Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I dive into how the U.S. House of Representatives is reversing its ban on Microsoft Copilot, signaling a major shift in government AI adoption and a strong endorsement for Microsoft’s AI capabilities.Highlights00:07 — Last year, staffers at the U.S. House of Representatives were prohibited from using Microsoft Copilot with official documents. This was due to concerns about House data security. Now that decision has been overturned. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that technology could unlock extraordinary savings for the government, "if we do it right."01:10 — This news has two key takeaways. First, as Speaker Johnson stated, the U.S. government wants to win the AI race. To achieve this, it must lead by example. This approach not only helps to instill public confidence in the technology, but also demonstrates direct support for the companies it hopes will drive U.S. dominance in AI.01:39 — Secondly, this serves as an excellent advertisement for Microsoft — in particular, for Microsoft Copilot. With the House of Representatives selecting Microsoft Copilot as the first widely implemented AI technology to be rolled out to staffers — I say first because more initiatives are in the pipeline — they couldn't provide a more authoritative endorsement.  Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I analyze Larry Ellison’s decision to appoint Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as the company’s new co‑CEOs.Highlights00:21 — Oracle's entering a new era now with two new co-CEOs being named to replace Safra Catz. On Monday, Oracle announced that Safra Catz, is going to be stepping out of the CEO role and becoming executive vice chairman. She clarified in a follow-up call that she's still an Oracle employee.01:10 — She'll still be there, eager to work with the two new CEOs along with Larry Ellison, as they've done, but that it's time for her, she said, to hand over the reins of CEO. Both Catz and Ellison appear to be extremely confident and bullish on the capabilities of the two new CEOs, Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia. Why these two? Why now?02:15 — Magouyrk has been the leader of OCI, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. He's been the one behind a lot of the plans that has made OCI one of the fastest-growing businesses the tech industry has ever seen. The other executive, Mike Sicilia, came in as part of Oracle's industry solutions unit through the Primavera acquisition, focused on project management.03:07 — Sicilia has gotten deeply into the business models of various industries: the way they use technologies, the way they want to use technologies, and how AI can be a true game-changer for their revenue models. They've been picked because Ellison believes that they can pull off his ultimate vision: hardware and software engineered together to drive incredible performance.04:10 — They become indistinguishable, so their performance gets much greater, and that is going to be so important here in the AI Revolution. Also, Oracle wants to build this notion of fully integrated, end-to-end industry suites — not just, you know, complementary suites for HR or finance or ERP, but rather industry-specific solutions.04:46 — Why is the co-CEO model appropriate here? I have not been a fan for a long time of the co-CEO model, but here's why I think it makes sense. Somebody had to come in and replace the legendary Safra Catz. That's huge shoes to fill. I think it's good for the two of them, Sicilia and Magouyrk, to know that neither of them is going to be expected to be a one-for-one replacement for Safra Catz.05:24 — Larry Ellison, as always, has set a wildly ambitious technology agenda for the company. So, in addition to running the technology parts of their business, they're going to have to handle all the other things that a CEO has to handle — from finances and Wall Street investors to more. They've also got to fill what is rapidly approaching a half-trillion-dollar pipeline.06:01 — I think Larry Ellison said in the press release announcing this, “I look forward to spending the coming years working side by side with Magouyrk and Sicilia.” Ellison is signaling he's not going anywhere. And Catz said again, she's not disappearing. We'll be talking lots more about this and related issues in the weeks to come, leading up to Oracle AI World, October 13. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I break down Microsoft's historic $30 billion investment in UK AI infrastructure — and what it really means for the balance of power between global tech giants and national innovation.Highlights00:05 — Microsoft has announced plans to invest $30 billion in AI infrastructure and ongoing operations in the UK. The investment includes $15 billion for capital expenditure to expand Microsoft’s data center footprint in the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Microsoft's landmark investment is a powerful vote of confidence in UK leadership in AI and cutting-edge technology.01:07 — This announcement was made during Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK. Accompanying him during this journey were Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The U.S. tech industry holds significant bargaining power. A collaboration like this is incredibly important for a country like the UK.01:35 — However, I'm also reminded of comments made by Siemens CEO Roland Busch and SAP CEO Christian Klein, who urged the EU to reconsider its AI legislation, arguing that current laws were causing Europe to fall behind. There's a risk that countries like the UK, despite financially benefiting from AI investment, will ultimately serve as a conduit for U.S companies. