Since the cloud is a significant driving force that powers digital transformation in the modern world, taking the right route in the cloud journey is paramount.

Given that the lift-and-shift model in cloud migration is not only cumbersome but also costly, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP partners with Google Cloud for a true and transformative cloud journey, which involves the development of advanced applications, according to Scott Petry (pictured, right), partner for consulting services and cloud engineering practice lead at PWC Canada.

“We’re building a large alliance relationship with Google on purpose because we think the technology that Google has to offer is topnotch that we can use to deliver the outcomes that we need for our clients,” Petry said. “So how do you not just go to the cloud, but make new applications that function better for your business, run your processes better, give your customers better experiences? We’re finding working with Google to be a great alliance to help us build out the engineering end of that.”

Petry and Kyle Bassett (left), partner and cloud practice lead at PWC Canada, spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Rob Strechay and Dustin Kirkland at the Google Cloud Next event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the importance of a true cloud journey and how the PWC and Google Cloud partnership is making this a reality. (* Disclosure below.)

The cloud and data are intertwined

By going beyond cloud migration, PWC is able to deliver business outcomes that are data-driven, according to Bassett. As a result, getting the best of both cloud and data worlds is of the essence, and this requires having good data principles and governance models.

“There’s not a cloud project that doesn’t have data,” he stated. “There’s not a data project or analytics project that doesn’t need a bunch of cloud services and a bunch of automation. You can’t have one without the other.”

Since PWC is known for its consulting prowess, the firm is expanding its scope by delving deeper into the cloud for enhanced business outcomes, according to Petry. This route is meant to help enterprises in their transformation journeys.

“We think about cloud and how we bring it all the way back down to how we do engineering as we make sure that we’re solving a real business problem,” he explained. “We make sure that we’re delivering real business value to our clients through engineering, and some of that story gets all the way down to like, ‘What are the foundational platforms, products, systems that we’re going to use to build those?’”

PWC has built a full suite of data services, such as data strategy, data governance and data engineering, to propel business value. As a result, the company is continuously nurturing its talent in solving business problems using engineering, Bassett pointed out.

“I think we got to continue to scream from the rooftops that PWC is leaning heavy into engineering and building a whole new culture of engineering,” he stated. “It’s a different space and we have a lot of pedigree in the firm, so it’s like bring the whole firm together. We’re known for strategy a lot, but what customers are asking for is they want to do the strategy, do the delivery …so it’s building all those things together.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Google Cloud Next event:

(* Disclosure: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither PWC nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE