Key Updates – Business Process Automation.
Chris Kirk, Head of Data and AI, Ultima
Edition Seven
Today, it’s becoming clear that doing more with what you have is significant for success for organisations around the world.
Businesses are increasingly looking inwards on their existing skills and talent to make a difference. However, everyone in their working life has a set of business tasks that they do frequently, and on repeat. This repetition just becomes that mundane set of things you must do, but wouldn’t you rather have your staff focus on what matters?
Eliminating the mundane and repetitive tasks people do daily may seem obvious – as well as driving productivity and efficiency, it keeps employees happy by removing some of the more mundane tasks so they can focus on more strategic, exciting work. A win-win for all involved.
Business processes can range from your new staff joiner process, taking warehouse inventory, approving finance orders by hand, procuring hardware or equipment, or simply having to copy information into multiple siloed systems across departments.
All these are examples of repeatable tasks that your employees shouldn’t be wasting their talent on. Instead, you could use automation to do these tasks for them so they can focus on areas of your business where they can add value.
The NHS in England, one of the largest organisations on the planet, and with a mixture of new and old processes and systems, are currently reviewing how automation of repeatable business processes can impact the organisation, with a significant outcome of capacity, productivity and efficiency improvements. Through this review, the NHS has already identified that automation could complete repeatable tasks 4-10x faster, with minimal errors, which in turn would contribute up to 7.2 million hours of saved time, freeing up staff to concentrate on tasks that matter, and not the mundane (NHS long term workforce plan).
It’s critical that businesses embrace automation of processes to also remain competitive. Gartner predicts that by the end of 2024, 69% of daily tasks should be automated. So how do businesses get started when we’re talking about automating processes that are not only cross department, but also a mixture of legacy systems, new applications, both in the cloud and on-premises?
Intelligent automation is the answer, and Ultima have teamed up with Microsoft and Blue Prism to design IA-Connect for Microsoft Power Automate and Blue Prism.
IA-Connect allows customers to combine the familiarity of the Blue Prism Studio or Power Automate automation platforms with our extensive experience in automating a huge range of applications and scenarios compared with the base capability – with over 850 pre-made automation actions and counting across applications such as Java, modern UI, web, SAP GUI and even mainframes.
Our technology utilises the right automation for the job, from API-based automation for modern applications, NextGen RPA capability for legacy applications, or artificial intelligence to recognise patterns or colours in UIs for information extraction. IA-Connect’s technical patent provides the capability to automate applications over Citrix and Remote Desktop as if your applications are local - one of the first products in this space to achieve this.
IA-Connect for Power Automate or Blue Prism is currently automating 1000s of processes every month around the world for healthcare organisations, financial institutions, even agricultural businesses in Denmark. Our mission is to bring easy to use automation to the masses.
Chris Kirk, Head of Data and AI, Ultima
Chris Kirk is the Head of Data and AI at Ultima, a leading provider of expert-led technology services to businesses in the private and public sectors. He is responsible for driving the innovation and delivery of data and AI solutions that help Ultima's clients achieve their digital transformation goals.
Chris has over 18 years of experience in the IT industry, working across a range of industries from financial institutions and charities to a winery. He has held various roles at Ultima, including technical and cloud consultant, cloud developer and architect, and Head of Ultima Labs, an internal 'start-up' that focused on developing innovative software solutions for automation of the public cloud and on-premises/cloud process automation.
Chris has a strong technical background in on-premises infrastructure, public cloud infrastructure and automation solutions architecture. He is an expert in Microsoft Azure, AWS, DevOps, PowerShell, C#, Robotic Process Automation, Power Automate, Logic Apps and API management. He is passionate about taking complex and time-consuming tasks for customers and making them simple and efficient.
As a thought leader, Chris regularly shares his insights and expertise on automation, DevOps, IaaS, PaaS, data and generative AI through talks and webinars. He is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer and a Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
VMware Licensing changes: How customers have reacted 9 months in.
