By Andy Wei
Cloud technology is without a doubt a cornerstone of the modern digital economy. It enables the seamless storage, management, and sharing of vast amounts of data, serving as the backbone for innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These capabilities are redefining how societies and businesses operate worldwide.
Digital transformation has now become a means of survival. Cloud computing has a key role in this as it is the catalyst of this transformation. It provides the flexibility, scalability, and innovation necessary for businesses to thrive in the digital age. By leveraging cloud technologies, organizations can accelerate their transformation initiatives and gain a competitive edge.
The Sovereignty and Locality Equation
Huawei, together with Telekom Malaysia, has developed Cloud Alpha Edge (CAE), the first public cloud in Malaysia that offers complete data sovereignty, residency, and locality. CAE is the only public cloud with a Three Availability Zone architecture in Malaysia that meets the requirements of government, finance, and big corporates.
One example of this is the collaboration between Huawei Malaysia, Tune Protect Malaysia (Tune Protect), and TM for Tune Protect to re-platform its existing General Insurance System (GIS), an insurance core system, on the cloud. Tune Protect is the first insurer in Malaysia to have received official approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to host its insurance core system on CAE.
This marks a significant milestone as CAE meets the standards of BNM’s Risk Management in Technology (RMiT) full guidance requirements checklist, making it the first and only public cloud so far to host an insurance core system in Malaysia.
The core system comes with a set of SAP HANA and SAP applications that will be completely hosted on TM’s CAE, which provides a multi-cloud deployment management platform, scalability reliance, and trust.
Setting the stage for ASEAN
On January 1, 2025, Malaysia will take over as the chair of ASEAN. With the digital integration of ASEAN, there will be rapid growth of the digital economy, including safe and smart city solutions that will stimulate economic development and inform social intelligence. As ASEAN sets the stage for a single digital economy to harness its full economic potential, it is crucial for key players within the ICT sector to collaborate and contribute to the robust infrastructure necessary to accelerate ASEAN’s growth.
One of the main players in this acceleration is cloud technology. Huawei Cloud’s Everything as a Service model aligns with Malaysia’s goals for digital inclusion and a sustainable, tech-driven economy. With scalable solutions spanning multiple sectors, including government, education, and enterprise, Huawei Cloud’s offerings are built to scale, providing flexibility for Malaysian companies to grow and innovate as they expand into new markets or enhance existing services.
With an all-digital, all-cloud, and AI-driven approach, Huawei Cloud is dedicated to delivering Everything as a Service, which encompasses Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Technology-as-a-Service, and Expertise-as-a-Service.
Beyond enterprise solutions, cloud solutions are key to fostering digital inclusion for all, particularly in remote areas. Huawei has been steadfast in its engagement with various states across Malaysia, actively working to enhance connectivity in underserved areas and bridging the urban-rural divide.
For instance, in Sarawak, Huawei Malaysia has established hundreds of mobile networking sites alongside cloud services and intelligent operation centres, significantly improving wireless network coverage in the state’s isolated areas. These initiatives reflect Huawei’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that the benefits of cloud technology and connectivity reach even the most remote communities.
Security
Cloud security in Malaysia is an increasingly important area as businesses and government agencies adopt cloud-based solutions in their digital transformation agendas. The country’s rapid adoption of cloud services has raised the need for robust security measures to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
Huawei never compromises on security. Huawei Cloud has more than 130 security and compliance certifications, including the German Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria Catalogue (C5) certification with zero deviation. The C5 is a German government-backed attestation scheme introduced in Germany by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to help organizations demonstrate operational information security based on standard checks and reports. C5 is a widely recognized high-level security standard in the cloud service field. Many enterprises in Europe and around the world use it.
Stability and reliability are our critical lifelines. Huawei Cloud provides seven lines of defence and 20+ cloud-native security services to enhance the intrinsic security of over 200 cloud services. Our Deterministic Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) offers service availability of over 99.99%, with recovery four times faster than the industry average. We also offer a three-level support system and a series of 24/7 support centres worldwide.
A Promising Horizon
Globally, cloud computing underpins critical industries, ranging from finance to education, manufacturing, and retail, offering scalability, cost efficiency, and flexibility that traditional IT systems cannot match.
In Malaysia, cloud technology has emerged as a key driver of the nation’s aspirations to become a high-income digital economy. The government’s digital blueprint, MyDIGITAL, places cloud services at the heart of efforts to modernise industries, improve public services, and enhance digital inclusion.
Huawei Cloud has been collaborating with local solutions providers, telcos, and enterprises in Malaysia to expand its footprint. With a strong foothold in the carrier and enterprise business through our over 23 years of trust building in the nation, we are able to tap into this huge ecosystem for our collaborations with partners.
As a global industry leader with advanced cloud solutions and global cybersecurity expertise, Huawei is in a favourable position to assist with the nation’s ambitious goals and ensure the integrity of its cloud infrastructure.
The best way to predict the future is to create it. Let us stride towards an intelligent future with ubiquitous cloud and pervasive intelligence.
Andy Wei is vice president, Huawei Cloud Malaysia
The post Cloud and AI: Malaysia’s gateway to an intelligent future first appeared on Energy Asia.