Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

Road to Oracle CloudWorld | Cloud Giants UniteThe Big ThemesHistoric multi-cloud partnership: Oracle and Microsoft's recent meeting marks a historic collaboration in the world of cloud computing. Larry Ellison was on the Microsoft campus for the first time, appearing with Satya Nadella. This partnership signifies the culmination of years of effort in promoting multi-cloud tools, making it easier for customers to utilize both companies' services.Interconnected clouds: The integration between Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Azure allows for a more seamless experience and eliminates the barriers customers face when dealing with different vendors. Customers can now use Oracle database services just like any other Azure service, simplifying operations and preserving existing commitments.Looking toward CloudWorld: The Oracle and Microsoft partnership announcement couldn't have come at a better time, setting the stage for significant discussions and presentations during CloudWorld, with real-life demos and details about different regions. Attendees can also expect a focus on generative AI at the event.The Big Quote: " . . . essentially, you're able to now use Oracle database services, just like you would any other Azure service. Whether it's a database service or a past service, the experience is no different. The great news is that you can use your Microsoft commitments, but you can also use all of your existing Oracle programs, whether it's your ULA [unlimited license agreement], your support rewards, [or] BYOL [bring your own license]." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Episode 39 |Gen AI’s Impact on BusinessThe Big Themes:The focus of technology buyers. Buyers are paying attention to Gen AI’s potential to transform a business. There are going to be increasingly more enhanced, or entirely new, roles, like prompt engineer, to help companies harness the power of new technology.Getting off the sidelines. Technology buyers and other executives who did not adopt technologies like the PC, internet, and mobile fast enough were left behind. Tony remembers people not understanding why they needed PCs when they had typewriters and thinks those not diving into Gen AI may be making a similar mistake.Turbocharged co-creation. Generative AI will enable the production of more exciting software tools and applications by creating new opportunities for collaborative platforms and leveling the playing field for contributors from varied technical backgrounds. Sponsored by NetSuiteThe Big Quote: “Gen AI has the opportunity to help us create collaborative platforms for co-creation, that will have capabilities that are just simply mindblowing. Because again, go back to, you don’t have to always be somebody who knows how to code, you don’t have to be somebody that knows how to do data analytics at a supercomputer level, right? The power of these tools will allow that.” Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Banking's move to the cloud: The banking industry is shifting from building and maintaining on-premise infrastructure to adopting cloud services to improve efficiency and agility. The shift is gradual due to the responsibility of safeguarding data and complying with stringent regulatory requirements.Global regulations: Navigating diverse global privacy laws and regulatory requirements remains one of the industry's biggest challenges. There are few common positions, although regional agreements are a step in the right direction. There's an example of a customer who had to talk to more than 50 different regulators while implementing an SAP suite.AI and machine learning: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being applied in banking processes to improve efficiency, predict contract consumption, and provide guided buying procedures. The Big Quote: ". . .cloud is not like the old managed services where you took your mess, and you made it someone else's problem to execute. It really does require you to understand what you have today [and] where you want to go. And you have to be prepared for that. Because otherwise, it really could be a very unpleasant deployment . . . we avoided a lot of that by being prepared and taking our time and not rushing." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Episode 31 | Keeping Customers Happy Today’s customer success: Customer success is not just about selling products but ensuring that customers achieve value and satisfaction from their purchases. In terms of software implementation, early stages are critical for customer success, with the first year being defining.Evolving sales team: Sales teams are involved longer than they have been in the past. Having the same salesperson throughout a multiyear contract is ideal. The emphasis on customer success and customer satisfaction is important for sales teams because it’s another selling point for them. Reviews and other measurements are helpful for sales teams.Clear communication and expectations: Misaligned expectations can lead to project failures and dissatisfaction. Clear communication between customers, partners, and vendors is necessary to avoid misunderstandings and to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding goals, timelines, and outcomes.The Big Quote: “Customers don’t want to be marketed to anymore. They want to hear realistic stories, they want to hear candor from clients who have gone through the experience . . . authenticity is so important.”Stream the audio version of this episode: Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Innovating InsuranceThe Big Themes:Cloud adoption challenges and benefits: Cloud adoption has been relatively slow because insurance companies and financial institutions tend to act conservatively, but now it's picking up. A core cloud enabler has been the need to standardize and centralize systems in order to increase speed, bring down costs, and bring in more data quality and transparency.Generative AI integration: GenAI is the next step after the movement from on-prem to cloud is completed, although some companies have already begun integrating it. Gen AI, along with the cloud, will dramatically change insurance so that ten years from now the public might not even recognize where insurance is bought from or where it is included.Regulatory compliance and localized requirements: Global companies like Sun Life must make sure they meet many different countries' regulations and requirements. Regulations can go beyond countries and regions and come from different companies or governments. Regulatory compliance for insurance often necessitates data centers in specific countries. The Big Quote: "The objective is to further simplify, standardize, in the end, the core systems, because only by doing that [will] companies . . . be able to go into a public cloud now. The end goal ... is not the private cloud. It's the public cloud, and in the public cloud, standardization is a key topic. And in the public cloud, SAP is offering [the] right services." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

