Skill development has always been a must for anyone in an IT career, but this is especially true as cloud services mature and the components of cloud infrastructure trickle down into the rapidly evolving corporate data centre.
Whether you are looking to refresh existing skills on the latest technologies or branch out into a new specialty there are a host of invaluable resources available at no cost to you from some of the biggest vendors in the computing industry.
The result for IT pros is that vendors’ marketing budget could very easily be your ticket to advancement should the skills they teach become needed where you work now or at a different organisation.
In this case, the old adage, “You get what you pay for,” isn’t necessarily true. Many of the training libraries listed here alphabetically by company name are top notch, featuring videos, reference material and in some cases even full lab environments or free software tools.
"Many of these training libraries offer completion certificates or badges and some facilitate your path to recognised industry certifications by preparing you for proctored exams."
Some of content provided by the eight vendors listed here is fully free, but registration is required in most cases. In many cases additional training content may be available only to known customers or business partners, in which case you’ll likely need to work through your business rep to gain access. Many vendors offer premium memberships in the form of paid subscriptions or purchased training credits.
Here the focus is primarily on training libraries that are open to anyone, offering self-paced training at no cost.
AWS Training
AWS can provide a huge array of services and offers an equally impressive range of courses. The AWS training library is structured to support both beginners and seasoned veterans, for either technical pros or for less technical roles such as sales, management and planning.
Many of the courses are offered in languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese.
Course materials consist of text and video content with periodic knowledge checks to ensure you are retaining the material being covered. Playback speed of course videos can be adjusted to breeze through content you are already familiar with.
The training also offers AWS Cloud Quest, a cheesy but innovative training platform that operates like an open-world role-playing game. You can navigate it to complete tasks and solve business problems through puzzles, labs and quizzes.
AWS offers both free and premium training libraries. The free library contains over 500 courses, practice questions for certification exams and the Cloud Quest game. Premium users gain access to three exam-prep courses, over 100 lab environments, additional Cloud Quest roles, as well as access to a second role-playing game AWS Industry Quest for US$29 per month or US$299 a year.
Skills for All from Cisco
Cisco’s Skills for All offers a wealth of beginner and intermediate courses across broad subjects like networking and cyber security. These courses are bundled into learning collections of up to 70 hours of training and there is even training for a career path in cyber security totalling 160 hours of coursework.
The courses are available primarily in English, but many are also available in Spanish and French and to a lesser extent Portuguese, Russian and German.
Skills for All courseware includes video-based training and interactive lessons designed to optimise learning and encourage engagement with the materials. Cisco offers downloadable resources including their network-configuration simulator tool, Packet Tracer and virtual machines preconfigured to facilitate hands-on lab work for some of the cyber security courses.
As you complete modules and courses in Skills for All you can unlock achievements and earn digital badges to use on your resume or social media.
Cisco doesn’t offer certifications directly through Skills for All, but its cyber security career path does align with the test objectives for the IT Specialist – cyber security certification offered through Certiport and the Skills for All Python Essentials 1 and 2 courses prepare you for the Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP) and Certified Associate in Python Programming (PCAP) certs from the Python Institute.
Fortinet Training Institute
Fortinet Training Institute offers free access to their Network Security Expert (NSE) courses Levels 1-8, the first three of which allow you to earn associate-level certifications within the course. Each of the NSE courses builds on existing knowledge by providing a progressively advanced overview of security threats and protection measures.
Fortinet also offers self-paced training courses on a broad range of its security products. Some offer supplemental materials in the form of books or on-demand lab access, both of which incur a fee, but they are not required to complete the course material.
Training content is primarily made up of videos, but interactive components are used for knowledge checks and skill validation. Full lesson scripts are available for obtain in PDF format.
Many Fortinet courses offer completion certificates and may also be used to earn Continuing Professional Education credits for (ISC)2 certifications such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). The courses identify how many hours of credit you earn and what certification domain they correspond to.
