How Cloud Computing changes the way of business at Porsche

When I joined Porsche in 2016, cloud computing was still classified as an emerging technology by Gartner Inc., one of the world’s leading research and advisory companies. Today, cloud computing is no longer hype. According to Gartner’s 2019 Hype Cycle, the technology has reached the “slope of enlightenment.” Cloud computing is here to stay and is going to play an increasingly important role in the automotive world.

The Cloud is a powerful and radical enabler that offers access to a plethora of virtual services and applications such as data storage, networking and analytics through the internet or dedicated networks. And yet, we have only begun to scratch the surface of the Cloud’s potential. Just to give you an idea: In 2022, the cloud market is expected to reach market revenue of $350 billion.

Bringing the Cloud to Porsche

To better understand the benefits and challenges that cloud computing presents for our organization, our industry and our jobs — and to harness its potential — Porsche brought together leading IT experts in Stuttgart Zuffenhausen. Together with our colleagues from Cloud Enablement & Innovation Management at Porsche, we organized the first Cloud Innovation Day @ Porsche, a one-of-a-kind in-house exhibition.

Together with our technology partners SAPMicrosoftAmazon Web Services (AWS)MHP — A Porsche CompanyMongoDBRackspace, CloudreachHashiCorpGitHub, we put the spotlight on cloud computing and discussed the latest advances, how the Cloud changes the way we do business, and what lies ahead for Porsche.

Indeed, the Cloud Innovation Day @ Porsche, which took place last week at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, was a huge success. It was conceived as a forum for innovators, experts and peers to share, learn, and network.

Around 750 registered Porsche visitors showed up to the event, and another 1.500 people at their offices watched our live-stream online. Furthermore, sixty-eight special guests took part in the VIP-Walk, including four board members and four managing directors of Porsche subsidiaries. It was great to see that so many people are interested in this topic!

Impressions of the Cloud Innovation Day at Porsche

The Cloud and its Impact on the Automotive Industry

The Volkswagen Group’s cooperation with Microsoft and AWS in the field of automotive and industrial cloud underscores the organization’s commitment to this technology. It has and will be a key enabler of automotive and industry use cases as well as digital business transformation. At Porsche, the deployment of cloud technology has increased sixfold since 2016, and it has been incremental to advancing a flexible innovation infrastructure.

The Cloud not only changes the way we use IT and think about our operations, but it also changes the way we interact with our customers. For example, it enables us to collect, process and visualize large volumes of data in real-time, so that sales representatives can share relevant information everywhere in the world at any given moment. Cloud services enable us to reach a new level of customer experience.

Cloudification is not only about technology, although that’s clearly important. It’s also about adjusting and improving organizational structures and processes. It’s about governance, finance, innovation, culture and people. Rather than focusing solely on technology, we also attempted to consider the Cloud against the background of organizational change. Thanks to the Cloud, different departments can communicate and co-operate in real-time.

How Cloud Computing changes the way of business at Porsche

Strong partners and an exciting event

With the Porsche Innovation Day last week, it was also our aim to give stakeholders the opportunity to present their solution portfolio to the Porsche Board of Management as well as to all IT interested Porsche employees. The presentations that were given by our partners were truly fascinating and highlighted how our departments and employees can embrace and benefit from cloud services. Given its transformational potential, it’s important that we have a robust understanding of the technology and its potential. At Porsche, we want to be one step ahead when it comes to digitization. There is no time to waste, as IT is becoming a shaper of future innovation.

See you next year!

It was a pleasure to organize the Cloud Innovation Day and we’re looking forward to doing this again next year!

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Text published by Andy Grau, Innovation Manager at Porsche AG and Nils Kreft, Product Owner Cloud Enablement at Porsche AG

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