Google Cloud Next 25 Debrief: Innovation at Warp Speed

There was excitement in the air at Google Cloud Next 25! It was a pleasure joining my fellow Field CTO from Pythian, Jeff DeVerter, on the RavIT Show. We had a fantastic conversation about what's happening on the ground, our recent big news, and the exciting future we see unfolding, especially with the advancements in AI.

For those who don't know me, I'm Ernest Solomon, and like Jeff, I'm a Field CTO at Pythian. It's been about seven or eight months since I joined, and frankly, it's been a great journey so far. With over 20 years in IT, managing large and complex digital transformations across various sectors like finance, banking, insurance and pharma, my focus, much like Jeff's, is always on driving the right business outcomes for our customers.

Speaking of outcomes, a major highlight for Pythian during Google Cloud Next 25 was winning Google Cloud Databases Partner of the Year for North America! It's truly an honor, and as I mentioned on the RavIT Show, it's a testament to a lot of hard work, a lot of dedicated people, and a lot of hours put in. But more importantly, this award underscores a significant strategic bet we've made at Pythian. Following an announcement back in 2024 about bringing your databases to Google Cloud, Jeff and I have been heavily focused on not just the transition journey, but what comes after—the transformation. It's about how we unlock the right insights for our customers and drive those crucial business outcomes.

As a bit of a Star Trek fan, I can't help but think of it as the next generation — "going boldly where no one has gone before." That's the feeling I got, especially after the keynote at Google Cloud Next. It wasn't just about the tech itself; it was about solving real business problems. I was particularly excited about things like Google Cloud Agentspace becoming available right from the Chrome browser extension, and the finance agent view that allows for the selecting of multiple agents from the same interface to enhance customer service and the omni-channel journey. That, for me, was phenomenal.

Adding to that, what's been really interesting to see is the shift in focus. It's not just about new virtual machines (VMs) or storage anymore. The conversation is heavily centered on how AI is enabling the tools we already have, making implementation much more impactful. It's about leveraging AI to enhance existing suites like Workspace—taking tools we already use and making them significantly more powerful and efficient. This is exactly what many enterprise leaders have been looking for—making it easier to enable what they're already doing.

When RavIT asked about the top challenges businesses face with cloud migration, data modernization and enabling AI, I think it boils down to a few key things. Firstly, CIOS, CTOs, and CISOs are all grappling with this rapid pace of innovation. We're in a warp-speed era and transformations are happening faster than we ever imagined. From an AI perspective, I truly believe that if data is the fuel, AI is the engine. However, it's not just about having data; it's about data governance, ethics, privacy, and the intelligence layer on top. Ultimately, it's about the maturity of each organization to deliver on this.

Looking ahead for Pythian, our focus will be helping companies be more productive with the technology they've already invested in. As Jeff beautifully summed up, it's about helping them consume it better, transform to save money, make more money, and improve employee and customer experiences. Business value and future outcomes truly go hand in hand.

The last thing I’d like to highlight is, if you're interested in connecting, LinkedIn is where I'm most active. Feel free to reach out to myself or Jeff. We're always happy to chat about your challenges and explore how we can help move the needle forward for your organization. I'm excited about the future we're building together. Read more about Pythian’s Field CTO practice.