Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

Oracle and Google Cloud are surging ahead, outpacing Microsoft and AWS in RPO and backlog growth. Oracle's RPO grew an impressive 43%, while Google Cloud soared by 46%. In contrast, Microsoft and AWS reported just 6.5% and 2.5% growth, respectively. Year-over-year highlights reveal Oracle's RPO skyrocketed by 359%, and Google Cloud by 82%. The shift in market leadership suggests a significant transformation in cloud infrastructure, as these innovators adapt to meet evolving customer needs.

Juan Loaiza is the EVP of Database Technologies at Oracle. In today's special episode of Cloud Wars Live, Loaiza joins Bob Evans to discuss how AI is transforming the way businesses interact with data. He spotlights Oracle’s new AI-native database, the importance of trust and security in enterprise AI, and why business users now play a bigger role in data strategy. It’s a revealing look at how Oracle is shaping the future of intelligent data systems.The AI Data RevolutionThe Big Themes:Trust, Governance, and Privacy Must Be Built Into the AI‑Data Stack: One of the strongest points made by Loaiza is about the risk of AI in enterprises: hallucinations, mis‑use of data, privacy violations, regulatory consequences. When mission‑critical systems (hospitals, banks, telecoms) are involved, errors are unacceptable and can be illegal. Oracle’s approach is to embed privacy and access controls down into the database engine: the system knows who the end user is, what they can see, and ensures AI cannot leak unauthorized data.Multi‑Cloud, On‑Premises, Hybrid — Customers Want Flexibility: Loaiza describes how Oracle is enabling customers to run their database and AI workloads wherever they need: on‑premises, in public clouds (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), or via “cloud at your data center” options like Exadata Cloud@Customer. This speaks to regulatory, latency, data sovereignty and operational constraints. For enterprises, the takeaway is that deployment flexibility is essential. A one‑size‑fits‑all cloud model may not meet strategic needs.Business Users and Developers Now Have Voices in Database Strategy: Historically, databases were the domain of DBAs, IT operations, and infrastructure teams. Now business users and developers also have meaningful voices because of AI democratizing access. This shift means organizational structures, roles and processes must change. Data governance, training, tool‑selection and deployment pipelines need to reflect that the “consumer” of the database is broader.The Big Quote: “[AI] can translate English to this language of computers, the language of data, which is SQL. So, what that means is you don't have to learn this crazy language anymore. So pretty much anyone, business people, lay people, can now talk using their normal natural language to the database, and the database will understand what they're saying and give them answers, build applications to all these and this is something I honestly never thought I'd see in my entire life, and it's here today."More from Juan Loaiza and Oracle:Follow Juan on LinkedIn or learn more about Oracle's approach to security. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I look at the shift in enterprise preference from Microsoft to Google Cloud.Highlights00:15 — The three original hyperscalers all released numbers for Q3 last year. Each should be proud, but Google Cloud stood out in a significant way. Its Q3 revenue is up 34% to $15.2 billion. Its Q2 growth had been 32%, so, accelerating here. Mid-year, it said its CapEx would be $75 billion for all of 2025. A few months ago, it said, “Now we’re going to have to make it $85 billion..."01:38 — Now it's saying it’s going to be somewhere between $91 and $93 billion for this year. If you take the three hyperscalers in their Q3 performance here: $49.1 billion for Microsoft, up 26%, , terrific results. AWS, $33 billion; that was up 20%, so accelerating from Q2’s 17.5% — very nice. And then Google Cloud, $15.2 billion, as I mentioned, up 34%.02:39 — AWS and Microsoft are much larger than Google Cloud. Regarding new business Microsoft added $2.4 billion, AWS $2.1 billion, and Google Cloud $1.6 billion. So how does that play out? Well, of the $6.1 billion in incremental new revenue, Q3 over Q2, Microsoft got 39.3%, AWS, 34.4%, and Google Cloud,26.2%. So, for Google Cloud, 15.6% overall, but 26.2% of the new business.03:47 — My point here is that some previous long-range contracts that these companies have been winning have positioned AWS and Microsoft as much larger than Google Cloud; they’ve earned that. But looking forward here, in the early days of the AI Revolution, Google Cloud is gaining a disproportionate share of new business based on its size relative to AWS and Microsoft.04:44 — But I think the interesting thing here is to say, of the new business and looking forward, who’s winning this stuff — sort of right here, right now — forgetting the size disparities that have been up in the past. And Google Cloud, on that front, is looking very good. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Discover how Microsoft is revolutionizing app creation with new Copilot agents that empower non-coders. These tools simplify workflow automation across platforms like Outlook and Teams, allowing users to manage tasks effortlessly. The Workflows agent showcases real-time task automation, making collaboration a breeze. Imagine launching a product with a dashboard tracking milestones and reminders—all easily set up through natural language. Microsoft's strategy aims to integrate these capabilities widely, making AI accessible for everyone.