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Writer's pictureMonica Kay Royal

Event Review: Google Cloud Next 2022

Updated: Oct 14, 2022

Brought to you by Google Cloud

This is a yearly developer and tech leader event, sharing the latest and greatest cloud technologies that are helping businesses solve their most interesting business problems.


This was a 24-hour livestream online event with localized sessions in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Munich, and Bengaluru, India. Plus, the Keynotes were hosted with a live audience in New York, in Google’s newest facility at Pier 57.

Before we get into the event, I want to give a shout out to the DJ. The 'hold' music early morning was the best I have heard from any event recently. Now onto a recap of my favorite sessions 😃




Top 10 cloud technology predictions that we believe could come true by the end of 2025. Hear from our experts who are on the cutting edge of many of these technology trends, whether it's AI, data and analytics, or modern cloud infrastructure.


I was excited about this session mainly because I love talking about the future and thinking about all the amazing possibilities. These were mostly down to earth / safe predictions but I have to say that I do get excited about the outlandish possibilities (still waiting for flying cars over here 🙋🏻‍♀️).


VP & GM, Developer X & Head of DevRel

  • Developers who start with neuroinclusive design will see a 5x growth in user adoption in the first two years

One of the topics that I am super passionate about is learning. From the different learning styles that people prefer to making learning accessible for all. Let’s start out with a definition:


Jeanine’s prediction here basically means that if companies start with this mindset and realize that people learn in different ways, they will be able to build products which all people are able to interact with and learn from, and they will be more successful in user adoption.


Some tips for developers in regards to design thoughtfulness:

  • Design with simplicity and clarity

  • Remove distractions

  • Avoid really bright colors

  • Use intuitive patterns

  • Set a thoughtful vibe

  • Avoid pressure points (such as requiring quick reactions from users)


VP of Infrastructure & Google Fellow

  • 4 out of 5 enterprise developers will use some form of curated open source


Again, starting with a definition because it’s good to all be on the same page:


Curated Open Source is the same as regular open source but with layer of accountability and it comes with support for developers

It focuses on finding vulnerabilities and helping fix them by updating open dependencies and finding new ones


Important for the community because open source is everywhere and it is essential for our everyday lives.


Global Head of Autonomic Security Operations

  • 90% of security operations workflows will be automated and managed as code


This is a hopeful prediction as there are not enough cyber folks out there to cover the need. In fact, there are about 700K unfilled cyber jobs which result in burnout since the cyber folks that are out there are spread too thin.


Spoiler alert, there is a separate session all about Burnout, coming soon!


Iman goes into the idea of an API First Approach: Continuous Detection / Continuous Response (much like CI/CK, but for security detection). Lastly, he mentions that analytics are going to need to work more like developers for this to be successful.


Engineering Director

  • AI is going to be the primary driver for moving to a 4-day work week


The crowd went wild with Kamelia’s prediction! This not only means that you would need to get 5 days of work done in 4 days or less, but you would get a 3 day weekend!! The crowd again goes wild.


However, this does mean that you need to be more efficient with your work. The real prediction here is that we would be able to achieve these efficiency gains with AI. As enterprise use of AI is growing, there is a huge potential for employee productivity to skyrocket.


Vertex AI is the magic product here as it enables ML models to go into production faster by training ML models 5X faster and reducing custom coding.


As a developer, Kamelia is the most excited about its ability to:

  • Apply custom models

  • Integrate with BigQuery

  • Power external applications with software development kits (SDKs)


Director, Product Management, Smart Analytics

  • 90% of data will be actionable in real-time using ML


Only 1 out of 3 companies realize tangible value from their data.


Since data is in our DNA, we need help with the future data infrastructure vision. Some key data requirements and how to get there:

  • See it and trust it (using Dataplex you can achieve automatic cataloging of your data and integration of 3rd party sources)

  • Work with it (using BigQuery allows you to work with all your data as it supports structured and unstructured formats)

  • Action it in real time (using Dataflow you can develop once and deploy in batch or real-time)


VP & GM, Databases

  • The barriers between transactional & analytical workloads will disappear


Transactional and analytical systems work in different ways. Using Datastream for BigQuery, you can leverage a database migration service and unify your data across these different systems.