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I explore how the long-dismissed "legacy" giant Oracle continues to defy the odds and outperform expectations — particularly in the cloud database space.Highlights00:14 — It's interesting what a little bit of time reveals to us. I was looking over Oracle's numbers last week. It made me think back not too long ago, 10–12 years, we heard about all the Oracle Database killers, these startups with different companies that were going to knock Oracle off. So that whole fantasy fizzled.01:42 — There were some wild fantasies that some high-level executives were willing to attach their names to publicly. So here's a good one: The Oracle killer, was supposedly a new project by AWS — a database service 10 years ago, a database migration service brought out by AWS. It had been out for one week, and Business Insider called it the Oracle killer.02:26 — The former MongoDB CEO, in multiple articles, prophesied Oracle's doom. He said they’d lost the heart and soul of the developers, that they were legacy, that they couldn't keep up. I wonder what this guy's doing now — see if he's got his storyline a little bit more tightly fastened to what reality is doing.03:02 — We see that Oracle's cloud database services for Q1, which ended August 31, were up 32% to almost $700 million — so getting close to a $3 billion annualized run rate. And its multi-cloud business — where they've got the Oracle Database that wasn't killed, now being sold by Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud — that revenue was up over 1,500%.05:10 — I love these startup tech companies — they’re creating lots of new value. It’s when one, two, three, or four of those startups start chirping about how they’re going to rule the world soon, and they’re going to be the “so-and-so killers.” That, to me, is a good sign that you should look elsewhere to give your business. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I explore Workday’s bold entry into the ERP space and share insights from my interview with Gerrit Kazmaier on how AI and data are reshaping enterprise software.Highlights00:24 — Last week, 30,000 people were at Workday’s big Rising event in San Francisco. I had a chance to sit down with Product and Technology President Gerrit Kazmaier to talk about his views on how the Workday approach to ERP is going to be different from what we see from other players.01:08 — Kazmaier brings enterprise applications, data, data cloud, hyperscale — all those different backgrounds, expertise, and experiences — to Workday. And now he's taken a very aggressive agenda in these first six or seven months, leading up to this notion of ERP. Workday moved into the ERP space with a lot of new introductions, agents, and more at last week's Rising event.01:48 —And a couple of things that Kazmaier talks about: Kazmaier believes the ERP concept is right — giving business leaders a chance to see what's going on inside their companies from multiple perspectives with fully integrated applications. But he feels that the tools have been outdated, too difficult, too slow, too fragmented.02:08 —So Workday, although for its first 20 years had avoided getting into ERP, now feels that the time is right to give huge value to customers. Also, for the Data Cloud, it's now got partnerships to enhance the way it's able to give customers better use and value from the data they have. These include partnerships with Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft, and Salesforce.02:54 —So that full interview with Gerrit Kazmaier, President of Products and Technology at Workday, is coming up here. It's got not just him in a new role, but also Rob Enslin, over the last several months, as Chief Commercial President and Chief Commercial Officer, and a new Chief Technology Officer, Peter Bayless, who came to Workday from Google Cloud. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In this episode, Bob Evans chats with Gerrit Kazmaier, President, Products and Technology, Workday. They explore how Workday is evolving into a platform company, the role of AI agents in reshaping enterprise workflows, and why trust, accuracy, and extensibility are key to future-ready business solutions. Kazmaier also discusses Workday’s approach to ecosystem innovation and composable ERP.Workday’s AI FutureThe Big Themes:AI at the Core: Workday is reshaping how enterprises operate by embedding AI into the core of their business processes. This isn’t about slapping AI onto legacy systems as a side panel or assistant. It’s about redefining how people work, with AI-led experiences, purpose-built agents, and intelligent orchestration. From onboarding to payroll, Workday is transforming each layer of the enterprise with tools that understand business context.Open Platform and Data Integration: Customers demand flexibility and interoperability. Workday is responding by making openness a foundational principle — not just a tagline. Through partnerships with Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft, and Salesforce, Workday ensures that enterprise data is not locked away but is seamlessly integrated across platforms. Whether you're building a forecasting model in Snowflake or enriching financials in Workday, the data now flows freely.Workday’s Focus: Kazmaier referenced a quote: “Technology evolves from primitive to complex to simple.” Today’s ERP systems sit in the “complex” phase — bloated, hard to manage, and expensive. Workday’s goal is to move ERP into the “simple” era. That means intuitive, intelligent systems that just work — powered by AI, open by design, and personalized for each user. The aim is to empower CEOs to drive outcomes, and employees to thrive at work, without wading through process chaos or outdated tools.The Big Quote: “I frankly think that today, the default is that vendors have a slew of generic agents, they hand them over to their customers, and wish them good luck in figuring out how it's supposed to work. When we say, open AI platform, I talk about purpose-built frameworks and tools like our new Agent Builder . . . so that you can seamlessly compose, you know, workflows in the definition and context of your business and expect them to work with high accuracy and reliability, without becoming an AI expert yourself."Learn more:Follow Gerrit on LinkedIn, and read more about Workday and agentic AI. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I look at Microsoft’s decision to bring Copilot into the living room through Samsung TVs and monitors.Highlights00:02 — Copilot will be launched on select Samsung TVs and monitors. David Washington, Partner and General Manager of Microsoft AI, stated, “Copilot on Samsung TVs and monitors brings AI out of your pocket and into the heart of your home."00:37 — Interestingly, Copilot will not just appear as a logo or button on smart TVs and monitors. Instead, it will take the form of an animated character that reacts and lip-syncs while conversing with users. The small responses will not be limited to just text and voice; they will also be represented through flash cards, including ratings and other important details.01:17 — As users begin to encounter Copilot in multiple places throughout the day — whether while writing in a Word document, using their phones, or ultimately switching on their TVs or monitors — the presence of Copilot will become normalized. For me, this is the most important takeaway from this significant extension to Microsoft's existing partnership. