Ron Westfall
Research Director and Senior Analyst at Futurum Research
Ron Westfall is an experienced research expert and analyst with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets.
Ron has recently featured in Onalytica's Who's Who in Cloud report.
How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?
As an analyst focused on digital transformation, I gained recognition tracking the evolution of and identifying the key disruptive trends across the evolving cloud ecosystem, including cloud computing, software and services, infrastructure, 5G-IoT, AI/analytics, security, data center, revenue management, cybersecurity, semiconductor, and regulatory issues.
What sub-topics are you most passionate about?
I am keen on a multitude of cloud subtopics including cloud networking, multi-cloud administration, cloud-delivered operations, automated secure connectivity, unified policy, multi-site fabrics, and pervasive visibility & observability.
Who influences you within these topics?
From my point of view, the key influencers include the executive teams, decision-makers, portfolio heads, developers, and analyst relations teams that provide insights and a willingness to explore what are the topmost trends, challenges, decision criteria, and hot topics that are driving innovation throughout the cloud ecosystem.
What do you think the future holds in this space?
I see operations and app architectures continuing to modernize with their paths converging rapidly to a singular interwoven point. Specifically, I see operations evolving from data centers to cloud/DevOps and ultimately AI-powered operations. As such, I anticipate the merging of cloud networking operations and cloud-native architectures as precisely what organizations require in order to accelerate app velocity and augment app experience.
What brands are leading the way in this space?
I see leaders in different areas. Among public cloud providers, I see AWS leading among SMBs/startups, Azure across enterprises, and Alibaba in China. In cloud networking, I see Cisco showing thought leadership. For the cloud database, I see Oracle forging breakthroughs. For 5G, I see Ericsson using the cloud to advance 5G standalone adoption. I see Rakuten spurring interest in cloud-native mobile networks, etc.
If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?
What are your passions outside of work?
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
Email and mobile # usually work.
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