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Podcast
  • Cloud Radar 2021: How Cloud Can Boost Profits with Chad Watt

    July 19, 2021
  • Chad Watt, researcher and writer with the Infosys Knowledge Institute takes us through the findings and insights from Cloud Radar 2021, Infosys’ largest ever survey on enterprise cloud computing. Our analysis shows that the nature of cloud has changed: Given proper orchestration, cloud can boost profits and enable new business growth.

    Hosted by Jeff Kavanaugh, VP and Head of the Infosys Knowledge Institute.

    “Cloud used to be a place for the IT department to take care of business and make sure that everything was running on time. Now, how you arrange your cloud has as much to do with your business strategy as it has to do with keeping the lights on.”

    “In the cloud context, orchestration functions as a layer that sits between many different cloud servers, cloud uses, cloud applications, cloud platforms. And this is the piece where the magic happens, where you can connect the curated analysis with the person who needs to know it. Bringing together relevant information in a timely fashion to the person who can take action on it.”

    “The glib answer, cloud is just another place to put your stuff. It's somebody else's computer to hold your stuff. And that is technically accurate, but that is strategically very limiting.”

    - Chad Watt

Insights

  • In 2020, any business on the fence about whether to pursue a large cloud computing initiative found themselves pushed into action. Companies had to find new ways of working and collaborating, and cloud systems enable that in a growing range of ways.
  • In its basic form, cloud has been a tool for companies to save time and money by using computing resources on an as-needed basis. But as cloud has grown more pervasive and computers more powerful, a more advanced sort of cloud can become a tool to help companies boost profits.
  • These advanced benefits of modern cloud only manifest with high levels of cloud adoption – specifically more than 60% of IT infrastructure in the cloud.
  • Cloud Radar 2021 revealed six ways that companies can use cloud to boost year-over-year profit growth. Three ways relate to speed: speeding up how fast a company can develop and launch new solutions, speeding up how fast they add new functions to software in use and how fast they are able to expand processing capacity. The other three relate to adding new capabilities: using cloud to foster collaboration, unlock value from data and AI and increasing awareness of new revenue opportunities.
  • Cloud was at one time a mostly technical task, but given the additional capabilities it can unlock for enterprises, cloud decisions have grown as strategic as any business decision.
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Show Notes

  • 00:14

    Jeff introduces himself and Chad

  • 00:36

    Before joining the Knowledge Institute a couple of years ago, you had a long and distinguished career in business journalism, and I think it's relevant for this discussion. Could you give us a few bits about your background?

  • 02:00

    Today, we're going to focus on that and how cloud can be a competitive edge and actually drive profits and growths. Companies have been adopting cloud for years. Why did Infosys decide now to do this research?

  • 03:43

    What's the most interesting or perhaps unexpected results and responses you received from the survey?

  • 04:27

    Why is so much cloud adoption happening right now, and is it really all related to the pandemic or is there something more?

  • 05:29

    Of all the things that you found, what do you think is the most important takeaway from this report?

  • 06:37

    What are [the] capabilities that allow companies exceptional performance to achieve these great things?

  • 07:55

    Can you comment on how cloud helps companies become more resilient or agile?

  • 09:09

    How can cloud actually drive profits?

  • 10:12

    Any interesting tidbits from folks you talked with in either engineering or product development?

  • 11:05

    How has cloud maybe taken something positive or driven something positive to experiment, maybe they hadn't done before?

  • 12:26

    Within a company, maybe within units or departments, people are used to dealing with each other and cloud made it easier, which is great. What about for individuals or units or even companies that hadn't been collaborating, how has cloud made it easier for them to talk to each other?

  • 13:35

    What do companies, or what do people in general, get wrong when they think about cloud?

  • 15:00

    Chad explains the role of orchestration in cloud technology and application.

  • 16:00

    What are three things that an executive or a leader can do to go from where they are, to the next level with cloud?

  • 17:18

    Chad mentions where to access the Cloud Radar and other potential resources.

About Chad Watt

Researcher and writer, Infosys Knowledge Institute

Chad Watt

Chad joined Infosys in 2019 after a 20-plus years as a journalist, mostly covering business and finance.

Chad holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in New York, and helped launch the school’s first website covering citywide elections. Chad has always had an affinity for technology. His first computer was a TI-994A. Chad likes to run for fun. He has run eight marathons since turning 40. Chad has two sons (13 & 11).