The Veeam 100 community is a global network of thought leaders shaping the future of data protection and IT resilience. This elite group includes Veeam Legends, Veeam Vanguards, and MVPs, but its influence reaches across the entire IT industry. Members are architects, engineers, and strategists who drive conversations on backup, cybersecurity, cloud adoption, and emerging technologies. Being part of this community is a mark of prestige, and an invitation to the annual Veeam 100 Summit is even more exclusive—reserved for those whose insights actively influence product roadmaps and industry trends.
This year, a few representatives from Object First were invited to this select gathering, including Kira Bezhanova, Inside Sales Engineer, and Geoff Burke, Senior Technology Advisor, who have been recognized for their deep technical expertise and active contributions to the backup and data protection community. Kira and Geoff attended as recognized community leaders: Geoff as a Veeam Vanguard and Kira as a strong advocate for women in technology.
Below, I had the pleasure of interviewing them and asking them a few questions about their experience at the Veeam 100 Summit this year, which was held in Prague November 9 – 11, 2025.
1. Q (Sophia): What was it like attending the Veeam 100 Summit for the first time?
A (Kira): It was slightly challenging because I broke my ankle in late September and had to use a scooter. Thankfully, the event was held in the same hotel where I stayed, so getting around was easy. Assistance at the airport and hotel arrangements were smooth. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’m glad I went because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to attend for the first time.
2. Q (Sophia): How did this year feel compared to previous years?
A (Geoff): Every year is different. The community feeling, though, remains the same. Seeing people in person makes a huge difference. Sharing ideas and experiences is the most beneficial for me. Hearing other IT pros on what they have done in the real world (not just labs or marketing displays) is crucial to having a complete understanding of the product and its capabilities.
3. Q (Sophia): What was your favorite moment from the entire summit—and why did it stand out?
A (Kira): I don’t have one standout moment because all three evenings were enjoyable—I spent time with different groups each night, which helped me meet new people. From a technical perspective, the highlight was discussing a feature request with the product manager about enabling object storage as a staging repository for tape restores in Veeam Backup & Replication. Currently, restores require disk-based staging, which is a challenge for Object First environments. The product manager confirmed this wasn’t implemented because they assumed it wouldn’t be needed, but he added it to the feature request list for a future version. This was important because partners had raised issues with this limitation, and I wanted to ensure it was addressed.
A (Geoff): The most important moment was getting some critical answers about Veeam’s direction with cloud-native technologies. Those answers fall under red content,* so I can’t share specifics yet. But that’s one of the great advantages of being part of Veeam 100—you get access to information that isn’t public yet, which helps us plan future projects and stay ahead of industry trends.
* One thing worth explaining is the color-coded classification system Veeam uses for information shared at these summits:
- Green means the information is public and can be shared freely—tweet it, blog it, no problem.
- Yellow means proceed with caution. It’s semi-public, but you should double-check before sharing.
- Red means strictly confidential. Under no circumstances can it be shared outside the summit.
4. Q (Sophia): Can you walk us through the itinerary—what happened each day of the summit?
A (Kira):
- Day 1 (Monday, Nov 3): Hands-on lab session, followed by a reception with sponsors (Object First and Wasabi) and networking. It was a casual event with drinks and appetizers, then attendees were free to go to dinner.
- Day 2 (Tuesday, Nov 4): Full day of sessions starting at 9 AM, including a general session on community and sponsor presentations, then breakout sessions on various topics. Attendees could move between sessions based on interest.
- Day 3 (Wednesday, Nov 5): Another full day of sessions, ending with a brewery dinner for the closing event.
A (Geoff): My schedule was almost identical to Kira’s—general sessions, sponsor events, and breakout sessions. Some of the breakouts were highly technical and hard to summarize without delving into too much detail, and a few touched on classified information, so I’ll keep it high-level. Overall, the sessions reinforced Veeam’s commitment to innovation and community engagement. The networking opportunities were fantastic, and the chance to interact with other Veeam 100 members and ACEs added a lot of value. You can check out Object First Ace Nico Stein's Blog for a more detailed breakdown of each day of the summit.
