IBM × NIX Happy Hour on Protecting Profitability in 2026

As companies plan for 2026, one question keeps surfacing: How do we protect profitability while continuing to move the business forward?

This idea shaped the IBM × NIX Happy Hour on December 12 at The Tampa Club, where Tampa’s technology and business leaders gathered to discuss the financial and operational realities they’re facing going into the new year.

Our team organized the event to encourage open and practical conversations, and the room quickly filled with leaders ready to compare experiences, ask detailed questions, and align on smarter strategies for the year ahead.

Insight That Mattered

We opened the evening with insights from Shane Efferz, who highlighted the challenges most organizations are now trying to solve: unpredictable cloud bills, growing tool stacks, increasing operational overhead, and the pressure to ensure technology contributes measurable value.

A key highlight came from Ric Halsaver, IBM North America Principal FlashSystem Specialist. With decades of experience in storage and data resilience, Ric provided clear, experience-backed perspectives on Flash Storage, operational continuity, and rapid recovery after cyber incidents, prompting thoughtful discussion around the room.

Expertise in Action

Not all of our IBM partners were on stage, but their presence was felt throughout the evening. Their engagement in the conversations, practical insights, and willingness to dive into questions added real value for everyone there.

This is exactly what makes the NIX × IBM partnership so important: when we combine our expertise, the community receives clearer answers, better guidance, and greater confidence in the decisions they make. Their contributions helped attendees better understand storage, resilience, and cost-optimization strategies for 2026 in a way that was both practical and actionable.

Challenges on the Table

Across discussions, leaders repeatedly returned to the same concerns:

• cloud costs expanding faster than revenue
  
• tool stacks growing without governance
  
• uncertainty around the true cost and ROI of AI

One key insight stood out: profitability in 2026 will come not from cutting harder, but from managing smarter.

Stronger Connections Ahead

The evening concluded with an informal networking session, where attendees continued their conversations with our NIX team — Shane, Ruslan, Marcus, and Tom — as well as Ric, other IBM partners, and fellow guests. It was a simple yet valuable opportunity for everyone to compare priorities, share perspectives, and foster stronger connections within the Tampa tech community.

The IBM × NIX Happy Hour delivered what we hoped for: practical insights, open conversations, and a comfortable space for leaders to prepare for the year ahead.