Category Archives: Asia Pacific

Akamai, Asia Pacific, China Unicom, Networks, News & Analysis, Noam Freedman, Telco Cloud, Vendor

Akamai, China Unicom strike cloud deal

China Unicom may be using the Akamai deal to bolster its appeal outside China

China Unicom may be using the Akamai deal to bolster its appeal outside China

China Unicom and Akamai have announced a partnership that will see the two companies integrate their cloud services and content delivery network, respectively.

The deal between China Unicom’s cloud division CU Cloud and Akamai will see the former offer the latter’s full portfolio of content delivery, web performance and security offerings, a move CU Cloud said will improve global access to its growing suite of cloud services.

Akamai’s turnkey CDN technology will also underpin global delivery of its cloud services, CU Cloud said.

“China Unicom is a major carrier in China, serving the global internet market,” said Noam Freedman, senior vice president of Akamai’s global networks division. “We’re excited to be partnering with CU cloud to tap into the fast-growing China cloud and CDN market. Akamai sees increased demand for delivering content to Chinese internet users from global customers. With this strategic partnership, we believe Akamai is best positioned to serve this growing need.”

China Unicom has for the past few years targeted cloud services fairly aggressively. In 2013 it was revealed the company was teaming up with a other incumbents including China Mobile and China Telecom on the construction of massive cloud computing datacentres, with total investment from all three operators topping $3bn.

It has also partnered with other local specialists like Huawei and Pacnet on cloud infrastructure and service development.

The latest move may be a sign that China Unicom has set its sights beyond the local market and wants to compete with other increasingly global cloud providers with roots in China – like Alibaba and Pacnet, which have also bolstered global access to their platforms in a bid to cater mainly to large Chinese multinationals.

Asia Pacific, Brendon Riley, Hacking, Network security, News & Analysis, Pacnet, telstra

Telstra’s recent buy Pacnet suffers IT security breach

Pacnet's IT network was hacked earlier this year

Pacnet’s IT network was hacked earlier this year

Telstra’s recently acquired datacentre and cloud specialist Pacnet suffered a security breach earlier this year whereby a third-party managed to get access to its IT network, the telco revealed this week.

Telstra was quick to point out that while the breach occurred on Pacnet’s IT network (which isn’t connected to Telstra’s) before its acquisition of Pacnet was finalised in April, it did do and has since done all it can to try and understand the reasons for the breach and its potential impact on customers.

The company has alerted customers, staff and regulators in the relevant jurisdictions.

Group executive of global enterprise services Brendon Riley said the investigation is ongoing, and that the company will apply its own tried and tested security technologies and techniques to Pacnet’s network.

“Our investigation found a third party had attained access to Pacnet’s corporate IT network, including email and other administrative systems, through a SQL vulnerability that enabled malicious software to be uploaded to the network,” Riley said.

“To protect against further activity we rectified the security vulnerabilities that allowed the unauthorised access. We have also put in place additional monitoring and incident response capabilities that we routinely apply to all of our networks.”

He said the firm is alerting customers of the potential impact of the breach, and hopes that the extra precautions the company has put in place will restore confidence in the firm.

The company has so far declined to comment on the scope or volume of data exposed to hackers.

Telstra seems keen to pre-empt any privacy-related regulatory challenges, something the company has had to deal with in recent years – which, it was eventually found, was due in part to its own negligence.

Last year for instance the firm was fined by the Australian Information Commissioner for making the personal details of almost 16,000 customers accessible via the internet between February 2012 and May 2013 after several spreadsheets containing customer data dating back to 2009 was found through Google Search.

Asia Pacific, Brendon Riley, Hacking, Network security, News & Analysis, Pacnet, telstra

Telstra’s recent buy Pacnet suffers IT security breach

Pacnet's IT network was hacked earlier this year

Pacnet’s IT network was hacked earlier this year

Telstra’s recently acquired datacentre and cloud specialist Pacnet suffered a security breach earlier this year whereby a third-party managed to get access to its IT network, the telco revealed this week.