5. Q (Sophia): Were there any sessions or activities that surprised you or exceeded expectations?
A (Kira): The Q&A session with all product managers on stage was excellent. You could ask any question about future features, and while they didn’t give timelines, they provided meaningful answers. That openness stood out.
A (Geoff): The plans for Veeam and Kubernetes virtualization were a highlight for me. While I can’t share specifics, I can say that the direction they’re taking with Kubernetes-related technologies—especially around distributions like OpenShift and Harvester—is exciting. These platforms are becoming critical for customers moving away from VMware, and Veeam’s strategy reflects that reality. It’s clear they’re thinking ahead about how to support modern workloads.
6. Q (Sophia): What were the key themes or focus areas of this year’s summit?
A (Kira): Security and AI were major themes. There was a lot of discussion about Data Security Posture Management, which focuses on monitoring data itself rather than just servers or media. I had to research it afterward because it was new to me.
A (Geoff): I'd also add data classification. What stood out to me was the idea that you can leverage your backups for more than just dormant restore points. Veeam is exploring ways to leverage AI not only to scan but also to monitor what is in your backups and where your data is. This means backups could become active participants in your security stance, not just passive storage. That’s a big shift in thinking and could redefine how organizations view backup data.
7. Q (Sophia): Were any new products or features revealed? Which announcement excited you the most?
A (Kira):
- Security AI: A big focus, though still vague.
- Automated Pen Testing: Not a Veeam feature yet but demonstrated using AI tools to run penetration tests via natural language prompts.
- Enterprise Plug-in Backup to Object Storage: Officially supported in V13, which removes previous workarounds for Oracle RMAN and SAP HANA backups.
A (Geoff): There were definitely announcements that got me excited—but they fell under red content, so I can’t share details yet. What I can say is that the roadmap includes enhancements that will make Veeam Backup & Replication even more powerful, and AI-driven capabilities are going to play a major role. Think smarter backups that help with compliance and security. It’s going to be a game changer.
8. Q (Sophia): Did you notice any major shifts or trends in Veeam’s messaging?
A (Kira): The core message remains cyber resilience, but I noticed new language like “unleash” tied to security AI. Also, Veeam continues expanding beyond VMware to support more hypervisors and platforms, signaling a shift toward broader flexibility.
A (Geoff): I wouldn’t say there were major shifts. Veeam is still focused on data protection at its core. What’s being added are extra layers of defense. Attackers are constantly evolving, so the defense has to stay in step. That’s where AI and security posture management come in.
9. Q (Sophia): How does being part of the Veeam 100 community influence your perspective on the industry?
A (Kira): It feels like a very open and collaborative community. I was added to a chat with MVPs and product managers, which makes it easy to ask questions or report issues directly. It’s clear that Veeam values feedback from this group and uses it to shape product development. I don’t think competitors like Cohesity or Commvault have similar global gatherings, so this initiative really stands out.
A (Geoff): It’s huge. Being part of Veeam 100 puts you inside the fence, so to speak. You get access to privileged information and can ask questions directly to the people shaping the roadmap. When you’re in person, talking over a few refreshments, it’s much easier to get candid answers. That insider perspective helps me plan future projects and understand where the industry is headed.
10. Q (Sophia): What’s your biggest takeaway from the summit?
A (Kira): The summit reinforced how influential the Veeam 100 community is in shaping product direction. It’s not just a marketing initiative—our feedback matters. Plus, the event showed how Veeam is evolving toward multi-platform support and integrating AI-driven security, which will impact the industry long term.
A (Geoff): The ability to get so much new information in such a short period of time. Between one-on-one conversations, breakout sessions, and the final Q&A with product managers, I left with a clear sense of where Veeam is headed.
