“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” –Henry David Thoreau

In the ever-evolving world of enterprise data and software, trends often come and go, and what people believe will happen doesn’t always align with reality. Right now, we’re experiencing significant economic turbulence. The global economy is unstable, wars are ongoing on multiple fronts, the US dollar is losing value, inflation is a persistent issue, and capital markets are tightening. Companies like Alteryx, a former employer of mine, are going private after nearly a decade as public companies. Technology continues to advance rapidly, and with the rise of AI, many people feel their jobs are more at risk than ever. Given this environment, it’s hard to see how companies would dive headfirst into AI without serious consideration.

Taking classes in cartography back when I was a geospatial expert at Alteryx made me truly appreciate the concept of mapping. This skill has proven invaluable in my recent work designing several GPT and Co-Pilot product and content management applications. The tried and true feasibility assessment is a crucial element of cutting-edge, complex AI applications. During my years selling Big Data and ML projects for large consultancies like Baker Tilly, Huron Consulting Group, and The Hackett Group, as well as working for early AI platforms like Cognitive Scale and Oracle Consulting, I came to appreciate the importance of these early roadmap efforts.

To appreciate the concept of mapping, one must harken back to when you still had the choice of planning out your route on a map. These early days of mapping made planning your route the same exercise as the modern-day ‘feasibility assessments.’ People took the time to plan the route, which, like enterprise software, helps the integrator guide the company through the complex software landscape. But with the pace of AI, much like the GPS devices and now the smartphone, many people expect to auto-navigate and take wrong turns.

In a recent interview meeting I held with leaders at Oracle OCI, it was revealed that their AI applications still follow a piecemeal approach for the most part. Even today, with AI-enabled processes, the tech that makes AI operate requires integrating various components from different sources. It’s a use-case problem for the most part, but many people believe that much of this stuff will build itself. Let’s say – we have quite a while before we get to the magic of that idea.

Mapping Challenges of Enterprise Software

The enterprise software market is undergoing significant transformation. For many, it’s easy to get lost in the choices, the upgrades, and the decisions it takes to make even the simple things work.

According to Forrester, 2024 will see significant shifts toward cloud adoption, generative AI integration, and deeper functional integration. However, these advancements bring their own set of bumpy road challenges:

Complexity of Implementation: Integrating AI with existing systems demands significant investments in infrastructure, data management, and personnel training.

Data Quality and Availability: Effective AI models require high-quality data, which many companies lack.

Cost and ROI: AI implementations are costly, and proving a clear return on investment can be difficult. The ROI of cloud migration, in particular, needs careful evaluation to ensure that the benefits outweigh the potential downsides of vendor lock-in and migration complexities.

Security and Compliance: Ensuring AI solutions are secure, transparent, and compliant with regulatory requirements is complex and time-consuming. As data breaches and cybersecurity threats evolve, robust data protection and regulatory compliance become even more critical.

Cultural and Organizational Barriers: AI adoption requires changes in business processes and organizational structures, which can be challenging for traditional or hierarchical companies.

Rimini Street: The Smarter Direction

Given these challenges, Rimini Street offers a strategic, cost-effective alternative to investing in new AI-laden enterprise products. Here’s why Rimini Street is the right turn to take at the crossroads of AI in 2024:

Maximizing Existing Investments: Companies have invested millions in integrating, configuring, and customization of their current software. By extending the life of these investments, Rimini Street helps organizations avoid the disruption and costs associated with adopting new technologies.

Unified, Integrated Solutions: Rimini Street’s comprehensive suite of services, including Rimini ONE™, provides end-to-end support, management, customization, and optimization of enterprise applications, databases, and technology software. This unified approach simplifies operations, reduces the need for multiple vendors, and ensures consistent, high-quality support.

Cost Savings and Efficiency: Rimini Street helps enterprises significantly reduce their total cost of ownership. By extending the life of existing software and avoiding costly upgrades, organizations can reallocate resources to higher-value projects and innovation.

Enhanced Security and Compliance: Rimini Street offers innovative security solutions to protect against known and unknown threats. Their proactive approach ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and safeguards data privacy.

Focus on Strategic Innovation: By outsourcing routine ERP operations and support to Rimini Street, companies can free up their IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth and competitive advantage. This aligns with the broader trend of treating IT as a strategic asset rather than a cost center.

Expertise and Reliability: With a vast team of experienced engineers and a proven track record, Rimini Street provides unparalleled knowledge and reliability. Their industry-leading SLAs guarantee quick response times and high-quality service, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.

Long-Term Value: Rimini Street’s commitment to extending the life and value of existing software for up to 15 additional years without vendor-required upgrades offers long-term stability and predictability. This allows organizations to maximize their return on investment and confidently plan for the future.

Making the Right Turn Matters

One thing has become clear in my years of experience: trends may come and go, but the fundamental need for stable, cost-effective, and innovative enterprise software support remains constant. Rimini Street offers a strategic path forward, allowing companies to navigate the current economic turbulence while focusing on meaningful innovation.

By choosing Rimini Street, enterprises can avoid the pitfalls of new, AI-laden products and instead invest in solutions that drive real value and growth. In a world where operational efficiency and strategic resource allocation are crucial, Rimini Street provides the stability, expertise, and forward-thinking solutions needed to thrive.

Rimini Street is a company that I’d love to work for and to win for. Timing in business, as in life, is everything, and a present opportunity has me thinking about how much we could win together and make the world a better place.

~Chuck

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