Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

The Big Themes:

• Be intentional about the use of generative AI: Christian advises that when bringing generative AI into the workforce — or any technology, for that matter — that humans must ensure they remain the "master" and the technology remains the "servant."
• Consider trust: Christian encourages everyone to "get smarter on these things" but within the context of their companies. Business employees must trust that the leaders of their organizations won't use generative AI technologies to get rid of their jobs.
• Creative destruction: Christian proposes that there is a whole lot of "creative destruction" that will take place as a result of generative AI getting smarter. "That's the trajectory we are on...we have to be conscious of it," he notes.

The Big Quote: " I think there are great challenges ahead. And I think they're fascinating challenges. And I think they're important challenges. And some are going to do well. And a lot are going to do very, very poorly. Let's hope though that for the sake of, you know, the company's colleagues, you know, all over the world, that we start looking at how we run our businesses and employ these really potent technologies in a way that actually gives our employees a fighting chance. Yes, to sort of climb the capability ladder and find their next place in this changing world."

Episode 49 | AI Realities

The Big Themes:

• SaaS and AI terminology clarification: Wayne discusses the need to distinguish between various technology terms. He points out the common misuse of terms like SaaS and AI. He cautions against the trend of "SaaS-washing" and "AI-washing," where everything is labeled one or the other to generate excitement.
• SaaS and IT consumption: SaaS has brought about a paradigm shift in how IT is consumed. Unlike traditional software releases that could lead to delays and technical debt, SaaS allows for continuous updates, which means users can benefit from new features promptly. Wayne talks about the efficiency and scalability achieved by running software in a single instance in the cloud.
• Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) prices: Companies should prepare for potential "sticker shock" in the GenAI space. Users might be initially enticed by low prices only to face higher costs later. He advises CIOs to carefully evaluate the actual cost of GenAI queries before making investments.

The Big Quote: “Well, first of all, when you look at somebody's revenue jump, bear in mind, that doesn't mean everybody's getting long-term value out of it. It means it's hyped up, and therefore everybody's trying. So, if Microsoft is charging for their Copilot, a $20 a month fee, and everybody signed up for the $20 times 100 million users, that's a revenue bump. That does not mean that over the longterm, everybody's getting their $20 value. It means we're all excited about it — we all want to try this shiny new object."

Episode 48 | Vendor Challenges

The Big Themes:

• Contract management: Wayne and Bob discuss contract renewals and price hikes with a focus on SaaS agreements. There's an enduring need for a proactive approach and transparent communication with vendors. Metrics, scalability, and adaptability are touched upon as ways to assess value.
• AI washing: Some companies may exaggerate or misrepresent the extent of artificial intelligence integration in their products or services in what's known as "AI washing." Wayne and Bob advocate for transparency in AI-related claims. "You can't call every product an AI product, just because it does two calculations in a row."
• Strategic vendor partnerships: Wayne suggests moving away from transactional arrangements toward cultivating trust with a select few partners. It's critical to consider the vendor's business process, integrity, and forward-thinking approach when choosing partners. He urges CIOs to invest time in building partnerships, participating in user councils, and attending events that bring customers and vendors together.

The Big Quote: "The message to the CIO is, when you sign a SaaS contract, be very careful about what happens at the end of that contract. The best time to figure out what to do at the end of the contract is at the beginning, not as you get to the end."

The Big Themes:

• Customer demand for multi-cloud: Oracle has been focused recently on partnerships with Microsoft and Amazon that allow mutual customers to pick and choose the cloud services they get from each vendor, and Jae says that big-name brands are very hot on this idea.
• Cloud @ Customer offers even more flexibility: For customers in highly regulated industries or that prefer more control and security, Oracle's Cloud @ Customer offering provides all the benefits of a fully managed cloud region in an on-premise environment.
• What customers can expect at CloudWorld: Jae says that if customers can come to the event with a clear understanding of their business goals and desired outcomes, they'll find a plethora of information about how Oracle's cloud solutions can help achieve them.

The Big Quote: "These are more multi-cloud-type solutions that are making it simpler and advantageous for our customers to use. We have a lot of customers who are excited about it—AT&T, Marriott, and Veritas to name a few—who have really voiced their interest and excitement about what this can do for them... getting that flexibility and optionality so they can get the best cost, best performance for their cloud business."

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This episode is sponsored by Oracle.

Each month, Tony Uphoff, visionary CEO of Thomasnet.com, joins Cloud Wars Live for a recurring segment. “Uphoff on Industry” will explore the innovations, upheavals, and breakthroughs reshaping the the world of manufacturing and industrial markets. Join Tony and me as we discuss disruptive new trends in the digital-industrial world. These include how we design, source and manufacture products. And also the new ways in which industrial companies are getting up to speed on marketing, sales and customer experience.

Episode 7

In this episode, Tony and I discuss the passing of Mark Hurd, co-CEO of Oracle. He says he could be tough, but Tony had huge admiration for his business acumen.

He goes on to say that there’s really cool technology around what’s called “smart warehousing,” where they’re combining man and machine to automate and improve efficiencies.

Tony was invited to give a keynote address at the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), and he spoke about data and research. When he got off the stage, somebody used the expression, “You punched us right in the face with the reality of where our buyer’s going – even if we didn’t want to hear it.”

Tony was also on Fox Business News, and talked about the state of U.S. manufacturing. Prior to his appearance, the stock market tanked by 500 points. He says it was a fascinating time to go on the show, since the markets were reacting to the ISM survey of manufacturers.

Tony says that your prospective customer knows more about your products, your offering, your competitors, and the marketplace than your best sales rep could ever know.

Tony has a new podcast called “Thomas Industry Update.” Their first guest is Anne Evans, director at the Department of Commerce, who is helping U.S. companies understand the complexities of exporting. It’s available on all platforms: www.thomasnet.com/update.

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