Dakota Clum, Chief Technology Officer of xByte Cloud, joins WRIS Web Services for the second edition of ‘Getting to know.’ From his early hands-on experiences to discovering his passion for ColdFusion, Dakota discusses how these elements have shaped his approach to technology and leadership. He reflects on the challenges and opportunities within the rapidly evolving cloud landscape, emphasizing the importance of security, adaptability, and innovation.

From Education to Passion for Technology

WRIS: Can you share a bit about your educational background and how it has shaped your career journey so far?

Dakota Clum: Most of my education comes from hands-on experience. I make it a point to learn about new technologies, which helps me connect the dots and apply them in real-world scenarios. This approach has enabled me to excel in understanding technologies important to xByte and our customers. I attended college for computer engineering but haven't completed my degree. I also hold certifications from MIT, Linux, and Blockchain, along with hands-on experience in various sectors, including finance, government, and cloud.

WRIS: Did you initially set out to pursue a career in web hosting and development, or did your interest in this field develop gradually over time? If it was the latter, what factors or experiences contributed to your growing passion for this area?

Dakota Clum: A career in web hosting and development wasn’t my original plan, but my passion for technology led me here. I love helping people identify and solve problems in the tech landscape. I believe there’s almost always a solution in this field, and the opportunity to assist others with technical issues is what truly fulfills me.

WRIS: Can you describe your first encounter with ColdFusion and share your initial impressions of its features and capabilities? 

Dakota Clum: I first encountered ColdFusion in a hosting context, helping organizations keep their applications available online. My passion for ColdFusion grew as I discovered its practicality for building web applications. Its built-in tags and functions streamline development, allowing for rapid feature deployment. Notably, ColdFusion's native support for databases, email, and other technologies simplifies the process, unlike other languages that often rely on external packages, which can slow down development.

WRIS: How did ColdFusion influence your approach to web hosting at that time?

Dakota Clum: ColdFusion’s native integration with various third-party components enabled me to explore essential technologies for web hosting, such as databases, websockets, SSLs, APIs, and mail services. This deep dive enhanced my understanding of the web hosting landscape and helped me architect resilient infrastructures that exceed uptime and performance requirements.

Leadership Insights and Future Vision 

WRIS: How has your journey from working as a ColdFusion Administrator to becoming the CTO of a cloud company shaped your approach to leadership and technology strategy? What key experiences or insights from this transition have been most impactful? 

Dakota Clum: My journey from ColdFusion Administrator to CTO has been challenging yet rewarding, providing me with deep insights into our teams' technical challenges and the need for an innovative, collaborative environment. Leading xByte Cloud has highlighted the importance of aligning our technology roadmap with broader company goals and the necessity of adaptability in both technology and leadership as the industry rapidly evolves.

WRIS: Can you describe your vision for the future of cloud hosting and how you plan to position your company to take advantage of emerging trends?

Dakota Clum: The future of Cloud Hosting is rapidly evolving, with new trends emerging almost monthly. At xByte, our expert staff enables us to diversify our services and adapt to these trends. We will continue to focus on attracting and retaining talent to support upcoming technologies and provide effective solutions for our audience.

WRIS: How do you stay updated with the latest advancements in cloud technologies and integrate them into your company’s offerings?

Dakota Clum: Cloud technologies are rapidly evolving, with daily advancements. I stay updated by consulting RFCs, W3C Standards, community forums, and digests to explore how xByte can leverage emerging technologies. Regular feedback from peers and customers is essential, and we continuously review and trial new technologies for a competitive edge.

WRIS: How do you balance the need for robust security with maintaining high performance and scalability in cloud services?

Dakota Clum: Security and high performance are essential for mission-critical applications. All our servers use a lightweight enterprise-grade antivirus alongside our cloud services. We encourage customers to utilize our secure Enterprise Infrastructure VPN and Cloud firewall for safe access to their infrastructure, ensuring private, authenticated access without compromising performance. Our success comes from providing secure solutions with minimal impact on overall system performance.

WRIS: What role, if any, do you see artificial intelligence and machine learning playing in the future of cloud hosting?

Dakota Clum: I already see a huge shift in monitoring and log analysis coming from AI-driven tools. These will help diagnose incidents and streamline root cause analysis for developers and system administrators. As AI advances, new solutions will emerge to address critical service incidents and postmortem analysis, creating exciting opportunities in the Cloud space that we’re eager to offer our customers. 

WRIS: What are the biggest technological challenges currently facing the cloud hosting industry, and how do you plan to navigate them?

Dakota Clum: The largest challenge in Cloud Hosting is security. As Cloud technologies evolve, the number of third-party dependencies in both monolithic and microservices architectures is increasing, leading to a larger vulnerability and attack surface. Organizations need to partner with their cloud provider to establish a robust security posture and ensure their Cloud infrastructure remains updated and free from vulnerabilities.

WRIS: What activities do you find most effective for unwinding and decompressing after a particularly stressful work week?

Dakota Clum: I enjoy spending time with my family and disconnecting from work, often going on small hikes at a nearby state park to decompress. Most of my free time is spent with them, engaging in various activities like going to the beach, enjoying the outdoors, and watching sports events with relatives.

Coming Next

As Dakota embraces innovation and prioritizes collaboration, he embodies the forward-thinking mindset essential for success in today’s digital landscape. We appreciate his time and insights, and we look forward to seeing him speak at this year's Adobe ColdFusion Summit.

Join WRIS Web Services and xByte Cloud at the Summit, where you can catch Dakota’s session on load testing on Day 1. We hope to see you there!