Migrating to a new cloud service and getting a grip on its features might seem daunting, especially when you have a business to run.
Unlike other corporate startup programs, Oracle for Startups has a dedicated technology resource—our Cloud Architect Team (CAT for short)—to ensure a smooth transition by offering migration assistance, time-saving consulting services, and hands-on personal support.
Oracle’s startup program goes beyond the technology to give startups the personal support they need, delivered by a team of experts who understand the challenges and time constraints that founders and CTOs of small companies come up against. Here are three ways Oracle Cloud architects help startups scale up.
Hands-on help with cloud migration
Plenty of startups spin up instances and get up and running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) by themselves, but for those who are apprehensive about migrating or who simply don’t have the time or resources to make the move on their own, CAT is ready to pounce into action.
Peer-to-peer lending solution Mawlny worked with the Cloud Architect Team to migrate to OCI. "We mapped each service that Mawlny was using with Oracle Cloud services," says Vikas Raina, who headed the migration effort. From there, CAT created secure tunnels to migrate data to Oracle Cloud, completing the move in two days.
"Oracle gave us experts we trust," said Ahmed Abbas Mohammad, CEO of the fintech. "The startup program and the support team are great."
Startups can request migration and other services through Oracle’s Startup Portal, an online platform where startups access information and support on-demand. The ease of the request plus speed to results mean that the team has completed more than 40 migrations so far, with many more lined up.
Comprehensive cloud consultations
Learning how to make the most of new cloud services can be time consuming. The task can fall to the bottom of scaling startups’ to-do lists, but there are many benefits to expanded cloud knowledge.
Oracle for Startups offers a comprehensive consulting service to qualified startups, in which architects design and build a secure and reliable workload, inclined toward an OCI best practices framework. Designed to help companies optimize OCI for their unique needs, this service includes a personalized, detailed report that assesses a startup's cloud infrastructure for security, reliability, performance, cost, and operational efficiency.
"Our team serves as an extension of the startup’s tech team, helping to ensure their workloads are as secure, reliable, performant, and cost-efficient as possible," says Ben Hill, director of the Oracle for Startups Cloud Architect Team.
"We can provide the expertise and resources the startup might be lacking, or just give them more confidence with a trusted partner by their side. Either way, we are there to help them prepare to grow and scale as quickly as possible."
This service has helped many companies as they migrate to OCI, including Dootax, a fast-growing Brazilian startup that simplifies technology through Robotic Process Automation. Cofounder Luis Pessoto says, "We don’t get this level of support and attention from AWS. We don’t have these conversations that help us find the best, most cost-efficient solutions for our startup. It’s another reason startups should consider OCI and Oracle for Startups."
Similarly, SmartHint, an intelligent search and recommendation system that improves the customer experience when shopping online, and counts New Balance, Lego, and Samsonite as customers, has also benefitted.
"This type of service and partnership is incredibly valuable for a growing startup," said Rodrigo Schianvini, SmartHint CEO and founder. "It gives us the confidence and assurance that we are running optimally and highly performant, so we can focus our attention on the business."
Personalized support
While automation and scale are the increasingly important, personal connection still matters. A lot.
Startups working with Oracle have several ways to reach out and connect directly with a human. Whether that’s dialing us up or sending us an email or a WhatsApp, startups in the program have a direct line to our dedicated team.
GridMarkets Founder Mark Ross shared his experience, "With Oracle, there are actual people I can call and reach out to and get action and answers. I don’t get that type of service with Google or AWS. There’s no one to call, no point of contact."
GridMarkets' technology is used by computational chemists in the fight against COVID-19, as well as animators and visual effects artists, and anyone who needs a simple, fast, affordable, and secure way to render animations or simulate mathematical models in the cloud. It’s important to GridMarkets to have support whenever they need it.
"With Oracle, I have the OCI team and Oracle for Startups, and these relationships matter to a growing startup. The partnership with Oracle is very valuable to the future of GridMarkets."
CAT's out of the bag
Oracle for Startups’ Cloud Architect Team (CAT) consists of experienced architects and self-described ‘technology geeks,’ including Siva Kulasekaran, a senior cloud architect and Ph.D. who says, "It’s rewarding to work with these innovative startups and help them get running easily and quickly on OCI. We’re all like-minded tech geeks, fascinated and obsessed by how cloud technologies are transforming every aspect of business and life. It’s something new and exciting every day."
Ben, Siva, and Vikas are joined by Kosta Djukic, Muthuvel Balasubramanian, Nagaraj A S, and Mitesh Bhopale.
This group of cloud pros is as fun to work with as they are cloud-savvy, plus equally dedicated to helping startups scale. Click here to learn more about the team and how your startup can tap into these resources.
