Daily Archives: January 11, 2025

Getting Your Business’ Applications into the Cloud Isn’t Always Easy, But it can be Streamlined and Strategic

The race is now on for businesses across West Africa to modernise. The growing availability of cloud computing resources and infrastructure means that companies can migrate data and workloads into public cloud environments and reap the full benefits of a hybrid cloud strategy that offers greater IT agility, flexibility, and scalability.
Cloud adoption across the continent compares favourably to those in other regions, with one McKinsey survey showing that the majority of companies have already deployed cloud technology to multiple or all business units.
That all said, moving to the cloud is not always a straightforward task. On-premise, monolithic applications can be difficult to update for architectural reasons, are not easily adaptable to meet new customer and company needs, and cannot integrate with third-party systems, thus preventing lucrative business partnerships.
Keep in mind, not every application can live in the public cloud for a variety of reasons. But when it comes to modernising, West African businesses need to know what is best for their applications and the approach they take to their modernisation journey.
One size doesn’t fit all
Application modernisation does not happen all at once. Though it’s commonly accepted now to be essential for business success, IT leaders may opt to first implement small-scale projects before progressing all the way to continuous modernisation.
Taking an incremental approach enables teams to overcome connected challenges and become familiar with new tools and development methodologies.
Application modernisation is also not a monolithic process (unlike many of the applications in question). Organisations will use a variety of strategies relative to the application they’re looking to migrate.
According to the Red Hat State of Application Modernisation report, 85% of applications from surveyed organisations will be modernised using two or three steps.
Those steps include:

Rehost: Moving applications to the cloud with minimal change (also known as “lift and shift”).
Replatform: Optimising applications to run in a cloud environment without changing their code or architecture.
Refactor: Reconfiguring applications to be cloud-native, whether by containerising workloads or moving them to a serverless architecture.

In short, businesses’ modernisation strategies need to align with the needs of each workload, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
When NOT to migrate
Modernising applications does not just entail picking them up and placing them in the public cloud. Case in point, lift and shift may offer benefits such as a quick and easy migration, it is mostly an option for workloads that are “cloud-ready” to some extent, like those built on microservices architecture.
But even before businesses reach the point of formulating their migration plans, they need to be aware of instances where it’s preferable to keep applications on-premise.
For example, legacy applications may be highly entangled with one another or tuned with specific databases and platforms for performance and reliability purposes.
Companies wary of escalating cloud costs may also prefer to keep their data on-premise, or that data may be subject to very strict security considerations. Finally, there may be a question of distance.
Applications that rely on real-time user data interaction or gather data from local IoT devices are better left on-premise along with their database, as moving to a public cloud environment may impact data transfer times.
Culture, process, and technology
When it comes to application modernisation, the ingredient for success is for enterprises to take a holistic approach that combines application platforms and technologies with the greater culture and operations of the organisations.
IT is no longer just limited to a single department or team, and people no longer just sit at the periphery. Employees across the organisation need to come together and collaborate on newfound business objectives.
They do this using standardised and agreed-upon processes and best practices, and help identify and adapt the applications that will deliver the most value.
Lastly, the most mission-critical part of any modernisation effort is the underlying platforms that enable enterprises to build, run, and manage their applications.
Enterprises need to prioritise platforms that support multiple generations of applications while giving them the necessary flexibility and interoperability for guaranteed performance and efficiency.
With the help of vendors and trusted technology partners, enterprises across West Africa can implement a cloud and modernisation strategy that best meets the needs of their organisations. It all starts with a little strategic thinking.

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Area business leaders in ‘wait-and-see’ mode about tariffs

