Most business technology decision-makers are familiar with what multi-cloud solutions are and why they’ve become so popular. Over the last several years, cloud provider differentiation has moved beyond basic computing power and storage into specialized, managed services.
Why Multi-Cloud Keeps Growing
According to 451 Research, 76% of cloud customers are using two or more public clouds, with the average being 2.3. The two main reasons multi-cloud solutions have become so popular: Access to vendor-specific capabilities and cost benefits. While multi-cloud environments deliver many benefits and are increasingly the norm, they also add complexity: Companies are now wrestling with how to manage the proliferation of applications and data running in their cloud environments. The average cloud customer today has 100 to 200 software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.
At the same time, business technology leaders are looking to harness the remarkable power of artificial intelligence (AI). According to the IBM Global Adoption Index, 35% of companies reported they are currently using AI in their business, with an additional 42% reporting that they’re actively exploring AI.
Benefits of AI in Multi-Cloud Environments
The dramatic rise in cloud-enabled SaaS apps has created challenges in data management as well as overall efficiency. At first blush, you might think that adding yet another powerful technology, like AI, into the mix would only complicate an already complex technology infrastructure. However, in this case, AI serves as both a valuable new addition on its own — what company isn’t exploring the customer service benefits of ChatGPT? — and as a powerful tool for managing multi-cloud environments.
By integrating AI into their multi-cloud environments, organizations can leverage their cloud infrastructure more efficiently while simultaneously gaining the benefit of automating tasks that are carried out manually. For example, AI can be used to automatically provision and configure cloud resources, monitor and optimize cloud performance, and scale cloud services up or down as needed.
AI Helps Leverage Data From SaaS Apps
With the overwhelming amount of data flowing from SaaS applications, AI can help business leaders gain valuable insights into their data, helping determine which processes should be automated to deliver personalized experiences to customers. AI in a multi-cloud environment is allowing companies to move much faster: On Oracle’s latest earnings call, for example, CEO Safra Catz highlighted the positive impact of AI on financial processes. “Oracle Fusion, with embedded AI, enables customers to close their books in days, not weeks,” she said; Oracle was able to calculate and release its most recent earnings results in just a few days.
Factoring AI into your multi-cloud strategy is a good example of one technology making another more efficient and impactful. And it’s another way business leaders can work with their tech leaders to drive outcomes on the strength of the latest technology innovations.
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