VP & GM, Systems and Services Infrastructure

  • Over half of cloud infrastructure decisions will be automated based on organization’s usage patterns


This will require lots of data, both structured and unstructured. Amin shares that this can be achieved through the use of Cloud Spanner, which is a fully managed relational database with unlimited scale.


Group Product Manager

  • 3 out of 4 developers will lead with sustainability as their primary development principle


Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. I predict this will also require an uptick to development monitoring.


Director, Developer Relations and Outbound Product Management

  • Over half of all organizations using public cloud will freely switch their primary cloud provider as a result of the multicloud capabilities available


Multicloud capabilities are more than just running a bunch of clouds, it requires a transition strategy for it to be successful. Some benefits of multicloud include mitigating vendor lock-in, sustainability, competitive pricing, and flexibility.


Engineering Manager

  • Over half of all business applications will be built by users who do not identify as professional developers today


Currently, only 25% of new apps developed use low code / no code technologies. By 2025, it is projected that this will increase to 70% which will make app development not only easier but accessible for more users!


Jeanine would like to know your thoughts:


What is your top cloud technology prediction?

Create a post or video and share on social media




Head of Developer Community


Ashley Willis (she/her) is a globally recognized speaker and technologist. She has dedicated her career to working with Open Source communities and currently serves as the Head of Developer Communities at Google.


Let's talk about burnout: the symptoms to look for and actions you can take.


This was by far my favorite session. Ashley shared some wonderful and life changing tips with enthusiasm that lit up the room. I thought it was brilliant to share tips for both sides of the coin, the workers and the managers. What I enjoyed most were the examples she provided along the way.


74% of workers have experienced burnout ~ Gallup

Job burnout is a form of workplace stress that causes employees to feel emotionally or physically exhausted and a lack of accomplishment or loss of identity. ~ Mayo Clinic


This is bad y’all, and the pandemic did not help the situation. The same Gallup study showed that 40% of workers experienced burnout specifically during the pandemic. This is not really that surprising though, because it is a lot harder to balance work and life when you are sitting at your dinner table, laptop open, reading emails. Or even worse, reading emails in bed! Talk about nightmares 😱


Vacations should be Proactive, not Reactive

Not only is burnout something that affects your life, Ashley shared that it takes 2 years to RECOVER from it. And the sad thing is it probably took you 2 years to get there. Burnout is sneaky. By the time you realize that something isn’t right, thinking it’s probably time for a vacation, you are already burned and the vacation actually adds to the stress. When you are already in a high level stress situation, some people don’t even want to go on vacations in fear of the mass amount of work they will have when they get back.


Phases to Burnout (The Burnout Cycle)

  • Honeymoon Phase

You just got a new job, you are happy, committed, and excited about everything. You strive to prove yourself and your productivity is high.

  • Onset of Stress

Some days are hard, you are not as optimistic anymore, and you find yourself more tired during the day and cannot sleep at night.

  • Neglecting Yourself

You have thrown self-care out the window, start eating at your desk, canceling plans and maybe drinking too much to get your mind to stop racing.

  • Interpersonal Problems (at work and at home)

Work is really stressful and starts to bleed into your home life.

  • Reduced Performance and Cognitive Problems

You cannot pay attention and concentrate any more, breaks become longer and small tasks now feel like a burden.

  • Can’t get Excited about Work anymore

Not enough coffee exists in the world to keep you awake and the workload feels so big you don’t even know how to ask for help.

  • Physical Symptoms

This is the danger zone! Your feelings can start to affect your body, creating digestive problems, depression, or even lead to heart disease.

  • Total Burnout

RIP: you no longer trust yourself, you do not even believe you are qualified for your job and you might be looking for a whole new one.


🔁Cycle repeats


How to Avoid Burnout

  • Get Clarity

Only HALF of workers know what is expected of them. So even if you feel energized, if you don’t know what you are doing you are going to exhaust yourself trying to figure it out.

