Zylo CEO on 4 Cloud Trends to Watch in 2017
Talkin’ Cloud asked Zylo CEO Eric Christopher how he thought four cloud and technology trends would play out in 2017. Here’s what he had to say…
1. SaaS applications that don’t easily integrate with, consume data from, or supply data to other applications will die.
In the future, there will no longer be single databases of record for business data. Instead, business users will compose the business’s system of record from multiple services and stores.
2. Enterprises that move to a cloud-first technology strategy first will win.
Enterprises that embrace the shift to the cloud and lead the transformation within their organization are able to be more responsive to their internal and external customers. The technology stack that an enterprise employs will be a significant competitive advantage in the near term as they stay relevant in a fast-paced environment.
3. Data-driven cloud purchasing decisions will cut costs and increase satisfaction.
Building a framework and process for adopting the latest technology to fuel innovation and results allows organizations to move fast and work with their employees to embrace cloud applications instead of working to lock down and resist new technology adoption. Using data, an organization can determine every cloud application that has been purchased, determine if it’s an effective application for business productivity and understand how well it is liked and utilized by employees. This is invaluable data that uncovers the opportunity to drive awareness and education of under-utilized mission critical applications, allows for strategic contract negotiations of widely used applications, and provides awareness into redundant and unused applications for cost savings opportunities.
4. Employees can now purchase technology without IT or Procurement’s involvement. A SaaS Manager role will be the answer to optimize and manage all SaaS investments.
Cloud technology makes it easier than ever for anyone within the organization to purchase applications for departmental or individual use. With the ease of app purchasing, comes the accountability and responsibility of the department leaders to ensure the business benefits from each investment. Not only understanding what technology the team is using, but also collaborating across lines of business to negotiate a strategic, cross-departmental contract when appropriate or just sharing best practices among all users of the same apps can be hard to manage. The creation of a SaaS Manager within the enterprise is going to increase in 2017 to solve this challenge, ensure the organization is getting the most out of the technology they own and open up organizational-wide collaboration.
About the Author
Eric Christopher is co-founder and CEO of Zylo, the leading SaaS optimization platform that transforms how companies manage and optimize the vast and accelerating number of cloud-based applications organizations rely on today. Eric launched the company in 2016 with 16 years of sales and management experience in the SaaS space, including his recent position as SVP of Sales at Sprout Social in Chicago.