Dell, HP Reap Revenue Gains From AI Server Demand Surge

Roundup #5

Hello data folks 👋

Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise have reported record AI server revenues as enterprises move beyond pilot programs. Dell shipped more AI servers in H1 2025 than all of 2024, with server revenues up 69% to $12.9B. HP saw similar gains with $1.6B in AI systems revenue.

Enterprises are moving generative AI from pilot projects into full production. The server market surged 134% year-over-year in Q1 2025 to $95.2B. IDC reports this as the largest quarterly growth in 25 years.

Source: CIO Dive

Salesforce Cuts 4,000 Customer Service Jobs As AI Agents Replace Human Staff

ODSC | September 4, 2025 | 3 minute read

Salesforce eliminated 4,000 customer service positions as AI agents now handle 50% of consumer interactions, reducing support staff from 9,000 to 5,000 since early 2025.

CEO Marc Benioff reported 17% cost savings from the automation shift, with AI agents managing over one million customer conversations. This shows accelerating industry adoption with generative AI transitioning from augmentation to direct replacement of white-collar roles.

Why PostgreSQL Still Reigns in 2025 Despite the AI DB Craze

Hash Block | September 1, 2025 | 5 minute read

PostgreSQL remains the dominant database choice in 2025 despite the AI-native database funding explosion. Teams treat Postgres as foundational infrastructure rather than replacement target.

While VCs pour millions into vector-first databases like Pinecone and Weaviate, most organizations layer these AI tools on top of existing Postgres infrastructure. The pgvector extension now enables semantic search directly within Postgres, eliminating the need for separate vector databases in many use cases. A Fortune 100 retailer recently chose pgvector over standalone solutions to avoid managing additional database vendors.

How Much Do Data Engineers Make in the USA?

Simplilearn | August 28, 2025 | 13 minute read

Data engineer salaries in the US hit $130K median in 2025, with top companies like Apple ($279K) and Meta ($263K) leading compensation. The sector added 20,000+ jobs with 22.89% industry growth, driven by cloud platform adoption and demand for generalist skills.

Entry-level engineers start at $105K, while 15+ year veterans command $177K+. California and Alaska cities dominate the highest-paying markets, with Santa Clara and surrounding Bay Area locations reaching $150K+ medians.

There’s also a visible shift toward well-rounded data engineers who can handle pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and visualization rather than narrow specialists.

Two More Things

Feeling stuck in my data engineering career – what should I do next? (Reddit)

The “four-headed dragon” of data warehouses (Linkedin)

That’s the brief.