  • Stop Multitasking

This only reduces your productivity. Focus on one thing at a time. If you have too much on your plate, as for prioritization.

  • Set Healthy Boundaries

Know what you will and will not do, know how to communicate those boundaries, and be ok with saying no.

  • Take Control

There is nothing that cannot wait until tomorrow, turning off notifications can help.

  • Cultivate a Rich non-work Life

Basically.. get a hobby. It will be easier to switch off after work if you have something else productive to do.

  • Create a Dedicated Workspace

If you don’t have a big space, just make sure that it is a healthy distance from your relaxing and eating spaces (don’t work in bed!).

  • Get Enough Sleep

The National Sleep Foundation found that sleeping less than 6 hours is one of the best predictors of on-the-job burnout.



Tips for Managers

Flipping the coin, let’s get into management. Por management as this is directly related to burnout so here are some tips for managers.

  • Be Clear about Expectations

Remember, only HALF of workers know what is expected of them. Help these people out by being clear, communicating early and often. And don’t be afraid to repeat yourself because it takes an average of 7 times to hear something for people to start acting on it.

  • Help them Understand their Value

Workers are more engaged and dedicated when they understand their meaning and purpose.

  • Enforce Reasonable Work Hours

This does not necessarily mean a 9-5, 5 days a week schedule, especially in today’s environment.

  • Try Not to Send Emails or Messages after 5pm

Even if you have a signature that states ‘respond on your own time’... just don’t do it. There are scheduling features in your mailbox for a reason, use them.

  • Encourage them to Take all Vacation Time!!

Not much to say here, people need vacations, vacations are good for productivity.

  • Have Regular 1:1’s & Actively Listen

If you are taking notes, you are not listening.

  • Do not Only Recognize Big Wins

The small stuff matters!



The best takeaway from the ending of Ashley’s presentation on how to restore work/life balance was this:

Go touch some grass ~ Ashley



Google has been super busy with their goals to provide innovative technology to their customers and there are a TON of wonderful things to highlight for each of these different fields. Because my fingers would fall off trying to capture all the details, I provided literally just the highest of lights as a list and provided links for your reference.


If you would like more details, the link above will take you to the 60 minute highlight reel and I also provided links to the individual sessions per each section below. Enjoy! 😊




Director, Product Management, Platform Developer Tools


Learn what’s new in Google Cloud to help you build, deploy, and run applications effortlessly. Our speakers will take you through all the new services and features that we are announcing at NEXT. This track is recommended for application developers


Challenges:

  1. Working faster remotely and across distributed teams

  2. Productivity and Security are roadblocks to efficiency


Multi-IDE support, fixing the 'well it works on my machine' problem


Provides end-to-end software supply chain security

Offering security capabilities in 4 areas: Develop, Supply, CI/CD, Runtime


Integration between the two allows data scientists to build models and developers to access those models with SQL




VP, Cloud AI and Industry Solutions


Sr. Director, Product Management


Join this session to learn how Google's Data Cloud can transform your decision making and turn data into action by operationalizing Data Analytics and AI. Google Cloud brings together Google's most advanced Data and AI technology to help you train, deploy, and manage ML faster at scale. You will learn about the latest product innovations for BigQuery and Vertex AI to bring intelligence everywhere to analyze and activate your data. You will also learn from industry leading organizations who have realized tangible value with data analytics and AI using Google Cloud.


Three main challenges:

  1. Data Complexity

  2. Skills Gap

  3. Scale


Used to break data silos, offering open file and table formats, fine grained access control, and query acceleration over multicloud storage


Support for unstructured data through object tables, build products that use structured and unstructured data


Reduce time to build computer vision applications from days to minutes at one tenth the cost of current offerings




VP & GM, Databases


Organizations are facing increased pressure to deliver new, transformative user experiences in an always-on, global economy. Learn how Google’s data cloud unifies your data across analytical and transactional systems for increased agility and simplicity. You'll also hear about the latest product innovations across Spanner, AlloyDB, Cloud SQL and BigQuery.