Juniper Networks learning portal
Juniper’s learning portal is largely focused on Juniper certification tracks with free training available based on the Juniper certifications you already hold. For example, Juniper Specialist certifications require you to hold a Juniper Associate-level certification, so the Specialist-level training is only available to individuals who hold an Associate-level cert.
Without a current Juniper cert you are limited to associate-level certification, which still allows access to a course for each certification track. Upon completion of a certification-focused course you can earn a 75 per cent discount on an test voucher.
All Juniper cert-prep courses up to the Professional level are free providing you meet prerequisites for the certification. There is a fee for Expert-level cert-prep courses. Additional courses available on the portal aren’t certification-related, but the selection is limited.
Juniper also offers free access to their vLabs platform, which provides pre-built lab environments to practice and validate your skills. Sign-up for vLabs is separate from the main learning portal and must be approved by Juniper prior to gaining access.
If your needs reach that level, on-demand training courses are available for a premium—US$950 to US$4,750 per course. Alternatively, you can purchase an all-access pass that provides unlimited access to all on-demand courses and labs and also gains Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE) Cert lab test bundles and an test voucher for US$5,995.
Microsoft Learning
Microsoft’s training library offers material on subjects relevant to the modern data centre including Active Directory, Windows Server, Hyper-V, clustering and high-availability, storage and file services and myriad hybrid or Azure-based workloads.
Most of the content in Microsoft Learning is self-paced and text-based, meaning you’re going to spend quite a bit of time memorizing through course material, reviewing diagrams and consuming tabular content. It’s not as engaging as interactive training material, but it represents a wealth of content, most of which corresponds directly to Microsoft certifications.
Microsoft Learning offers digital incentives to completing coursework, including badges and experience points (XP) to help level-up your reputation score. Microsoft also occasionally offers learning challenges that can earn different rewards including test vouchers.
Microsoft’s certifications have been popular for more than two decades and while the company continues to offer a variety of them, at this point most focus on cloud platforms like Azure and Office 365.
In addition to their core industry certs, Microsoft has begun offering Fundamentals certifications, which lower the entry point somewhat for certification. Fundamentals certification exams are available for free to Verified students.
Red Hat Training
Red Hat’s free library offers 12 courses that cover key technical subjects including the basics of Red Hat Administration, OpenStack, OpenShift and Ansible. Each course feeds into either a Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Specialist (RHCS) certification.
In addition to courses, Red Hat offers training videos via Red Hat TV. They don’t offer the interactivity or step-by-step learning process that some other vendors do, but content is highly technical and can bring a lot of value to IT professionals looking to get up to speed on the Red Hat’s latest offerings.
For US$6,000 a year, Red Hat offers individual access to a much larger library of courses, each of which is also available a-la-carte, as well as hands-on labs and additional certification paths.
VMware Learning
VMware Learning’s free Basic subscription offers primarily text-based product overviews and high-level technical briefings in bite-sized chunks with diagrams and interactive elements sprinkled in. If your training needs specifically involve preparation for an industry cert then you are out of luck with a Basic subscription, although VMware does offer certificates of completion for their courses.
VMware Learning also exposes VMware’s video library, which is publicly available even without a Basic subscription and provides quick access to additional content that may align with your learning goals.
If the resources available in the Basic tier don’t meet your needs, for US$269 per year you can buy a Premium subscription, which offers intermediate-level content, courses focused on test prep (VMware Certified Technical Associate and VMware Certified Professional), as well as the Customer Connect learning environment.
VMware KubeAcademy
KubeAcademy is a free learning environment focused on Kubernetes and is curated by VMware but operated separately from VMware Learning. It focuses on pure Kubernetes without any VMware spin, which makes it valuable to anyone looking to get up to speed managing container-based apps on Kubernetes in general. The content is primarily video based with speed controls.
KubeAcademy also provides learning paths for different subjects and experience levels, intended to allow you to build on your knowledge over time.
Training courses and videos also offer downloadable transcripts, which are great for the hearing impaired or for checking back later for clarification. Courses may also link to other reference material or even Slack channels to connect you with a community of fellow pros.
