TL;DR

Enterprises should combine their AI and Cloud efforts into a single AI and Cloud Center of Excellence/Enablement rather than keeping them separate. Let’s call it AI & Cloud Center of Empowerment (AICCOE) since we will equip people with the skills, knowledge, and resources to excel independently. Please read my article in the Further Reading section to learn more about each of these centers.

The views expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect those of my employer.

Reasons (the “Why”)

1. Shared Goals and Technology

• Cloud is the foundation for AI: Modern AI technologies like ChatGPT or advanced analytics typically run on cloud infrastructure. Combining the teams ensures alignment. Example: Think of cloud computing as electricity and AI as the appliances that run on it. You wouldn’t separate the electricians from the appliance installers because they rely on each other.

2. Improved Efficiency and Collaboration

• Faster Results: One combined team reduces delays and enhances communication, speeding up projects.
• Resource Sharing: Teams can reuse resources, tools, and best practices, avoiding duplication. Example: Imagine building a house. It’s faster and cheaper to have electricians and plumbers coordinate rather than work independently and later realize conflicts in their wiring and piping.

3. Unified Skillset Development

• Better Talent Growth: Staff trained in both cloud and AI become more valuable, flexible, and innovative.
• Talent Retention: Employees prefer broader skill development opportunities, making your enterprise attractive to skilled professionals.

4. Cost Reduction and Optimization

• Consolidated Budgets: Merging budgets and resources saves money and simplifies management.
• Simplified Vendor Relationships: Centralizing reduces complexity in managing vendor partnerships and licenses.

5. Strategic Alignment and Governance

• Clear Leadership & Direction: One coherent strategy helps ensure everyone works toward the same enterprise-level objectives.
• Better Risk Management: Unified governance reduces compliance and security risks since controls can be centrally managed.

Benefits of a Unified AI & Cloud Center of Empowerment

• Accelerated Innovation: Quickly adapt AI-driven innovation leveraging cloud resources.
• Cost-Efficient Scalability: Easily scale AI services by leveraging existing cloud infrastructure.
• Simplified Operations: Less bureaucracy, faster decision-making, and more efficient processes.
• Competitive Advantage: Organizations adopting this unified approach will outpace competitors in technology adoption and business agility.

Conclusion

Combining AI and cloud into a single, integrated Center of Empowerment aligns with industry best practices, promotes efficiency, encourages innovation, and positions enterprises to adapt quickly to technological advancements.

I would like to hear more about how other large enterprises leverage cloud and artificial intelligence. Please drop a comment below to share!

Further Reading:

• My Observations on the Key Differences Between a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoEx) and a Cloud Center of Enablement (CCoEn)
• Gartner: Execute Your Cloud Strategy with a Cloud Center of Excellence