Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

The Big Themes:

• The Autonomous Digital Enterprise (ADE): A roadmap for companies putting a lot of focus on providing solutions for customers, and to help them accelerate this with technologies such as AI.
• Immense amount of data: Successful companies have to figure out how to use this data and turn it into insights.
• We've been in business for over 40 years: We've partnered with our customers from different industry domains over the year, and we have a pretty in-depth understanding of many of the challenges that they face – and the opportunities as well.
• Optimistic and bullish on the future ahead of us: Last year was tough. But it taught us to pivot quickly and learned lessons that we took there that will make us stronger and more effective.

The Big Quotes:

“You're all in the technology business, regardless of what business you're in.”

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The Big Themes:

• Know your why. Don’t do projects with unclear outcomes or that do not solve a defined business issue/goal. Digital transformation only works if there’s actually a business transformation.
• Integrations.They’re more important that you think, take longer and can be problematic. The less spaghetti, the less mess.
• Your team will make or break your success. Pick the best partner, project leader, and internal team for your project, and if you don’t have a solid executive sponsor, you’re fighting an uphill battle.
• Control what you can control. Before your project gets approved, start getting your house in order. Clean up bad data before you start your project. Make sure you have a way to manage your project systematically throughout.

The Big Quotes:

“Customers and vendors celebrate this idea of go-live, like yay! And they have cakes and they take pictures and isn't that great. But the reality is that's really when the work begins.”

This episode is brought to you by BMC Software.

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The Big Themes:

• Not so Unified Communications. As many/most companies have shifted to some version of remote work, we’re seeing both the benefits but also the limitations of video communications.
• Virtual culture: We’re nearing a year of virtual, remote work for many of us. Nurturing, supporting and reinforcing culture is challenging in the best of circumstances. Ironically working remotely is forcing companies to be more intentional about their culture, causing some to reassess their cultural attributes and beliefs, and how best to train, nurture, and harness them.
• 5G, Cloud, Mobile, and IIoT are converging: To create a massive market transition. This is most acutely true in manufacturing, where we’re already getting glimpses of the future. While the news is mostly focused on the consumer impact, the reality is the B2B impact may be even larger.

The Big Quotes:

“There's another dynamic that we don't focus on, but I think is playing a major role here. And that's the dynamic of the multi-generational workforce.”

This episode is brought to you by BMC Software.

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The Big Themes:

• Authentic dialogue is dying in America: Stanford Research shows us that people are caring more about themselves and less for others.
• Good conversationalist vs. “selfie”: Many people think the purpose of a discussion is to win. At one point changing your mind was called “learning.” Today it’s called flip-flopping.
• People are told to shout their story: Not to listen. Not to collaborate. Not to learn. Not to teach. Just “tell it.”
• We will either have civil discourse – or civil war: This is the time to elevate the value of authentic dialogue. In person. And online.

The Big Quotes:

“We talk to each other and if we're human beings, we sort it out, that's the best mechanism, just be human with each other.”

This episode is brought to you by BMC Software.

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The Big Themes:

• Last mile networking – down to last few feet: Data to/from the edge will skyrocket in quantity and in value.
• IT risk-awareness rises: Cybersecurity attacks are on the rise. Russia, China, Iran, etc. are going for third-party attacks on the US.
• 2021 is predicted to be the biggest job growth in history: Government stimulus will drive infrastructure and investment, and trigger a seller’s market for talent.
• Healthcare changes are massive: Tele-everything – talk, telemetry, teleoperation, and vaccines and other therapeutic drugs. And—at last!—doctors can practice across state lines.

The Big Quotes:

“If you’re a CEO, a board member, a C-suite executive, you've got to be ready to sense and respond faster than ever. You've got to be able to move faster and you've got to be able to take those leaps, and manage your risks better than you ever could.”

This episode is brought to you by BMC Software.

Visit Cloud Wars for more.

The Big Themes:

• Shift in size, scope, and delivery: The pandemic has caused a shift from mega projects to more incremental work. Many large projects were put on hold and have been modified or scaled back.
• Systems integration market: Their world has been turned upside down with everyone working from home and travel restrictions. How are they coping?
• No customer conferences to “Press the Flesh”: All in-person events have been cancelled, which has made it difficult for smaller firms to get noticed.
• How have customer expectations changed: Systems integrators are so busy focused on challenging market conditions – and not focused on internal projects.

The Big Quotes:

“I think in 2021, the businesses that really stepped up this year are going to see the benefits next year, when things get back on track and we go back to some semblance of normal again.”

This episode is brought to you by BMC Software.

Visit Cloud Wars for more.