Industry News: February 22-26 – Microsoft Unveils New Industry Clouds, A Crucial Year for SAP Customers, AWS Helps Connect Earth to Mars

Every week we highlight cloud computing and technology news of interest. This week we’re covering the pressures of sped up digital transformations, Microsoft’s new industry clouds, Azure’s popularity among enterprise organizations, why 2021 is an important year for SAP customers and the role Amazon Web Services (AWS) is playing on NASA’s latest Mars mission.

Let’s get started…

It’s no secret that the pandemic forced organizations to accelerate digital transformations. According to a new survey, 71% of IT professionals surveyed over the past year could point to digital transformation projects that took weeks to implement, rather than the years it would have taken pre-pandemic. And that has led to added stress, with 89% reporting they “feel under immense pressure at work.” Dive into the findings in ZDNet here.

Financial services, manufacturing and nonprofits now have their own vertical cloud packages as Microsoft unveiled its latest “industry clouds” this week. What’s the goal of these industry-specific cloud packages? And what sets Microsoft’s offerings apart from the competition? Find out in ZDNet here.

Microsoft continues to report impressive growth, especially within Azure cloud services. But why is Azure so popular among enterprise organizations? Hear what industry analysts are saying, including one who says “trust” is an important factor. Read more in InfoWorld here.

2021 will be a crucial year for current SAP customers as they decide whether to stick with SAP ECC, choose an alternative, or migrate to S/4HANA. Brad Hiquet of Dickinson + Associates, a Navisite company, is sharing his thoughts on each option and why making a decision soon could be beneficial. Explore his thoughts in SearchSAP here.

All eyes were on the red planet last week as Perseverance, NASA’s latest Mars rover, safely touched down. After years of planning, the rover started sending back images nearly instantly. And it turns out AWS helped make that possible. Learn how the cloud is helping process image data in GeekWire here.