Cloud for Business Growth

Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud computing company, on Wednesday emphasised the importance of leveraging technology for effective customer service and business success.

The Global Chief Technology Officer  (CTO), AWS, Dr Werner Vogels, made this known at a fireside chat at the First Tech Connect Series hosted by FirstBank in Lagos.

Vogels said that there was a growing trend of organisations, including banks, adopting cloud computing solutions to optimise their organisation’s operations and digital infrastructure.

He stressed the importance of allowing teams to experiment and take calculated risks, saying that “some of the best bets that we make do not work out.”

According to him, Amazon’s approach to innovation involves experimentation and learning from failures.

AWS has applied this approach to various areas, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“Amazon has been working on AI for years, and the technology has the potential to bring significant benefits to customers,’’ he said.

However, the AWS Global CTO cautioned against letting media hype dictate technology choices, advising companies to educate themselves and experiment with different solutions.

“By staying focused on customers and embracing innovation, Amazon has been able to stay ahead of the curve and deliver value to its customers,’’ Vogels added.

Also, the Chief Technology Officer,  FirstBank, Mrs Rachel Adeshina, said that FirstBank, with over 30 years of experience, was committed to its ongoing digital journey and commitment to reinvention.

Adeshina said that the AWS CTO’s experience in scaling an organisation from 50,000 to 1.6 million employees through technology was a significant learning point.

She highlighted the critical role of technology in reshaping products and services to meet evolving customer needs.

Adeshina said: “At the heart of all our activities is a quest to make sure that the customer is satisfied with our offerings.

“For us to do that, we are constantly reshaping our products, reshaping our services too meet the needs of our customers.

“In this journey, we partner with leading technology firms, and AWS is one of them.”

Regarding a potential partnership with AWS, Adeshina said that such collaboration would involve moving workloads to AWS’ cloud computing platform.

“If we are to partner with them, it means that now or shortly, we will be hosting some of our workloads with AWS.

“This event was to tap into the wisdom of the CTO to learn from them how they do some of these things,’’ she said.

According to the FirstBank official, the event has been an eye-opening session for the technology team, adding that it has taught the team a way to rethink some of the things that it does.

Also, the Solution Development Provider, FirstBank, Mr Sakiru Dosumu, said that the discussion provided valuable insights into innovation, experimentation, and customer obsession.

Dosumu said that Vogels emphasised that not all innovations succeed, and management must understand that experimentation involves risks.

He said that the discussion also shed light on the workings of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its future pipeline.

Dosumu, however, noted that challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries were essential for progress.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event underscored the growing trend of organisations, including banks, adopting cloud computing solutions to optimise their operations and digital infrastructure. (NAN)