In the search for greater efficiency, lower operating costs and increased productivity, more local firms are turning to cloud computing solutions that can guarantee these results.

This feedback came from a recent discussion with public and private sector firms and tech experts from Digicel Business and Microsoft. The event, held recently at the AC Hotel in Kingston, featured senior executives from the finance, entertainment, gaming, energy, and other sectors.

While discussing some of the ways public sector entities can benefit from cloud technology, IT director at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports (MCGES), Rasheed Delmohammed, commented, “My interest is how Microsoft and Digicel can help my organisation reduce the number of processes that have to be managed manually.” He noted, “From my standpoint, it is important to not only have the products available to you, but to also have access to the back-end support that Microsoft and Digicel provide here in Jamaica. I have already seen some potential areas for collaboration, and I look forward to working with them.”

The decision-makers explored ways to use cloud technology to boost their efficiencies in customer service delivery, staff and customer training, team collaboration, and data security.

For vice-president of operations and IT services at Supreme Ventures, Aiden Whittaker, the event presented a clear road map for more firms to harness the benefits of going digital. He said, “The products I saw today are perfect for the current marketplace, especially the possibilities for collaboration and the security components. For me, it means I have to revisit my organisation’s strategic plan and see what further benefits we can gain from cloud computing and how it will help to bolster our returns.”

“Overall, the feedback from the event indicated that there are still entities that want to complete their digital transformation, but don’t have a road map for how to achieve it and need assistance,” explained Digicel Business Commercial Director Ative Ennis. He continued, “As a result, many of the burning questions were about data jurisdiction, data security, converting from legacy infrastructure into new cloud technologies, and empowering staff to continue working from home.”

Microsoft Regional Cloud Specialist Claudine Blackwood noted that while the demand for cloud computing services is steadily increasing, there remains room for customers to grasp its full potential.

“We realised that there is a further need to work with Digicel at the ground level to market the products so that clients better understand the scope of Microsoft products and what they can do. Customers have pain points that Microsoft can easily solve, but they were unaware of the full capabilities of the suite of applications. Our work with Digicel, therefore, allows us to better connect with the needs of clients, understand their business processes, and communicate to them how we can help to build their business without the need for other applications.”

By the end of the engagement, both the private and public sector participants left with a better understanding of the endless possibilities offered by cloud computing and the need for Jamaican organisations to embrace the technology to gain or maintain a competitive edge.

On this note, Ennis concluded, “Jamaicans by nature are very entrepreneurial, where we have seen some dissonance is where organisations grow but don’t build operational capacity to keep up, and the business then fails. Our job, as their technology partner, is to harness those brilliant ideas in the start-ups, think tanks, and innovation hubs and enable them by building out platforms to help them reach their full potential.”