As for providing proof of training you’ve completed, KubeAcademy is pretty spartan. There are no certificates, training doesn’t map directly to industry certifications and achievements seem to be visible only on your own profile page.
Juniper Networks announced that Greenergy Data Centers (GDC) has deployed Juniper’s data center and AI-driven solutions to support its business and data center operations in the Baltics.
The GDC data center is a 14,500-square-meter, 31.5-megawatt facility. The Juniper network supports the company’s integrated building and power management system, with thousands of telemetry sensors that facilitate the delivery of reliable power. Hundreds of motion-activated thermal cameras connect to the network in support of GDC’s efforts to provide the highest levels of physical security.
GDC relies on Juniper for its access network. Mist AI offers the organization visibility into its wireless network and an easier way to build and configure the network, resulting in less cost, increased productivity, improved efficiency and reduced errors.
Juniper Access Points and Juniper EX Switches deliver reliable connectivity in Greenergy’s network operations center, day-use client offices, assembly rooms and warehouse. Juniper cloud services, driven by Mist AI, streamline and automate most network operations.
GDC uses Juniper QFX Series Switches for its core network, the Juniper vSRX Virtual Firewall for next-generation, virtualized firewall services, and the Juniper vMX Universal Routing Platform for carrier-grade, virtualized routing.
“GDC attracts more technology-driven businesses to the region while minimizing the environmental impact of digitalization. We always look for vendor partners that also focus on sustainability, and we chose Juniper for that reason coupled with its highly reliable networking,” Aivar Karu, Chief Information Officer, Greenergy Data Centers, said in a news statement.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many enterprises were thrust into the world of cloud before they were truly ready to do so. There was no choice but to survive.
Now, however, companies are reevaluating how they will use cloud moving forward, and SoftwareONE AG is helping enterprises come out of survival mode and learn to fully thrive within the context of cloud.
“It was all about keeping the lights on and running the business,” said Ashley Gaare (pictured), president of North America at SoftwareONE. “Now we’re seeing … this pendulum swing back where it’s like, ‘OK, we’re in the cloud. Now we’ve got to go back in time and … fix the processes, and the financial piece, and the components and the compliance that we didn’t really address … because we were in survival mode.'”
Gaare spoke with theCUBE industry analyst Lisa Martin for the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud,” during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed cloud and the ways companies can use it to thrive in business. (* Disclosure below.)
SoftwareONE is a global services provider for end-to-end software cloud management that operates in over 90 countries. Its primary purpose is to help clients really understand the restraints in cloud management — everything from licensing used rights to financial operations to workload migrations — to help them drive better outcomes for their business, according to Gaare.
“What’s next in cloud, both from an industry and a SoftwareONE standpoint, is expanding outside of this infrastructure-as-a-service mindset where cloud was there to run your business,” she stated. “The beauty of it now is that cloud is there to also drive your business and create new products and capabilities.”
One of the biggest trends SoftwareONE is seeing is that all organizations are going to become a service provider or have an application that they host and provide to their clients, Gaare explained. This means that all companies are becoming technology companies no matter what industry they are in.
“It’s not just using tech to run. It’s using tech to build and innovate and be able to create a profit center to be able to drive back those to meet your clients’ needs,” Gaare said. “If you’re not in it, you’re behind.”
Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud”:
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud.” Neither Amazon Web Services Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)
Juniper provides an automated and reliable network infrastructure with no downtime for Greenergy Data Centers’ 24/7 mission-critical business
SUNNYVALE, Calif., February 06, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced that Greenergy Data Centers (GDC), the largest and most energy-efficient data center company in the Baltics, has deployed Juniper’s cloud-ready data center and AI-driven enterprise solutions to support its business and data center operations.
GDC is the first and only large-scale data center in the Baltics, offering enterprises, government agencies and managed service providers a place to safely store their mission-critical data while minimizing their environmental footprint. The GDC data center is a 14,500-square-meter, 31.5-megawatt facility. Multiple levels of physical security keep the premises secure. Redundant power and digital infrastructure systems support highly reliable operations.
