Generative AI (GenAI) is no longer just a buzzword; it is becoming a critical tool for driving strategic value in the C-suite. As senior executives look to harness the power of AI, they are focusing on its ability to enhance decision-making, optimize operations and unlock new growth opportunities. A study found that workers using generative AI completed 12.2% more tasks on average, with 40% higher quality scores compared to those not using AI. This article explores the key areas where GenAI is being implemented by C-level executives to transform their organizations and maintain a competitive edge. Enhancing Strategic Decision-Making With AI-Driven Insights One of the most impactful uses of GenAI for the C-suite is in enhancing strategic decision-making. With AI-driven insights using tools like conversational analytics, executives can move beyond traditional data analytics to leverage more sophisticated models that offer predictive and prescriptive insights. For example, by analyzing vast datasets from various sources, GenAI can help predict market trends, identify emerging risks and uncover hidden opportunities, providing CEOs and other senior leaders with a clearer understanding of their business environment. According to a report by Deloitte, 42% of organizations have seen improvements in decision-making processes by incorporating AI technologies, with many using GenAI to develop new scenarios and simulations that guide strategic planning. Additionally, AI models can be used to run thousands of simulations across different variables, allowing executives to foresee the potential outcomes of strategic decisions in a fraction of the time it would take traditional methods. Transforming Financial Planning And Analysis GenAI is revolutionizing the finance function by transforming financial planning and analysis (FP&A). Chief financial officers (CFOs) are increasingly using AI tools to automate financial forecasts, budgeting, and reporting, reducing manual workload and improving accuracy. AI-driven models can process and analyze complex financial data much faster than traditional methods, enabling real-time financial planning that is more adaptive to market changes. For instance, Gartner reports that by 2025, over 30% of enterprises are expected to adopt AI-augmented development and testing strategies, which can enhance financial forecasting and analysis capabilities. GenAI tools can also provide CFOs with deep insights into cost optimization, liquidity management and capital allocation by predicting cash flows and modeling various financial scenarios, helping companies navigate uncertainties more effectively. Driving Operational Efficiency With Intelligent Automation A Forbes Advisor study shows that customer service (56%), cybersecurity (51%), CRM (46%) and content production (35%) were identified as areas where generative AI would create some of the most positive impact. COOs are leveraging this boost in productivity and efficiency to build more intelligent automation. AI-powered tools are being used to streamline supply chain operations, optimize inventory management and reduce production costs. For example, generative AI can automate quality control in manufacturing by analyzing images or sensor data to detect defects in real time, minimizing human error and reducing waste. A study by McKinsey indicates that AI applications in supply chain management can reduce forecasting errors by 20% to 50%. This is achieved by using AI models to analyze patterns and predict demand more accurately, allowing COOs to better align production schedules with market needs. Furthermore, AI-powered predictive maintenance can significantly reduce equipment downtime by forecasting potential failures before they occur, enhancing operational resilience and cost savings. Revolutionizing Customer Experience With Personalization Chief marketing officers (CMOs) are utilizing GenAI to revolutionize customer experience to better analyze customer sentiment data and identify potential churn risks, allowing CMOs to take proactive steps to retain customers enabling personalized marketing strategies that improve engagement and retention. By creating customized content, recommendations and offers, companies can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. According to McKinsey , businesses using AI for customer personalization are expected to see a 20% increase in customer satisfaction by 2024. GenAI allows CMOs to move beyond segmentation and reach the level of individual personalization, tailoring communications and products to meet the unique needs of each customer. This capability is particularly valuable in industries such as retail, where personalized recommendations can directly impact sales. Strengthening Cybersecurity With AI-Enhanced Threat Detection As chief information security officers (CISOs) face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, GenAI offers a powerful tool to enhance cybersecurity. AI models can analyze vast amounts of network data to identify anomalous patterns indicative of potential security breaches. Unlike traditional cybersecurity tools, AI can learn from each attack. A report by McKinsey shows that enterprises witnessed a 30% increase in threat detection accuracy while improving their incident response efficiency by up to 40%. AI can also automate routine security tasks, such as monitoring network traffic, updating threat intelligence databases and responding to low-level alerts, allowing security teams to focus on more complex challenges. For CISOs, this not only reduces the risk of data breaches but also optimizes the cost and efficiency of security operations. Conclusion Generative AI is proving to be a game changer for the C-suite, providing powerful tools both personally and to their team to help enhance organizational decision-making, streamline operations and deliver personalized customer experiences. By strategically adopting GenAI, executive leadership can drive significant improvements in their respective domains, positioning their organizations for sustained growth and competitiveness in an increasingly complex business environment. There are also important steps to consider before implementation. These include the following, which I'll be addressing further in my next article: • Data readiness for AI ingestion (DRAI): Is the data the organization has in AI-ready format for embedding into databases? • Ensuring that your business's GenAI tool or solution is built atop secure platforms. • Establishing ethical guidelines and responsible AI practices to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in GenAI applications. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the strategic implementations outlined above will likely become more vital for enterprises looking to maintain a competitive edge.