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I compared the diverging strategies of SAP and Oracle as the AI revolution reshapes enterprise tech.Highlights00:22 — SAP versus Oracle. It was interesting on SAP's recent Q3 earnings call: the financial analysts seemed to be really preoccupied with this notion — was SAP going to get into the hyperscale business? Or was the fact that Oracle is in the cloud infrastructure business something that SAP sees as a disadvantage? I think those are entirely the wrong questions.01:00 — SAP is never going to go in that direction. Where SAP's future is — and what CEO Christian Klein kept coming back to over and over, and I believe very persuasively — is it's all about the data, and AI, and agents, and the way that apps are evolving to pull all of that together. It's about the business data cloud. It's about certain partnerships.01:45 — It reported a 22% increase in cloud revenue, but in constant currency, that was 27%. Its current cloud backlog was up about 27%. So, strong numbers for them — much, much faster than Oracle's apps business is growing. But Oracle thinks it is going to be ahead on the AI front, and with the database, infrastructure, and its vertical market apps, it thinks it's going to have a real case to be made here.02:27 — But from SAP’s side, Klein was asked about the hyperscale business. Really? His point was: no, no, no, this is not going to happen. Instead, we're going to double down — triple down — at SAP on the things that we do best and that our customers are looking for us to deliver.03:44 — A big point that Klein made about this — and why he's so confident about SAP's ability as he said, we are seeing more and more that the buying decisions are being made around business outcomes. That's the focus. Certainly, the CIO is involved, but the decisions are moving up into the C-suite and the boards of directors.05:08 — I think the competitive dynamics between SAP and Oracle are going to really intensify over the next two or three years because the opportunity here around the AI Revolution, with agents, AI data, and applications, is incredibly big and powerful. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Bonnie Tinder is the founder and CEO of Raven Intelligence, an independent B2B peer review site that amplifies the voice of the customer. She focuses on software customers, consulting partners, and software vendors and helps identify the best partners for their needs. In this episode, she shares powerful insights from leading organizations on how AI is being used not to replace employees, but to enhance experiences, streamline operations, and drive better business outcomes through purpose-driven, human-centered deployment strategies.Episode 56 | Human-Centered AI StrategiesThe Big Themes:Augments, Not Replaces Humans: AI should enhance the human experience, not eliminate it. Real-world examples, such as Marriott’s use of AI to improve the check-in process, demonstrate that AI can remove operational friction and allow frontline staff to focus on hospitality and customer engagement. In the energy sector, utilities are embedding AI into safety systems to make work more accurate and proactive. These examples show that the most successful AI deployments begin by identifying pain points in human workflows.Cultural Readiness Is Crucial for AI Success: AI adoption is not just a technical project; it is a cultural transformation. Multiple examples made it clear that even the most advanced tools can fail without the right introduction. One university CHRO compared AI implementation to sneaking vegetables into meals. By avoiding technical jargon and focusing on small improvements, they saw stronger adoption. People often resist what they do not understand, especially when it feels like a threat. Leaders who frame AI as a tool for reducing stress, reclaiming time, and increasing impact are more likely to succeed.AI Should Start with Outcomes: Real AI value begins with the business goal, not the technology itself. Companies that succeed with AI are the ones that begin by identifying the result they want to achieve. Whether it's streamlining hotel check-ins, reducing safety risks in energy infrastructure, or accelerating clinical breakthroughs, effective strategies start with specific problems. These companies ask their teams where the friction lies, and then choose tools to fix those issues. This is a shift from a technology-first mindset to an outcome-first mindset.The Big Quote: “I hope you know business people will all start to get to the point of like, yes, the nature of work is going to change. But AI is not going to spell doom and gloom for every worker on Earth. It's going to give many, many, many of them an opportunity to do better things." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I unpack Microsoft AI’s push for empathetic AI with new features designed to make Copilot more relatable and engaging.Highlights00:18 — Microsoft has launched the Mico 1 character — a visual presence that appears and interacts with users when they tap into Copilot's voice mode. Now, this cloud-like entity is optional and actively listens, reacts, and even changes color in response to the direction of the conversation. The aim is to give Copilot a friendly face and make interactions more natural.00:59 — Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, said the following: “When we started talking about this idea of an AI companion a few years ago, it seemed distant and uncertain. Now it's real. It's here. We can't wait for you to feel the difference.” In a press release, Microsoft stated that Copilot is designed to be empathetic and supportive rather than sycophantic.01:32 — Now, I can't ascertain whether Microsoft has truly delivered the AI companion of pop culture fame — think HAL 9000 without the murderous intent. However, personalization and natural interaction have become their mission in recent months, and Mico is certainly an important piece of the puzzle. