Why cloud is a must for digital transformation

dubai - Businesses can no longer shy away from investing in the cloud

Businesses that are still shying away from investing in the cloud will soon find themselves missing out on various features that can help them better serve their customers.

"Cloud is absolutely a prerequisite for digital transformation," said Dr Wanli Min, chief Machine Intelligence Scientist at Alibaba Cloud, at the 38th Gitex Technology Week exhibition.

"It is only today, with the massive computation power of the cloud, that we can truly deliver across various verticals," he said.

Speaking about Alibaba's digital transformation journey, Min spoke about how the company had set its sights on personalising the landing page for its customers who are shopping online. Not only has this helped shoppers find items that are more relevant to them and their tastes, but it has also meant a greater flow of business for the company.

"We have been able to offer more relevant options to shoppers with a guarantee," he said. "For example, customers can get fresher groceries delivered to them in shorter times."

Min also spoke about the smart cities of the future and the role that artificial intelligence (AI) would play. He noted that there are several touch points such as traffic, communication and security that have to be united for everything to work in real time. AI, he said, will play a critical role in unifying these different touch points.

"We have been successful in utilising the old data that we have, along with the new data that is being generated to offer solutions in real time," he said.

"What we are trying to achieve goes beyond the cloud. It is not about storage anymore; it goes beyond that to offering true value. For this digital transformation mission to happen, you need to partner with the right technology partners. What is unimaginable today might become the reality of tomorrow."

- rohma@khaleejtimes.com