In our work here at CloudWerx, we get to help some seriously remarkable companies at pivotal moments in their journey. Some are established and poised for hyperscale – others are just getting off the ground and building a strong foundation. In both cases, we cherish the opportunity to help these innovators achieve their dreams and cheer them on. Our enthusiasm for the work of our phenomenal clients has prompted us to start a new segment: Coffee With CloudWerx. Join Betsy Reed (Co-Founder and CRO of CloudWerx) as she sits down for a quick coffee break with the movers and shakers we work with to learn more about their beginnings, exciting new projects, and hopes for the future. For our inaugural episode, we were delighted to be joined by Wil Reynolds – Founder and VP of Innovation at Seer Interactive. Seer advertises itself as a “data-informed digital marketing agency,” helping clients of all shapes and sizes reach their target audiences. What started in 2002 as a one-man operation has grown into a 200-member team with offices in Philadelphia, San Diego, and Remote. Fortune included Seer in their 2020 100 fastest growing inner city companies , noting their revenue grew by 127 percent over four years, to $27 million in 2019. Seer Interactive is most interested in ensuring their customers can be the problem solvers for those they serve. Focusing on Paid Media, SEO, Analytics, Creative, & CRO Services, they leverage audience research and big data to deliver authentic growth for client partners. Although Wil’s love for SEO and big data is immediately evident (and honestly very endearing), what is particularly compelling about the conversation is hearing about Seer’s unique and powerful ethos. From its inception, giving back to the community and making the world a better place has been central to the vision. “If we're not putting stuff out in the community and helping bring up the people around us that we really don't have a reason to exist because then we're just like another agency that's just good at what they do,” said Wil. They even have a Community Impact Manage r who works full-time to find charitable organizations their team can engage with. We could go on, but we’ll let Wil speak for himself. So fill up your mug, sit back, and enjoy a coffee break with Wil Reynold and Betsy Reed.

Cybersecurity tips from CWX. Stay safe from malicious attempts to snatch your precious data, disrupt your online life, and cause all sorts of digital mayhem. As cyber threats become increasingly frequent and sophisticated, it's more critical than ever to stay informed and proactive. CloudWerx is here to empower you with practical steps to build up your digital defenses. We’re sharing essential security practices, from robust data protection to building a culture of security within your organization. Here’s our best tips to stay safe online and in your business. Get your Data Security Game on Lock Down You need multiple layers of security to keep it safe. We recommend encrypting your data no matter what the status is (At Rest, In Transit, and In Use). At rest: Encrypt your sensitive files with strong passwords. Think of this as locking your treasure chest. Google Cloud Storage Options offer encryption at rest by default leveraging Google Managed encryption keys; however you can leverage tools like Customer Supplied Encryption Keys or Cloud Key Management Service to leverage your own encryption keys to encrypt your data at rest In transit: Use a VPN when on public Wi-Fi to encrypt your internet traffic. This is like having a secret tunnel for your data to travel through, safe from eavesdroppers. Leverage Transport Layer Security (TLS) for your publicly exposed endpoints In use: To keep your sensitive data protected while its in use, Google Cloud offers several solutions such as the following: Sensitive Data Protection Data Loss Prevention API which allows you to perform inspections and de-identification processes in batch or real time to protect your data Confidential Computing Allows you to keep your sensitive data private and protected while processing it. Confidential Spaces Allows you to share sensitive and confidential data with a workload while maintaining confidentiality, privacy and security of the data. IAM controls: Implement robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls based on the principle of least privilege . This means giving users only the access they need to do their jobs and nothing more. Regularly review user permissions and revoke any unnecessary access. Don't leave any doors to your data unlocked! Leveraging Google Cloud solutions like Privileged Access Manager provide an extension on Google’s existing IAM framework which provides functionality to control just-in-time temporary privilege elevation for select principals. Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA): Enforce a strong password policy that requires complex passwords and regular changes. Add an extra layer of protection with MFA, especially for privileged accounts. Practice Good Cyber Security Habits We’ve heard about the power of habits. Cybersecurity can be seamless and strong when easy habits are built into routines. Here’s a couple of habits to live by when it comes to cybersecurity: Software updates: Keep your software and systems up to date to patch vulnerabilities and stay ahead of cyber threats. Think twice before you click: Don't fall for suspicious emails, links, or attachments. f you get an unexpected email or message, don't click on anything. Verify the sender before taking any action. Protect your personal information: Never give out sensitive information to strangers, no matter how convincing they may seem. Cybercriminals are masters of manipulation. Stay vigilant and don't let them fool you. Maintain Your Software Supply Chain Against Attacks Keeping your code “clean” is a big job. Code that contains digital viruses can sneak into your systems, hijack your software, and steal your valuable data. This can happen both on purpose, by trusting in the wrong vendor, or copying code from a sketchy source, or it may be an innocent accident. In either case, you need to protect yourself and your software. Vet any external code through these checkpoints: Strengthening your defenses: Treat external code with suspicion. Verify its identity and implement rigorous security checks. Monitoring your supply chain: Keep a watchful eye for suspicious activity and respond quickly to potential threats. Adopting a multi-layered approach: There's no silver bullet. Combine best practices, automated tools, and expert guidance to protect your software. CWX Pro Tip: If you're using Google Cloud, leverage Google's Assured OS Software to help mitigate supply chain attacks. This platform provides verifiable provenance and integrity for your operating systems, ensuring that your software is trustworthy and hasn't been tampered with. Communicate Your Cybersecurity Policies – Awareness and Training Communication with your team and your organization is