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Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

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Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#161

I worked in a startup that was eventually acquired by cisco. We had the same dilemma back then. AWS and GCP were great, but also fairly expensive until you get locked in. Oracles bare metal cloud sweetened the deal soo much, that it was a no brainer to go with them. We were very heavy on using all open source tech stuff, but didnt rely on any cloud service like S3 etc. So the transition was no brainer. If your tech s…

I ran an AWS practice for a large hosting company for two years. We had a number of situations where our prospect would say "annual spend with your managed services and our expected AWS bill would be $1M. Google is offering us a 2 million dollar credit to choose their cloud. What do you say to that?"

"You should take them up on that offer."

The incentives available from other cloud providers are MASSIVE if your business has the chance to grow in coming years. They will literally buy your business for years on the bet that at some point they will make it back.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don' see a reason why Amazon or Azure would be passed over in favour of Oracle. Why wasn't GCP a contender either? Because Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are competitors to Zoom. Why would you host on your competitor ?!

Apple buys chips from Samsung. Or at least they used to - I guess lately they are strictly reliant on TSMC? https://wccftech.com/samsung-aiming-high-apple-a13-next-year... https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/01/23/apple-boosts-chip-...

This is incorrect. Apple doesn't buy chips from Samsung or TSMC. Apple orders the chips to be manufactured by them. The chip design is made by Apple on their own.

Buying a chip from someone (i.e., purchasing rights to use an existing chip design made by someone) vs. ordering your own chip to be manufactured by someone are two different things.

It's like, we don't say that Apple just bought phones from Foxconn, they simply acted as a manufacturer.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#163
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They have a habit of copying open source software and re-branding it as their own. Here is an article. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/technology/amazon-aws-clo...

That’s not the same thing as using their customers’ data to compete against their customers.

Fair enough, I know the original article was about what you just mentioned. Still doesn't give them a pass to how they carry out their business though.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

updated it. Thanks!

I meant, it's cheap until you get locked in with oracle.

There are sweetheart deals for AWS, GCP and AZURE.

The very usage of the "cloud" implies lockin.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is simply, they don't want to fund their own competitors. Microsoft is a direct competitor already (so is Google,) and who knows what Amazon will do. That really only leaves IBM and Oracle. I've always been baffled when someone hosts on their competitors' platform. Like Netflix hosting on AWS, and Grocery Stores hosting on AWS. Microsoft & Google rarely have that problem (except on this one.)

> and who knows what Amazon will do. Amazon already has Chime.

If you've ever used Chime, you know it's no threat.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#166
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I should have worded my question better, I was just surprised why you would leave out arguably the top 3 companies and go with something like Oracle. (Maybe I am too young and that's where my animosity for Oracle comes from, but I feel like they are way behind the curve in terms of their cloud).

Oh no, I totally have the same question. I just wanted to make it clear that GCP was in the running since that was in your comment. But yea, I don't get it either. I'd be curious to know why.

free credits. I've heard of deals giving out $50mm+ in credits over five years before... also gives you some insight into AWS/GCP/Azure margins.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#167
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked at walmart labs for 3 years and that is correct. We had one, on premise, service that phoned home for license information to an AWS address and our request to whitelist the ip address had to go up to the CTO.

That’s changed hasn’t it? I remember going to a Walmart labs talk 5 years ago where they were all in on aws.

No. I don't think so. They really don't like AWS. It's all openstack/azure/gcp/vmware depending on the use case.

Re: Zoom taps Oracle for cloud deal, passing over Amazon, Microsoft

#168
post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they say "running a datacenter" they almost certainly mean "buying servers to put into rented colocation space". Just about anyone who has significant network connectivity has a footprint in an Equinix datacenter. In the Bay Area you want to be in Equinix SV1 or SV5, at 11, and 9 Great Oaks, San Jose. If you're there, you can order a cross connect to basically any telco you can imagine, and any other large compa…

So many people forget that running data center is a super complex business not just in point of technology but also in terms of operation. I have known people who tried to setup a data center in India and it took them around 2 years to have the first rack installed. Biggest hurdle was to get a license to store fuel in large tanks for their generators. Not to mention many of those permissions have to be renewed annual…

This, The certification barrier is steep and clients wants reliable DC (with ISO, redundant and working power, connectivity, etc.).
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