As enterprises race to move artificial intelligence from pilot projects to real-world deployment, one challenge is becoming impossible to ignore — governance. Managing how AI models, APIs, applications, and data pipelines interact across complex enterprise environments has emerged as one of the biggest barriers to scaling AI securely and efficiently.
In response to this growing industry need, Persistent Systems and Kong Inc. have announced a strategic partnership aimed at simplifying enterprise AI governance and accelerating secure AI adoption across hybrid and multi-cloud ecosystems.
The collaboration combines Persistent Systems’ deep expertise in enterprise modernisation and engineering services with Kong’s advanced API connectivity platform to help businesses integrate, govern, secure, and manage AI workloads at scale.
Tackling the Growing Complexity of Enterprise AI
While access to powerful AI models has rapidly expanded in recent years, enterprises are increasingly discovering that deploying AI at scale is about far more than choosing the right model. Organisations now face mounting operational complexity in managing APIs, securing sensitive data, controlling AI traffic, and ensuring compliance across distributed cloud environments.
The partnership between Persistent Systems and Kong is designed to address exactly these challenges.
The companies plan to introduce a unified “control layer” that will allow enterprises to securely govern AI systems while streamlining operations across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures. This unified architecture is expected to help organisations manage how intelligence flows between applications, APIs, AI models, and enterprise data systems.
By creating a more structured and secure AI environment, the partnership aims to reduce fragmentation and improve visibility into enterprise AI operations.
APIs Becoming the Backbone of Enterprise AI
A key focus of the collaboration is recognising APIs as critical infrastructure for the future of AI-driven enterprises.
Traditionally viewed as simple integration tools, APIs are now evolving into the foundational control mechanisms that connect AI services, applications, and enterprise data environments. As generative AI and agentic AI systems become more deeply integrated into business operations, the ability to securely manage API traffic has become essential.
Anand Krishnan, Executive Vice President at Persistent Systems, highlighted this shift while discussing the partnership.
He noted that enterprise AI success will not depend solely on access to advanced models, but rather on how effectively organisations can govern the movement of intelligence across their systems.
According to Krishnan, APIs are no longer just integration points — they are becoming the operational control layer for enterprise AI ecosystems.
Supporting Secure Generative AI Deployment
The collaboration also places a strong emphasis on enabling secure deployment of generative AI and agentic AI workflows.
As enterprises increasingly experiment with AI-powered automation and decision-making systems, concerns around security, compliance, and data privacy continue to intensify. Businesses must ensure that sensitive enterprise information remains protected while AI systems operate across multiple platforms and environments.
To address these concerns, the joint solution will include advanced safeguards such as:
- Personally identifiable information (PII) protection
- Centralised access management
- Policy-driven governance controls
- End-to-end observability and monitoring tools
- Secure API traffic management
These capabilities are expected to help organisations maintain stronger governance standards while scaling AI initiatives more confidently.
Modernising Legacy Enterprise Infrastructure
Another major aspect of the partnership involves helping enterprises modernise legacy API environments.
Many large organisations still rely on outdated infrastructure that was never designed to support AI-intensive workloads or real-time data orchestration. Modern AI systems require seamless connectivity between cloud platforms, applications, databases, and intelligent services — something legacy environments often struggle to deliver.
Persistent Systems and Kong aim to help enterprises transition from fragmented legacy architectures to modern, AI-ready ecosystems capable of supporting scalable and secure AI operations.
The companies believe this modernisation effort will enable businesses to move beyond isolated AI experiments and build production-grade AI systems with stronger governance, compliance, and operational resilience.
Building the Future of AI Connectivity Infrastructure
Ken Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Development at Kong, emphasised the increasing importance of API infrastructure in enterprise AI transformation.
According to Kim, APIs are rapidly becoming the connective tissue that links AI services, enterprise data, and model endpoints across cloud environments. He stated that Kong is focused on building AI connectivity infrastructure that enables organisations to securely manage, govern, and scale AI workloads regardless of the cloud platform or AI model being used.
The partnership reflects a broader industry trend in which enterprises are shifting focus from simply adopting AI tools to building sustainable, secure, and scalable AI ecosystems.
Why This Partnership Matters
As enterprise AI adoption accelerates globally, governance and operational control are emerging as decisive competitive advantages. Organisations are now prioritising frameworks that not only enable innovation but also ensure compliance, security, and reliability at scale.
The alliance between Persistent Systems and Kong signals a growing recognition that successful AI transformation requires robust infrastructure capable of orchestrating APIs, data, and AI systems seamlessly across increasingly complex environments.
By combining enterprise modernisation capabilities with AI connectivity infrastructure, the partnership could play a significant role in helping businesses operationalise AI more securely and efficiently in the years ahead.
About Persistent Systems
Persistent Systems is a global technology services and solutions company specialising in digital engineering, enterprise modernisation, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software product development. Headquartered in India, the company partners with businesses across industries to accelerate digital transformation through innovative technology solutions and scalable engineering expertise. With a strong focus on AI-driven innovation, data analytics, cybersecurity, and cloud-native technologies, Persistent Systems helps enterprises modernise legacy infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and deliver enhanced digital experiences for customers worldwide.
About Kong Inc.
Kong Inc. is a leading API connectivity and AI infrastructure company that enables organisations to securely manage, govern, and scale APIs and AI workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Known for its advanced API gateway and connectivity platform, Kong helps enterprises streamline application integration, enhance security, and optimise traffic management for modern digital ecosystems. The company plays a critical role in supporting AI-driven enterprises by providing the infrastructure needed to connect applications, data systems, services, and AI models with improved reliability, observability, and governance.
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