crucial to cybersecurity. Knowing this information and enforcing it are two different steps in this process. Sharing cybersecurity best practices is the first step. Developing your own cybersecurity best practices and implementation guidelines is the next step. Here’s how to start: Encouraging Education and Awareness Leverage Online Resources Visit the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website ( www.cisa.gov ) for a wealth of free resources, including informative articles, videos, and interactive tools. Promote Cybersecurity Training Urge employees to participate in online cybersecurity awareness training courses. These interactive programs teach essential skills for identifying and responding to cyber threats effectively. Personalizing Cybersecurity Draw real-life parallels: There's no silver bullet. Combine best practices, automated tools, and expert guidance to protect your software. Highlight personal consequences: Emphasize the potential consequences of falling victim to cyberattacks, such as financial loss, identity theft, and reputational damage. Fostering a Culture of Security Lead by example: Set a positive example by consistently practicing good cybersecurity habits, such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and keeping software up to date. Regular communication: Regularly communicate cybersecurity reminders and updates to employees and colleagues. Share the latest news about evolving threats and emerging solutions. Empower employees: Encourage employees to take ownership of their cybersecurity responsibilities. Provide them with the tools and resources they need to stay protected. By proactively educating ourselves and others, we are creating a safer digital environment for everyone. Deepfakes: A Growing Threat So what about deepfakes? If they are good ones, deepfakes are highly realistic, artificially generated videos or images that can be used to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, or commit fraud. They are created using sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms that can manipulate existing media to make it appear as if real people are saying or doing things they never did. How deepfakes are created: Data collection: A large dataset of images or videos of a target person is collected. AI training: The data is fed into a deep learning algorithm, which learns to identify patterns and features in the target person's appearance and mannerisms. Manipulation: The algorithm can then be used to create new, synthetic media that appears to be real. The dangers of deepfakes: Misinformation: Deepfakes can be used to spread false information, such as fabricated news stories or political attacks. Reputation damage: Deepfakes can be used to damage someone's reputation by making it appear as if they have done or said something harmful. Fraud: Deepfakes can be used to commit fraud, such as by creating fake videos of people authorizing payments or signing contracts. How to protect yourself from deepfakes: Be skeptical: Approach online media with a critical eye, especially if it seems too shocking or sensational. Look for inconsistencies: Examine videos for signs of manipulation, such as unnatural facial expressions, inconsistent lighting, or glitches. Stay informed: Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in deepfake technology. By understanding the risks of deepfakes and taking steps to protect yourself, you can help to combat this growing threat. TLDR - The Key Takeaways Cybersecurity is an ongoing effort. Stay informed about the latest threats and best practices. Here are some key actions to take: Be skeptical: Approach online media with a critical eye, especially if it seems too shocking or sensational. Look for inconsistencies: Examine videos for signs of manipulation, such as unnatural facial expressions, inconsistent lighting, or glitches. Stay informed: Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in deepfake technology. By following these steps and leveraging CloudWerx's expertise, you can significantly enhance your organization's cybersecurity posture. Remember, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility; let's work together to stay informed, vigilant, and secure. Want to learn more about cybersecurity in Google Cloud? CloudWerx can help! Our Secure Landing Zone helps you build a secure foundation for your cloud environment, while our Security Assurance Review identifies and mitigates potential vulnerabilities. Contact us to learn more.

In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the business landscape, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has unveiled a powerful new tool: the Generative AI Prompt Sample Service within Vertex AI . This innovative service is poised to revolutionize how businesses approach AI development, offering a comprehensive repository of prompts tailored to a wide array of machine learning objectives. View the tool here: https://console.cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/studio/prompt-gallery Understanding the Service The Generative AI Prompt Sample Service serves as a centralized resource, supporting tasks ranging from audio diarization and text classification to SQL query generation and code explanation. By providing well-defined starting points, this service enables developers and businesses to initiate their AI projects with unprecedented efficiency and precision. It's a significant step towards democratizing AI technology, making advanced capabilities more accessible to organizations of all sizes. One of the primary advantages of this new service is its potential to dramatically improve efficiency in AI development. The pre-built prompts significantly reduce the time spent on prompt engineering, allowing businesses to accelerate their AI projects and allocate resources more effectively. This not only leads to cost savings but also enables companies to bring their AI-driven solutions to market faster, potentially gaining a crucial competitive edge in industries where AI integration is becoming increasingly vital. Beyond Efficiency: A Platform for Learning and Innovation However, the benefits of the Generative AI Prompt Sample Service extend far beyond mere efficiency gains. It serves as a powerful educational platform, fostering AI literacy and skill development within organizations. For teams new to AI, the prompt gallery offers invaluable insights into effective prompt engineering practices. Users can explore a wide range of AI applications, gaining a deeper understanding of AI capabilities and how they can be applied in various business contexts. The service acts as a bridge, helping to close the AI knowledge gap that often hinders adoption and effective utilization of AI technologies. By providing concrete examples of well-crafted prompts, it offers a practical framework for understanding how to interact with AI systems effectively. This aspect is particularly crucial as many organizations still grapple with how to truly leverage AI