William W Collins’ Post

Mainstream Continues Regional Growth with Slovenian Company HC Center by via Sloveniatimes.com - Rss ([Global] oracle cloud) URL: https://ift.tt/6Sgzh4D Mainstream, a leading provider of cloud solutions in Southeast Europe, has become a co-owner of the Slovenian company HC Center. This move is part of Mainstream's business expansion and strengthens its presence in the region. It is one of the company's growth pillars, as it currently operates through a network of eight data centers in Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece. After approval by the relevant regulatory authority, the teams of Mainstream and HC Center will focus on achieving new business milestones, with the goal of providing a comprehensive portfolio of services to accelerate digital transformation. The complementarity of expertise and the possibility of creating synergies between the teams is one of the main reasons for the merger of the companies. By merging with HC Center, Mainstream will also expand its infrastructure ecosystem, introducing two more data centers with synchronous data replication in Slovenia. "Unstable times and times of crisis bring an opportunity to make the most important decisions: will you be idle and wait for developments, hoping for the best, or will you take the future into your own hands. With our strategic moves, we have reached a stage where we can invest in the future. Mainstream is on a path of regional growth, incorporating a company with an excellent team, a recognized cloud infrastructure, and an extensive client base in Slovenia," emphasized Ljubiša Radivojević, CEO of Mainstream. Founded in 2005 as a hosting company, Mainstream has been focusing all its efforts in the past ten years on providing comprehensive end-to-end cloud expertise in Serbia and the region. In addition to cloud services, Mainstream offers clients expertise in the use and management of platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud. According to Radivojević, this business model is unique in Southeast Europe, and the merger with HC Center brings in engineers specializing in IT systems integration, cloud, data centers, network management, and security solutions, allowing Mainstream to expand its existing service portfolio in the Slovenian market. "HC Center, a company with over 20 years of experience specializing in IT systems integration, provides digitalization solutions in Slovenia, while Mainstream is a regional pioneer of cloud solutions and a leading provider of multi-cloud solutions. The merger of both companies represents a unique concept in the domestic market, opening doors to even faster progress for companies in the digital economy," summarized Aleksej Kranjec, CEO of HC Center. This content has been provided by Mainstream. https://ift.tt/OQWEtNm

Over the last 15 years I have been so fortunate to work with a very diverse set of organizations to assist, guide and advise in digital transformations with the last 5 years being focused on cloud transformations. I have seen both large organizational projects, and minor department projects, succeed and fail and usually they fail due to hitting the same pitfalls. A report by HFS Research and EY indicates that approximately 50% of cloud transformations are considered 'abject failures', often due to misalignment with business objectives. Some of the recurring pitfalls I experience when guiding organizations, are these: 🗓️Lack of Clear Strategy: Moving to the cloud without a well-defined business case or alignment with organizational goals and failing to incorporate the CCoE(Cloud Center of Excelence) in building the strategy, can lead to the cloud projects not being prioritized and in the end being shut down. ✈️Pilot Stagnation: The value of cloud can be perceived from a small set of greenfield applications which have not been modernized to cloud and the value derived from these migrations has been limited, which makes further progress impossible as tech leaders will fail in convincing the business to extend this transformation to more business critical applications. 📚Insufficient Skills: Organizations often lack the necessary expertise in cloud architecture and operations and expect that the skills used for on-prem can be transferred to cloud operations, which is not the case. 💵Cost Overruns: The most expensive time to be in cloud, is the beginning. This is where organizations not yet have learned to utilize the cost optimization tools provided by the cloud vendors, and still have not re-architected applications to cloud. The business expects to see great cost savings in this period, but there is very limited cost savings from lift and shift, which usually will be the first approach. (Have a look at the 7 Rs from Amazon Web Services (AWS) 🆕Cultural Resistance: Tech leaders can be stuck in their old ways and will therefore not spend the needed resources to create an aligned vision, which will lead to lack of guidance and oversight, leaving developing teams on their own to develop cloud services. Most of the cloud vendors see these pitfalls, and many more, as some of the biggest blockers to expanding their business, which is also why they go along way to assist customers to steer clear of these pitfalls. Both Microsoft Azure Amazon Web Services (AWS) Oracle and Google Cloud work with Cloud Adoption Framework to help their customer to steer clear of these pitfalls. If you are up for some light reading on how to navigate the cloud in a successful manner, have a look at the book by Jonathan Allen and Thomas Blood – “Reaching Cloud Velocity” It will help you steer clear of some of the pitfalls, both as business and tech leader.

