Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

Episode 54 | AI, CIO ChallengesThe Big Themes:Community Summit NA: Wayne talks about attending Community Summit and how the event stands out by offering user-driven insights that focus on real-world experiences with Microsoft ecosystems, rather than vendor-led marketing. The Summit provides a platform where users share practical, firsthand knowledge, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of how Microsoft technologies work in real business settings. By fostering a community of real-world users, the Summit helps businesses navigate the complexities of implementing new technologies.The CIO’s evolving role amid AI demands: There's growing pressure on CIOs to adopt AI-driven strategies, reflecting a shift where AI, in particular, generative AI, is no longer just an optional tool but an expectation from executives and boards. This trend is reshaping industries differently. While sectors like finance can afford significant R&D investments in AI, others, such as retail, face tighter budgets and must be more strategic.Balancing innovation with cost control in AI Investments: They discuss the growing complexity and cost of AI investments, with Wayne urging CIOs to carefully evaluate the financial implications of adopting AI technologies. He points out that as AI tools become more integrated into business operations, their costs, including ongoing subscription fees, are likely to rise. CIOs must be strategic about which AI tools and platforms they adopt, ensuring that they do not overcommit financially.The Big Quote: “We're drowning in information, we've got to move faster, and some of the GenAI and traditional AI stuff is taking a lot . . . away from us so we can move to operate at a higher level of reasoning, of thinking, of overseeing."

Episode 445 | Reflecting on 2 Years of Generative AIThe Big Themes:GenAI's Anniversary: Reflecting on the two-year anniversary of GenAI hitting the mainstream, Bonnie notes that in reality, we still haven't seen a lot of changes yet in the sense that AI hasn't taken our jobs. The overall consensus is that many people are using it to increase productivity; the idea that we're replacing half the workforce overnight is not coming to be.Rapid Implementation: While some companies may not have much flexibility on their implementation timeline, fast and cheap isn't necessarily the best way to incorporate AI. Rapid implementation can lead to unanticipated risks and increased costs in the long run.Software Vendors and Partners: For customers to truly benefit from implementing AI, they need good partners to help them be realistic with their timelines and options. The good software vendors and partners are cautioning customers to ensure they know what they're getting into and making deliverables clear.The Big Quote: “Work with a partner that you trust and that's going to tell you the truth...They've seen it a million times. They know you as well and they know your resources. They know the scope of your project. Find those partners that you can really trust and they're going to help you [and] lead you on the right path.”

Transforming Business with CloudThe Big Themes:Role of chief integration officer (CIO): Joe Fanutti, originally the CFO of Bill Gosling Outsourcing, transitioned into the chief integration officer role. His role exemplifies the need for businesses to integrate people, technology, and operations, particularly as companies pursue both organic and inorganic growth. This evolving CIO title represents a modern shift in leadership.Automation and workforce efficiency: Automation has been a key enabler for Bill Gosling, particularly in managing high workforce turnover and streamlining administrative tasks. For example, automation in resume ingestion and candidate matching optimized the hiring process, reducing manual work. Similarly, automation in bank reconciliations and supplier invoicing allowed the finance team to focus on high-value tasks.Empowering employees with AI: Workday Assistant has transformative potential in enhancing employee experiences within organizations. Workday Assistant leverages AI to streamline HR processes, allowing employees to access information and complete tasks with ease through conversational interfaces.The Big Quote: "The payables team I have now is the same size as 10 years ago. So we're able to scale . . . . [from] 400 to 6,000 employees, but the payables team is the same size. How did we do that? Well, that's how you do it — automation."

