The purpose of cloud automation is to ease the complexity that comes with cloud computing adaptation and help businesses leverage themselves. The technology relates itself with the deployment of the different dynamic resources and modules in a cloud computing or virtualized environment. CloudFX is one such industry leader, maniacally focused on ensuring that their clients and partners are capable of transitioning seamlessly into a commercial world grounded in the Digitization of technology through the emergence of Cloud and IoT technologies, ultimately underpinned by automation.
After CloudFX’s inception, their purpose was simple, bring ingenuity, innovation and pragmatism to the most disruptive generational period of technological change the world has ever experienced through vendor agnostic technology platforms and solutions. After many years of dedicated R&D, CloudFX has outstandingly developed one of the world’s leading Digital, Cloud and IoT platforms. To support the pervasiveness of this platform, they built out and enabled one of the most innovative eco-systems of partners who use their technologies to help customers align to and benefit from this generational shift in technology.
The Trailblazer of CloudFX
Damian Crotty, Founder and Group CEO of CloudFX is a highly experienced technology executive and entrepreneur. He has a diverse, global background and proven track record in leading high growth, mature and start-up technology businesses.
With a vision to redefine the way cloud technology is accepted and used, Damian says: At the core of my being is this concept of “thinking arete” which in Greek means “excellence of any kind” or as it applies to my reflections and ambitions with CloudFX “in the pursuit of excellence”. The generational shift in technology was going to have a profound impact on the way companies consume technology, who they consume technology from, how that technology is used, provisioned, governed and managed. The reality is, the generic OEM vendor’s have the sales reach and marketing budgets to propagate this image that they are leaders in this space, but the reality is, specialist small companies will define the industry’s direction for the next 5-8 years and I felt like I was in a position to contribute to that definition and potentially lead that change with like minded employees, partners and customers.
Embrace the Agile Culture with CloudFX’s Unique Product and Services
Damian has spent over two decades in understanding, defining and ultimately leading how companies deliver and efficiently use technology to achieve their goals across the world. These experiences have helped Damian to develop a feeling of responsibility to give back.
To work on his responsibility, Damian started developing the most advanced, innovative, customer focused technology platform and enablement services to align with the reality of what enterprises need to do in order to successfully navigate this generational technological transition. At CloudFX, they have successfully built exceptional platforms, intellectual property, partners who have their own innate capabilities and services that are ultimately aligned around one basic goal and that’s to deliver change that’s measurable, valuable, meaningful and sustainable.
Leaving No Stone Unturned
Willingness to work hard, learn, be flexible, change direction when needed and remain both curious and open to the changing dynamics of the industry and customer preferences is all that contributes to CloudFX’s innovation agenda.
Damian believes, IT is an unusual industry, and it doesn’t suit his personality. According to him, IT is elusive and unaccountable in many areas with poor strategic and financial decision making. So, remaining inspired, engaged and sticking to the principles in the face of irrational circumstances are the key attributes to evolve into a global leader in this space.
I truly feel for all of the leaders who have grand visions only to see them not realized due to the company’s ability to survive (cash, debt, execution, people churn etc.) but I take none of this personally, it’s sports for me and my guys rise to every challenge so I draw my inspiration from my people, my partners and my customers, combined that with a deep passion for the industry, a commitment to deliver transformative change for our partners and a “zero quit” mentality, I love the change and challenge.– asserts Damian.
Industry Insights, from Damian’s Point of View
According to Damian, it’s the most exciting time in the industry’s history on one hand, and yet on the other, people are making technology based decision’s that will determine the ultimate success or failure of their business. Let’s track the last 15 years, 50% of the Fortune 500 have been eliminated due to digital disruption and these companies had unlimited resources to navigate this transition so it’s a massive challenge and most CEO’s and Board’s are not equipped to navigate this due to high strategic and financial acumen but low technological acumen. The reality is, IT is the corporate function most negatively impacted and yet IT is making the calls on how the “business” should drive that change? The irony of this is never lost on us. IT is notorious for poor decision making, poor project implementation, poor business case goal attainment and delivering initiatives on time. In the past, the business could still operate effectively, but today, that’s not the case. If businesses get this transition wrong, they will fail.
Transforming Challenges into Opportunities
CloudFX is attaining new heights every day, and for them opportunities are massive, so they are solely focusing on picking the spaces and segments that they can define, lead and execute better than anyone else. Looking towards a bright future, Damian believes that they will see $1.4TRN of market value created in 5-8 years. This is truly unprecedented in terms of the size of the opportunity and how quickly it’s taking place. Being small, agile and for their case private and devoid of bureaucracy is a massive advantage.
Damian’s Advice to the New Entrants in the Industry
I read a quote recently that said something to the effect of “You will fail a thousand times, you will lose all your money, you will be ridiculed, you’ll be dismissed, you’ll have people who don’t know you say terrible things about you, you’ll go grey, lose sleep and lose relationships that matter and if you survive all of that over a long term, i.e. 10 years, you’ll be successful”. I am entering my 9th year at CloudFX at the end of 2017 and I’ve experienced all of these things so my advice is this; you need to be so resilient, so assured of your purpose, so enthusiastic and so committed that nothing can or will stop you. It’s an incredible opportunity to help people – employees, customers, partners and I love giving back and seeing people realise their goals, but it’s a hard journey, particularly when I’ve remained committed to staying Private other than Intel Capital and Cisco’s investments, but today, 75% of the company is owned privately. We’ve had a lot of money chasing us but it would compromise our agnostic purity and I won’t compromise my principles for money, so my advice is plan well, execute perfectly, hire exceptionally and I wish you the very best of luck, you’re a warrior and need to be prepared to act and operate like one.
Helping Clients to Outshine their Competitors
At CloudFX, they help their global customers and partners maximize their share of the $1.4TRN Digital services market through their platform and solution oriented technologies which create digital savvy, agile and innovative business models. They enable Enterprises and Governments to massively increase the effectiveness of IT whilst reducing the cost of business and technology driven services consumption, and they do this across every service type and every vendor. CloudFX is truly unique in integration, automation, management, analytics and billing of these business services irrespective of whether they are on the monetization side or the consumption and transformation side of this economic equation.
Geared Up for the Future
Easy. Incredible. Why? We have developed the world’s best platform technology, and now it’s in 5th generation. I have an incredible group of people to work with that inspire me daily. I love our partners and care about their business as much as I do by my own. These are the biggest SI’s and MSP’s in the world and they chose us, we are blessed (and so are they). The world is truly at our feet, but because we are so determined, humbled, driven and customer focused, all I care about is the change we bring to the industry, and that’s change done the right way. – says Damian.