Canalys defines cloud infrastructure services as services that provide infrastructure-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service, either on dedicated hosted private infrastructure or shared public infrastructure. This excludes software-as-a-service expenditure directly, but includes revenue generated from the infrastructure services consumed to host and operate them. The researcher says in 2023, China’s cloud service market grew by 16% overall, up from 10% in 2022. Canalys expects growth to accelerate further in 2024, with Chinese cloud infrastructure services spending set to increase by 18%. Generative AI spending will drive cloud spending even as enterprises mature past IT optimisation. Canalys says the significant price cuts implemented by Chinese cloud service providers have helped drive adoption by more cost-conscious customers, exacerbating the competitiveness within the market. To differentiate themselves amid the escalating price battles, cloud vendors will emphasize elevating service standards, fostering innovation and refining the overall cloud service ecosystem.  The top three cloud vendors – Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud and Tencent Cloud, collectively grew their business by 28% and secure 74% of the total market. All three are placing greater emphasis on developing their partner ecosystems to fuel growth. Cloud revenue generated through the channel accounted for 25% of total revenue in the Chinese market in Q4 2023, and this proportion is expected to increase. “Cloud vendors are currently faced with the dual challenges of maintaining revenue growth and sustaining profitability amid competitive pressures driving price reductions,” said Yi Zhang, an analyst at Canalys. Zhang says outside of profitability concerns, cloud providers must also ramp up investments in emerging technologies. In such cases, effective collaboration with partners can help mitigate risks and gain access to partners’ expertise and resources. “This will allow them to navigate competitive pressures and foster sustainable growth in the AI-powered future,” she adds. Related:  Fraunhofer IML and Dachser extend smart logistics partnership

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲: 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝: Our company was facing challenges with managing its IT infrastructure. The company had a mix of on-premises data centers and some cloud services, but the system was inefficient and costly. As the business grew, so did the need for better scalability, flexibility, and cost control. The company needed a solution that would support its growing demands while ensuring better performance and security. 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: After evaluating several options, Our company decided to implement a Hybrid Cloud solution. A hybrid cloud combines private cloud and public cloud, allowing businesses to use the best of both worlds. Our company chose to keep its sensitive customer data and critical applications on a private cloud for security and compliance reasons while moving less sensitive workloads and applications to a public cloud to reduce costs and improve scalability. The company worked with an IT consultant to design and implement the hybrid solution. The public cloud allowed them to quickly scale resources up or down based on demand, such as during peak shopping seasons, without investing in expensive hardware. The private cloud ensured that sensitive information, like payment details, stayed within a secure environment. 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔: After implementing the hybrid cloud solution, Our company saw several key benefits: 𝑪𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: By shifting non-critical workloads to the public cloud, the company significantly reduced costs associated with maintaining physical servers and data centers. 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: The ability to scale resources up or down quickly allowed our company to respond to changes in demand, especially during busy sales events. 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆: Applications hosted on the public cloud performed faster due to the advanced infrastructure and resources available from cloud providers. 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆: Sensitive data remained secure in the private cloud, meeting industry standards and compliance requirements. 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚: The hybrid cloud architecture provided better disaster recovery options, ensuring that the business could continue to operate even in case of unexpected events or technical issues. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: By adopting a hybrid cloud solution, the company was able to meet its growing business demands with a flexible, cost-effective, and secure infrastructure. The company benefited from improved performance, scalability, and security while reducing IT costs and maintaining control over sensitive data. This successful transition to the hybrid cloud has helped the company continue to grow and stay competitive in the fast-evolving marketing industry.