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I look at Workday’s bold pivot into the ERP market — after 20 years of steering clear.Highlights00:14 — Workday has been having a lively week here in San Francisco at its big Rising event. But I think the biggest news here is that Workday says that after 20 years of saying, "Hey, we don't do ERP," now Workday’s going into the ERP market. But they say it's ERP for the AI Era, it's going to be powered by agents and AI.01:05 — It introduced a fleet of new agents that will become available later this year or into 2026. Workday introduced its own Data Cloud. Workday is striving, it said, to be the most open platform company, the most open agents-and-applications company. They're applying more AI into all parts of their core platform and their existing applications.01:59 — They're making it easier for developers to jump into this new AI and ERP world, where they are leveraging very aggressively 20 years of HR and financial data. And of course, now, with their Agent System of Record, Workday says it can not only help you manage your people and your money, but also your agents. So again, all of this is bound into their new approach to ERP.03:06 — Now, Snowflake calls itself the AI Data Cloud. It's had a partnership with Workday. It's expanded that so Snowflake users can easily access all their Workday data and vice versa. Workday will make it as easy as possible for customers to take full advantage of its data, to tie processes together, to get agents to work together in seamless ways, and more.04:06 — It's always been moving in this direction, but with its full embrace now of ERP, rather than in the past, when it either tried to pretend ERP didn't exist, or that it was above that, and they were leaving that to what they always referred to as the legacy players, or the dinosaurs.05:00 — The good news is, with all of this, ERP continues to be — in its new modular form — agent-driven. It continues to be an essential force for companies to run their businesses as well. Glad to see Workday get into this. The competition is going to be great for Workday. It's going to be great for its competitors. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Gary Miller, Executive Vice President and Customer Success Officer, Oracle, talks to Bob Evans about how Oracle is helping customers navigate their AI journeys — whether they're just starting out or scaling enterprise-wide adoption. He shares how Oracle is embedding AI across its entire technology stack, aligning partner and customer success strategies, and empowering organizations through tools like Cloud Success Navigator, Innovation Studios, and democratized AI training to deliver real, measurable business value.AI-Powered Customer WinsThe Big Themes:Embedding AI Across the Entire Stack: Oracle is not just adding AI as a feature — it’s fundamentally integrating AI into its entire technology stack. Gary Miller notes that many customers are surprised to discover that large language models are being trained and deployed on OCI, and that hundreds of AI capabilities are embedded directly into Fusion Applications and Oracle Database. Once customers understand this depth of integration, they quickly shift from curiosity to action, asking for guidance on how to adopt AI now, what use cases to prioritize, and how to define success.Cloud Success Navigator Is Central to AI Adoption Strategy: The Oracle Cloud Success Navigator has emerged as a pivotal tool for AI and cloud adoption. What started as a promise in a previous conversation is now a robust, free digital platform that helps customers and partners create innovation roadmaps, prioritize features, and accelerate time to value. With over 6,000 customers and 235 partners using the platform since March, the tool enables organizations to track over 11,000 adopted features — including 450 AI-specific ones.AI World 2025 Will Spotlight Real Customer Outcomes: At the upcoming AI World 2025 event, Oracle plans to go beyond product announcements to highlight customer success stories. Miller will host a keynote titled “Bold Outcomes,” featuring innovative customers and partners sharing their journeys. Oracle is also gamifying the learning experience with “AI Industry Adventure,” a theme-park-style game in Customer Success Central. Attendees will solve real-world industry challenges using Oracle Cloud AI solutions, making learning both interactive and fun.The Big Quote: “Customers are often unaware of how Oracle has embedded AI capabilities across the whole stack. Once they understand that, then they ask us for expert guidance on how best to achieve their transformation goals using Oracle AI solutions. I had one CEO, he said, after he saw this, he said, 'Well, don't let us fumble around in the dark looking for value. You know, where it is, point us there.' And so they asked, how can I start adopting AI in my current environment? . . . How do I define AI, success metrics, and realize AI value? That's the key thing."More from Gary Miller and Oracle:Connect with Gary Miller on LinkedIn or learn more about Oracle and AI. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I’m sharing why Revolut’s decision to scale with Google Cloud shows the power of AI-first infrastructure in fintech.Highlights00:03 — While I'm almost 100% certain that everyone is very familiar with Google Cloud, perhaps fewer are aware of Revolut. This fintech company, started in the UK in 2015, now serves 60 million people globally with a range of financial products. Revolut and Google Cloud have announced the two companies are significantly expanding their strategic partnership.01:01 —Tara Brady, President of Google Cloud EMEA, said: "Revolut is consistently pushing the boundaries of the financial sector. Google is proud to provide the secure, scalable, and intelligent infrastructure powered by our leading AI to fuel this ambitious global expansion and help it deliver the next generation of financial services to a new audience."01:26 — This is a great example of how AI-enhanced infrastructure is enabling companies to achieve incredibly ambitious targets—such as increasing a customer base from 60 million to 100 million users. Not only does it support the existing tools that companies already rely on, like data storage, access, and security, but it also allows them to think bigger. Visit Cloud Wars for more.