Oracle's Expanding Multi-Cloud StrategyThe Big Themes:Oracle's unique cloud architecture: Oracle’s differentiated cloud architecture offers customers flexibility across different environments, whether public, private, or government. This hybrid architecture ensures that customers can deploy the same services whether they need an on-premises solution, a fully isolated cloud region, or a multi-cloud setup. Oracle's approach also addresses the specific needs of regulated industries, like finance or healthcare.Global expansion and investments: Oracle is heavily investing in expanding its cloud infrastructure across the globe, including in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Latin America. These investments aim to meet growing local demands for cloud services while enhancing Oracle’s global footprint. By establishing more localized data centers, Oracle can reduce latency for customers, ensure data sovereignty, and cater to regional regulatory requirements.Multi-cloud partnerships: Oracle’s partnerships with major cloud providers like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS represent a shift in the cloud industry, as it was previously unheard of for these companies to collaborate. Oracle recognized early on that customers were using multi-cloud strategies, so it adapted by integrating with these other platforms. Its willingness to collaborate with competitors reflects its commitment to answering customers' needs.The Big Quote: “It is very clear that customers drive our strategy . . . Oracle is kicking this multi-cloud era forward, an open era, if you will."

Episode 53 | Future-Ready IT OfferingsThe Big Themes:ServiceNow's innovation: Wayne Sadin talks about ServiceNow, which Bob recently wrote about, as a first mover in the market, leading the way in creating intelligent solutions that facilitate interoperability between different applications and workflows. This innovation reflects a broader trend in the tech industry toward integrated platforms that can handle diverse business needs without forcing organizations to invest in multiple standalone tools.Interoperability focus: Vendors should prioritize creating systems that allow for seamless interoperability and integration across various platforms. Interoperability is not merely about compatibility; it encompasses the ability to facilitate data sharing and process integration among disparate systems.Multi-cloud strategies: Wayne notes the importance of multi-cloud strategies, suggesting that flexibility and the ability to connect different systems will be crucial for organizations looking to avoid vendor lock-in. In an era where no single cloud provider can meet every organization's needs, a multi-cloud approach allows businesses to select the best solutions tailored to their specific requirements.The Big Quote: “The answer for every vendor is, to facilitate interoperability, make it easy for me to do my job better. Yes, you could build a walled garden, like the cloud vendors all did . . . That's the resort of the person with the inferior product . . . I want the ability to interoperate. I want them to all think this is not a zero-sum game."

The Big Themes:Oracle’s multi-cloud strategy: Karan emphasized how Oracle has been working for nearly a decade to offer customers flexibility in using Oracle’s technology across different cloud providers. It has partnerships with Microsoft, Google, and now AWS, allowing customers to use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) with the same performance and reliability as they would on Oracle's platform.Technology and business challenges: Karan acknowledged the technical complexity of integrating OCI into other cloud providers' systems, but stressed that the bigger challenge was building the relationships necessary to make these partnerships work. The goal has been to break down competitive barriers and prioritize customer needs, which he sees as a transformative approach in the tech industry.Scaling infrastructure: Oracle is simultaneously building large-scale data centers for the growing AI and cloud needs, while also working on smaller, more modular systems that can be deployed quickly. This allows them to scale up or down based on customer demand, addressing a broad spectrum of use cases.The Big Quote: "Our goal is to allow customers to get access to Oracle technology in an untethered way with the same level of security, regulatory compliance, and performance... Everything, everywhere. All services are secure, all services are performant. You pick."

Google Cloud's AI EdgeThe Big Themes:Google Cloud’s AI leadership and Gemini: Google Cloud's Gemini model demonstrates its continued innovation in the AI space. The Gemini AI family integrates advanced capabilities in natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and large language models (LLMs) to deliver groundbreaking business offerings. With the rise of GenAI, Gemini serves as the backbone for a wide array of applications, including chatbots, content generation, and predictive analytics.Strategic partnerships boosting Google Cloud’s ecosystem: Google Cloud has strategically partnered with industry leaders like NVIDIA, SAP, and Salesforce to expand its AI and cloud computing capabilities. Google Cloud’s partnership with NVIDIA allows businesses to leverage the power of high-performance GPUs for demanding AI workloads. Meanwhile, partnerships with SAP and Salesforce bring AI-enhanced ERP and CRM systems to the forefront of digital transformation efforts.Generative AI and its business implications: Google Cloud’s GenAI is setting new benchmarks for business applications. GenAI goes beyond traditional automation by creating entirely new content. For businesses, this opens up endless possibilities. Among them, customer-facing applications such as chatbots powered by GenAI can mimic human conversation with a high degree of accuracy, creating more meaningful customer interactions.The Big Quote: "It's not that the robots are coming to take over our jobs, it's that it's making an agent more productive, and it's making a customer experience just more satisfying."

