#194 Establishing Best-in-Class Multi-Cloud Strategy with Kieran Clulow, Director of Data Platforms at IAG and Stijn De Lathouwers, Head of Data Platforms and Engineering at Suncorp

This special episode is a recording from a live webinar we ran back in February as part of our Future proofing your data platforms online event covering how to establish a best in class multi-cloud strategy.

Felipe explored all aspects of a multi-cloud strategy, including simplifying your data architecture, regardless of whether your systems are running on-prem, in the cloud, or a combination of both and optimising your agility and efficiency across your cloud infrastructure.

Stijn explains that there are three main drivers that organisations should consider in a multi-cloud strategy: cost, optimisation and capability. Each cloud provider to a certain extent has the same capability, but they have their niches in certain products that they offer.

Kieran tells us that when you're on a multi-cloud journey, you need to go into it with your eyes open. People underestimate the process of how much it can cost and how long it can take in a big organisation.

So, what does it take to jump into a world of multi-cloud and is it right for your organisation? Tune in to this podcast to hear from Kieran and Stan on the best approach for a Multi-Cloud Strategy.

Enjoy the show!

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“It's still a big challenge to find the right people or just to have the flexibility to train people up over a wall to be able to get that skill..”

- Stijn De Lathouwers, Head of Data Platforms and Engineering at Suncorp

WHAT WE DISCUSSED

0:00 Introduction

05:04 Why multi-cloud? Why should people consider it? And is there a particular point in an organization's journey that they should increase the focus that they have on, jumping into a multi-cloud world?

06:54 From the utilization of the cloud resources, or from a skills and people perspective, can we explore cost a bit more? And how has that area? How's the journey been for you guys in that space?

10:26  How do you guys look at the guardrails that are required? And if you can tell us a bit about how automation can support those guide rails, in terms of your experience?

12:50 A risk-based approach is refreshing. So that is great. What does it look like from your side stand?

15:37 What are some of the pain points in the journey? What are your sources of frustration in the multi-cloud world?

20:08 What are the unique USPs that you guys see in the different cloud providers?

23:12 How much of the driver runs multi-cloud do you see coming from regulators managing systemic risk, versus a true business benefit that's driven internally?

25:04 Would you do something small in each cloud? Or would you build out one and then try to match what's required in other clouds?

26:45 How do data quality and governance play a role in your multi-cloud strategy?

28:44 Do you have a multi-cloud strategy?

29:44  Do you find that your organization is properly leveraging that multi-cloud?

30:55 How regulated the industries are?

34:37 Are there any particular challenges that we haven't discussed, that arise when we're combining private and public clouds?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• We had to figure out how can we unpack this process and make it both safeguard IDs for national interests and make sure we can deploy in a reasonable time and not make it too burdensome

• To reduce that cost and that friction is really important for us to be able to deploy it

• These are quite enormous decisions that you need to make, that you need to take control of. And that needs to be the base capability, or that foundation needs to be there.

• But if I would be a startup, or a small organization going into a cloud, I would not directly see the value of a multi-cloud strategy. Because there's a cost to it, you need to maintain the skill sets, the teams that can manage these, all have their intricate differences that your technology teams need to know and be able to handle.

• We don't necessarily want to take any risk there. It's too dear to our customers in our own hearts to take a very liberal approach to that.

• And are you confident in your maturity to be able to run this effectively, in the interest of your customers?

• There are a lot of skills that you need there and a lot of differences in the ways of working that you need in order to effectively run a single cloud strategy to be frank, let alone a multi-cloud strategy. So you've got to go up that maturity curve and be realistic about what people can, can take on at any given time.

• What I love is the young upcoming talent tends to kind of always come with that a little bit more clear, that they are much more varied in their skill set or less technology focused and more agnostic to that.

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