WAUKESHA — After President-elect Donald Trump in November asserted he will impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China upon taking office, business and government leaders, as well as consumers, have all been dealing with a feeling of uncertainty on what the future holds.The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and its members are also in a wait-and-see mode, said President Dale Kooyenga. There is concern, he said, that the tariffs could result in rising costs for manufacturers. However, many manufacturers feel like they have been taken advantage of thanks to manipulation of state enterprises in China and would welcome changes.Tariffs remain a complicated concept, Kooyenga said, as is the overall process of manufacturing.”Tariffs are taxes and generally taxes do have an effect on the economy,” Kooyenga said. There is the possibility that tariffs could cause prices to rise. He hopes that Trump intends to use the threat of tariffs to negotiation with other countries.Whether or not Trump and his administration decide to impose tariffs, and their effects, will likely be played out over the coming months, Kooyenga said.”There are a lot of moving pieces. It seems like no nation is absolutely safe from tariffs,” he said. “I have heard of companies that are stockpiling inventory with anticipating that prices may go up.”Even so, Kooyenga said Americans have had higher confidence in the economy compared to the last several years.The MMAC will continue to be a source of information for its members and will continue to assess the situation in Washington.Will Neitzel, vice president of public policy for the Waukesha County Business Alliance, shared a similar sentiment, saying the Alliance’s members are also largely taking a “wait-and-see approach.”
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 “The Waukesha County Business Alliance and our members value policies that are clear, consistent and predictable. For several years, businesses have navigated the uncertainty of tariffs and supply chain issues due to a global pandemic,” Neitzel said. “Clear communication is crucial for businesses and enables them to make informed decisions and keep their businesses competitive and moving forward. The Alliance will continue to advocate for clear, limited and predictable regulations that enable businesses to thrive and plan for the future.A survey done by Navigator Research in early December shows that 73% of polled Americans are familiar with tariffs; however, 44% of them view tariffs unfavorably.“Similarly, Trump’s tariff plan is viewed negatively, with a plurality of Americans opposing it by an 8-point margin (36% support vs. 44% oppose). Over 3 in 5 believe the introduction of new tariffs would make costs of things they buy go up (63% costs go up vs. 12% costs go down), and with the additional context that Trump has proposed new tariffs, an identical share still believe costs will increase (62% costs go up vs. 12% costs go down),” according to the survey.Whether tariffs were presented in terms of President Trump or not, Americans overall viewed them unfavorably, according to the Navigator Research survey. More than 3 in 5 Americans say the introduction of new tariffs would make the cost of things they buy increase.Some respondents believe the new tariffs would create jobs in the U.S.: 33% say they would create jobs while 35% said they would cost jobs. Among Republicans, 56% said they thought the tariffs would create jobs, while 15% believe it would cost jobs. Among Democrats, 55% said they would cost jobs and 14% said they would create jobs.The tariffs may only be a means of negotiating with other countries, said Stephen Moore, an economic adviser to Trump during his first term in the White House. Moore believes the threat of tariffs is a way for Trump to gain footing in the three-way trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to a CBC News story.“He uses the threat of tariffs to get countries to do things that he thinks are in America’s national security and economic interests,” said Moore, now a senior economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation.It’s certainly gotten the attention of Canadian, Mexican and Chinese government leaders. On Dec. 27, the AP reported two Canadian Cabinet ministers left a meeting at Mar-a-Lago without assurances that Trump would reverse his stance on the threatened tariffs on all products from Canada.Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion USD) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.

Clark County Business Briefing, Jan. 11, 2024

Other Business News
The Greater Vancouver Chamber said its Nonprofit POD — Pathways to Opportunity and Development — program, sponsored by Umpqua Bank has empowered more than 130 nonprofit organizations and engaged more than 400 nonprofit professionals across Southwest Washington. The program provided resources, training and connections to strengthen the region’s nonprofit sector.
“Umpqua Bank is proud to have sponsored the Greater Vancouver Chamber’s Nonprofit POD for the second year,” said Amy Davis, senior vice president and retail business banking director at Umpqua Bank. “Nonprofits in Southwest Washington play such an important role in building strong and prosperous communities across our region. This partnership provides much-needed training, networking, and development to support their valuable work.”
Throughout 2024, workshops covered fundraising, strategic planning, volunteer management, donor retention, legal compliance, Form 990 filing, board engagement and nonprofit pitching.

Salon Dye Pretty will host a grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at 7085 NW Friberg-Strunk St., Suite 340. The event will feature a live DJ, hourly raffles with prizes, refreshments, exclusive discounts on services and products, styling demonstrations, and complimentary consultations for all guests.