Oracle Cloud Success StrategiesThe Big Themes:Customer Success Services creation: Oracle established Customer Success Services to provide comprehensive support for customers using its cloud tools. This integration of various service organizations — such as education, consulting, and customer success management — aims to create a unified approach, ensuring customers receive consistent and effective assistance while adopting the cloud.Introduction of Navigator tool: The Oracle Cloud Navigator is designed to assist customers in navigating their cloud transformation more efficiently. This digital platform streamlines the onboarding process, providing best practices and facilitating quick configurations, ultimately helping clients achieve value faster and more effectively.Concierge services enhancement: Oracle is introducing new concierge services to address the complexities of multi-cloud environments. These services aim to provide tailored support for troubleshooting and integration challenges, reinforcing Oracle's commitment to customer success and ensuring that users can efficiently resolve issues, regardless of where they originate.The Big Quote: “What's unique about Oracle is our enterprise-grade embedded AI. In the application space, we say, let's bring AI to your end users . . . but it's not easy for customers. 'Okay, which one should I use? How do I use them?' So we put a whole program together, which explains the new innovations."

Episode 44 | Workday Rising AI InsightsThe Big Themes:The evolution of AI tools: AI tools have moved from basic task automation to more sophisticated systems like copilots and autonomous agents. Bonnie introduces the concept of "orchestrators," which monitor and optimize workflows based on real-time feedback. This evolution signifies a shift toward more dynamic and intelligent systems that can adapt to changing business environments and user needs.Strategic partnership: Bonnie talks about the significance of partnerships, particularly between Workday and Salesforce, in creating a more powerful toolset for users. By leveraging both organizations' strengths, customers can access integrated solutions that enhance operational efficiency. This partnership exemplifies how collaboration in the tech industry can lead to greater innovation and more comprehensive service offerings.Illuminate, the AI branding strategy: Workday's branding of its AI initiatives as "Illuminate" represents a strategic approach to making AI accessible and user-friendly. Bonnie explains that this branding aims to demystify AI for end-users, transforming it from a complex developer tool into a consumer-grade experience. This initiative reflects a broader trend of making advanced technologies more approachable for everyday users.The Big Quote: “The power of the partnership between [Workday and Salesforce], leveraging both of their agencies together, is a real win for customers."

AI Transformation at NetSuiteThe Big Themes:AI integration and customization: NetSuite focused on integrating AI into its platform. Evan points out the importance of large language models and traditional AI working together to identify data patterns and enhance productivity. Features like Text Enhance and the new “Ask Oracle” tool enable businesses to tailor AI applications to their specific needs without needing extensive IT resources.AI adoption across industries: NetSuite is seeing a surge in AI adoption, especially among its customers in software and internet industries. However, the company’s strategy is to make AI valuable and user-friendly for all sectors. By integrating AI tools directly into everyday workflows, like using the search box to ask complex business questions, NetSuite aims to make non-technical users comfortable with these advanced tools.Meeting business needs with tailored offerings: NetSuite is committed to providing businesses with tools that are both powerful and easy to customize, catering especially to small and midsize businesses that may lack extensive IT resources. The company's philosophy has always been to offer robust out-of-the-box capabilities while also allowing customers to tailor these features to their specific needs. Recent AI-driven enhancements demonstrate this commitment.The Big Quote: “You should be able to ask the question in plain language and get an answer back in plain language, and that's the ultimate business user experience.”