Google Cloud\u2019s focus on a \u2018new way to cloud\u2019 is bringing to market yet more tools and features to help South African businesses do business better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So says Gregory MacLennan, CEO of Digicloud Africa, Google\u2019s chosen reseller enablement partner in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In launching the \u2018new way to cloud\u2019 this year, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian noted<\/strong><\/a> that the new era of cloud is fuelled by generative AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI, data analytics, proactive security, and advanced architecture that supports ongoing innovation are at the heart of Google Cloud\u2019s \u2018new way to cloud\u2019<\/a><\/strong>, to enable faster and smarter business Google\u2019s AI<\/strong><\/a>, ML and generative AI products include Vertex AI<\/strong><\/a>, a comprehensive platform for rapidly prototyping and testing generative AI models, with Vertex AI Search and Conversation, Natural Language AI and Vision AI<\/a> <\/strong>and Video AI<\/strong><\/a> to detect and understand images and video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Duet AI in Workspace and Google Cloud is using AI to enhance features and make users more productive \u2013 even serving as a coding assistant for developers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Duet AI also assists data engineers and data analysts across BigQuery, Looker, Spanner, Dataplex, and Google Cloud’s database migration tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacLennan believes that there is growing interest in Generative AI in local businesses, however he notes that the bigger focus right now is on analytics and achieving efficiencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLocally, we see a big push for using the cloud, and access to best of breed tools, to do better business,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He notes: \u201cThe global economy is essentially a wartime economy, and South Africa is feeling the effects of global developments on top of all our other challenges. What local businesses need right now is efficient IT, and cost-effective access to best-of-breed digital tools.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “They need to operate as sustainably and cost-effectively as possible, with infrastructure optimised for the best possible cost-benefit ratio, so they can keep business running in a sustainable way. It\u2019s about doing the best you can for your business and your people, by using the best technology available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacLennan says Google Cloud offers the key technologies organisations need, delivered in a true cloud model. \u201cGoogle delivers on the original promise of the cloud \u2013 the tools are quick to spin up, quick to spin down, and you only pay for what you use.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “A market-leading product like BiqQuery speaks to that \u2013 you only pay for the query.\u00a0 With Vertex AI, you can build a generative AI model, train it quickly on available data and deploy it, and you pay per use,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He adds that spinning up more capacity over major traffic events such as Black Friday does mean users will pay more, however, it also means ultimately, they will be able to achieve a higher sales value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMajor clients such as e-tailers depend on Google Cloud infrastructure \u2013 it may cost more over events like Black Friday, but it brings in sales, and this is where the cloud shows value,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacLennan says achieving the optimal cost-benefit ratios and ensuring access to transformative tools requires the support of trained specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to turn things on, play around, and get a big invoice. Our partners help our customers get the most value for the least cost, by architecting the right solutions for each business \u2013 from a small project to a full modernisation complete with cost-benefit analysis,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Digicloud, Google is creating an ecosystem of Google Cloud partners across Africa. Digicloud\u2019s partner network across the continent powers meaningful business transformation in Africa, helping businesses drive significant gains with the adoption of Google Cloud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Partners are Google Certified professionals with demonstrated customer success, with experience in a wide range of industries and solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacLennan says Digicloud\u2019s partner network is helping customers harness Google\u2019s best of breed tools to optimise their businesses and control costs. \u201cThe tech skills shortage is a significant problem for many organisations, but our partners have them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “We are stringent about partner selection, and we\u2019ve aligned with the best specialists in their field, with all partner specialisations validated by Google in the US.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Because of the growth in demand and the prestige associated with Google Cloud specialisations, our partners are also working hard to expand their Google specialisations,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Google Cloud\u2019s focus on a \u2018new way to cloud\u2019 is bringing to market yet more tools and features to help South African businesses do business better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":747112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[15881],"class_list":["post-747110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-digicloud"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=747110"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":747114,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747110\/revisions\/747114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/747112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=747110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=747110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=747110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}SA focuses on better business<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best of breed tools deliver on the promise of cloud<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Expert partners to optimise cloud<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n