Key Focus Areas:

  1. Unified and integrated data cloud

  2. Commitment to openness

  3. Infusing AI and ML

  4. Empowering builders to be more productive and impactful


1.

Brings together industry leading data services: Bigtable, AlloyDB and BigQuery


replicate data from operational databases into BigQuery


Now track writes, updates, and deletes so they can be replicated to downstream systems in real-time


2 .

Integrates with leading technology solutions

4x faster than standard PostgreSQL

2x faster than Amazon's comparable PostgreSQL - compatible service

100x faster analytical queries than standard PostgreSQL


Try Spanner for free: here


3.

Use Vertex AI to enable model inferencing directly in the database transaction


4.

Fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server




VP & GM, Infrastructure


Enterprise architects and developers have a big job - to prepare your business for today and tomorrow, help your company innovate faster with resources that may not be growing as fast. In this session, general manager of IaaS Sachin Gupta will present how Google Cloud infrastructure can help you transform and optimize your infrastructure and spend. He will announce exciting new enhancements to the infrastructure portfolio that will accelerate on innovation you could not achieve before with the lowest TCO possible. We will also have leaders from the entertainment and AI industry to discuss how they are building their business with Google Cloud.


Defining Pillars for Google Cloud Infrastructure:

  • Transformative: innovate with speed

  • Optimized: save costs

  • Easy: simplify your cloud


Up to 80% faster than alternatives for large-scale training workloads


Largest and fastest GPU memory optimized for complex models


Prevented the some of the largest DDoS attacks on the planet with 0 impact to customers!


First external provider to join the VMware Cloud Universal program

<1 hour to create a private cloud


Create repeatable, turnkey HPC clusters in minutes


>10x higher IOPS and >4x higher throughput than C2 VMs

Up to 320,000 IOPS and up to 512 TiB capacity

~50% better TCO than previous generation

80% highler IOPS per vCPU compared to any other hyperscaler




Senior Director, Product Management


Director, Product Management


Come learn about the biggest announcements for DevOps, SysAdmins, and operators. Our speakers will take you through all the new services and features that we are announcing at Google Cloud Next in the Ops space.


Key Focus Areas:

  1. Security

  2. Multicloud

  3. Sustainability

  4. Devops toolchain


1.

Fully managed, end-to-end software supply chain security solution


Fully managed development environments


Now supports on-pushing scanning for applications


+250 packages across Java and Python

Verifiable SLSA build provenance


Now supports SLSA Level 3 Builds


Now comes with native security features:

Opinionated security guidance

Security tools built-in

Integrated with Google Cloud


Enhancements to security panel


2.

Unified management and consistency at scale, expanded to edge


3.

Measure, report, and reduce your cloud carbon emissions


4.

Works anywhere prometheus does, plus works better together with Google Cloud Metrics


Now supports continuous delivery to Cloud Run


Log Analytics feature powered by BigQuery




EVP, Intelligence & Government Affairs, Mandiant


VP & GM, Cloud Security


Google can secure your digital transformation in order to bring cloud-native security capabilities everywhere you operate. In this session, hear from Google Cloud VP & GM of Cloud Security Sunil Potti on Google’s vision for cloud security, get a first look at many of our latest innovations, and learn from other security industry leaders.


Ransomware is not dead. The new normal includes off-the-shelf tooling which is utilized by threat attackers to conduct business disruptions. Organizations are realizing that digital transformation requires ground up security transformation.


Together with Google Cloud, Mandiant will deliver an end-to-end security operations suite with even greater and more robust capabilities to support customers in their security transformation.


Fully managed software supply chain security solution to build secure cloud applications


Over 250 Java and Python packages including verifiable SLSA build provenance








VP & GM


VP, Product Management


Innovation is often associated with big wins: new products, increasing a competitive advantage, or category disruptions. But these outcomes are almost always enabled by advancements that occur on a smaller scale — in the ways teams and people collaborate, communicate, and operate day to day. The right mindset, culture, and tools can help teams — especially hybrid and distributed teams — increase day-to-day productivity, and reliably produce breakthroughs that advance the business. Join us to see how Google Workspace is helping organizations collaborate, create and innovate securely from anywhere, anytime.


