Online Magazine
The Cloud – Unearthing data treasure
Everyone is talking about the benefits of cloud computing. However, the cloud is only the means to an end for what brings companies the real added value: the intelligent use of their own data.
by Stefan Lengacher
Cloud computing is said to open up great opportunities for companies. This statement is basically true. Cloud computing can take a company a decisive step further, provided that its advantages are not only used superficially.
Those who see the cloud only as an instrument to save costs by migrating the infrastructure or introducing a new cloud application will miss benefitting from the great opportunities it offers in the long term. These only open up once you understand the greatest value of the cloud is that it makes it possible to convert company data into actual business.
Data reveals customers’ needs
A good example of what this can mean is e-commerce. There is no salesperson or consultant in the virtual shopping world. However, if data on customers’ purchasing behaviour is collected, evaluated and used with technology, an online shop is also able to advise customers individually with suitable offers and product recommendations – fully automatically.
The collaboration between the leading Swiss online supermarket LeShop and Trivadis shows that this is possible. A DevOps architecture was developed for creating machine learning algorithms on exactly this basis. Thanks to the machine learning solution, LeShop can now develop, train and use algorithms that identify the customer's data and thus their needs, making it possible to assist them with online shopping. The project could be realised thanks to the possibilities offered by the cloud and Microsoft Azure Services.
How do you unlock the potential of your own data treasure?
Using data intelligently with the help of the cloud is, of course, not only limited to online commerce. There is a broad spectrum of possibilities, ranging from a better understanding of one’s own customers, products and services to improving the living conditions of children who depend on the support of machines to breathe.
But how best should a company go about using the cloud for its own needs and benefitting from its treasure of data? Simply running blindly into the cloud will not lead to success – on the contrary. First you need to know where you stand and then decide where you want to go. Cloud Journey (see image) is a tool we have developed for this.
Source: Trivadis
The questions that must be answered to successfully master the cloud project are then dealt with step by step. What preparations are needed to roll out the cloud in the company? Which cloud solution is suitable for my company? What challenges await me? How can I prepare for and manage them? How can I successfully migrate my data? And finally: How do I get the greatest possible (data) benefit from this?
It’s clear that these and other relevant questions cannot be answered easily. This is where Trivadis offers its expertise for all steps of the Cloud Journey in the shape of workshops, assessments and other services, and can help you make the transition to the cloud while seizing the much-heralded great opportunities – meaning converting data into a success factor.
Ready for the cloud?
