Wireless Wednesday Live: Future of the cloud and AI with Ed Walsh of IBM

Rick talks with Ed Walsh of IBM.

ED WALSH, SENIOR MANAGING CONSULTANT - HYBRID CLOUD TRANSFORMATION, IBM CONSULTING

Businesses are increasingly turning to AI to drive efficiency, improve decision-making and unlock new growth opportunities. But in reality, many struggle to make AI actually useful beyond small experiments. Why is that? Many are overlooking one critical piece to the AI puzzle – the cloud.

Have a listen:

So what’s been holding businesses back? Well many organizations, specifically post pandemic, rushed to the cloud to quickly adapt to a world where everything needed to be accessible from anywhere and where consumers demands were completely changing. While this shift was necessary at the time, it left businesses with complexity in their technology environments, with information spread across multiple areas making things expensive and difficult to manage. This messy landscape hampers organizations from tackling new business demands, like harnessing AI.

Having a clear cloud strategy and vision is the key to unlocking AI’s full potential. Without it, companies wishing to realize the full benefits of AI will always fall short. In this interview, Ed Walsh will break down why having a well-planned cloud strategy is necessary for making AI work, the common mistakes organizations make when trying to implement AI and the steps they should take to build a cloud environment that supports AI at scale.

Without a cloud strategy companies wishing to realize the full benefits of AI will always fall short.

Topics:

We hear a lot about AI’s impact, but not as much about the role of cloud in making AI work. Can you explain why having a strong cloud foundation is so important for scaling AI?

What did the HFS Report reveal about the success rate of most cloud transformation ventures?

Why is it important to change a business IT strategy from Hybrid-By-Default to Hybrid-By-Design?

What are 5 common patterns in successful Hybrid-By-Design Strategies?

What are the biggest challenges businesses face when their cloud strategy and AI initiatives aren’t aligned?

Where can our listeners go to learn more?

For more information please visit: ibm.com

Edward is seasoned technology strategist specializing in digital and cloud transformation initiatives. He brings deep expertise in transforming complex technological challenges into strategic business opportunities, helping organizations reimagine their digital futures. As a Senior Managing Consultant in IBM's Global Cloud Advisory practice, he provides strategic counsel to clients across all industries embarking on large-scale modernization journey and architects comprehensive cloud transformation roadmaps that bridge business objectives with cutting-edge IT strategies. He excels in helping organizations strategically assess their cloud investments and determine innovative ways for them to harness hybrid cloud and AI technologies that will drive unprecedented business value. Edward also spearheads offering development and go-to-market programs within IBM leveraging his extensive knowledge and experience in hybrid cloud and AI for business agility and growth.