OCTO TALK episode 5: Cloud has evolved — have you?

Welcome to Octo Talk from Computer Center, where we discuss the latest innovations and trends in the market. Today, we’re talking about Cloud Version 2, and I’m joined by my colleague, Chief Technologist for Cloud, Paul Ner. Welcome, Paul.

Thanks, Ash, nice to be here.

So, Cloud Version 2 is our topic today. Can you give me an overview of what Cloud V2 actually is?

At its core, Cloud V2 is about helping customers move to the next iteration of their cloud platforms. This includes addressing areas like application and platform modernization. It’s focused on enabling greater agility in cloud delivery, improving cost management, strengthening governance through security and observability, and ultimately supporting application transformation and modernization.

That’s helpful. So if there’s a Cloud V2, was there a Cloud V1?

Yes, absolutely. If you think back about ten years, many organizations began their cloud journeys with a “cloud-first” strategy. They often moved quickly, making infrastructure-led decisions driven by things like data center exits. However, in many cases, they didn’t fully consider the applications themselves during migration. As a result, many workloads aren’t optimized for the cloud today, leading to cost and performance challenges and falling short of expected value.

Cloud V2 represents that next phase—helping organizations address these issues. It’s about moving toward more multi-cloud and hybrid models, with increased focus on automation, orchestration, developer velocity, and platform engineering.

So just to clarify, this isn’t only about public cloud?

Exactly—that’s a key point. While many customers started with public cloud, Cloud V2 is about creating an abstraction layer across public cloud, private cloud, and the edge. It supports a more hybrid approach, allowing organizations to operate consistently across all these environments.

You mentioned a framework—how does that help customers move to Cloud V2?

The framework defines several domains and topic areas that guide customers along their journey. Different organizations are at different stages, so the framework spans everything from initial enterprise adoption and legacy migration to more advanced capabilities like orchestration, cloud operations, data and AI, application modernization, and even cloud consumption models such as marketplaces and FinOps. It helps structure conversations and identify the most relevant focus areas for each customer.

Can you give an example of how this works in practice?

Sure. In orchestration and operations, we’ve helped customers provision and manage cloud services using tools like ServiceNow with catalog-based provisioning. In data and AI, we’ve supported organizations in building platforms that accelerate AI adoption. On the FinOps side, we’ve helped customers tackle cost challenges, which remain a top concern.

Ultimately, the framework allows us to identify specific problems and have targeted discussions rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Are there common pitfalls customers face when moving to the next stage of cloud?

It varies by organization, but common challenges include developer onboarding, cloud operations maturity, and cost management. Each customer typically faces a unique combination of these issues, depending on where they are in their journey.

We’re also seeing broader stakeholder involvement in technology decisions. Is that true for cloud as well?

Definitely. Traditionally, cloud provisioning was handled by infrastructure teams. Now, there’s a shift toward enabling end users—developers and other consumers—to provision services themselves, often through catalogs or APIs. For example, we worked with a customer where provisioning a VM took 48 days due to manual security approvals. By automating the process, we reduced that to hours. That’s a significant improvement and highlights the move toward self-service and automation.

AI is a major topic right now—how does it fit into Cloud V2?

AI plays a dual role. First, it’s a key workload that customers want to deploy efficiently across public and private environments. Second, it enhances cloud operations—through intelligent automation, code generation, and improved decision-making in data platforms. So, AI is both something the cloud supports and something that improves how the cloud operates.

How does the framework support customers at different stages of maturity?

It starts with understanding where each customer is. Some are still migrating legacy systems, while others are cloud-native and focused on optimizing developer workflows or scaling containerization. The framework helps tailor recommendations and prioritize the right areas for each organization.

What kind of feedback have you received from customers?

Very positive. Some have said they were trying to build something similar themselves, while others appreciate how well it reflects their current challenges. It serves as a strong starting point for deeper discussions and helps focus on what really matters, rather than overwhelming them with technology options.

Looking ahead, where do you see the future of cloud?

We’ll see a continued shift from infrastructure-led discussions to platform-led ones. Customers want to focus more on cloud-native services and enabling development teams rather than managing raw infrastructure. Maturity in automation, orchestration, and financial management will also be key as organizations progress along their cloud journey.

For customers trying to do this themselves, what would you recommend?

Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Many organizations are siloed, with different teams focusing on specific areas. A more holistic approach—like using a framework—helps connect those pieces, identify value, and drive better outcomes across the business.

Finally, how are customer and vendor conversations shaping your approach?

Our vendor partners play a crucial role across different areas of the framework. For example, in security and networking, partners like Palo Alto, Wiz, and Zscaler align closely with these goals. Collaborating with them allows us to bring more comprehensive solutions to customers and strengthen those targeted discussions.

Excellent—plenty to think about for both us and our customers as they move toward the next iteration of cloud. Thanks for joining me today.

Thank you for having me.

And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed this discussion on Cloud V2. You can subscribe on all the usual channels to stay updated on upcoming episodes. Until next time, stay curious.