CloudZA founder and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Oaker shares his experience with South Africa's digital landscape undergoing a profound transformation driven by big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence. In the introduction, Jonathan dives into how he transitioned from hosting on legacy on-premise systems to establishing CloudZA and becoming one of the leading advocates of cloud technology in Sub-Saharan Africa — with strategic partnerships from cloud hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform.
Big Data and the Cloud
At the heart of this transformation lives big data. Jonathan expounds on what big data is and how it can be used to showcase business insights. The sheer volume, velocity, and variety of data is overwhelming traditional systems — and without the improved processing capabilities offered by cloud computing platforms, we would render useful data useless because we simply would not know what to do with it.
Cloud Access for Startups
Jonathan delves into the impact the cloud has had on Startups. Startups are no longer required to have a substantial amount of capital to access enterprise-grade technology because the cloud offers that through a pay-as-you-go model, allowing them to scale accordingly with their growth. This allows for more competitiveness within the tech industry, as the cloud enables startups to go head-to-head with well-established institutions.
Building Cloud Skills
This adoption of cloud technology has created a need for skilled professionals. The MD and VP of AWS, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Tanija Randery, said: "The World Economic Forum has said 97 million new jobs will be created by 2025, as a result of cloud computing and digitalisation." Jonathan shares his fundamental principle: "the first ability you have to acquire is computational thinking", building on that with online learning and other mediums such as the AWS Skills Center in Cape Town.
AI in the Cloud
The next point of discussion goes on to be Artificial Intelligence, which has found a home in the cloud leveraging the vast resources that can be harnessed on-demand. Jonathan shares CloudZA's own product — the Statement of Work Engine — an award-winning AWS innovation that allows businesses to form summaries based on engagements and align a balanced workload across a company's staff. These AI capabilities are becoming increasingly accessible to businesses of all sizes, driving innovation across industries in South Africa.
Data, Compliance & Vision
Jonathan shares his insights on data silos. In the cloud, you have the ability to store data in one central location and enable access across all departments. He also shares exciting partnerships with educational institutions to build scalable and accessible learning management systems for students wherever they may reside.
When it comes to visibility and compliance, he explains the visibility cloud platforms provide and the ways in which CloudZA ensures the anonymity and integrity of customer data. The goal is not to have the shiniest stack but to use the stacks available to provide business value and drive the business forward.
Jonathan wraps up the interview by sharing his vision for CloudZA within the next five years — understanding the unique challenges and opportunities in the African market, with sights on the global market. As we witness a major shift in how businesses operate and innovate, the cloud has become the great equaliser — and that makes the future exciting.