The next stage of Kubernetes platforms: Ambient mesh, observability, and VKS

Many organizations say they "run Kubernetes," but few actually operate a mature Kubernetes platform. Most teams start with clusters and quickly discover that scaling applications introduces new challenges in networking, security, and observability.

In this talk, the speaker introduces a practical Kubernetes platform maturity model based on real-world experience running workloads on VMware Kubernetes Service within VMware Cloud Foundation. The session explores how platforms typically evolve through distinct stages, from early cluster experimentation to fully managed developer platforms.

As complexity grows, networking and service communication become critical. The speaker discusses how adopting Istio Ambient Mesh changes how platform teams approach service connectivity, security, and scalability, without the traditional operational overhead of sidecar-based service meshes.

As platforms mature, observability becomes essential for understanding service interactions and maintaining reliability at scale. The speaker shows how integrating observability with Dynatrace enables deep visibility into service dependencies, performance bottlenecks, and distributed tracing across the platform.

By the end of the session, attendees will learn:
• The five stages of Kubernetes platform maturity
• When and why service mesh becomes necessary
• How ambient mesh simplifies service networking
• Why observability is a critical capability for mature platforms