Richard Choi, Head of Datacentre Pre Sale, Ultima
It’s been over nine months since VMware, now under Broadcom’s umbrella, announced sweeping licensing changes, leaving the tech industry abuzz. So, how has the market responded, and what lessons have emerged?
Customer Sentiment: Bracing for the Shift
Unsurprisingly, the news of "license changes and price changes" didn’t sit well with VMware’s customer base. The grumbling has been widespread, with many voicing their discontent. Yet, beneath the frustration, a pragmatic recognition has taken root. IT leaders across the board acknowledge that the software industry is marching steadily toward a subscription-based model. While the changes may be unwelcome, a significant number of customers have chosen to stick with VMware, recognising the broader industry shift.
Key Takeaways: Rethinking the Hybrid Cloud Strategy
Considering these changes, many customers are re-evaluating whether VMware remains the best choice for their hybrid cloud strategy. The decision hinges on four critical factors:
Cost-Effectiveness
How does VMware stack up against other hypervisors or public cloud services over a five-year period? This long-term view is essential for budgeting and ROI calculations.
Transition Effort
Shifting away from VMware isn't just about adopting new software—it’s about integrating a myriad of solutions, from backup and disaster recovery to monitoring, VDI, and security. The complexity of this transition is a major consideration.
Skill Set Evolution
A move to a new technology requires significant retraining for architects, engineers, and admin staff. The question is whether the time and effort spent on re-skilling will pay off in the long run.
Stability & Performance
Alternative solutions may not offer the same level of stability or may operate differently than VMware’s well-established technologies. This remains a crucial factor, especially for organisations where performance is non-negotiable.
The numbers speak: Where do customers Stand?
Among the VMware customers at the renewal crossroads, the landscape looks like this:
have opted to stick with VMware in the short term, keeping their long-term options open
are committed to VMware for the long haul, with no plans to explore alternatives.
have decided to make the switch to other solutions, braving the challenges of transition.
Navigating change: A client’s journey from VMware to Cloud consolidation
Let me share a compelling story from our work with a mid-sized client—a company with 1,100 users spread across four sites. Our partnership has spanned over eight years, and during our annual review in February 2024, we focused on shaping their strategic roadmap and budgeting for the upcoming financial year. Naturally, VMware was a key topic on the agenda.
As we discussed their options, we provided quotes for the new VMware subscription model. However, the client balked at the renewal costs, which were nearly three times higher than their previous perpetual support agreement. The most significant contributor was the "Site Recovery Manager" software which alone accounted for approximately
per year
Faced with this steep increase, the client decided to explore alternatives for the DR solution and chose to keep the vSphere platform only.
The decision was made to shift away from on-premises hardware, reduce their VMware footprint, and embrace cloud services. This led to the launch of a new project aimed at centralising their backup and disaster recovery (DR) on a single platform. While the project will cost an estimated
annually
substantially more than their previous setup—the client recognised that this approach offered them a more streamlined, modernised solution that would also be able to brow to the public cloud.
Ultimately, while their overall spending increased, they will successfully consolidate and centralise their infrastructure, moving toward a more efficient and manageable platform.
The Takeaway: Beyond the Price Tag
This experience underscores the importance of looking beyond the initial software costs when making strategic decisions. While the upfront price is an important factor, it’s crucial to consider the total cost of change and the long-term benefits of modernisation. This is where we at Ultima can truly add value—by cutting through the noise, offering clear comparisons, and supporting our clients in making informed decisions that align with their broader goals.
Richard Choi, Head of Datacentre PreSales, Ultima
Richard Choi is an experienced IT infrastructure professional who has delivered and designed infrastructure architecture for server consolidation, system optimisation and data protection.
As the Head of Datacentre Presales at Ultima, Richard leads data centre and hybrid cloud services, solutions, advisory and strategy development for customers across the private and public sectors. He specialises in full IT business alignment and enterprise architecture and is responsible for defining and delivering data centre and hybrid cloud best practice.
Richard has over 24 years of technical experience gained across various industries, including global advertising conglomerates and insurance. He is passionate about helping customers achieve their business goals and transform their IT infrastructure with innovative and cost-effective solutions.