chatbots and other AI technologies to their full potential. In terms of practical applications, the Vertex AI Prompt Gallery covers an impressive spectrum of business needs. It offers prompts for developing sophisticated customer service chatbots, generating tools for market analysis and sentiment analysis, streamlining content creation for marketing and social media, enhancing data processing capabilities, and improving software development efficiency. This versatility makes it a valuable asset for businesses across various sectors, from e-commerce and finance to healthcare and manufacturing. Considerations and Best Practices It's worth noting that while the Generative AI Prompt Sample Service offers significant advantages, it's not without considerations. Prompts may require customization to align with specific business needs and contexts, and their effectiveness can vary depending on the specific use case and implementation. There's also a potential risk of over-reliance on pre-defined prompts, which could limit innovation in prompt design. Therefore, businesses are encouraged to use the gallery as a starting point, customizing and experimenting with prompts to create unique solutions tailored to their specific challenges. To maximize the benefits of this new tool, businesses should adopt a strategic approach: Use gallery prompts as a foundation, then tailor them to fit specific requirements and brand voice. Experiment by combining different prompts or integrating them with other AI techniques. Implement a process of continuous improvement, regularly reviewing and updating prompts based on performance and evolving business needs. Organize internal training sessions and workshops using the prompt gallery to improve AI literacy across the organization. Foster a culture of collaborative learning, encouraging teams to share insights gained from working with different prompts. The Vertex AI Generative AI Prompt Sample Service represents a significant advancement in making AI development more accessible and efficient for businesses. By providing a robust starting point for AI projects and serving as an educational platform, it allows companies to focus on innovation and value creation while simultaneously building crucial AI skills within their workforce. As the business landscape continues to evolve, tools like this will play a crucial role in helping companies leverage AI to enhance their operations, improve customer experiences, and drive growth. The educational aspect of this service is particularly valuable, as it addresses the common challenge of understanding how to effectively utilize AI technologies. By embracing such tools, companies can not only stay competitive in the short term but also build a foundation of AI literacy that will be crucial for long-term success in an increasingly AI-driven business world. For organizations looking to harness the full potential of Vertex AI and integrate these advanced AI capabilities into their operations, the Generative AI Prompt Sample Service offers a practical and educational starting point. Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or looking to enhance your existing AI capabilities, this tool provides a valuable resource for exploring, learning, and implementing AI solutions tailored to your business needs. To learn more about how you can leverage the Generative AI Prompt Sample Service and other cutting-edge AI tools to drive innovation in your business,  reach out to CloudWerx . Our team of experts can guide you through the process of implementing these powerful AI capabilities, helping you unlock new opportunities for growth and efficiency. Contact CloudWerx today to start your journey towards AI-driven success.

How To Build A Team That Defies Gravity As a two-time woman founder with over 15 years of experience, I've seen firsthand the power of a winning company culture. Full disclosure: I'm not a social scientist or HR professional. But I am a passionate business owner obsessed with cultivating an "elite culture"—one where people are driven, innovative, and have a blast working together. Sounds amazing, right? Here’s my simple framework for creating a winning company culture and ultimately improving your business. It all boils down to three key ingredients: a clear mission, assembling the right team, and empowering that team to take action. Mission: Your North Star and Rallying Cry Imagine this: you're leading a company on a mission as audacious as landing a person on the Moon. The stakes are high, the challenges are unknown, and you need a team that can defy gravity. At this point, you might be thinking that this is reading more like science fiction than a culture framework. Building a successful company culture requires the same ingredients as space exploration: meticulous planning, unwavering belief, and a team that thrives under pressure. That's where your mission comes in. Without a clear, compelling mission for your business, there's no roadmap for success and no foundation for a winning culture. Who are you? What are you doing? And most importantly, why does it matter? These are the fundamental questions your mission needs to answer. This mission needs to permeate every corner of your organization. It's your North Star, your rallying cry, the guiding light that helps everyone make decisions. Every move, every strategy, every project should ask the question: "Does this get us closer to, or further away from, our mission?" Think of it like this: if your mission is to be the world's leading provider of sustainable energy solutions, decisions about quick-fix, polluting technologies wouldn't align, would they? A clear mission keeps everyone focused and in sync, ensuring everyone's view is in the same direction - looking to the Moon. Values: The "How" of Your Mission Now, let's say you've landed on your moonshot mission. Fantastic! But here's the thing: mission alone isn't enough. You also need to define your values – the core principles and behaviors – that will guide your team in achieving that mission. Values are the "how" of your mission. Think about the characteristics your team needs to embody every day to make your vision a reality. Are collaboration, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence important to your success? Then those values should be woven into the fabric of your company culture. Here's where things can get tricky. Let's say your mission is about achieving record-breaking growth. Sounds great, right? But without clearly defined values, "growth" can become a slippery slope. Does growth mean sacrificing quality of output or employee well-being? Absolutely not! Your values act as the control panel within your spaceship. They ensure your team pursues growth the right way, navigating challenges and reaching new heights without compromising the integrity of your mission or the well-being of your crew. Do you reward creativity and calculated risks? Do you prioritize open communication and a culture of learning? These values