Amazon Web Services (AWS), a leading cloud computing firm, on Wednesday emphasised the vital role of technology in delivering effective customer service and driving business growth.
Dr Werner Vogels, AWS Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO), made the remarks during a fireside chat at the inaugural Tech Connect Series hosted by FirstBank in Lagos.
Vogels noted a rising trend among organisations, including banks, adopting cloud computing solutions to optimise their operations and digital infrastructure.
He highlighted the importance of allowing teams to experiment and take calculated risks, acknowledging that “some of the best bets we make do not succeed.”
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According to Vogels, Amazon’s innovation strategy centres on experimentation and learning from failure.
“AWS applies this approach across various domains, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Amazon has been developing AI for years, recognising its potential to deliver significant customer benefits,” he said.
However, he cautioned against allowing media hype to influence technology decisions, advising companies to educate themselves and explore diverse solutions.
“By maintaining a customer focus and embracing innovation, Amazon has stayed ahead of the curve, consistently delivering value,” Vogels added.
Mrs Rachel Adeshina, FirstBank’s Chief Technology Officer, said the bank, with over 30 years’ experience, remains committed to its digital transformation and continuous reinvention.
She described Vogels’ insights on scaling an organisation from 50,000 to 1.6 million employees through technology as a key learning point.
Adeshina stressed technology’s pivotal role in evolving products and services to meet changing customer needs.
“At the core of everything we do is the goal of satisfying our customers. To achieve this, we continually reshape our products and services,” she said. “We partner with leading technology firms, including AWS.”
On potential collaboration with AWS, Adeshina said this would involve migrating some workloads to AWS’s cloud platform.
“If a partnership proceeds, we anticipate hosting some workloads with AWS now or in the near future. This event provided valuable insight from their CTO on how they achieve success,” she added.
Adeshina described the session as eye-opening for FirstBank’s technology team, encouraging them to rethink certain practices.
Mr Sakiru Dosumu, Solution Development Provider at FirstBank, said the discussion offered valuable perspectives on innovation, experimentation, and customer-centricity.
Dosumu noted Vogels’ reminder that not all innovations succeed, and that management must accept the risks inherent in experimentation.
He also highlighted the session’s focus on Artificial Intelligence and its future developments.
“Challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries are essential for progress,” he added.
The event emphasised the increasing adoption of cloud computing by organisations, particularly banks, to improve operations and digital infrastructure.
