As part of our ongoing commitment at Finopotamus to cover the tech topics you won't see in other credit union outlets, we're pleased to offer a very important episode of TechSolutions4CUs on a very important topic: cloud repatriation. This episode features cloud repatriation experts Kevin Heisser and Ian Nock from ArcShift. Cloud repatriation is becoming an increasingly popular idea as organizations that moved all their operations to the cloud are now realizing there’s a strong argument for bringing some of their workload back on-premise.

The ArcShift co-founders explain that their company was founded to address what they see as a backward trend in the tech industry, where solutions are often driven by vendor incentives and sales quotas rather than customer needs. ArcShift’s mission is to put people back in control of their data and save them money. They emphasize that they are not suggesting organizations should pull everything out of the cloud, but rather advocating for a hybrid approach. This hybrid model allows organizations to keep some functions in the cloud, while moving certain workloads back on-premise for reasons such as cost savings, security, and performance.

One of the main reasons more organizations aren't pursuing cloud repatriation is the strong bias from tech vendors, who profit from the high profit margins and annual recurring revenue (ARR) of cloud services. Cloud companies also make it very easy to migrate data into the cloud with various tools, but make it very difficult to get data out.

Another factor is that IT professionals may be overwhelmed and hesitant to move their production workloads for fear of downtime or other complications. ArcShift addresses this by providing a platform and toolset that make the repatriation process easy and seamless, including a TCO (total cost of ownership) tool to help organizations assess potential savings.

In addition to cost savings, other benefits of cloud repatriation include enhanced security and better support. In the cloud, hardware is often shared, and there is a risk of misconfigurations or vulnerabilities that can expose data. When a problem occurs, a company with a small infrastructure may not receive timely support from public cloud providers. AI workloads are particularly good candidates for repatriation due to their high cost in the cloud. The cost of running AI infrastructure in the cloud can be "enormously" expensive, and companies are finding that they can buy their own infrastructure for a fraction of the cost and have more control. ArcShift is vendor-agnostic, meaning they do not sell any hardware or software, so their recommendations are unbiased and focused solely on the customer's needs.

In this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, host John San Filippo welcomes marketing expert Alicia Disantis to discuss foundational marketing strategies for small organizations, including fintechs and credit unions, operating on a shoestring budget.

Alicia challenges the "Field of Dreams" mentality, where good products are expected to sell themselves. She emphasizes that in today's crowded market, consistent messaging and strategic outreach are crucial.

Key takeaways from their conversation include:

• Building Trust as a Core Principle: Alicia highlights recent data showing trust in an organization and its information as the number one buying factor, surpassing convenience and price.
• The Four Pillars of Marketing Success: She outlines four essential, low-cost strategies:
  1. Define Your Brand Voice: Understand and consistently project your brand's personality across all platforms to build credibility.
  2. Survey Your Audience: Utilize simple, open-ended surveys to gain insights into how customers perceive your brand, why they choose you, and where you can improve.
  3. Invest in a Quality Website: A professional and user-friendly website is non-negotiable for establishing credibility and avoiding distrust.
  4. Leverage Partnerships: Collaborate with trusted organizations to expand your reach and build credibility through association.
• The Intangible Value of Marketing: Both John and Alicia discuss the challenge of measuring marketing ROI, agreeing that not all impactful marketing efforts can be immediately quantified. They also touch upon the evolving landscape of PR, emphasizing the importance of relationships and consistent effort.
• Navigating Generational Differences: The conversation touches on how different generations interact with technology and financial services, from millennials' preference for digital interactions to Gen Z's reliance on social media and the growing use of "buy now, pay later" services.
• The Enduring Importance of Human Connection: Despite technological advancements, both agree that in-person interactions and reliable human support remain vital for building and maintaining customer trust, particularly during critical moments.

This episode offers actionable advice for small financial institutions looking to enhance their marketing efforts without breaking the bank.

On this episode of TechSolutions4CUs, we welcome Jason Cain, co-founder and CSO of ShiftMate, to discuss their innovative AI co-pilot for credit unions. Jason shares his unique perspective, born from decades of experience within credit unions and selling fintech solutions, on how ShiftMate addresses long-standing challenges by unifying data, AI, and workflow automation.

We explore how this platform empowers frontline staff with actionable insights and provides senior management with institutional insights by analyzing aggregated data. Tune in to understand ShiftMate's flexible deployment, its potential to replace legacy systems, and Jason's predictions for the transformative impact of AI on the financial well-being of members and the industry as a whole.