SaM Solutions USA

06/30/2021

What’s a good example of a company using the cloud to “drive” innovation and improve CX? Ferrari.

Ferrari recently selected AWS as their official provider for AI, ML, and various cloud services. The world-famous car manufacturer wants to become a more data-driven organization through utilizing services such as Amazon EC2, SageMaker, Lake Formation, Elastic Kubernetes Service, and DynamoDB (among others).

An example of how the company will use EC2 involves running a wide range of specialized instance types for optimized high power computing, with the goal of efficiently analyzing highly complex driving and performance simulations.

One of Ferrari’s most interesting plans is to utilize AWS compute, containers, and media services to power a new mobile app for F1 racing fans, with the app being centered around highly engaging user experiences. In the near future, Ferrari plans on building augmented reality experiences on AWS to reinvent the way fans engage with drivers, teams, and the brand at large.

One of the many examples of a company leveraging the cloud to facilitate leading-edge digital experiences for audiences and out-innovate competitors.

06/23/2021

One of the biggest lessons learned from covid was the importance of supply chain resilience.

According to research firm IHL Services, the cost of inventory distortion in global retail (2020) was:

$580 million at the store level
$512 million for supply chain
$677 million for manufacturing

The problem wasn’t limited to retail - industry after industry suffered disruptions and many are still dealing with them (e.g. the global microchip shortage).

How can companies effectively “disruption-proof” their supply chains? Leveraging the right technology (and right partners) would be a good start.

Cloud-based tech is one example. Whether it’s utilizing public clouds for data storage, predictive analytics, or advanced supply chain SaaS solutions - businesses that want to become more resilient need to start leveraging the cloud.

The organizations that survived, and even thrived, during the pandemic were the ones that had the right technology, people, and partners in place to flex with disruptions. Nearly all of them utilized the cloud in some form to successfully manage their supply chains.

Interested in learning more about cloud technology? Check out our blog: https://bit.ly/3h2e49E

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06/17/2021

Some interesting SaaS stats and trends you need to know:

- In 2020, the global SaaS market was worth $157 billion, a decade earlier it was only $13.4 billion (Statista).

- Companies with more than 250+ workers use more than 100 SaaS applications on average.

- Small businesses (50 employees and less) use approximately 25-50 SaaS apps in their daily operations (99Firms).

- 73% of companies plan on migrating all of their software solutions to SaaS by the end of 2021 (BMC)

Over the next four years, the SaaS market will experience a growth of $99.99 billion, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%.

Driven by the continued expansion of enterprise IT initiatives and adoption by SMBs, SaaS shows no signs of slowing down.

As containerization, edge computing, and virtualization are becoming more and more mainstream, which is further driving cloud spending, expect SaaS to continue its pivotal role in both business and daily life.

The opportunities in SaaS for startups, SMBs, and enterprises alike are limitless.

06/07/2021

One of the best ways an organization can add value to its digital transformation initiative(s) is by engaging external experts, providers, and platform partners that have experience across a wide range of industries.

This is especially true in certain verticals, such as industrial, where B2B businesses often lag behind companies in other, more consumer-driven industries (e.g. retail).

A recent study by McKinsey & Company revealed that over 65% of B2B customers prefer digital self-service when making a purchase (or remote human assistance). Furthermore, 80% of B2B executives believe that omnichannel sales are equally or more effective than traditional methods.

Investing in automation, eCommerce, cloud, and other tech to bolster omnichannel sales should be a priority for any industrial company wanting to sharpen its competitive edge.

Utilizing the resources, expertise, and support of an external provider that has experience across a wide range of industries, industrial companies can avoid some of the common issues that occur when starting a large-scale DX initiative.

Check out our latest blog on how cloud is driving DX: https://bit.ly/3x8A5dD

Digital transformation is an ongoing process, learn how using cloud digital transformation services can create a more innovative, accessible process for your business.

05/20/2021

The digital transformation market will be worth $3.3 trillion by 2025. And as a whole, digital transformation is due to inject over $100 trillion into the global economy (also through 2025).

With that being said, 45% of executives think their companies don’t have the right technology to implement a successful transformation initiative.

AR, VR, AI, and IoT are some of the strongest areas of focus in enterprise transformation strategies, but there’s one underlying technology serving as the backbone for all initiatives - cloud computing.

Lack of talent, hesitance towards emerging tech, and misalignment between IT and business are some of the main culprits why 45% of business leaders aren’t confident in their approach to transformation.

While companies are increasingly focused on becoming “cloud-first,” there’s still a current lack of in-house cloud talent that’s a problem across nearly all industries. Successful digital transformation lives in the cloud, so it’s important for companies to increase their cloud competence on all levels.

Our newest blog covers the relationship between the cloud and digital transformation, and how organizations can fully exploit the power of cloud to strengthen their transformation initiatives.

https://bit.ly/3u9EpXY

We cover cloud-driven transformation solutions, best practices, strategy development, and other relevant topics. It’s a great primer on both cloud and digital transformation.

Digital transformation is an ongoing process, learn how using cloud digital transformation services can create a more innovative, accessible process for your business.

05/12/2021

The public cloud services market is on pace to reach $397.4 billion by 2022.

The pandemic catalyzed cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives across all industries, and that momentum will not be slowing down any time soon.

36% of all public cloud spending comes from SaaS, but IaaS, PaaS, and other service models will all experience increased growth over the next few years. PaaS spending, in particular, will shoot up 28% this year.

Much of this growth stems from the need for virtual workforces (and the cloud resources they require), but specific cloud-related tech like edge computing, containerization, and virtualization will be some of the main drivers for post-pandemic cloud growth, especially among enterprise-level orgs.

Focusing on becoming a cloud-first organization is more important than ever. Being cloud-first translates to being “future-ready.” In 2021, having the proper infrastructure, technological expertise, and leadership to successfully pivot - and compete - starts in the cloud.

05/06/2021

The public cloud infrastructure market will reach $120 billion this year, a 35% growth from 2020. Whether it’s SaaS, IaaS, or PaaS, the pandemic has truly affirmed the cloud’s value proposition and spurred migration and transformation initiatives across all levels of industry.

While cloud adoption rates show zero signs of slowing down, two of the biggest challenges that organizations will continue to face are cost optimization and effective cloud management. The cloud has a steep learning curve, which numerous companies are ill-prepared for.

Properly managing cloud operations, mitigating “cloud waste,” and optimizing cost efficiency are three of the main (potential) issues that orgs will need to deal with as they expand their cloud initiatives.

The best way to avoid these issues starts at the beginning. Companies need a solid, concrete strategy with actionable milestones, along with a strong alignment between IT and business.

Our blog has an excellent piece on building a cloud migration strategy: https://bit.ly/3tqoJPA

If you’ve been considering migrating your workload to the cloud but aren’t sure where to begin, SaM Solutions is here to help. Consult our migration checklist.

04/26/2021

The cloud computing industry is on pace to reach $832.1 billion by 2025, more than doubling its current market size of $371.4 billion.

While there is a lot of transformation the cloud will enable, one of the more fascinating cloud technologies is AR cloud.

AR cloud is highly contextual digital content overlaid on real-world objects, people, etc., and viewed through a phone, tablet, headset, or glasses. AR tech isn't anything new, but the products, services, and user experiences that will result from the growth of AR cloud, IoT, 5G, edge computing, and other emerging tech will have an immense impact on our lives.

It’s the joining of physical and digital worlds, and has the potential to completely transform the way people interact with their environment (and each other).

Although it is quite a few years from being a commonly used technology, it’s still exciting to think about how transformative it will be.

Gartner predicts that it’s about 6-8 years out from market.

AR cloud is just one small example of how much innovation the cloud will drive, as well as how much impact it will have on business.

04/23/2021

AWS vs Azure - which is better?

AWS has been the market leader since its launch back in 2006, with Azure slowly but surely catching up. Market research firm Canalys had Azure with 20% of the market in 2020, AWS with 31%.

AWS has the most mature services, because they’ve been in business for so long. But, Azure has comparable offerings that match a large portion of AWS’s services.

Choosing between AWS and Azure comes down to what your specific requirements are. Do you have stringent compute requirements? Advanced or needs?

Once you nail the specific objectives of your cloud initiative, you can start comparing individual service offerings between vendors (e.g. AWS E2C vs Azure VM). Our blog is a great starting point on these topics.

2020 saw cloud spending grow by 33% ($142 billion). The rapid onset of and cloud initiatives translates to the cloud market developing and advancing on all fronts, across all vendors. This is a good thing, and will drive innovation in nearly all industries.

Check out our comparison blog on the website for a detailed look between each vendor: https://bit.ly/3tNxLXZ

Cloud comparison of the top 3 cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform. Read our thorough comparison to get all your answers right here!

04/19/2021

AWS vs Azure vs GCP - which cloud platform is better?

It’s a common question, and the common answer in the cloud world is “it depends.”

Whether you want to start leveraging microservices, need scalable infrastructure on-demand, or simply want reliable and secure storage, all three vendors have services that can meet your requirements.

The best way to narrow your choice down is to identify exactly which type of services your company needs, and start comparing each vendor’s specific offerings. Reviewing case studies from your industry, reading comparison blogs, and understanding the technical nuances between vendors is a great start.

With many SMBs and wanting to develop cloud-first strategies, or develop cloud-native applications, it’s important to understand the primary service offerings, differences, and advantages of each vendor.

Our AWS vs Azure vs GCP blog provides an excellent overview of each vendor’s service offerings: https://bit.ly/3swuTNJ

04/06/2021

Loyalty marketing, and customer retention strategies in general, have become vitally important for organizations across all industries.

The pandemic has narrowed the gap between CX, retention, and loyalty. Customers expect companies to provide more reliable services, less downtime, and increased functionality.

That’s why some of the main IT spending priorities in 2021 center around technologies that can drive CX and increase loyalty. Companies are heavily investing in cloud, mobile, analytics, and AI/ML, with the end goal of enhancing the way end users and customers interact with their services/products.

One case study of ours illustrates how much of an impact emerging tech can have on both CX and customer loyalty, especially in the retail industry.

We developed a custom web application for a customer loyalty company in Germany, which allows retailers to provide in-store, online, and mobile rewards for customers.

The software we developed went on to become the largest customer loyalty program in Germany. 30+ million users, billions of dollars in digital discount redemptions, and used by hundreds of retailers across the world. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3wz7A9q