Empiric's Steve Brown joined a techUK panel discussing how the Cloud is changing the nature of the modern workforce and workplace, as well as how organisations are responding to the new skills requirements of cloud-enabled innovation.
Joining Steve was Richard Hotchkin (Director and Cloud Platform Product Manager at Aptum), Moira Roberts (Business Development Manager at Cloud Gateway) and hosting the panel was Nimmi Patel (Skills, Talent & Diversity Policy Manager at techUK).
Topics discussed throughout the session ranged from the central role of the Cloud in the workforce of today to the acceleration of SaaS adoption during and after the pandemic, and the increasingly hybrid and distributed nature of the workplace. They also looked at how AI integration with the Cloud will shape the future of it's adoption.
Artificial Intelligence and The Cloud
Using the right Artificial Intelligence Tools
Steve opened the topic, by considering how business leaders needed to understand what business needs new AI tools cater for before they committed to implementing them. On top of this they need to understand the basic functions that those tools can be used to perform, to inform their business decisions.
“[Cloud tools] when brought down to layman’s terms are not as complicated as they initially seem"
Hybrid Cloud Connectivity
Moira then went on to discuss how some companies would find it easier to make a slower, more measured transition to the cloud. For example, in industries such as the public sector where large banks of sensitive data need to be migrated. On top of this companies with lower investment pools would see more benefit from investing in good network security foundations.
Artificial Intelligence Built into Software
Following on from this, Richard discussed the importance of proper cloud adoption frameworks. He also discussed how the tools that business would find most useful would be those built into the backend of common software programmes. He suggested that over-complication wasn’t necessary when it came to AI implementation.
How the Cloud is Changing Working Practices
Retraining for the Cloud
Richard made the case that there would need to be business-wide retraining for companies moving onto the cloud. He specifically spoke about how managers and senior leaders would need training so that they make the right decisions on which technological direction companies should take and are not overly swayed by developers who have niche skillsets.
Retraining the Workforce
The panel also discussed workforce retention and ongoing professional development as wider cloud technologies are adopted in the workforce. There was particular interest in how cloud security was increasingly important for hybrid workers.
Conclusion
The rapid development and integration of cloud technologies into everyday business practice over the last few years has deeply affected the fundamental way that companies operate. Leadership must make sure to commit to continual training, as well as focused recruitment efforts if the companies they represent are to remain competitive and functional in the evolving business environment.
Thanks to techUK for hosting such a brilliant event!
If you would like to keep up to date with Empiric updates please sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of the page, and head to our Cloud & Infrastructure page to see more about our recruitment offering.