become the control panel within your spaceship, shaping the way people interact, collaborate, and solve problems. Assembling Your Crew: How the Right Hires Can Help You Achieve Lift-Off Culture is something that doesn’t just happen - it’s cultivated one hire at a time. And just like some lousy math can extrapolate into missing your mark by miles, one or two team members can sour the culture you are striving to craft. Not everyone is cut out for space travel and not everyone will be right for your team. So how do you know who to hand over the spacesuit to? Here are some key attributes to look for in your team: Masters of the 'Art of the Possible' : They embrace audacious goals and constantly push boundaries. Pioneers, not Passengers : They're the first to volunteer for the unknown and tackle challenges head-on. Maniacal about the Mission : They live and breathe your mission statement, driven by a deep desire to see it achieved. When doing interviews or working with recruiters, having culture-related interview questions or a culture evaluation scale during the interview process should be a key part of the hiring decision. Let Go and Lift Off: Trust Your Crew We've arrived at the final and arguably the most important element of a winning culture: empowering your team. Here's the thing: once you've established your mission and defined your values, it's time to trust your team. Take the leap of faith and ignite those boosters! It’s time to trust them to own their roles, make decisions, and achieve the impossible. Micromanagement is the enemy of innovation. Empower your team members to be radical owners of their work, fostering a culture of creativity and problem-solving. Letting go is scary. Being in a rocket to the Moon is (I imagine) pretty terrifying… at first. But it's also incredibly powerful. When you empower people with the responsibility and freedom to shape their work environment, something out of this world happens. They become invested, self-policing, and fiercely protective of the culture they’ve created. They lift each other up, hold each other accountable, and constantly find ways to improve. I get starry-eyed just thinking about it. Leaders: The Success of the Mission Begins and Ends with Us Yes, assuming you’ve done the work of crafting the mission, communicating the values, and hiring the right team, they will be your proverbial moon boots on the ground, but this doesn’t mean that as leaders we get to watch from the control room. We have a job to do. Leaders need to be the loudest advocates for our mission and values, constantly reinforcing them through our words and actions. We are also responsible for building a team where everyone shares the same core beliefs and is passionate about the goal. Building a winning company culture requires intentionality and effort. By following these steps, you can create a team that is driven, innovative, and ready to reach for the stars. Remember, as leaders, the responsibility falls on us . We must craft a clear vision, meticulously select our team, and empower them to take flight. Together, we can achieve the impossible and leave a lasting impact on the business world. TLDR Key takeaways: For Crafting Mission Statements: Don't be afraid to get creative! Is growth your ultimate goal? Define what growth means to your company and why it matters. Mission statements are: Clear Concise Unifying Inspiring For Hiring Teams: Remember, look for skills AND culture fit. Consider investing in a dedicated recruiter who understands your company's DNA and can identify the perfect "culture fits." For Leaders: Upholders and cheerleaders of the mission and core values Building the right team Empowering our team to take on the world Ready to experience a lunar launch? Join the team at CloudWerx! If you are ready to join an out-of-this-world team, and want to experience this culture for yourself, apply to one of our open positions . We can’t wait to connect and see what amazing solutions we can create together. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn

CloudWerx is pleased to celebrate our latest graduate from our GCP Marketplace QuickStart Program: Wazo E-UC Stack by Wazo International. Its debut on Google Marketplace marks a significant step towards transforming the world of unified communications technology and empowering Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to offer exceptional UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) experiences. Wazo's innovative approach is set to redefine the global industry and provide a game-changing solution. Wazo understands the challenges faced by MSPs when trying to stand out in the market. Building a custom UCaaS platform from the ground up can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, and black-box systems come with their own set of challenges. This is where Wazo's expertise comes into play, utilizing straightforward, robust, and versatile APIs and integrations, they offer a fresh perspective on communication solutions. The Wazo E-UC Stack is the customizable, turnkey UCaaS solution, poised to make waves in the industry. It empowers MSPs to enhance their customer communication experiences with an intuitive and modern all-in-one platform, complete with a centralized management interface. What's more, deploying your platform takes days, not months, which means you can get to the market faster than ever before. Wazo is flexible and adaptable, allowing you to integrate it seamlessly with your existing infrastructure, ensuring that your security solutions remain in place. With both a cloud-native API-first UCaaS Solution and an all-in-one turnkey UC solution, Wazo E-UC offers multi-tenant enterprise-grade solutions, providing the essential IPBX features modern businesses need to succeed. Wazo's journey to revolutionize communication is driven by their exceptional team, with extensive experience in telecom and infrastructure management. This expertise enables them to deploy cutting-edge communication technologies that meet the evolving demands of the modern workforce. Wazo International is built on core principles that include a commitment to reshaping the communication landscape, designing solutions tailored for service providers, embracing progressiveness, innovation, and continuous evolution, and building APIs on a mature and reliable platform. The launch of the Wazo platform on Google Marketplace is a significant development that offers MSPs the tools they need to build customized, unique communication offerings. With Wazo, MSPs can take control of their data, infrastructure, and customers. With an expedited journey to the market, Wazo ensures MSPs they can deliver outstanding communication experiences to their clients as soon as possible. The Wazo E-UC Stack, now available on Google Marketplace, is a game-changer for MSPs looking to provide innovative communication solutions to their clients. With its customizable, turnkey UCaaS solution, Wazo is set to empower businesses and redefine the communication landscape. The days of lengthy and costly platform development are over, thanks to Wazo's modern approach, and this launch on Google Marketplace is just the beginning of an exciting journey in unified communications technology. Explore Wazo on Google Cloud Marketplace and learn more at www.wazo.io