Some use Workspace everyday at work while others are considering it for the first time. Everytime you use Gmail, Google Chat, Google Drive, etc. you are using Google Workspace. Bridging communication and collaboration across these products is the magic of Google Workspace.


Google Workspace is the World’s most popular productivity tool with 3 billion+ users worldwide!

- Automatic light adjustments and noise cancelation so you can look and sound your best.


- Companion mode allows you to participate in the meeting whether joining from a phone or a conference room.


- Smart Canvas makes documents come alive! You can use @ to bring in the right people and everyone can work in the same doc.


75% of recent college graduates prefer Google Workspace!


Including:

- Adaptive framing to let everyone in conference room be seen


- Automated meeting transcriptions, including languages such as English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.


- Speaker spotlight in Slides which brings the storyteller and the story together, creating a focus and engagement.


- Client-side encryption (CSE) in Gmail and Google Calendar, allowing customers to have complete control over access to their data.


- Tools for developers like APIs for Meet and Chat & Meet add-on SDK


- AppSheet and Google Chat integration to create no-code apps that integrate with Google Chat



Google Cloud Certifications


There were three sessions that covered Google Cloud credentials which have a lot of overlap, with slight differences. I will capture the description of each with a link to each session, and then provide an overall summary.



Cloud Digital Leader Strategy Lead


Program Lead, Certification Readiness


Digital transformation is a multifaceted process that requires organizational alignment with both technical and nontechnical people alike. As such, training in an organization is a key to success. During this session, our Google colleagues will share best practices for infusing your organization with the knowledge and skills needed for digital transformation.



Head of Credentials and Certifications


Technical Training Manager, JAPAC


Explore the breadth of Google Cloud role-based training and certifications. Discover where to get started, how to earn learning credentials, and how training and certification can impact your career development and your organization’s success.



Outbound Product Manger, Databases


Learning Portfolio Manager, Data


Learn how you can advance your expertise and build your data career with Google Cloud learning paths and certifications. Join us to discover the Professional Cloud Database Engineer, Professional Machine Learning Engineer, and Professional Data Engineer certifications. Learn what generally characterizes the best candidates, reasons to pursue the path yourself, concepts you can expect on exams, and all the best resources you can use to prepare.


Summary


Demonstrate your cloud knowledge and stay ahead of the curve with Google Cloud credentials and certifications

80% of IT leaders feel that they have a lack of skills and knowledge among their employees - TechNewsWorld
87% hiring managers vault hands-on experience and certifications over a university degree when evaluating candidates - State of Cloud Learning Report
82% hiring managers say that cloud certifications make a candidate more attractive - State of Cloud Learning Report
90% of IT leaders want to grow their cloud environments in the next several years - TechNewsWorld
85% of businesses will adopt a cloud first principle by 2025 -Gartner

The catalog caters to all learning styles with 700+ different pieces of learning content delivered in multiple formats:

  • On-demand training delivered via Google Cloud Skills Boost, Coursera, Pluralsight, Udacity, Salesforce

  • In-person training delivered by Google Cloud Trainers or Authorized Training Partners

  • Hands-on and Gamified learning w/ labs & quests


Don’t know where to start? Check out this #GCPSketchnotes 👇🏻

There are a lot of different professional roles and I get it, they can all seem very similar. My recommendation would be to visit each certification page and check out the exam guide. This gets into the details of what will be covered, and you can likely line these up with requirements from job descriptions to see if it’s the right fit. Start with the Google Cloud Certification main page


Start your learning journey today!



In Conclusion

Shout-out to anyone on LinkedIn that followed my conference journey. And an extra shout-out to anyone that noticed me rockin' the Google logo theme over the last three days (green, red, yellow, blue hair)... yes, this was a completely intentional 3-day planned-out picture 🤓



Happy Learning!!

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