Wrapping Up 2025: Is AI your best X-mas present? 🎁 | Cloud Core.

Have you already asked AI to send your Christmas wish list to Santa? Or are you still busy browsing the web for that special gem for your loved ones? Closing the year can feel busy and overwhelming with all the projects, deals, or events. And who’s going to buy the Christmas tree?   

Before you gather around the festive table with family and friends, stay with us for a few highlights.  

The US West Coast had been buzzing with two huge events: Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco and AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas. In both cases, AI stole the stage and it’s clear it’s shaping the world and our thinking about technology. We were there, soaking up the atmosphere, talking to clients and partners, and returning with big ideas to put into practice. 

Let's take a look! 

Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco  

Microsoft Ignite was literally about seeing the future in action. From our unforgettable Waymo ride (yes, the self-driving car!) to keynotes on AI and agentic technology, one thing was clear: AI is moving fast and reshaping how businesses operate. For Nordcloud, the parallels with the cloud journey are striking: hype is giving way to governance, security, and maturity.  

What does that mean to us?  

• We’re doubling down on Azure Local 

• Start shaping governance and security for multi-agent environments  

• Leveraging Microsoft’s marketplace to deliver real-world impact  

• We’re staying strong on cloud and data foundations  

• And focusing on sustainability and sovereignty – they’re market drivers  

And as Microsoft put it, Nordcloud is “the partner to have”. For more Ignite takeaways check here. 

AWS re:Invent in Vegas was all about AI 

With Lysa Banks, our CTO, we felt the energy of the event, following her Ladybug Unplugged podcasts live from Vegas. And we’re super-proud of Marcin Walków, FinOps Delivery Lead, who reached up to semi-finals of the 2025 AWS AI League and came 3^rd in Open Category, leaving thousands of competitors behind and solving the Agentic AI Maze.  

A few topics that will shape our thinking and influence offerings next year: 

• Ensuring our consultants connect the dots blending various domains – following T-shaped skill model 

• Strengthening AI security – focusing on AI Guardrails and Security – critical in regulated sectors 

• Focusing on data sovereignty – exploring AI Factory 

• Improving SysOps efficiency with the use of Security and DevOps AI agents - aiming at review and strategy 

• Utilising AI to speed up migrations and modernizations  

For more thorough insights read the full blog post. 

📢  Cloud quote of the month.

Here’s a thought-provoking quote from Bharat Mistry, Field CTO, TrendMicro, speaking on Ladybug Unplugged Episode 3:

“We talk about dependency on AI and how far you go. Do you trust everything outright? We’ve heard about things like hallucinations happening. How do you corroborate the information that you’re getting back? This is where the gaps are now. We must make sure we get responsible use of AI. And you need the human-in-the-loop. The last thing you want to do is a completely autonomous system. And from the employee’s point of thinking, ‘oh, my job’s gone away’. What you really want is the AI being a co-pilot or collaborator with you. And augment what you are doing to get the acceleration right.” 

📰 What we’ve been talking about this month 

• Ladybug Unplugged podcasts live from Vegas re:Invent  
• Data privacy vs AI. Can healthcare have both?  
• The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection 
• AWS re:Invent 2025 | Special Closing Keynote with Dr. Werner Vogels 
• AI may blunt our thinking skills – here’s what you can do about it 
• There Is Only One AI Company. Welcome to the Blob 

🗓 Some dates for your diary 

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events and training sessions. 

Events 

• 22 Jan - AWS re:Invent & Confidential Computing, Stockholm. Register here 

• 29 Jan - Sovereign Cloud Roundtable, Berlin. Register here 

• 24 Feb – Maximising Value for Public Money, Glasgow. Register here 

Cloud training 

• 17-19 Dec – Advanced Architecting on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 15 Jan - Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure (Virtual). Register here. 

• 20-22 Jan - Architecting on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 22 Jan - AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Virtual). Register here.  

• 27-28 Jan - AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (Virtual). Register here. 

• 27-29 Jan - Cloud Operations on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 29 Jan - Getting started with Google Kubernetes Engine (Virtual). Register here. 

• 3-5 Feb - Advanced Architecting on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 12 Feb - AWS Technical Essentials (Virtual). Register here. 

• 17 Feb - Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure (Virtual). Register here. 

• 17-19 Feb Security Engineering on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 19 Feb - AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Virtual). Register here. 

• 24-26 Feb - Architecting on AWS (Virtual). Register here. 

• 9-12 March - AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator (Virtual). Register here. 

• 12 March - Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure (Virtual). Register here.  

Something to listen to in the home office 

While Santa’s coming to town and the Grinch is up to mischief again 😱, don’t worry – just sit back, relax with some hot mulled wine (glögi, as we call it in Finland), and let the Jingle Bell Rock!  

See you in 2026! 

PS – Did you miss the last newsletter? You can still read about sovereignty risks (before they get scary). Have a good one!