In an era defined by the rapid evolution of technology, we’ve witnessed the constant quest for partners that can aid businesses in harnessing the potential of the cloud for operational transformation. Amid this ever-changing landscape, Cloudwerx has emerged as a beacon of excellence in the realm of cloud solutions. The year 2023 marks a pivotal moment for our company as we proudly announce our recognition as the Google Cloud Sales Partner of the Year for North America. This achievement not only reflects our steadfast commitment to innovation but also underscores our significant contributions to advancing cloud-based solutions. The honor of being named the Google Cloud Sales Partner of the Year for North America stands as a testament to our dedication and exceptional performance. Our journey to this remarkable achievement is characterized by our unwavering commitment to innovation. As businesses from diverse industries navigate the intricate landscape of digital transformation, we at Cloudwerx have consistently provided cutting-edge solutions that empower companies to leverage the cloud, driving improved efficiency, scalability, and agility. Our approach goes beyond just offering services; it's about forming partnerships that deliver enduring value. Our ability to comprehend each client's unique needs and tailor solutions accordingly has played a pivotal role in our success. From overseeing seamless cloud migration and optimizing infrastructure to enabling data analytics and machine learning, our array of offerings constitutes a comprehensive suite designed to guide businesses throughout their entire cloud journey. At the core of our accomplishments lies our exceptional team of experts. Their profound understanding of cloud technologies, coupled with their tact for helping businesses flourish, truly sets us apart. Our customer-centric approach is founded on the belief that our success is intricately linked to the achievements of our clients. This perspective has fostered enduring relationships with our clients, establishing our position as a trusted partner within the realm of cloud solutions. The announcement of our recognition as the Google Cloud Sales Partner of the Year for North America is not simply a feather in our cap; it is a collective triumph to which every team member, client, and partner has contributed. The award reaffirms our values and unwavering commitment to excellence. It amplifies our determination to continually push boundaries, set new industry benchmarks, and lead the way in technological innovation. The future holds even greater promise for Cloudwerx. We are positioned to build upon this success, continuously striving for excellence and innovation. Armed with our remarkable track record and a team of dedicated professionals, Cloudwerx is poised to shape the future of cloud solutions not only in North America but beyond.

We're excited to welcome Munish Gupta, who brings a wealth of engineering and technical success to our team. With nearly 12 years at Google, Munish has a strong background as a Technical Account Manager and is a holder of eight certifications, including Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Network Engineer and Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Security Engineer. Notably, Munish led a top-tier SRE organization at Google, showcasing his leadership in diverse and geo-distributed teams. His extensive experience in database engineering further solidifies our confidence in his role as a key driver of CloudWerx's ongoing business growth. This significant announcement follows the addition of Sidhant Gupta as our CTO earlier in March. CloudWerx is eagerly anticipating a dynamic partnership between Munish and Sidhant, collaborating on various strategic technical initiatives like technology governance, IT operations, and strategic planning. Munish Gupta shared his enthusiasm, stating, "I’m very excited for this opportunity. Technology is constantly evolving, and the only way to stay relevant is to keep at it. The way forward is to now build a world-class engineering team that has the passion and technical depth, and we will always strive to revolve around the fundamental principles of any solution — simplicity, reliability, security, and ability to automatically scale up and down." In the immediate term, we will look to Munish Gupta to steer the development and execution of CloudWerx's technology strategy, harmonizing it with our overarching business objectives. Key areas of focus will include vendor management, talent management, data management and security, as well as business continuity and disaster recovery. Reflecting on this milestone, Jason Geis, CEO of CloudWerx, shared, “Betsy Reed and I set out to form an exceptional engineering team at CloudWerx, dedicated to tackling the most formidable cloud-related obstacles with the most clientele in the field. We are thrilled to announce a remarkable addition to our Engineering team, extending a warm welcome to Munish Gupta.” CloudWerx is committed to driving innovation and excellence, and we are confident Munish's expertise will contribute significantly to our continued success

We are thrilled to announce our new Customer Growth Team, dedicated to providing an enhanced level of support to all customers who have chosen to partner with us. Customer growth lies at the heart of our business philosophy. We believe that fostering strong, long-term relationships with our customers is vital for mutual growth and prosperity. With this in mind, we have assembled a talented and dedicated team. Our own Eric Klostermann is stepping into the role of VP of Customer Growth. “The pace of cloud technology is accelerating every single day. Our team's primary goal is to help our customers stay ahead of the curve by offering thoughtful, tailored roadmaps. We will focus on specific services and products, customized to meet their needs.” - Eric Klostermann With so many different areas customers are eager to explore, our new team will help them reach new heights with proactive guidance. New products on GCP are constantly being released, bringing numerous questions from customers about which best fit their needs. Our growth team will have the bandwidth to educate and provide insight, not only in terms of how they use products, but also how their business fits into the larger Google ecosystem. For example, our team can assist in integrating with Google Marketplace or Vertex AI and suggest which APIs they can connect to in order to improve their product operations. This is just the beginning of the exciting features and functionality related to Generative AI that Google will be introducing across their suite of services. Meet Eric