🌟 Transforming Business Infrastructure: From On-premises to Cloud Excellence 🌥️ In the digital era, agility and innovation are the cornerstones of business success. As organizations seek to unlock new potentials and streamline operations, transitioning from traditional on-premises data centers to a robust cloud architecture is not just a trend – it's a strategic imperative. At Shimento, we are dedicated to making your migration to the cloud a seamless and rewarding journey. We bring clarity to complexity, ensuring that your move to the cloud is smooth, secure, and strategically aligned with your business objectives. Why Migrate to the Cloud with Shimento? 🚀 Speed and Agility: Accelerate your service delivery with cloud resources that can be rapidly provisioned and scaled. 💡 Innovation at Scale: Leverage the cloud’s advanced technologies to foster innovation across your organization. 🛡️ Enhanced Security: Benefit from the cloud's built-in security features that keep your data protected in a constantly evolving threat landscape. 📊 Cost Efficiency: Reduce operational costs with a pay-as-you-go model, eliminating the need for heavy upfront hardware investments. 📈 Data-Driven Insights: Utilize the cloud’s analytics and machine learning capabilities to turn data into actionable insights. Our team of experts works closely with you through every phase of the migration: Assessment & Planning: We begin with a thorough assessment of your existing infrastructure and workloads, identifying the best cloud strategies for your unique needs. Migration Execution: Our skilled engineers meticulously manage the migration process, ensuring data integrity and minimal downtime. Optimization: Post-migration, we focus on optimizing your new cloud environment for performance, cost, and security. Ongoing Support: With Shimento, your cloud journey continues beyond migration. We provide continuous support and management to ensure your cloud infrastructure evolves with your business. Take the leap and propel your business into a future of endless possibilities with Shimento. Let's embark on this transformative journey together and redefine what’s possible for your organization. For detailed inquiries or to get started on your cloud migration, reach out to us at [email protected]. #CloudMigration #CloudComputing #DigitalTransformation #Shimento #Innovation #CloudServices #BusinessAgility

𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵? Many businesses today are grappling with cloud systems that have become costly and inefficient over time. The main driver for modernization is skyrocketing cloud expenses, particularly with older systems that weren’t built to optimize resource usage. Instead of focusing on innovation, companies are often forced to address these inefficiencies. This leads to the critical question: Is it better to modernize the existing infrastructure, or should businesses start fresh and rebuild? 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 When confronted with high cloud bills, most companies first turn to 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. It’s the familiar choice—fixing what’s already in place without the need to start over from scratch. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲? • 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻: Modernization focuses on reducing cloud expenses by optimizing systems that are becoming too expensive to maintain. • 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Incremental updates allow companies to avoid major operational interruptions while improving their systems. • 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Modernizing makes the most of the existing infrastructure, saving on the costs of rebuilding everything from the ground up. However, modernization doesn’t always address the deeper inefficiencies in legacy systems, and it may only delay the need for more extensive changes. 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 Although rarely considered, 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 offers businesses a chance to fully embrace modern, cloud-native technologies and retire some or all their technical debts. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱? • 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀: A rebuild allows companies to design systems that are better suited to current cloud workloads, improving performance and scalability. • 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: Starting over gives businesses the flexibility to avoid technical debt and build a system that can grow with future needs. Although rebuilding sometimes involves higher upfront costs and greater disruption, but it can ultimately lead to more sustainable, long-term efficiency. 𝗧𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽 Many companies instinctively turn to modernization, believing it to be the less risky and only option. However, I urge you to consider both options and really evaluate which option is the right choice for your business’s specific challenges, goals, and readiness for change. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲? Have you faced a similar decision between modernization and rebuilding in your cloud journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and insights!

#CloudHosting The Nordic regions IT investments face increasing strain as supply chain disruptions, fueled by the war in Ukraine, amplify existing challenges in the technology sector. A new study by global technology research and consulting firm Information Services Group (ISG) reveals how these disruptions, coupled with rising IT costs and a talent shortage, are reshaping the regions cloud adoption strategies. The 2024 ISG Provider Lens Multi Public Cloud Services report for the Nordics highlights that many organizations are shifting their focus toward projects delivering immediate financial returns. As a result, less critical initiatives are being postponed. This pragmatic shift underscores the growing demand for adaptable, cost-effective cloud solutions capable of navigating dynamic market conditions. Hybrid and multicloud solutions are gaining traction, driven by a need for resilient digital infrastructure, affordable energy, and reduced concerns around vendor lock-in. The Nordics are fostering a supportive environment for cloud adoption, particularly with the unifying Gaia-X standards for a European cloud ecosystem, said Dr. Matthias Paletta, ISG Director for Technology Modernization in Europe. However, the regions businesses are increasingly turning to global hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to enhance their capabilities, often seeking assistance from specialized service providers. Multicloud Deployments, Microservices Microservices architecture is playing a pivotal role in this transformation. By breaking down tasks into smaller, scalable service components, Nordic cloud providers are enabling workloads to expand on demand. The report emphasizes that service providers excelling in the region integrate application modernization, including microservices, into their offerings. Provider-agnostic multicloud deployments are the preferred choice for enterprises implementing new technologies in the Nordics, said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader at ISG Provider Lens Research. Providers delivering real-time monitoring, reduced maintenance costs, and improved operational expenditure are leading the market. Sustainability has also emerged as a top priority as Nordic organizations prepare for the EUs Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), effective in 2025. This directive will mandate tracking sustainability metrics, strengthening data security, and improving risk management - further influencing cloud strategies in the region. The ISG report reflects how Nordic enterprises are leveraging cloud technology to adapt to economic and environmental pressures while positioning themselves for long-term growth.

