On Cloud

Digital transformation (DT) is often easier said than done, but it's essential for organizations to transform to remain competitive. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with Thomas Erl, author of the book A Field Guide to Digital Transformation, about putting DT concepts into practice. According to Erl, customer centricity is the driving force behind DT efforts, and to be successful, it's absolutely critical to have the right thought leadership at the helm of any DT initiative.

Observability is the new buzzword in cloud, and many people confuse it with monitoring, but it's so much more. In this episode, Mike Kavis talks with Erez Barak, VP of Product Development at Sumo Logic, about observability—what it is, how it helps organizations deal with cloud complexity, and how it's helped by (and helps) AI. To implement observability successfully, however, a new IT operating model that removes silos and fosters collaboration is absolutely essential.

Military personnel serve our country in countless ways, but sometimes the transition to private life can be difficult. To help ease that transition, Deloitte participates in Hiring Our Heroes—a collaboration with American businesses to create job opportunities for veterans post-service. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with three veterans who are participating in the program with Deloitte to find out how they're faring during their transition and what lessons they've learned.

The impetus these days for most organizations is to transform their business to achieve competitive advantage. It's a good imperative, but the reason for change matters, too. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with consultant and author John Hagel on how to build a future based on seeing opportunity rather than fear. John's view is that it takes building a strong corporate narrative for the future, cultivating a shared passion, and building learning platforms to bring people together.

Global market forces, coupled with the pandemic, have spurred most organizations to accelerate their digital transformation to keep their competitive edge—but that's often easier said than done. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with Deloitte's Diana Kearns-Manolatos about why strategy is central to accelerating the transformation journey. Diana lays out five "digital imperatives" for speeding transformation. She also explains the role industry clouds play in that process.

True digital transformation requires a hyper-connected ecosystem where information flows freely between those who need it and those who provide it. However, that level of connectivity has often proven elusive. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with MuleSoft's Matt McLarty and Deloitte's Kurt Anderson about how new thinking on application and technology integration holds promise to help organizations achieve their connectivity goals and enable faster digital transformation.

To be sure, cloud is a boon to organizations that make the leap, but, as with any technology, there are bumps along the road to implementation. In this episode, David Linthicum talks with Techstrong Group's Mike Vizard about how companies can address three particularly vexing issues: multicloud complexity, cloud cost management, and cloud security. Mike's advice is to develop a sound multicloud cloud strategy, treat cloud as a strategic investment, and view security as a process, not a problem.