Robert Wenier, Global Head of Cloud and Infrastructure at AstraZeneca, shares his insights on navigating infrastructure challenges in the life sciences sector. He discusses the delicate balance between cloud technologies and endpoint storage, emphasizing strategic tech adoption while managing performance, risk, and cost. Wenier also delves into the shift towards object storage for unstructured data and the unique hurdles faced by larger enterprises compared to agile smaller firms in adopting generative AI solutions. His expertise highlights the future pathways for effective data management.
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Quick takeaways
Leaders in life sciences must strategically balance cloud and endpoint storage investments by managing the competing forces of performance, risk, and cost.
The effective use of cloud technology and hybrid models significantly differentiates large pharmaceutical players from smaller competitors in optimizing operations.
Deep dives
Balancing Infrastructure Investments
Leaders in legacy industries face significant challenges in balancing infrastructure investments between cloud technologies and endpoint storage. They must consider three competing forces: performance, risk, and cost in their strategic planning. Performance involves assessing whether the technology meets the desired value, while risk factors include security and capacity issues. Managing costs effectively requires understanding the technology well enough to optimize its use instead of overpaying for high-end solutions that may not be fully utilized.
Challenges in the Life Sciences Sector
In the pharmaceutical industry, technology executives need to navigate the dichotomy between the innovative nature of research and the outdated practices of manufacturing. Business leaders often chase the latest technological trends without fully understanding their implications, leading to environments that are difficult to manage. This complexity is compounded by the industry's reliance on two distinct categories: discovery and manufacturing, which have different operational needs and technological maturity. The emergence of tools like AWS SageMaker has democratized AI model building but also increases the challenge of managing rapid adoption and excitement around new technologies.
The Importance of Use Case Dependence
The separation between large players and smaller competitors often hinges on the effective use of cloud technology. Smaller organizations can benefit from hybrid models that integrate both cloud solutions and on-premise infrastructure tailored to specific business goals and use cases. The choice between various endpoint storage options plays a crucial role in optimizing operations, as different technologies offer distinct advantages for different applications. For instance, while training AI models may require extensive cloud resources, running inferencing tasks might be more cost-effective and efficient on localized servers.
Today’s guest is Robert Wenier, Global Head of Cloud and Infrastructure at AstraZeneca. Robert joins us on the program to explore the complex decisions faced by leaders in legacy industries as they balance infrastructure investments between cloud technologies and end-point storage. How can they align these investments with their business goals while managing the competing forces of performance, risk, and cost? We break down the strategic considerations: ensuring technology delivers the required performance, carefully monitoring risks like security and capacity, and managing costs to create value and maintain margins. This episode is sponsored by MinIO. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.
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