Vercel, a company known for its cloud infrastructure that allows developers to deploy agents without managing servers, has become one of the most central companies in AI software. With over 6 million deployments per day, half of which are triggered by coding agents, and more than 1 trillion tokens flowing through its AI gateway daily, Vercel’s influence in the industry is undeniable.
The Reality Check on Agents in Production
According to Guillermo Rauch, CEO of Vercel, last year was all about prototyping and unleashing the potential of agents. However, as the company learned from deploying hundreds of agents organically developed and deployed within the company, they quickly realized that there were significant challenges to overcome when it came to using agents in production.
Rauch highlights two key use cases for agents: coding agents and internal corporate agents. The former is driving a lot of token utilization worldwide, but the latter has proven to be just as crucial. Internal corporate agents can help automate tasks and improve productivity within companies, but they also require secure access to data and auditing capabilities.
To address these challenges, Vercel developed Eve, a framework that allows users to lay out an agent’s instructions and skills in natural language, and Vercel Sandbox, which provides a controlled environment for agents to operate while still allowing for policy enforcement.
The Rise of Open Models and the Shift Away from Big Labs
Rauch notes that there is a shift away from relying on a single lab partner, such as OpenAI or Anthropic, towards using open models like DeepSeek and GLM-5.2. This change in approach is driven by the desire for better price/performance characteristics and increased flexibility.
Vercel itself is benefiting from this trend, with Gemini models gaining popularity due to their competitive pricing and capabilities. The company’s CEO also highlights the importance of having open models available, allowing users to choose the best tool for the job rather than being locked into a single platform.
Competition with Big Labs
As Vercel continues to grow in influence, it is inevitable that they will compete directly with big labs like OpenAI. Rauch notes that this competition is not only about technology but also about business models and how companies choose to work with AI agents.
Conclusion
The rise of AI agents and the shift away from relying on a single lab partner are significant trends in the industry. Vercel’s CEO, Guillermo Rauch, provides valuable insights into these developments and highlights the importance of having open models available for users. As companies continue to explore the potential of AI, it will be interesting to see how Vercel and other players in the industry evolve.
Source: Original article