Eric Klostermann, who serves as the VP of Customer Growth at CloudWerx, has been an integral part of our organization for over two years. His primary focus is assisting companies in enhancing the efficiency, scalability, and security of their Google Cloud Platform (GCP) environments. Prior to joining CloudWerx, Eric gained valuable expertise during his tenure at multiple high-growth, digital-native SaaS companies, where he held such positions as Sales Development Team Manager, Director of Sales, and VP of New Business Development. Eric has successfully assembled a team of highly skilled Account Managers. He is joined on the Customer Growth Team by Kendall Grasty and Forrest Pommer-Schindler. Eric continued, "I'm excited to introduce Forrest and Kendall, who have extensive experience in technical account management, SaaS, and product domains. They are well-suited to serve our ecosystem of digital-native customers." Meet Kendall Kendall Grasty excels in hands-on account management gained through her tenure at multiple technology consulting agencies. She pivoted to the product side when she accepted the role of Client Success Manager, and later Product Specialist, at Rallyhood. Kendall worked side-by-side with her customers to understand their product usage and business use cases, driving a number of product improvements that shaped the Rallyhood roadmap. This knowledge is critical in her new role. We are delighted to have Kendall joining our team as one of our Google Cloud Customer Growth Managers at CloudWerx. Meet Forrest Forrest Pommer-Schindler has built an impressive resume in account management. Previously, he managed the day-to-day operations of multiple high-profile production shoots for large-scale advertising campaigns. He launched products for some of the hottest technology companies in Silicon Valley, including Tesla. Acting as the primary point of contact, Forrest successfully scoped, created, and built multiple campaigns. He intimately understands how to take a customer's vision and make it a reality. These skills will be crucial as he works alongside our key accounts team to ensure we are delivering the highest quality solutions for our customers and making the impossible possible. We are thrilled to welcome Forrest to the CloudWerx Customer Growth team, after being promoted from his role as a Google Cloud Account Specialist to Google Cloud Customer Growth Manager. We are eagerly anticipating his contributions. These three exceptional individuals epitomize the core values that define CloudWerx. Eric remarked, "The folks on my team excel at aligning customer challenges with unique solutions, leveraging the full potential of the Google ecosystem to benefit our customers." By harnessing their collective talents, they will work alongside our existing team to help enable our customers to maximize the capabilities of Google Cloud. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead with the establishment of our Customer Growth Team. Our unwavering commitment to customer success will remain a top priority as we continue to deliver exceptional support and unparalleled value.

by Saurabh Singh In today's increasingly digital world, the need for secure, reliable, and flexible network access is more critical than ever. Whether you're a small business with a remote team, an enterprise with a branch office, or a group of developers needing a static IP, secure network access is paramount. One of the most common solutions to this problem is using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN allows you to create a secure connection over the internet to another network. This can be particularly useful for businesses that need to protect sensitive data or individuals who want to ensure their privacy online. However, setting up and managing a VPN can be a complex task, especially for small businesses without dedicated IT resources. That's where Firezone comes in. Firezone is a user-friendly, self-hosted VPN server that's designed to be easy to set up and manage. It uses the WireGuard protocol for fast, secure connections. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of setting up a Firezone VPN server on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using Terraform. This solution is particularly relevant in the following scenarios: For a remote branch office needing secure access to cloud resources: GCP currently doesn't support Client-to-Cloud VPN, only site-to-site. Our setup allows for secure remote access to GCP resources without the need for a dedicated physical location. For an engineering team wanting a static IP: This is a common requirement for developers who want to ensure consistent access to resources, perform accurate tracking, or maintain whitelisted IP addresses. Using our setup, a static IP is assigned to the VPN server, providing a consistent access point for your team. For anyone wanting to host their own VPN: This could be for a myriad of reasons, including better control over data privacy, customized access control, or specific compliance requirements. Our setup allows you to have full control over your VPN server hosted in GCP. Whether you fit into one of these scenarios or have a different use case, this guide will help you set up a Firezone VPN server in GCP using Terraform. Let's get started. Prerequisites Before we delve into the prerequisites of our solution, let's take a moment to grasp the main components of how it operates. Our solution primarily utilizes three components: Firezone, WireGuard, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Firezone, a Linux package, is at the heart of our solution. It provides a simple web interface to manage your WireGuard VPN and firewall. The management of the Firezone installation is facilitated by the firezone-ctl utility while the VPN and firewall's management is handled by the Web UI​1​. WireGuard is a simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. In our solution, Firezone acts as a frontend to the WireGuard kernel module, creating a WireGuard interface (default called wg-firezone) for the VPN's operation​​. Our solution uses Google Cloud Platform (GCP), a suite of cloud computing services, to host and manage the VPN server. You also need to have a GCP account with a project set up. If you don't have one, you can create it here. Lastly, make sure you have the following software installed on your local machine: Terraform Google Cloud SDK Firezone requires a fully-qualified domain name (e.g., firezone.company.com) for production use. You'll need to create the appropriate DNS record at your registrar to achieve this. Typically this is either an A, CNAME, or AAAA record depending on your requirements. You can learn more about this here. Architecture Diagram Setting Up the Firezone VPN Server 1. Clone repo from here. to your GCP CLI machine. 2. Enable "Cloud Resource Manager API" and "Compute Engine API" on the GCP project. 3. Navigate to the directory containing the Terraform configuration files. 