Owner and stylist Shannon Hansen brings more than a decade of experience in the beauty industry, including seven years at an Aveda salon in Camas. In March 2020, Shannon opened Dye Pretty Studio, which was shut down by pandemic restrictions within a week of opening. In November 2022, she expanded into a larger space.
“I’ve always been the friend who did everyone’s hair, but my first love was fine art,” Hansen said. “When I decided to switch gears and pursue a career in cosmetology, it was because I knew I could use my artistic background to create beautiful things and help people feel their best. I want every client to leave the salon not only with beautiful hair but also feeling cared for, valued and empowered.”
For more information visit salondyepretty.glossgenius.com.

News24 Business | Los Angeles wildfires spark insurance anxiety among victims

A house on fire as residents try to escape the site in Pacific Palisades, California, Los Angeles. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Many Los Angeles residents who lost their homes in wildfires are fearful that their insurance policies may not cover the rebuild cost.California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara invoked moratorium powers to suspend all policy non-renewals and cancellations from insurance companies for one year.US insurance stocks slid on Friday as analysts estimated the insurance costs from the wildfire could top $20 billion.For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.As Los Angeles construction worker Ivan De La Torre surveyed a landscape of smoking wreckage in fire-ravaged Altadena, a question nagged at him: how would insurance companies cover the cost of rebuilding an entire neighbourhood?As hundreds of Los Angeles residents return to find homes reduced to ashes due to a devastating wave of wildfires, many are fearful that their insurance policies may not cover the rebuild cost and that future premiums will be astronomical.”My concern is that the insurance companies won’t be able to handle all the claims and file for bankruptcy and that’s that. It’s scary,” said De La Torre, 32, whose uncle and sister both lost their houses in a fire that consumed half of Altadena, a suburb north of Los Angeles of some 40 000 people.Leo Frank III, a 66-year-old actor who lost his family home in Altadena, said he fears insurers could drag their feet on paying claims and fail to cover the full cost of reconstruction.”We will rebuild. No one is taking our house,” said Frank, as he hunted for a shower seat for his 96-year-old mother in a parking lot full of donated supplies in Pasadena.”But it will be a mess.”READ | Is climate change to blame for the California wildfires?Frank said he knows some neighbours who lost their homeowners coverage prior to the fires as insurers retreated from parched regions in California increasingly prone to wildfires.”We were lucky we still had a policy,” he said.The wildfires, among the worst natural disasters ever to hit California, have killed at least 11 people and destroyed or badly damaged more than 10 000 structures.Reuters contacted nine of the top home insurance companies in California for comment.State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate, Mercury, Liberty Mutual and Farmers responded with statements saying they were working with policyholders to help them make claims, without addressing specific concerns about residents not receiving sufficient payouts or rising future premiums.Following the fires this week, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara invoked moratorium powers to suspend all policy non-renewals and cancellations from insurance companies for one year.Lara said in a statement on Friday that next week he will host free insurance workshops in Santa Monica and Pasadena, suburbs close to the two biggest fires.US insurance stocks slid on Friday as analysts estimated the insurance costs from the wildfire could top $20 billion. Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss from the fires at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending soaring homeowners’ insurance costs.READ | Earth records hottest ever year in 2024 and crosses key 1.5°C thresholdState insuranceThough Altadena has never experienced fire devastation on this scale in the past, the suburb does sit at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, which are prone to wildfires. This has made getting fire insurance more difficult.Many residents in Altadena, a racially and economically diverse suburb, are covered by the California FAIR Plan, an insurance programme backed by the state of California that is used by property owners who cannot find private market coverage.FAIR Plan did not respond to a request for comment.As private insurers have rejected or dropped homeowners in fire-prone areas of California, residents have increasingly switched to FAIR Plan, data shows.As of the end of September last year, 958 homes in Altadena were covered by the scheme, up 28% from a year earlier, according to data from the insurer.In Pacific Palisades, a wealthy suburb west of downtown Los Angeles ravaged by wildfires this week, the rise in the use of the FAIR plan has been more stark. There are 1 430 homes covered under the scheme, up 85% from a year earlier and quadruple the number in 2020, the insurer’s data showed.Gabby Reyes, whose home in Altadena was destroyed in a fire on Wednesday morning, said FAIR Plan staff had been helpful but she was concerned that her policy would not be enough to cover rebuilding the home she shares with her mother and daughter, given the fire has only left behind the foundations.”They have been talking to us, and they’ve been really good,” Reyes told Reuters, adding that property speculators had cold-called her to ask if they could buy her land.”You can’t call people like that when they’re devastated.”