Lori Mac Vittie's blog posts

From packets to prompts: Inference adds a new layer to the stack

Inference is not training. It is not experimentation. It is not a data science exercise. Inference is production runtime behavior, and it behaves like an application tier.

Compression isn’t about speed anymore, it’s about the cost of thinking

In the AI era, compression reduces the cost of thinking—not just bandwidth. Learn how prompt, output, and model compression control expenses in AI inference.

Architecting for AI: Secure, scalable, multicloud

Operationalize AI-era multicloud with F5 and Equinix. Explore scalable solutions for secure data flows, uniform policies, and governance across dynamic cloud environments.

The efficiency trap: tokens, TOON, and the real availability question

Token efficiency in AI is trending, but at what cost? Explore the balance of performance, reliability, and correctness in formats like TOON and natural-language templates.

Multicloud data replication takes a village

Secure and scale multicloud data replication for AI. Learn how F5 and Equinix enable policy-driven connectivity, governance, and seamless network control.

Programmability is the only way control survives at AI scale

Learn why data and control plane programmability are crucial for scaling and securing AI-driven systems, ensuring real-time control in a fast-changing environment.

The top five tech trends to watch in 2026

Explore the top tech trends of 2026, where inference dominates AI, from cost centers and edge deployment to governance, IaaS, and agentic AI interaction loops.

Multicloud chaos ends at the Equinix Edge with F5 Distributed Cloud CE

Simplify multicloud security with Equinix and F5 Distributed Cloud CE. Centralize your perimeter, reduce costs, and enhance performance with edge-driven WAAP.

How AI inference changes application delivery

Learn how AI inference reshapes application delivery by redefining performance, availability, and reliability, and why traditional approaches no longer suffice.

The influence of inference: APIs, DPUs, and context chaos

AI, inference, and tokens, oh my!

AI applications run on inference servers, driven by tokens—not traffic. Discover why understanding tokens and JSON data is critical to designing smarter infrastructure.

Inference: The most important piece of AI you’re pretending isn’t there

Scaling AI means scaling inference. Learn why inference servers are critical for managing performance, telemetry, and security in production AI workloads.

Extranets aren’t dead; they just need an upgrade

Modernize your extranet: Explore how F5 and Equinix deliver repeatable, secure, and scalable partner connectivity without traditional network complexity.

When the agents walk in, your security model walks out

Agentic AI demands new security controls. Explore shifts in threat modeling, runtime policies, identity management, and observability to protect evolving infrastructures.

Managing context windows in AI isn’t magic. It’s architecture.

Discover why AI app builders must manage context, memory, and infrastructure while evolving delivery and security to prevent drift, latency, and prompt attacks.

Understanding AI agents: Construction, behavior, and boundary setting

Learn the differences between LLMs and AI agents, and explore how to build, govern, and scale application-bound agents for secure and reliable automation.

Classification and the evolution of application delivery

AI and agent-driven requests demand smarter routing. Explore how classification enables modern traffic management and prepares infrastructure for orchestration.

Observability in the age of AI agents

Agentic AI accelerates network impact with more traffic, dense pathways, and telemetry needs. Discover how enterprises can prepare for this operational shift.

When smart isn’t safe: What my reef tank taught me about AI, automation, and circuit breakers

Discover how AI, automation, and resilience intertwine, and why fallback strategies, circuit breakers, and infrastructure limits are critical to prevent failure.

When Complexity Becomes the Enemy: How Operational Workflow Sprawl Threatens Performance and Delivery

Explore how operational workflow complexity threatens uptime, resilience, and delivery, and why simplifying processes is key to modern app infrastructure.

Context Is the New Perimeter: Governing AI Agents with Programmable Application Delivery

AI agents carry context with every request—but drift, bloat, and stale policies threaten reliability. Learn how programmable delivery can enforce cognitive hygiene.

The State of AI Readiness: Moving from Ambition to Architecture

Our latest research cuts through the noise and takes a hard look at where organizations actually stand.

AI Agents Moving Decision-Making Up the Stack

AI agents move decision-making into requests, redefining infrastructure. Learn how to prepare for runtime delegation with policy-first, intent-aware systems.

MCP Actually Does Introduce New Risks. Are you ready?

MCP introduces new risks like context drift, shadow agents, and denial of context. Learn how to address these challenges before AI agents derail your workflows.

Goodbye Consoles, Hello Agents: The AI Revolution in Management

By 2035, AIOps will replace traditional management consoles, revolutionizing app delivery and security. Learn how this shift is already taking shape.

Rapid Response, Custom Control: The Power of Programmability

Programmable data planes are essential for modern app delivery and security. Learn how rapid customization and control can mitigate threats and boost performance.

The New Bot War: Everyone You Know Might Be Fake

AI-powered bots mimic human behavior, creating fake influence at scale. Explore how this war on authenticity breaks trust signals and challenges detection systems.

SOAS 2025: Misalignment Means Mediocrity

Misalignment in AI deployment leads to inefficiency. Discover how aligning strategies in security, automation, and deployment can unlock AI's full potential.

WAAP Evolution: From ‘Web App and API’ to ‘Web, API, and AI’ Protection

WAAP evolves to include AI protection. Learn why web, API, and AI security are crucial in our latest research.

All Eyes on Automation

Discover how AIOps and automation are transforming IT operations. Get insights from our State of Application Strategy 2025 report and boost your IT efficiency.