Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and an incredible New Year.Highlights00:02 — This is the best time of the year, the holidays. We want to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Happy New Year to everybody. This is my special partner, Louisa. She's two and a half. She's quite the technologist.00:40 — So, hey, everybody, I just want to say it is a blast being a little part of your technology lives. We have enjoyed this year so much. We are having lots of fun with Cloud Wars. Louisa's got to go. She's got big things to do. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year to you. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

today's Cloud Wars Minute, I unpack how tech and mindset together will decide the winners in the 2026 AI economy.Highlights00:31 — Google Cloud, has just had a pretty interesting engagement with BNY Mellon. BNY used to be called Bank of New York, merged with Mellon — a massive financial services organization — and they've got what I think is a brilliant AI strategy. It's simply: “AI for everyone, everywhere, everything."01:24 — BNY has chosen to take Gemini Enterprise and adapt it into BNY’s own sort of home-built AI platform called Eliza. And again, as I noted here, a big part of BNY's mindset on this — their approach to it — is to say: everybody in the organization now has access to the Eliza platform, and now with Gemini Enterprise as well.02:40 — Now, this is something that Google Cloud CTO Will Grannis and I recently discussed on a podcast episode. Fascinating comments from Will — we’ve got a lot of that covered in a detailed article that will be posted later this morning on this whole BNY–Google Cloud collaboration.03:19 — Will said, look: you can make two lists. On one side, there's a list of companies that succeeded with AI in spite of their culture. He said the other list is companies that succeeded with AI because of their culture. And he said one of those lists will be empty. Guess which one that'll be?04:07 — I think that's going to be one of the big issues and stories going into 2026. The companies that are going to win in the AI economy are going to be ones that are able to master that duality of both the technology and the culture/mindset thing. It has been a fun year here in the Cloud Wars, and we've got more coming up tomorrow — a special Christmas episode of Cloud Wars Minute. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In this episode of the AI Agent & Copilot Podcast, John Siefert, CEO of Dynamic Communities and Cloud Wars, is joined by AJ Ansari, Microsoft MVP and member of the programming committee for the AI Agent & Copilot Summit. The conversation focuses on what enterprises should really be looking for as agentic AI adoption matures.Key TakeawaysReal-world stories over hype: As interest in agentic AI surges, Ansari notes a sharp increase in speaker submissions driven by practitioners who have moved beyond experimentation. The most valuable content, he explains, comes from organizations that have tried, failed, learned, and succeeded—particularly those using AI to tackle concrete business challenges like efficiency, productivity, and margin pressure. Those real-world stories are “worth the price of admission,” he says.Practical impact and ROI: While aspirational innovation has its place, conference attendees want takeaways they can actually apply. According to Ansari, the best sessions balance vision with execution—so attendees leave knowing not just what’s possible, but how their investment in agentic AI will translate into measurable business outcomes.Clarity before AI: One standout insight is Ansari’s “Clarity Method,” which urges organizations to step back before defaulting to AI. Not every problem requires agents or copilots. Some can be solved through process changes, automation, or application updates. AI should be applied deliberately, once it’s clear it’s the best solution, not just the newest one.What to expect at the AI Agent & Copilot Summit: The upcoming AI Agent & Copilot Summit emphasizes an intimate, peer-driven experience with a mix of main-stage discussions and deep-dive master classes. Expect practical guidance, candid discussions about risks and security, and a community willing to “pull back the curtain” and share lessons learned, because, as Ansari puts it, this isn’t a zero-sum game.Maximizing the conference experience: Ansari encourages attendees to plan ahead: identify must-see sessions, leave room for serendipity, and prioritize networking. “Come with an appetite to learn,” he advises, noting that some of the most valuable insights emerge from hallway conversations and peer exchanges. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I look at how Google Cloud is reshaping the defense tech landscape.Highlights00:04 — Google Cloud has announced a multi-million dollar contract with the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA), to provide critical sovereign cloud capabilities.This new strategic partnership aims to enhance NATO's digital infrastructure.The NCIA will utilize Google Distributed Cloud, or GDC, to support its Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Center, or JATEC.00:39 — One of the key features it will employ is Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Air-Gapped, which is an essential component of Google's sovereign cloud solutions. The feature allows the delivery of cloud services and AI capabilities to disconnected, fully secure environments.00:56 —Tara Brady, President of Google Cloud EMEA, said the following: ". . . This partnership will enable NATO to decisively accelerate its digital modernization efforts while maintaining the highest levels of security and digital sovereignty."01:38 — For Google Cloud, this development represents significant progress in expanding its presence within the defense industry, a sector long led by AWS and Microsoft. It also emphasizes growing confidence in Google's sovereign cloud offerings and highlights the increasingly complex and competitive nature of the cloud market. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

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