4. Initialize your Terraform workspace, which will download the provider plugins for GCP: terraform init 5. Validate the configuration: terraform validate 6. Review the execution plan: terraform plan -out=tfplan -var 'project_id=your-gcp-project-id' 7. Apply the changes: terraform apply "tfplan" After Terraform deploys, you will get an IP address in the output. Use it to configure domain custom records. instance_ip_address = "xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" 8. Run the following command and find out the DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL and DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD: gcloud compute instances get-serial-port-output [INSTANCE_NAME] --zone=[ZONE] --project=[PROJECT_ID] 2>&1 | awk '/DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL|DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD/ {for(i=1;i<=NF;i++) if ($i ~ /DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL|DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD/) print $i}' | grep -E "DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL=|DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD=" | grep -v "Specify --start" The output should look like: DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@firezone.com DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD=xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 9. Go to your domain management service website (for Google Domains, go to https://domains.google.com. Take Google Domain as an example, go to manage, then navigate to DNS. Click on manage custom records. Fill out Host name, Type, and Data. Then you will be able to login and manage the Firezone server via fz.yourdomain.com. Congratulations! You have set up a Firezone VPN server in GCP! Next, you can log in using the credentials retrieved from step 8 and perform the following steps for VPN usage: Create User Add Device Wireguard Installation and Connect

CloudWerx, a launch partner for Google Cloud Generative AI, is excited to be bringing our clients cutting-edge generative AI solutions to unlock fresh possibilities. Powered by Google Cloud's advanced AI infrastructure, we are expanding our practice to include a wide range of Gen AI solutions. Generative AI is still a young field, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we create content, solve problems, and interact with the world around us. Google Cloud is a leading provider of cloud computing services, and its AI infrastructure is one of the most advanced in the world. We are helping our clients stay ahead of the curve and utilize groundbreaking tools to improve their business processes, such as customer service, marketing, task automation and product development. Together with Google, we are providing comprehensive assistance to our clients in reevaluating their organizational structure from a holistic standpoint. This involves analyzing how their operating model evolves and determining the necessary applications for their work. Our aim is to facilitate a swift adoption of this technology while ensuring seamless business continuity through effective transition management. We are actively engaged in assisting clients in harnessing the power of generative AI through real-world applications. Our expertise extends to collaborating with customers in crafting innovative customer experiences and supporting consumer product companies in reimagining their business strategies. With our strong engineering capabilities, we can tailor the model according to each customer's unique use cases. In our new Generative AI Workshop, we empower customers to leverage the capabilities of AI and foundation models, enabling them to enhance productivity and foster business innovation. Our team of seasoned experts can provide guidance on navigating the vast landscape of Google Cloud's Generative AI. Together, we will explore, conceptualize, and prioritize use cases that drive sustainable growth for businesses. To learn more about how CloudWerx can help you with your generative AI needs, please contact us today.

“The Google Cloud I'm currently a part of is not the Google Cloud I joined, in a very positive way. There’s so much forward momentum coming from Thomas Kurian and our leadership team in thinking about what the customers need from us and how we pivot the organization really quickly to show up and meet the customer where they are on their journey,” - Darren Mowry We’ve got an extra special episode of Coffee with CloudWerx for you today! While we usually use this segment to sit down with our Google Cloud customers to understand their missions, origin stories, and projects, this episode features Darren Mowry - Managing Director for North America at Google Cloud. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to host Mowry; a seasoned technology executive with over 22 years of experience in various leadership roles at Dell, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) before joining Google Cloud as the Managing Director for North America in December 2021. “Frankly, I don't even think we've begun to see all of the outcomes we're going to be able to deliver for customers… I’ve seen you and the [CloudWerx] team… consistently pick your swim lanes and be truly world class at those things. That's what customers expect from Google - that we're going to bring in the best." Throughout his career, Mowry has been a key player in the cloud computing industry, helping organizations to innovate, optimize, and grow their businesses. As the Managing Director for North America at Google Cloud, he is responsible for the company’s growing businesses focused on regional enterprises and startups/digital natives. He leverages his experience and expertise to help customers harness the power of Google Cloud's advanced technologies and solutions. His passion for GCP customers, his team, and Google Cloud are evident, and it’s particularly compelling to hear about changes he’s seen in Google in his short tenure. “The Google Cloud I'm currently a part of is not the Google Cloud I joined, in a very positive way. There’s so much forward momentum coming from Thomas Kurian and our leadership team in thinking about what the customers need from us and how we pivot the organization really quickly to show up and meet the customer where they are on their journey,” said Mowry. Having held leadership roles at all three hyper scalers, Mowry has an uncommonly strong pulse on Google Cloud's differentiators and he gives invaluable insight to how companies of all types can benefit from what GCP has to offer. At each company, he has shown his acumen for building and developing outstanding teams. CloudWerx is privileged to work with his Google team to accelerate our customer’s businesses day in and day out. His passion for GCP customers, his team, and Google Cloud are evident in this interview and his enthusiasm and eloquence make for an interview you won’t want to miss! So grab yourself a cup of joe and and enjoy and take a break with Coffee with CloudWerx!