Renewable energy sources and the Nordic climate lower cooling-related power consumption in the data center. Residual heat generated by equipment is used to warm GDC’s offices, and it also has the technical capacity to share excess heat with a district heating plant, which can then be used by local homes and offices. GDC was determined to support its data center operations with a network that aligns with its sustainability values and chose Juniper to enable its control, infrastructure and office network. Juniper is committed to sustainable business, with a focus on innovative networking solutions that help customers reduce environmental impact while attaining their digital transformation goals.
The Juniper network supports the company’s integrated building and power management system, with thousands of telemetry sensors that facilitate the delivery of safe, reliable power. Hundreds of motion-activated thermal cameras connect to the network in support of GDC’s efforts to provide the highest levels of physical security.
The Network
GDC relies on Juniper for its access network. Mist AI™ offers the organization visibility into its wireless network and an easier way to build and configure the network, resulting in less cost, increased productivity, improved efficiency and reduced errors. Juniper Access Points and Juniper EX Switches deliver faster, more reliable connectivity in Greenergy’s network operations center, day-use client offices, assembly rooms and warehouse. Juniper cloud services, driven by Mist AI, streamline and automate most network operations.
GDC uses Juniper QFX Series Switches for its core network, the Juniper vSRX Virtual Firewall for next-generation, virtualized firewall services, and the Juniper vMX Universal Routing Platform for carrier-grade, virtualized routing.
"As the first data center of its kind in the Baltics, GDC attracts more technology-driven businesses to the region while minimizing the environmental impact of digitalization. We always look for vendor partners that also focus on sustainability, and we chose Juniper for that reason coupled with its highly reliable networking – a real win-win for us."
- Aivar Karu, Chief Information Officer, Greenergy Data Centers
"With the ongoing proliferation of digital transformation across all private and public sectors of industry, the need for more intelligent, secure networks continues to increase. At the same time, climate imperatives and the rising cost of energy make sustainable solutions very compelling. With Juniper solutions, GDC’s data center network infrastructure is built and operated responsibly to minimize power and space consumption."
- Michael Bushong, Group Vice President, Cloud-Ready Data Center, Juniper Networks
Additional Resources:
Greenergy Data Centers Case Study
Juniper’s Climate Change & Sustainability Pages
CEO Blog: Juniper’s Carbon Neutral Pledge
CTO Blog: Sustainable Networking – The Time is Now
Juniper’s 2022 Corporate Sustainability Report
About Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks is dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the world’s greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability and equality. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Category - Cloud-Ready Data Center
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230205005007/en/
Contacts
Pelin Murphy
Juniper Networks
+44 (0) 1372 385 686
pelin@juniper.net
A cloud on title is any document, claim, unreleased lien, or encumbrance that might invalidate or impair a title to real property or make the title doubtful. Clouds on the title are usually discovered during a title search. Clouds on the title are resolved by initiating a quitclaim deed, which releases a person's interest in a property without stating the nature of the person's interests.
Any property that has liens or is under foreclosure is unattractive to potential buyers because they create a cloud on the title.
A title search and title insurance are typically required by lenders as protection from any third-party claims or clouds on title to property used as collateral. Title searches and title insurance are required in the mortgage origination process.
A cloud on title usually stems from unresolved issues regarding the property. For example, foreclosure proceedings initiated by a mortgager in response to a borrower defaulting on the payment might preclude the delinquent borrower from selling the property to a third party while the foreclosure is underway.
The property may have liens from lenders or from contracts to which the property owner agreed. If a property holder has free and clear ownership of the real estate, they might use it as collateral for new financing to pay other expenses or debts. Such a transaction may include a lien being placed on the property until the debt is repaid.
A cloud on title is also known as a defective title because it is difficult to discern who the proper owner is.
Property owners may discover that a mechanic’s lien was placed on the property if there was a problem involving payment for construction or redevelopment work that was contracted. The mechanic’s lien will remain in place until all labor and material costs have been resolved. A lien remains with the property rather than the property owner, which would force any buyer of the property to assume responsibility for resolving the associated issues. The discovery of this type of cloud on the title would likely discourage potential buyers from buying the property.
