A painful link between pyramids and clouds | Cloud Core
Welcome to the first Cloud Core of 2024.
On the subject of the new year, did you know that the ancient Egyptians created their own calendar? It was a solar calendar based on the annual rising of a star and the flooding of the Nile.
‘What’s this got to do with cloud?’, I hear you ask.
We’re getting there.
But what other things were the ancient Egyptians known for?
🐍 Writing using pictures of snakes and birds instead of letters.
⚰️ Wrapping corpses in linen and calling them mummies.
🛕 And, of course, the Pyramids.
Which brings me to the point of this long and painful segue.
Unlike the Egyptian calendar, hieroglyphs and mummification, the Pyramids have stood the test of time and are still around today. And many of us actually use its iconic shape in illustrating a hierarchy of needs.
🐪 Enter the Pyramid of Finops Needs.
It’s (arguably) as impressive as anything you’ll find in Egypt, plus you can explore it from the comfort of your home office (and not get a dodgy tummy).
So, what is the Pyramid of FinOps Needs?
It’s a framework businesses can use to understand the different levels of cloud cost optimisation capabilities. And we’ve made it into this cool interactive pyramid, breaking down each level.
Cost visibility
and allocation
What it is:
Being able to showback/chargeback.
Why you need it:
You can’t do FinOps with tagging only.
Buy optimisation
What it is:
Reducing unit costs of cloud provider purchases.
Why you can do it:
You can allocate costs accurately.
Budgeting
and forecasting
What it is:
Accurately predicting cloud spend.
Why you can do it:
You have granular allocation and predictable provider costs.
Use optimisation
What it is:
Effective use engineering and cost optimisation.
Why you can do it:
Having the other pyramid layers means you can find savings opportunities and drive action.
For example, the base level is all about cost visibility and allocation. To move to the next level, you need real-time, consolidated data on cloud costs – and handle showbacks and chargebacks.
Once you have the visibility and allocation, you’re ready for the next stage: the ability to optimise cloud purchases based on accurate organisational requirements. And so on.
Thinking about which level you might be on? Go take a look for yourself.
❗Important things going on with Red Hat
Can we segue from Pyramids to Red Hat? You bet we can.
Let’s continue on our theme of historic North African symbols, and consider the fez.
What is a fez? A red hat.
Well, that was easy wasn’t it?
Anyway, there’s a couple of things going on at Red Hat that you might need to be aware of:
Are you still running Oracle Java SE 8 version 211 or higher?
If you’re still running this, as of January 1st you’re now probably looking at a significantly higher subscription cost from Oracle that’s changed to be based on number of employees and. Fortunately, we can provide a cost-effective alternative with Red Hat OpenJDK - contact our Red Hat hero Bart if that sounds like you.
Have you seen what RedHat’s doing in DevEx?
Imagine an all-in-one platform that makes coding a breeze, streamlining tasks, and ensuring developers have the right tools. It’s Red Hat’s entry into the emerging world of internal developer platforms, and it looks pretty cool. Mariusz Sozański gives the lowdown in this blog.
Is Red Hat top of mind at the moment?
Did you know we’re a Premier Red Hat Partner? Yep - Bart, Mariusz and our specialists are here to help, with expert advice, implementation help, training, and ongoing support. See what we do here.
😫 Ever had imposter syndrome?
In the fast-paced tech world, feelings of self-doubt are pretty common. You constantly encounter people who achieve extraordinary things, while your own work seems trivial in contrast.
You might think things like, “I might get found out”, “They’ll discover how much I don’t know,” or “During meetings, I feel out of my depth as colleagues discuss unfamiliar topics.”
If you do, Miro has written this handy blog to help ease those worries. It’s a good’n.
🤔 What do the Grand Canyon, craft IPAs, a 5km run & Gen AI have in common?
They’re all covered in the latest Cloud Core podcast.
Hear from our AWS experts Mariusz and Fabrizio, for an insider’s recap of:
📢 AWS hot gossip and the coolest new tech announced at re:Invent
👀 Behind-the-scenes stories, navigating Vegas from the eyes of cloud enthusiasts
🤖 What’s new for AI in 2024 and how AWS is pushing the boundaries
Give it a listen.
🤑 Did you hear that Veolia saved 12.5% on cloud costs?
Well, they did.
They really embraced FinOps. And we provided tailored support, tooling and automation.
📢 Cloud quote of the month
“The cloud cost management tool has been a game-changer for our business. [And] it’s great having this experienced, dedicated cloud partner in our corner to help guide us.”
Alicja Rybczyńska, CIO, Veolia Energia Polska
📰 What we’ve been talking about this month
✈️ easyJet boosts innovation and customer experience with AWS marketplace
📈 Microsoft became the world’s most valuable company (for a few hours)
🤔 Google makes it free for customers to transfer data when they leave
☁️ SAP doubles down on cloud-first innovation
🛍️ OpenAI’s GPT store is now live
🗓️ Some dates for your diary:
21 March - Vienna: Microsoft Ignite
Designed for tech influencers, this one-day conference packs a punch with dynamic speaker sessions, real-business case explorations, and prime networking opportunities. We’re hosting a breakout session, diving into cutting-edge tech trends and innovative solutions. Join us.
(Also) 21 March - Utrecht: Retain & CPG Roundtable
For all you retail and consumer products people out there. This isn’t another ‘how to AI’ event like so many other invites popping into your inbox. We’re covering real reasons why retailers struggle to industrialise trendy tech even though digital transformation is progressing, with real-life experiences of a few retail companies.
🎧 Something to listen to in the home office
Hopefully you were too happy to realise it was Blue Monday last week. But if you are feeling the January blues, check out our good mood playlist here.
Thanks for reading,
I’ll be back with more fresh thoughts next month.
Get in Touch.
Let’s discuss how we can help with your cloud journey. Our experts are standing by to talk about your migration, modernisation, development and skills challenges.
