Driven by DCKAP podcast explores how manufacturers and distributors can get more value—and less risk—from AWS, Azure, and other cloud platforms
Austin, TX — In a new episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Ezhilarasan (Ez) Natarajan, Founder and CEO of CoreStack, breaks down how businesses can move fast in the cloud—without sacrificing control. From rising AWS bills to overlooked security guardrails, Ez and host Karthik Chidambaram unpack the real challenges manufacturers and distributors face as they scale across cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. The conversation makes a compelling case for cloud governance as a business enabler—not a bottleneck.
Highlights:
- Why cloud governance accelerates—not slows—business
- How to reduce cloud costs without compromising outcomes
- What manufacturers and distributors must do to protect against cloud security risks
Managing the Cloud Without Losing Speed
As companies grow, managing cloud infrastructure becomes more complex—and more critical. Cloud governance gives business and IT leaders a process to stay in control of cost, security, and performance as they expand.
Ez Natarajan shared how his team thinks about governance in fast-moving environments. “Governance is an enabler. You want to do things right and fast,” he said. “The traditional understanding of governance is you end up doing things right, but then you end up doing things slow. The advantage of cloud is speed…getting there faster than ever before.”
Rather than slowing things down, effective governance helps companies move faster with confidence—especially when multiple teams and technologies are involved.
Optimizing Costs of Cloud Technologies
Cloud bills can escalate quickly—often without warning. Legacy applications, partner systems, and fast-paced development environments make it easy to lose track of where spend is going.
Ez Natarajan emphasized the need for visibility and intent.
“Are you paying for the value that you’re getting? Is there any scope for you to optimize your spend without compromising the outcomes that you’re getting?” he asked. “We solve the missing dimension of: are you getting the best?”
The conversation touched on how organizations can stay proactive by understanding usage patterns, avoiding waste, and aligning spend with real business outcomes.
Making Security a Team Effort
Manufacturers and distributors transitioning to the cloud face rising threats—and often assume their cloud provider is responsible for outcomes. But Ez clarifies that security is a shared responsibility, and customers must define and enforce their own guardrails.
“Security needs to be everybody’s responsibility,” Natarajan said. “Cloud providers provide guardrails, not outcomes… Turning on the guardrail, defining the limits of the guardrail is all left to the customer.”
He walked through how small configuration changes over time—often unintentional—can open the door to vulnerabilities, and why continuous validation is essential to keeping systems secure.
Connecting the Dots Across Cloud, Cost, and Compliance
This episode offers practical insight for technology and operations leaders in manufacturing and distribution. As cloud adoption grows, the boundaries between IT, finance, and compliance are becoming more connected. The conversation explores how aligning these functions can help companies manage risk, understand costs, and make informed decisions at scale.
More Information
- For more details, visit the Driven Podcast portal or tune in on YouTube or Spotify.
- For information about ERP integration, check out the DCKAP Distributor Blog.
- Subscribe to the Driven by DCKAP Podcast.
About the Driven Podcast
The Driven by DCKAP Podcast is an audio and video show that explores leaders’ stories, digital journeys, and insights on trends in B2B and distribution. The podcast is hosted by Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, who grew the company from a start up to a global team of more than 200 employees. DCKAP earns several trust badges by G2.com, the world’s largest tech software marketplace, including category “Leader”, “High Performer Americas” and “Users Most Likely to Recommend.”
About DCKAP
DCKAP is a leader in digital solutions that help distributors systems’ talk to each other. Its technology solutions simplify software integrations, e-commerce, and product information management for B2B companies. DCKAP’s flagship product, DCKAP Integrator, helps distributors and manufacturers to automate data between ERP, e-commerce, and CRM systems. Founded in 2005, DCKAP is a global and distributed team headquartered in Austin, TX. Visit DCKAP at dckap.com or follow on LinkedIn.
About CoreStack
CoreStack is a global leader in cloud governance, providing AI-powered solutions to optimize cloud operations, enhance compliance, and improve security. Trusted by government and enterprise customers worldwide, CoreStack enables organizations to unlock the full potential of their cloud investments. The CoreStack platform is used by large global enterprises and is backed by industry-leading investors. Learn more at corestack.io.