Probate issues—that result from an estate and inheritance matters—can also create a cloud on the title. Documents such as death certificates might be lost over time with older properties. This could raise questions about where final legal ownership rests. If a property owner passed away without defining in a will who would gain control of their estate or become the owner of the property, heirs might challenge each other in court for the property title.
Fraud can also lead to a cloud on the title. False deeds might be recorded as legitimate and create legal confusion as the ownership of the property is called into question.
A technological bias is a possibility that increasingly crops up in business. The artificial intelligence itself may not be biased, but the data fed to it could be.
Therefore, it’s that businesses be aware of the functioning of these technologies so they don’t accidentally perpetuate these biases.
“One of the things that we’re trying to address, even in the [diversity, equity and inclusion] space is making sure that our job descriptions are not introducing any biases so that people will eliminate themselves immediately,” said Patricia Jordan (pictured), vice president of enabling processes and technologies at Optum Inc., a health services and innovation company.
Jordan spoke with theCUBE industry analyst Lisa Martin for the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud,” during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed tips for women to become successful in applying for typically non-diverse jobs and the management of data in the cloud. (* Disclosure below.)
As the cloud evolves, more and more data exists, which then requires management and computing. Many businesses struggle to keep up with all of the data that it takes in. They also must stay on top of things like ensuring they don’t store data in multiple clouds if it’s not necessary.
“We know the applications that we can build. We know the analytics that we can build, but if we don’t have the right data, we’re limiting ourselves,” Jordan said.
Data being such a plentiful resource means it proliferates most sectors of business, and organizations must innovate and move forward to meet the ever-changing needs of their consumers. Jordan’s position within Optum means she is at the forefront of developing new technologies in the cloud.
“I’m just really excited about what’s to come, because there’s so many opportunities for improving the products that we build,” she stated.
Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud”:
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the “Special Program Series: Women of the Cloud.” Neither Amazon Web Services Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)
Kroger uses cutting-edge AI and data analytics to optimize daily work planning and enhance stores for customers
NEW YORK and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Cloud and Deloitte* today announced a strategic collaboration with Kroger to help the grocery chain use cloud technologies to increase associate productivity across its nearly 2,800 stores nationwide. Kroger recently deployed a variety of Google Cloud data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) tools under an application framework co-developed by Deloitte and Kroger. The new tools are already empowering store leaders and associates to make real-time operational decisions to deliver a better shopping experience for the nearly 11 million customers Kroger serves every day.
"Technology and digital tools are fundamental elements of how Kroger continues to Improve the associate experience, which in turn, enhances the in-store experience for our customers. Innovation is a critical component, and execution is even more important," said Jim Clendenen, vice president, Enterprise Retail Systems, Kroger. "Google Cloud and Deloitte brought us a technology architecture and application framework that we could implement in record time. We're already seeing results across our stores, with associate tasks being optimized and overall productivity increasing."
Kroger worked with Google Cloud and Deloitte to create two, purpose-built applications to enhance associate productivity. The first is a new task management application that provides Kroger's night crew managers with greater visibility into the volume and type of merchandise arriving on a given day, store staffing information, and stocking needs. The system then prioritizes team activities in just a few clicks on an Android device, with associates quickly informed of inventory or delivery changes in real-time.
The second is Kroger's new store management application, which empowers store leaders to be less dependent on paper tools. The app provides a standardized audit checklist for store managers and department leaders, helping ensure a high-quality shopping experience for customers. It also offers a customizable walk path that guides store audits, while giving team members flexibility in how store conditions are regularly evaluated. Both the store management and task management applications are now automatically generating tasks and prioritizing impactful work for Kroger associates nationally.
Underpinning Kroger's new applications are several Google Cloud technologies that were used by Deloitte to build a modern, event-driven architecture for the retailer, including:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Google Cloud's AI and machine learning dynamically optimizes Kroger associate task lists based on inbound signals such as goods delivery data and staff availability.
