Taking place on a single jam packed day, the annual AWS Summit is one of the highlights of our calendar. It’s a chance to reconnect with old friends, meet potential clients and get a sense of the direction in which the industry is moving. This year’s event promised to be huge, and it didn’t disappoint. Here’s a look at what we saw, what we learned, and what it means for the future of Daemon.
A record breaking year
AWS Summit 2023 was expected to be well-attended, and it didn’t disappoint. The event knocked it out of the park, with record attendance and a buzzing atmosphere. It was inspiring to see thousands of people crammed into an exhibition hall, united by a common passion and a desire to embrace the future.
There was a lot on the agenda, but two themes dominated the conversation- AI and data.
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Something old, something new
The speeches may have been diverse but, down on the exhibition floor, there was only one topic on everyone’s lips. AI and machine learning is nothing new, but 2023 is the year it seeped into the popular consciousness. Thanks to ChatGPT, the world is waking up to the potential of generative AI, and businesses are keen to get on board.
While the general public may be panicking about an AI apocalypse, the attitude at AWS Summit was far more upbeat. Ours is an industry of tech optimists, so it's no surprise that most were excited about the possibilities of AI. Much of this excitement was focused on the potential for improving customer service through personalised experiences and targeted recommendations.
AI may have been the star of the show, but there was a parallel conversation taking place. It’s all very well using AI to drive customer recommendations, but these will only be accurate if they are based on reliable data. Alongside harnessing the power of AI, the biggest challenge in the coming years will be finding ways to harvest data in the most effective way possible.
Connect with our senior Machine Learning Consultant, Damien Duff
Customers want the best of both worlds
These conversations have had a clear effect on customer expectations. Nobody wants to be left behind, but this enthusiasm has created a paradox. Businesses are keen to join the AI revolution, but they also want to cut costs wherever they can.
Companies have an instinctive preference for building their own solutions. This approach might save money in the short-term, but it’s likely to cost more overall. We believe that enlisting our help is a better option, both financially and practically. Here’s why.
Our Head of Cloud explains the typical cloud migration journey
Daemon to the rescue
We spent a lot of AWS Summit setting out our case to potential customers. Some had their hearts set on state of the art AI, while others were still preparing to migrate their data to the cloud. Whatever the goal, there was a shared desire to be as economical as possible.
We understand that everyone is trying to cut costs, but taking on a digital transformation project yourself may not be the best way to do this. A business that goes into a project blind is bound to make mistakes. These can prove costly and time-consuming, leading to a solution that is slower and more expensive than you’d envisioned.
This is where we can help. We can’t promise to get everything right on the first try but, with our tried and tested method, we can make the transition is as smooth as possible:
- Rather than coming to you with a readymade solution, we work together to tailor one to your needs. We hold a series of workshops during which we attempt to agree on the problem and align all stakeholders behind a proposed solution. This is also a chance to provide proof of value to stakeholders who may be sceptical about the financial impact of the project.
- During our Ignite phase, we build a prototype in as little as two weeks. We do this by employing a number of accelerators. In the case of a cloud migration, this could mean creating a landing zone for data and applications, or working out an environment strategy that lets you deploy processes in a repeatable way.
- The Ignite phase is an iterative process. We constantly respond to your feedback, adapting the solution as we go. This allows us to react to problems as they appear, rather than delivering an entire project only to discover a fatal weakness.
- Our job doesn’t end when the solution is complete. We want to leave you with the skills to keep things running smoothly, and this is where our Enable strategy comes in. We include your engineers at every stage, ensuring they become experts in the new system. By the end, you’ll have your very own in-house maintenance team.
This approach doesn’t just save you time and money in the present. It also paves the way for future savings. By enabling you to handle maintenance, we can reduce your ongoing costs significantly. By creating the right environment and building repeatable processes, we make it easier to upgrade your systems in the future.
Whatever the finished product looks like, there’s one thing we guarantee- a tailored solution that is cheaper, better and longer lasting. It’s not just a win-win. It’s a win-win-win! Talk to our team to find out more.
Read more: Daemon’s three steps to digital transformation success
