In this episode, we go beyond the tech and dive into what really makes cloud transformation work: people, culture, and leadership. It’s not just about moving workloads—it’s about shifting mindsets!

🔥 Here’s what we unpacked:

💧 AI & Industry Trends – From the impact of AI data centers on the UK’s water supply to shifting DEI commitments and ongoing tech layoffs, we break down what’s shaping the industry.

👥 Culture is the Real Challenge – Cloud isn’t just a tech upgrade, it’s a people-first transformation. Upskilling your current teams, fostering innovation, and finding internal champions is the real game-changer.

💰 Cloud Costs & FinOps – Spoiler: Estimating cloud costs upfront is tricky! We talk about bridging the IT-finance gap, avoiding hidden licensing costs, and why FinOps is a team sport.

🔄 Managing Change (Without the Drama!) – Pilot projects, gradual adoption, and bringing people along rather than pushing them away—we cover strategies for making change stick.

🧠 Talent Trends in 2025 – The on-prem vs. cloud skills gap is growing, and companies need flexible work policies and smart upskilling to stay ahead.

🤖 AI in the Cloud – AI is powerful, but do you really need to build your own models? We discuss data management, AI biases, and why human oversight still matters.

🚀 Bottom line: Successful cloud transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about creating a culture that embraces learning, adaptability, and collaboration.

🎧 Listen now and tell us: What’s been your biggest challenge with cloud culture? Drop it in the comments! 👇

#CloudDialogues #CloudTransformation #CloudCulture #Leadership #CloudStrategy #FinOps #AI #CloudOps

Kicking off 2025 with a 3 part series focussed on helping the executives and the C suite make impactful business decisions with technology.

For episode 1, we sit down with Jez Back, Cloud Economist & Finops Professional at Capgemini, to tackle one of the biggest boardroom conversations—cloud economics and strategy.

With cloud costs rising, CFOs stepping into tech decisions, and efficiency becoming a top priority, we break down what really matters in 2025: cutting waste, maximizing value, and making smarter cloud investments.

💡 Cloud Headlines You Need to Know

• The Chinese AI model, DeepSeek, that’s making waves with lower training costs
• Oracle’s big multicloud play—what it means for vendor lock-in
• Meta’s renewable energy push for data centers and what it means for sustainability

💰 Cloud Economics & CFOs: What’s Changing?

• Cost vs. Value: Why slashing budgets isn’t always the smartest move
• CapEx vs. OpEx: The accounting shift that’s reshaping IT spending
• SaaS Spend Gone Wild: 49% of licenses go unused, and 70% of contracts are managed outside IT—what’s going wrong?

🌱 Cloud & Sustainability—Are We Actually Going Green?

• GreenOps vs. FinOps: Where efficiency meets ESG goals
• The hidden environmental costs of cloud—water use, energy, and ‘net zero’ debates
• Balancing sustainability with business realities

✔️ Tech decisions need transparency and predictability, not just cost-cutting ✔️ The best cloud strategies are measured by business value, not just technical KPIs ✔️ Sustainability matters, but cost efficiency still drives decisions ✔️ Cloud repatriation? Hype vs. reality—here’s what’s really happening

💭 Final Thought: Cloud economics isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about making the right investments, proving value, and staying ahead of the curve.

🎧 Tune in to Cloud Dialogues Episode 1 of 2025 and get the insights you need to lead cloud transformation this year! 🚀

In this episode of Cloud Dialogues, Matt & Georgia dive into the big reveals and emerging trends from AWS re:Invent 2024. With over 72,000 attendees and an action-packed week in Las Vegas, this year's conference showcased a mix of cutting-edge announcements, practical innovations, and a few surprises.

If you missed the event—or just want the TL;DR—this episode has you covered! What’s New at re:Invent?

Conference Highlights

- A record-breaking 72,000 registrations, with a strong in-person turnout in Las Vegas.

- Expanded session formats, including breakout sessions, chalk talks, hands-on workshops, and a fresh addition: PeerTalk meetups for networking and knowledge sharing.

Big AWS Announcements

1. Apple + AWS: A Powerful Partnership

- Apple revealed it relies on AWS Compute for machine learning and AI applications (dubbed Apple Intelligence).

- By leveraging AWS Graviton processors, Apple achieved a 40% efficiency boost.

- Apple now operates across 10 AWS regions using Graviton-powered instances.

2. Smarter AI

- Practical AI was the name of the game this year:

- Bedrock Guardrails: Automated reasoning checks to reduce AI hallucinations.

- Intelligent Prompt Routing: Dynamically directs prompts to the best AI model in the same family for the task.

3. Enterprise Enhancements

- Declarative Policies: Simplified policy management across AWS environments.

- Elastic VMware Service: Streamlines migrations from traditional VMware setups.

- Amazon Q Developer: Packed with enterprise-friendly features like:

- Automatic COBOL-to-modern-language code conversion.

- Automated testing for smoother development.

- Tools for investigating operational issues.

4. Data and Database Innovations

- SageMaker Lakehouse: A unified hub for centralizing and managing data.

- Aurora DSQL: A groundbreaking serverless, multi-region, Postgres-compatible database.

Key Observations

The hosts highlighted a noticeable shift from last year’s “AI everything” approach to more practical, value-driven AI solutions. The focus now is on delivering tools that make a tangible difference, and the hosts predict 2025 will bring realistic AI deployments as companies fine-tune their data and AI strategies.

Looking Ahead

The episode wraps with a teaser for the next recording in London, January 2025, and a call for listener input: who should be the next guest on Cloud Dialogues? Tell us in the comments!