Google Cloud unveiled 4 strategic announcements aimed to unseat rivals

Google Cloud news roundup: At a Google Cloud Next 2022 event this week, the cloud giant made several announcements indicating its ambitions to rise above its fourth place rank among the world’s leading cloud providers and unseat Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud.

Accenture + Google Cloud: The two tech companies are expanding an existing global partnership.

• The collaboration will give Google access to over 13,000 Accenture cloud professionals—5,000 of whom have Google Cloud certifications.
• It will also help business clients migrate to and operate in Google Cloud and scale capabilities in AI, machine learning (ML), data analytics, and cybersecurity.

From mainframes to the cloud: Google wants to get banks and other organizations into the cloud through a new technology called Dual Run.

• The tech giant claims that 44 of the top 50 banks and 23 of the top 25 largest US retailers still rely on antiquated mainframes.
• Dual Run lowers the risk associated with migrating from mainframes to the cloud by creating a digital copy of mainframe systems to simultaneously run on Google Cloud. The tool is currently available in preview mode.

Cloud AI: Google is trying to capitalize on rising interest in AI/ML workloads.

• One way it’s doing this is by making it easier for customers to deploy the Vertex AI Vision service, which enables users to automatically analyze video streams, pictures, and to detect objects.
• The second way is by harnessing the open-source OpenXLA project that’s bringing together different ML frameworks with the goal of reducing the cost and complexity of ML deployment.

Intel + Google Cloud: The two tech companies have partnered to increase the security and efficiency of data centers.

• They've co-designed an E2000 chip that creates more secure routes for information traveling between cores to prevent the “bleeding” of data.
• The chip helps address issues with speed and performance that arise as cloud customers run progressively more complex algorithms.

Breaking down growth barriers: The moves signal Google’s hunger for more cloud customers and follow several announcements this year about global expansion plans. They also reveal how the cloud giant is studying the market and implementing changes geared to addressing broader challenges to public cloud growth.

• Tech industry labor shortages, a skills deficit, and scrutiny around data center sustainability are a threat to global cloud expansion.
• Through partnerships with Accenture and Intel, Google is hoping to overcome these barriers by leveraging an army of IT talent and deploying chips that use less energy.
• At a time when companies are increasing their ML workloads across industries and racking up huge cloud bills in the process, Google is trying to retain these customers with cost reduction tools.

This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Connectivity & Tech Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the technology industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.

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