeCon 2026, Johan van Amersfoort (Chief Evangelist and AI Lead at ITQ) sits down with Frank Denneman (Distinguished Engineer, AI at Broadcom) to challenge one of the most common assumptions in Cloud Native: does bare metal Kubernetes really exist?
As AI workloads grow and infrastructure becomes more complex, resource management, security, and consistency become critical. This episode explores why virtualization still plays a key role in modern Kubernetes platforms and how solutions like VMware Cloud Foundation and VKS approach this differently.
From GPU allocation and AI workloads to platform consistency and open source alignment, this conversation provides a clear perspective on how enterprise platforms are evolving.
In this episode they discuss:
Why “bare metal Kubernetes” is often a misconception
The role of virtualization in security, isolation, and consistency
Resource management challenges with AI and GPUs
How VKS integrates Kubernetes into VMware Cloud Foundation
Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) and smarter GPU usage
Supporting both CLI driven and UI driven operations
Broadcom’s role in open source and CNCF AI conformance
👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native

Recorded live at KubeCon 2026, Johan van Amersfoort (Chief Evangelist and AI Lead at ITQ) sits down with Erik Zandboer (Cloud Native Architect at Portworx) to explore one of the biggest challenges in Kubernetes: stateful workloads and storage.
While Kubernetes has become the standard for container orchestration, it was never designed for stateful applications. So what happens when organizations start running databases, AI workloads, and business critical applications on Kubernetes?
From scaling limitations of CSI to disaster recovery, hybrid cloud storage, and AI driven architectures, this episode breaks down how platforms like Portworx extend Kubernetes to support real world workloads.
In this episode they discuss:
Why Kubernetes struggles with stateful workloads
The limitations of CSI and when they become visible
How Portworx enables scalable, Kubernetes native storage
The role of OpenShift as a broader developer platform
Storage architectures for AI workloads (block vs object storage)
Disaster recovery and multi cluster replication
How abstraction layers improve performance and flexibility across environments
👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native

Recorded live at KubeCon 2026 , Johan van Amersfoort (Chief Evangelist and AI Lead at ITQ) sits down with Stuart Miniman (Senior Director of Market Insights, Hybrid Platforms at Red Hat) to explore what’s new in OpenShift and how the platform continues to evolve with AI, platform engineering, and enterprise demands.
How does OpenShift keep pace with a rapidly changing Cloud Native ecosystem? And what does it take to turn increasing complexity into something scalable, secure, and usable for every type of engineer?
From AI workloads and GPU optimization to platform engineering, security, and simplified operations, this episode provides a clear view on how OpenShift is adapting to the next wave of innovation.In this episode they discuss:
How OpenShift evolved beyond Kubernetes into a full application platform
The role of AI, GPU optimization, and projects like vLLM and LLMD
Simplifying Kubernetes operations for different types of users
The rise of platform engineering and developer experience
How OpenShift supports DevOps, ClickOps, and AI-assisted workflows
Security and Zero Trust as a foundation for modern platforms
Key trends from KubeCon, including AI and digital sovereignty
👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native

Recorded live at KubeCon 2026, Johan van Amersfoort (Chief Evangelist and AI Lead at ITQ) sits down with Stuart Miniman (Senior Director of Market Insights, Hybrid Platforms at Red Hat) to unpack the reality behind open source, enterprise platforms, and Cloud Native innovation.
What role does Red Hat really play in the open source ecosystem? And how do platforms like Red Hat OpenShift translate community innovation into real business value?
From misconceptions around “free software” to the rise of GitOps and the increasing importance of speed, this episode provides a grounded view on how modern platforms are built, operated, and scaled.
In this episode they discuss:
Why open source is a development model, not a business model
Red Hat’s contribution to the Cloud Native ecosystem
How OpenShift curates and supports open source projects
The balance between community innovation and enterprise needs
Why GitOps and Argo are becoming the standard
The operational reality of maintaining Cloud Native platforms
How AI builds on top of Cloud Native foundations
👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native