Spanner: With Google Cloud Spanner's fully-managed relational database, Kroger has been able to build a true event-driven ledger, which enables the company to capture unique events—at different times throughout the day and from different stores—to make better-informed decisions about how to direct associates to be more productive.
Dataflow: Kroger is using Google Cloud's Dataflow, a serverless, fast and cost-effective data-processing service for capturing and analyzing data from different sources, like labor rates, transportation logistics, sales forecasting, and out of stock information.
"Retail is in the details. One of the most important ones many retailers struggle with is how to maximize the time and talents of their associates when every store and every day is different," said Jose Luis-Gomes, managing director, Retail and Consumer, Google Cloud. "Kroger doesn't just have the latest and greatest technologies — the grocer is literally putting them into the hands of their associates so their time can be used on what matters most for Kroger's customers."
"Today, retailers are prioritizing and investing in technology as a strategic differentiator, and customers are making share-of-wallet choices based on those investments," said Jon Yoo, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. "With Kroger, Deloitte and Google Cloud used that investment to build a platform that considers the unique balance of people, processes, and technologies required to power revolutionary customer and associate experiences."
About Google Cloud
Google Cloud accelerates every organization's ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology – all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.
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As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-cloud-and-deloitte-boost-grocery-associate-productivity-and-improve-the-customer-experience-301726406.html
SOURCE Google Cloud
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NEW YORK and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 20, 2023 — Google Cloud and Deloitte today announced a strategic collaboration with Kroger to help the grocery chain use cloud technologies to increase associate productivity across its nearly 2,800 stores nationwide. Kroger recently deployed a variety of Google Cloud data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) tools under an application framework co-developed by Deloitte and Kroger. The new tools are already empowering store leaders and associates to make real-time operational decisions to deliver a better shopping experience for the nearly 11 million customers Kroger serves every day.
“Technology and digital tools are fundamental elements of how Kroger continues to Improve the associate experience, which in turn, enhances the in-store experience for our customers. Innovation is a critical component, and execution is even more important,” said Jim Clendenen, vice president, Enterprise Retail Systems, Kroger. “Google Cloud and Deloitte brought us a technology architecture and application framework that we could implement in record time. We’re already seeing results across our stores, with associate tasks being optimized and overall productivity increasing.”
Kroger worked with Google Cloud and Deloitte to create two, purpose-built applications to enhance associate productivity. The first is a new task management application that provides Kroger’s night crew managers with greater visibility into the volume and type of merchandise arriving on a given day, store staffing information, and stocking needs. The system then prioritizes team activities in just a few clicks on an Android device, with associates quickly informed of inventory or delivery changes in real-time.
The second is Kroger’s new store management application, which empowers store leaders to be less dependent on paper tools. The app provides a standardized audit checklist for store managers and department leaders, helping ensure a high-quality shopping experience for customers. It also offers a customizable walk path that guides store audits, while giving team members flexibility in how store conditions are regularly evaluated. Both the store management and task management applications are now automatically generating tasks and prioritizing impactful work for Kroger associates nationally.
Underpinning Kroger’s new applications are several Google Cloud technologies that were used by Deloitte to build a modern, event-driven architecture for the retailer, including:
“Retail is in the details. One of the most important ones many retailers struggle with is how to maximize the time and talents of their associates when every store and every day is different,” said Jose Luis-Gomes, managing director, Retail and Consumer, Google Cloud. “Kroger doesn’t just have the latest and greatest technologies — the grocer is literally putting them into the hands of their associates so their time can be used on what matters most for Kroger’s customers.”
“Today, retailers are prioritizing and investing in technology as a strategic differentiator, and customers are making share-of-wallet choices based on those investments,” said Jon Yoo, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “With Kroger, Deloitte and Google Cloud used that investment to build a platform that considers the unique balance of people, processes, and technologies required to power revolutionary customer and associate experiences.”
About Google Cloud
Google Cloud accelerates every organization’s ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology – all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.
Source: Google Cloud