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I dive into how ServiceNow is redefining enterprise automation with its new AI Experience platform.Highlights00:15 — ServiceNow has for a long time been intriguing in the way that it does not necessarily map to or compete directly against lots of the other major Cloud Wars Top 10 companies. ServiceNow has gone a different sort of route, everything they're doing from AI and workflows. The company has taken another big step with a service they introduced recently called the AI Experience.00:56 — I had a chance earlier this week to speak with ServiceNow's President, Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Amit Zavery. Now, one of the big things that Zavery said is: "Look, just as customers got sort of over the hump of saying, okay, I've got to integrate all my applications and my databases and my systems now along comes AI."01:28 — A concern among customers has been there's going to be lots of new pieces, and the customer is going to be stuck in the middle again. Amit said that a key point here is it [AI Experience] ties together these different data types, voice, images, data, text, and everything from the people, the data and the workflows that are happening around the company.02:28 — Amit further said: "What we want to try to do here is this automation, happening with AI end-to-end, across company." So, it's not just the processes, but how the company works up and down, across the organization, and with customers and with suppliers. He said: "We're trying to ensure that customers can use AI to cut technical debt, rather than add to it."03:13 — Another big point about this was, there's lots of productivity, lots of innovation here again. He said: "Trust has never been more important." He said that the AI Experience, in tandem with the AI Control Tower from ServiceNow, is going to give customers the ability to feel very comfortable that they understand they're on top of where these AI deployments are happening.04:28 — And he talks about how ServiceNow being very open in this platform. He said: "We're finding new ways to work with the other big tech companies to ensure that customers get what they want, and that we're not forcing customers to, again, get into that big game of integration. We want more innovation and less integration." Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Amit Zavery, President, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Operating Officer at ServiceNow, sits down to talk with Bob Evans in this special episode of Cloud Wars Live. They dive deep into how ServiceNow’s AI Experience is transforming enterprise workflows through automation, governance, and personalization. Zavery outlines a bold vision for delivering real ROI and trusted AI at scale.Reimagining Workflow with AI Experience The Big Themes:ServiceNow’s AI Experience Is About Unified, Actionable Intelligence: Amit Zavery describes ServiceNow’s AI Experience as more than a conversational interface, it’s an orchestrated, end-to-end workflow platform that integrates voice, text, image recognition, agents, and enterprise systems. It’s designed to eliminate the “spare part world” of fragmented tools and disconnected apps. By delivering one multimodal, multilingual interface, ServiceNow enables users to not just find information, but actually complete tasks and workflows.AI Governance and Control Are Built In, Not Bolted On: The AI Control Tower is ServiceNow’s answer to one of the biggest enterprise challenges: AI governance. With this feature, companies can discover, monitor, and manage all AI usage, not only from ServiceNow but across third-party systems, too. CIOs and CISOs gain the ability to track who is using what AI systems, what agents are doing, and what data is being accessed.Industry-Specific Use Cases Drive Real-World AI Value: Enterprise AI Zavery says must be contextual, curated, and tightly integrated with business processes. ServiceNow is collaborating with customers like AstraZeneca (pharma), BT (telecom), and Rossmann (retail) to deploy agentic AI that delivers real value in vertical-specific environments. These aren’t generic AI chatbots; they’re intelligent agents embedded in workflows that help store managers order inventory, researchers manage supply chains, and employees navigate complex rules.The Big Quote: “I call it the spare part world we are in right now, and it’s a very difficult thing for a lot of the leaders to really keep up with it. One to know, what are you using? How are you using it? What is the ROI on it? What are the costs associated with that?” Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I show how SAP’s seamless data strategy is driving real business value in the age of AI. Highlights00:14 — SAP reported a very nice third quarter last week. Some highlights from SAP Q3, and then I'll do the comparisons with its competitors. So, the cloud revenue overall is up 22% to $6.14 billion. Ad their current cloud backlog, which is pretty close to RPO (Remaining Performance Obligation), the term some companies use, was up 23% to $18.1 billion.01:24 — SAP is at the top, up 22% to $6.14 billion. Second place, Workday: 14% to $2.17 billion. Then Oracle, up 11% for its SaaS products to $3.8 billion. And Salesforce: most recent quarter revenue is up 10% to $10.24 billion. SAP’s growth is more than twice as high than what Oracle and Salesforce did, and it's about 60% higher than the growth rate for Workday.02:10 — There’s a lot to think about here. What’s making this happen? I think a few things are going on. One is, certainly there’s a tendency for longtime SAP on-premise customers to slide along and go with SAP.03:06 — The other thing I think SAP has done well is evolving their applications. First, it was the Cloud ERP Suite, now the Business Suite. It's trying to make things simpler for its customers with a seamless experience, same interface, same data model. SAP, along with the others, has been doing a very good job of infusing agentic AI into their applications.04:03 — So, very nice quarter here from SAP for Q3. It continues to dramatically outpace what its competitors are doing. But there’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of vying to close that gap on the part of competitors. Visit Cloud Wars for more.