Overview: This event focused on understanding the sources of fear in IT decision-making, evaluating the total cost of cloud versus on-premises solutions, and exploring strategies for successful cloud adoption and risk management.

Key Discussions:

• Understanding Fear and Cost: Explored the origins of fear, whether from risk, cost, or cyber threats. Emphasised the importance of considering the total cost of ownership, not just the cloud platform costs. Discussed the challenges of convincing decision-makers and the need to improve processes to reduce costs.

• Adapting Cloud Solutions: Addressed the use of cloud services like Salesforce, the negotiation for added functionalities, and the frustrations with on-premises customisations. Highlighted the need for businesses to adapt their operating models and the importance of balancing business needs with vendor capabilities.

• Implementing Multi-Cloud Strategies: Examined the challenges and strategies for implementing multi-cloud environments, including risk management, disaster recovery, and compliance. Discussed the complexities of integrating different cloud platforms and the overhead associated with containerised services.

• Engaging Teams and Ensuring Security: Discussed strategies for keeping teams engaged with both old and new technologies, the importance of recognising business wins, and the potential for outsourcing critical platforms. Emphasised the need for a robust security and governance framework to manage cloud risks effectively.