In today’s digital landscape, reliability is paramount, especially for businesses reliant on cloud services. Cloud providers like Google Cloud understand this and are increasingly investing in Customer Reliability Engineering (CRE). But what’s in it for them? Why empower customers to build mission-critical teams focused on reliability? Let’s explore the compelling reasons behind this trend.

Two people in cosy sweaters serve “Varm Glögg” from a festive, snow-topped wooden stall at a Christmas market in Stockholm, illuminated by warm lights.

Time to learn about Glögg 🍷

Glögg is a Swedish word, that refers to the traditional Scandinavian mulled wine, typically served warm during the winter months and Christmas season. It’s spiced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and often served with almonds and raisins, offering a cosy, festive flavour.

Shifting our focus back, cloud providers are investing in customer reliability engineering for the following reasons

Reliability breeds trust and loyalty

For cloud vendors, a reliable service is the bedrock of customer trust. When businesses entrust their critical operations to a cloud provider, they expect consistent uptime and minimal disruptions. By investing in CRE and providing customers with the tools and knowledge to manage their own reliability, cloud vendors foster a sense of partnership and confidence. This, in turn, translates to increased customer loyalty and long-term relationships.

Shared responsibility, shared success

Cloud computing thrives on a shared responsibility model. While providers are responsible for the underlying infrastructure, customers play a crucial role in building and managing reliable applications on top of that infrastructure. By empowering customers with CRE principles and practices, cloud vendors enable them to take ownership of their reliability, leading to a more stable and successful ecosystem for all involved.

Reducing downtime costs

Downtime can be incredibly expensive for businesses, leading to lost revenue, damaged reputation, and recovery efforts. By proactively addressing reliability concerns and equipping customers to manage their systems effectively, cloud vendors contribute to minimising potential downtime risks. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of costly outages for both the customer and the provider.

Unlocking business value through stability

When businesses can rely on the stability of their cloud environments, they are free to innovate and focus on their core competencies. CRE empowers customers to build mission-critical teams that can ensure the smooth operation of their applications, allowing them to leverage the full potential of the cloud without being bogged down by reliability concerns

A culture of continuous improvement

Investing in CRE fosters a culture of continuous improvement within both the cloud provider and the customer’s organisation. By embracing principles like blameless postmortems and proactive monitoring, both parties can identify areas for optimisation and continuously enhance the reliability of their systems.

In conclusion, cloud providers are investing in Customer Reliability Engineering (CRE) because it’s a strategic imperative in today’s competitive market. By empowering customers to build mission-critical teams focused on reliability, they’re not just selling services, they’re building long-term partnerships based on trust, shared success, and a commitment to delivering exceptional digital experiences.

Reference:

Introducing Google Customer Reliability Engineering | Google Cloud Blog