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What in your view is the biggest challenge CIOs face when it comes to embarking on the Digital Transformation journey in Africa ?
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MIGRATING WINDOWS WORKLOADS TO AWS BRINGS ALONG MANY BENEFITS . HOWEVER , BY MOVING TO CLOUD-NATIVE SERVICES , AN ORGANISATION CAN REDUCE THE OPERATIONAL OVERHEAD OF MANAGING INFRASTRUCTURE .
Microsoft-based applications on AWS . Through this partnership with AWS , we can enable cost-effective modernisations of Microsoft workloads into AWS . These include :
Discovery : One-month detailed analysis of the application or applications to understand component architecture , dependencies , deployment methodology and licensing model and projected migration costs . Receive up to 75 % discount when commencing a modernisation discovery project .
Execution : Phased migration / modernisation approach into AWS , taking into account priority , criticality , dependency and cost considerations . Receive up to 50 % savings for the execution of modernisation into AWS .
Digital Transformation , modernising legacy apps and IT systems are priority for many organisations in Africa . Why are CIOs not spending a lot of time on this ?
CIOs are aware that Digital Transformation will bring huge benefits to the organisation , but this requires buy-in from other executives and must be prioritised in both time and budget aspects over other strategic projects .
There is the fear of the unknown and risks involved however one will never be able to granularly map out the costs , risks and benefits for such a large strategic move , so the key is to start somewhere . There are also misconceptions around data security and ownership in a cloud environment .
In AWS for example , securing of the data centre hardware conforms to the highest security standards and securing of an organisation ’ s data in the cloud can be managed very similarly to data stored on-premise . With the introduction of local data centres , organisations can conform to data ownership regulations such as the Protection of Personal Information Act ( POPIA ) in South Africa . When it comes to modernising legacy apps , organisations are hesitant for to make changes to what has been running for quite some time in production environments and having to upskill employees on new technologies .
The downside to not doing so , however , is the risk in technology becoming obsolete and the lack of support and skills to maintain such systems . By modernising , one can benefit from cost reductions , improved agility and productivity , compliance and security .
The biggest challenge is that Digital Transformation and moving to the cloud specifically , requires a large change in organisation-wide culture . Organisations need to restructure themselves effectively to best take advantage of the agility of the cloud by setting up a Cloud Centre of Excellence ( CCoE ) for example and application teams must eventually make the transition of only managing the applications themselves to also maintaining the infrastructure that goes with it . Everyone needs to be on-board with the new strategy and benefits that come with it and this requires re-prioritisation , building the right teams , educating staff and letting go of the way that things used to be done .
What impact is Digital Transformation having on technologies such as Blockchain , AI , Machine Learning , Robotic Process Automation and 5G adoption in Africa ?
Digital Transformation is having far-reaching changes in Africa since it has the ability to accelerate economic growth and bridgethe-digital divide . The pace of innovation in these areas allows for solving complex problems far better than traditional methods and affects every sector from agriculture and health to education and government . Even though these technologies are sufficiently advanced , they are also becoming more accessible and cheaper to use . Individuals or organisations don ’ t have to spend large amounts of capital to gain access to cuttingedge features but rather can pay per hour or even per second by accessing these through a managed cloud service for example . What ’ s most exciting to see is Africa ’ s fastgrowing hub of tech start-ups that are using these technologies to improve people ’ s lives for the better .
What can your customers expect from Synthesis in 2021 and beyond ?
By strengthening our partnership with AWS , customers can expect new and exciting offerings in the cloud space , along with continued digital innovation , training and support along their entire journey . • www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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