We’re on the Road to Oracle CloudWorld. From September 18-21 in Las Vegas, Oracle will bring together its customers and partners. Acceleration Economy’s Road to Oracle CloudWorld series will feature Oracle execs previewing what’s to come at this year’s conference. For this podcast, I spoke with Peter Jazowick, CIO, Specialized Bicycle Components, who will be a featured speaker at the event. Road to Oracle CloudWorld | A Cloud-First TransitionThe Big ThemesPandemic innovation opportunities: Specialized Bicycle Components experienced accelerated sales and a difficult supply chain during the pandemic. It was a chance for Oracle to be utilized as a strategic partner. The company transitioned to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and had a cloud-first approach as it tackled its issues. Reliability and scalability of platforms became paramount to support and enable the business.Technical debt focus: Technical debt was addressed in part by investing in technology and partnering with Oracle’s Customer Success Services (CSS), which led to accelerated project delivery and increased support satisfaction.Co-creation with business: Specialized’s global technology 2027 strategy has a focused theme on co-creation with business. Business and technology leadership will work together and co-create to have alignment and accountability across the board. Jazowick sees this as critical in order to build morale and increase delivery across the company.The Big Quote: ” . . . subscription-based models or pay-as-you-go models, those are all opportunities that we didn’t have pre-pandemic . . . And as we . . . brought in and transformed our B2B platform with CX [customer experience] commerce with Oracle, and really drove growth with the partnership with our retailers, that allowed us to look at those other business models and [have] technology empower and accelerate those areas. “ Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Road to Oracle CloudWorld | IAC’s Oracle JourneyThe Big ThemesIAC’s use of Oracle Technology: IAC, a conglomerate of diverse companies, employs various Oracle products to streamline transactions, accounting, finance, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. It historically used third-party hosting facilities but has migrated everything to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).Innovation and growth: Oracle applications provide tools for intricate revenue and lease accounting rules, negating the need for third-party systems. This approach offers better control, compliance, and cost-effectiveness and promotes innovation and growth.Enhancing Employee and Customer Experiences: All end users, including employees, should be considered customers. Oracle’s technology enables smoother experiences by improving backend systems. An example is given of a significant reduction in processing time for a specific report.The Big Quote: “So, with various 606 revenue rules, with various 842 lease accounting rules, the Oracle applications allow us to expand and utilize the functionality that’s inherently available in the applications, therefore allowing us not to bolt in any third-party applications, which is hugely beneficial for multiple reasons. One being, you have one less system to manage; two, you have better compliance and controls over the data; [and] three, it’s cost-efficient, as well.”Want to be part of the action at Oracle CloudWorld 2023?Get an Oracle pass to join in person. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Episode 29 | Don't Miss the ParadeNote: this episode contains explicit language.The Big Themes:Carrots and sticks: Maintaining a balance between rewards and consequences is important for society. The absence of effective deterrents, such as appropriate punishment, can lead to a decline in individual responsibility and social cohesion.Shift in VC investment behavior: There's a strong trend towards investing in AI-related companies. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has gripped the VC community, driving many to invest in AI startups to avoid being left behind. This AI frenzy can lead to both promising innovations and potential investment bubbles.Opportunity and awareness gap: While many acknowledge the potential of AI, a substantial number of individuals, including smart and established players, remain passive or ignorant about the ongoing technological revolution.The Big Quote: "We're at the very front end of AI, and it reminds me of [an] old expression . . . there's three kinds of people. There's the people in the parade, and there's the people who watch the parade, and there's the people who said, 'Oh, is there a parade?' And there's a stunning number of people who don't even know there's a parade right now . . . that's where the opportunity is." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Road to Oracle CloudWorld | Shifting CX Dynamics The Big ThemesAttendee conference goals: A conference shouldn’t only be a product showcase. At CloudWorld, attendees can expect not only to hear about new features and products but also to network with peers and Oracle leaders and learn about what’s changing for CX practitioners.Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and CX transformation: Gen AI is having a huge impact on the CX domain. Many customer processes benefit from large language models and innovating those into Fusion Cloud applications. Gen AI leans heavily into Fusion Cloud’s push to build truly end-to-end flowsRise of the subscription business model: The subscription business model is becoming the new normal, and the Fusion Applications Suite enables it in the back-office and the front-office. Salespeople must readjust their behaviors and processes to handle subscriptions effectively.The Big Quote: “There are lots of companies that were not born in the cloud and obviously have worked for a long time with [a] . . . non-recurring revenue model, a one-time interaction between a customer and a vendor . . . That’s changing dramatically in every industry . . . customers want to subscribe to usage.” Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Road to Oracle CloudWorld | Databases with Jenny Tsai-SmithThe Big ThemesInclusive to all customers: After last year, when some on-premises customers mistakenly thought that the conference might be geared exclusively to cloud customers, Oracle is using the name "Database World at CloudWorld" to make it clear that cloud, hybrid, and on-premises Oracle Database customers are all included.AI integrated into Oracle Database: Oracle has incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into its database offerings. The company already supports over 30 ML algorithms within the database, enabling data processing and training without moving data outside. Graph analytics and real-time graph views are among the upcoming AI-related features.Enhancements in Exadata and developer support: Oracle's Exadata product line, in collaboration with AMD, brings enhanced performance through increased memory, processing speed, and storage. The company is committed to supporting a variety of customer configurations, acknowledging the transition to the cloud while ensuring on-premises options. Developers are also a focus, with a developer-friendly release approach, tools to increase productivity, and discussions about features like Kubernetes support and data processing enhancements. The Big Quote: " . . we're going back to those some roots, if you will, and looking at what are things that developers really care about? Maybe they're even suffering through. And how can we solve those kinds of problems for them?" Visit Cloud Wars for more.