#HostingJournalist #CloudHosting Pioneering cloud management platform, emma, has successfully closed a $17 million Series A funding round, marking a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize cloud infrastructure management for businesses worldwide. This round, led by European venture capital firm Smartfin with participation from RTP Global and existing investors, brings the companys total funding to $23 million. The fresh capital comes on the heels of a $6 million Seed Round in March 2023, underscoring investor confidence in emmas innovative approach to cloud optimization. Founded in 2019, emma has emerged as a leading player in the field of multicloud management, offering businesses a platform that combines real-time analytics, AI-driven automation, and extensive multicloud capabilities. By enabling companies to optimize cloud operations, reduce costs, and enhance agility, emma is addressing a pressing need in todays rapidly evolving cloud landscape. Its solution empowers organizations to navigate the complexities of multicloud environments, providing tools for workload optimization, consumption forecasting, and streamlined resource allocation, all while ensuring financial predictability. The Series A funding will support emmas ambitious plans for growth, including enhancements to its platform, expansion of its go-to-market strategy, and the development of customer satisfaction initiatives. A significant portion of the investment will also be directed toward establishing a research and development center at the companys headquarters in Luxembourg. This facility will accelerate the creation of new features such as advanced automation capabilities, broader cloud integrations, improved security measures, and AI-driven accelerators, reinforcing emmas position as a leader in the cloud management space. Dmitry Panenkov, CEO of emma, emphasized the companys commitment to innovation and its vision for the future of cloud operations. At emma, were shaping the future of cloud operations, said Mr. Panenkov. Businesses want unrestricted scalability across all providers as they expand. In order to enable cloud-agnostic operations, we are developing the standards. This funding accelerates our goal of providing businesses with the autonomy and adaptability they require to maximize in every setting. Demand for Multicloud Solutions Smartfin Partner, Harry Haeck, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the platforms transformative potential for enterprises. emma is addressing one of the most critical challenges for modern enterprises: managing and optimizing complex multicloud environments, said Mr. Haeck. By integrating automation, cost visibility, and actionable analytics into a single platform, emma frees enterprises to concentrate on innovation rather than infrastructure. Were proud to collaborate with a company that is setting the standard for more flexible and efficient cloud strategies.…

☁️ E2E Networks to Capitalize on Cloud Infrastructure with INR 420.5 Cr Funding. E2E Networks, a cloud infrastructure provider, has raised INR 420.5 crore in funding, aiming to enhance its cloud infrastructure offerings and expand its market presence. 🔹 Key Highlights: - Funding Amount: E2E Networks secured INR 420.5 crore to bolster its cloud infrastructure capabilities. - Expansion Goals: The company plans to use the funds to scale its infrastructure, offering advanced cloud solutions to businesses across various sectors. 💡 Background: - Company Overview: E2E Networks focuses on providing cloud computing services, catering to the growing demand for scalable and efficient cloud solutions in India. - Market Dynamics: With the increasing adoption of cloud technology, E2E Networks is well-positioned to capitalize on the rising need for robust cloud infrastructure. 🚀 Growth Potential: - Infrastructure Enhancement: The funding will enable E2E Networks to improve its cloud infrastructure, ensuring higher performance, reliability, and scalability for its clients. - Market Expansion: The company aims to leverage this investment to expand its footprint in the cloud services market, reaching more enterprises and startups. 📈 Future Outlook: - Innovation and Development: E2E Networks will focus on enhancing its cloud infrastructure offerings, introducing new features and services to meet the evolving needs of its customers. - Strategic Growth: The funding positions E2E Networks to further strengthen its market position, potentially exploring partnerships and collaborations to drive innovation in cloud technology. E2E Networks Limited #E2ENetworks #CloudInfrastructure #FundingNews #TechGrowth #BusinessExpansion #CloudServices #BusinessNews #TechUpdates

Great article from Keren Shmuely on how enterprises are continuing to innovate whilst at the same time effectively managing cloud costs. “Enterprises and their technology departments are already being impacted by the potential sharp economic downturn. Their customers’ spending habits have shifted, and they are taking more time to make buying decisions. Enterprise leaders are being forced to make difficult decisions about their budgets and workforce, prioritizing what and who are considered essential to the well-being of the enterprise. “