Navigating the Cloud of today
ANDREW WILDBLOOD HEAD OF ASIA PACIFIC ENTERPRISE GES, TELSTRA
How big is the Cloud in APAC, and how does it compare to the rest of the world?
Cloud is no longer a buzzword but simply a way in which we live our lives. APAC, like the rest of the world has embraced the benefits of cloud computing over the past few years and is now very much a hub of cloud innovation. This is enabling our businesses and consumers to operate more simply, securely and productively. Looking at the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA) Cloud Readiness Index 2014, it reports that APAC is most definitely progressing with an overall improvement in cloud readiness across the region. Now an area of great opportunity for local and international businesses, this is mainly down to increased data speeds as well as the data center connectivity options, which are also growing as the Asia Pacific Gateway Cable is completed.
Where would you say are the major sectors of Cloud development in APAC, and how does Singapore compare to countries like Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia?
Updates made to Internet and data center management legislation in Indonesia, India and Vietnam, have supported additional growth and development for cloud services in these countries. There are obviously countries which are sitting ahead of the pack when it comes to adoption and ‘readiness’ such as Singapore and Hong Kong, however, ACCA’s 2014 report also calls out the ‘dedicated improvers’ such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, which presents an encouraging overall picture for the region.
And compared to the rest of the world? Is there a particular sector/country that’s well ahead in terms of Cloud deployment and development?
If we look at the ACCA Index, the top improvers this year in APAC were New Zealand, Australia and Thailand who all moved up four places in the rankings; the Philippines also improved two places to finish in 10th place. Japan retains the honor of being the most cloud-ready country in the region, likely due to its sophisticated business environment coupled with the best data sovereignty regime whilst also ranking in the top band of countries for broadband quality, data privacy and green policy. We’ve also seeing the emergence of Software as a Service (SaaS) in Asia driving an appetite for cloud deployment and development. Our own recent investments into organizations such as DocuSign and Box signal our commitment to supporting more businesses which are cloud dependent in their very nature.
How is the Cloud helping consumers, and what are some of the latest developments coming that are going to make an impact in their lives?
There is the general feeling that we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what can be done with cloud computing for users in this region. With more connected devices, remote monitoring, universal access, and greater computing power at lower costs, the region’s cloud ecosystem is changing fast.
We are all communicating more than ever, across multiple platforms and the flexibility and scalability of the cloud to adapt to individual and business needs is primed to create a generation of super users who are demanding access to information, when, where and how they want.
Is it worrying to you that the connected-ness of the Cloud means that every user connected to it has suddenly exposed his devices to a single point of failure/vulnerability?
Absolutely not. Cloud service providers understand the critical importance of securing user data and ensuring the delivery of those services are not compromised. As more and more services head to the cloud, the risk is reduced with partners working closely to not only provide more innovative and intelligent communication and collaboration tools, but finding ways to ensure those services are more protected than ever.
What developments can we expect to see from Telstra in the Cloud computing space? What do you think Cloud computing will progress towards?
In 2014, hybrid cloud has emerged as an answer to the public/private cloud debate. If you were to identify a core benefit of hybrid cloud, it comes down to one point: choice. With the hybrid model, organizations not only have the ability to choose which cloud delivery model suits varying parts of their business, but crucially the freedom to choose multiple cloud partners. This unprecedented level of choice puts the control firmly with the customer.
Cloud providers need to recognize that the way forward in 2015 will be through collaboration, not through competition. The organization that works with multiple vendors to produce a customer-centric solution is the one that will be most successful in the cloud market in 2015 – a direction Telstra is wholly committed to.
There is the general feeling that we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what can be done with cloud computing for users in this region.