Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

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.”

Efficient AI Model EconomicsThe Big Themes:GenAI and its practical application: GenAI has emerged as a major focus in enterprise settings, with organizations exploring its potential to enhance core business processes. While many have successfully integrated generative AI into their workflows, others face challenges moving beyond continuous prototyping to actual production deployment. Key to overcoming these hurdles is understanding the limitations and capabilities of AI models.Economic advantages of smaller AI models: Smaller AI models, such as the 35 billion parameter models from Cohere, represent a significant economic shift in the AI landscape. These models, which can be run on a single GPU, offer a more cost-effective alternative to larger models, reducing the financial burden associated with AI deployment. These mid-sized models are not only cheaper but also capable of covering the majority of use cases effectively.AI integration into Oracle's software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio: Oracle has integrated generative AI into its software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio, enhancing various business functions without additional charges. This integration includes features like automated job postings and Salesforce optimization. Greg notes that this approach adds significant value to Oracle's offerings.The Big Quote: “People try to chase the latest and be on the frontier but never really commit to making something work for production."

Oracle's Industry Cloud InnovationsThe Big Themes:AI integration in Industry Applications: AI, especially GenAI is playing a significant role in transforming industry applications. Mike explains how AI technologies are enhancing customer experiences, such as in healthcare, where they automate routine tasks and improve patient interactions. This integration is expected to continue growing.Shift towards Industry Suites: There is a clear shift toward adopting Industry Suites rather than piecemeal cloud solutions. Mike explains that Industry Suites, which integrate various technologies and services, are becoming more popular as they offer a cohesive solution and reduce the need for extensive regression testing and complex integrations. They help organizations maintain cloud benefits, such as innovation and security, without the drawbacks of fragmented systems.Business transformation through technology: Technology has a huge impact on broader business transformation. Mike notes that what starts as an IT project can evolve into a comprehensive business transformation initiative. For instance, AI-driven offerings in healthcare are not only improving operational efficiency but also transforming business models and patient care.The Big Quote: “Everybody's here to serve their customers. Patients are customers, people who check into hotels and customers, people who eat at restaurants or customers. Every CEO that I engage with says, 'This transformation helps me serve my customers better, and that's why I want to engage in it.'"

Google Cloud AI Security InsightsThe Big Themes:Google’s ecosystem-driven security approach: Google Cloud's partner ecosystem, consisting of entities such as managed security service providers (MSSPs) and global systems integrators, helps deliver top-notch security services. While Google maintains a small in-house service capability, partners are key to scaling and extending innovations to customers. Google provides AI tools to partners, who enhance their product offerings to better serve end customers. This model ensures that the latest security advancements, such as AI integration, are accessible.Transitioning from assisted to autonomous security: Google Cloud envisions a future where AI will evolve from assistive to fully autonomous security workflows. Currently, AI plays an assistive role by providing actionable insights to security teams, helping them prioritize threats and respond more effectively. However, the goal is to transition these capabilities into semi-autonomous workflows, with the potential for fully autonomous security systems in the future.Enhancing CISOs’ efficiency with AI: One of the key problems CISOs face today is the overwhelming number of security alerts, which makes it challenging to identify and act on the most critical threats. Google Cloud addresses this issue by leveraging AI to sift through thousands of alerts, helping CISOs quickly identify the most significant risks. AI can provide real-time insights, suggesting actions to mitigate potential threats and reduce the noise from less pressing alerts.The Big Quote: “AI is only as good as the data that the model is trained on and, in the world of security, we happen to have probably the world's most high quality and quantitative data set in threat intelligence."