The cloud and its challenges – Alfa’s Alex Barnes joins AFC podcast

The latest episode of the AFC European Equipment Finance Podcast, hosted by Richard O’Donohue and sponsored by Alfa, is now available to stream.

This episode features an in-depth discussion with Alex Barnes, Director of Cloud Hosting at Alfa, exploring one of the most fundamental and evolving topics in the asset finance industry: the role of the cloud.

The conversation explores how the cloud has become business-as-usual, yet recent outages at AWS and Microsoft Azure have highlighted the risks of dependency.

Barnes explains how Alfa’s journey from on-premise systems to the Alfa Cloud reflects broader industry trends, prioritising speed, flexibility, and scalability while addressing new challenges in cost management, security, and resilience.

The discussion also covers regulatory developments such as DORA and the PRA outsourcing guidelines, which are driving more structured approaches to operational resilience.

Barnes outlines how Alfa’s Data Guardian and Cloud Escrow services help customers meet these requirements and maintain business continuity across multiple cloud environments.

The episode reinforces that cloud technology is now a core part of business operations in asset finance. However, with dependency comes responsibility. Companies need clear strategies for resilience, security, and cost management, supported by strong governance and continuous review.

The conversation between Richard O’Donohue and Alex Barnes provides timely insight into how leading organisations like Alfa are building secure, flexible, and future-ready cloud services for the industry.

Listen now at assetfinanceconnect.com/european-equipment-finance-podcast. Also available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and YouTube.