Telstra was quick to point out that while the breach occurred on Pacnet’s IT network (which isn’t connected to Telstra’s) before its acquisition of Pacnet was finalised in April, it did do and has since done all it can to try and understand the reasons for the breach and its potential impact on customers.

The company has alerted customers, staff and regulators in the relevant jurisdictions.

Group executive of global enterprise services Brendon Riley said the investigation is ongoing, and that the company will apply its own tried and tested security technologies and techniques to Pacnet’s network.

“Our investigation found a third party had attained access to Pacnet’s corporate IT network, including email and other administrative systems, through a SQL vulnerability that enabled malicious software to be uploaded to the network,” Riley said.

“To protect against further activity we rectified the security vulnerabilities that allowed the unauthorised access. We have also put in place additional monitoring and incident response capabilities that we routinely apply to all of our networks.”

He said the firm is alerting customers of the potential impact of the breach, and hopes that the extra precautions the company has put in place will restore confidence in the firm.

The company has so far declined to comment on the scope or volume of data exposed to hackers.

Telstra seems keen to pre-empt any privacy-related regulatory challenges, something the company has had to deal with in recent years – which, it was eventually found, was due in part to its own negligence.

Last year for instance the firm was fined by the Australian Information Commissioner for making the personal details of almost 16,000 customers accessible via the internet between February 2012 and May 2013 after several spreadsheets containing customer data dating back to 2009 was found through Google Search.

Asia Pacific, Datacentre, Foxconn, Kaohsiung, NEC, News & Analysis

NEC, Foxconn to partner on cloud services

NEC, Foxconn are partnering to develop and deliver cloud services to enterprise

NEC, Foxconn are partnering to develop and deliver cloud services to enterprise

NEC Corporation and electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group have announced a partnership that will see the two firms jointly develop an infrastructure-as-a-service platform for enterprises.

The deal will see NEC deploy its datacentre operations management software as well as its software-defined networking technology as the foundation of the service, which will be hosted in Foxconn’s Kaohsiung datacentre in Taiwan.

“We are proud to contribute to the commercialization of Foxconn’s datacentres integrated with SDN technology. Virtualized datacentres enable flexible configuration and rapid provisioning of IT resources, bringing significant benefits to datacentre operators and users alike,” said Takayuki Morita, executive vice president, NEC Corporation.

“NEC is a market leader in the SDN field, with an installation record that includes hundreds of systems for customers worldwide. Utilizing our extensive experience and expertise, we are committed to providing support for the smooth operation of Foxconn’s datacentres in Taiwan, while seeking to broaden our collaboration in order to promote the global expansion of Foxconn’s datacentre business,” Morita said.

NEC will also be providing a direct channel to potential enterprise clients, which may give the joint initiative a boost in the region; Foxconn doesn’t really have a direct relationship with enterprises.

Ed Wu, corporate executive vice president, Foxconn, said: “Information processing technology is a cornerstone in Foxconn’s sustainable business strategy and we are pleased to be working with an industry-leading company like NEC to boost our capabilities in datacentre solutions and to augment our comprehensive suite of information and communications technology solutions.”

“We are committed to investing in the development of high-quality, innovative products and services that meet the needs of our customers and consumers, enabling them to tap the immense opportunities in the Big Data era,” he said.

Alliance stakeholders include National Taiwan University, Asia Pacific, Asus, Big Data, Big Data Alliance, National Taiwan University of Science as well as firms like IBM, News & Analysis, open data, Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei Computer Association, Government launch Big Data Alliance

TCA, government officials launching the Big Data Alliance in Taipei

TCA, government officials launching the Big Data Alliance in Taipei

The Taipei Computer Association and Taiwanese government-sponsored institutions have jointly launched the Big Data Alliance, aimed at driving the use of analytics and open data in academia, industry and the public sector.

The Alliance plans to drive the use of analytics and open data throughout industry and government to “transform and optimise services, and create business opportunities,” and hopes big data can be used to improve public policy – everything from financial management to transportation optimisation – and create a large commercial ecosystem for new applications.

The group also wants to help foster more big data skills among the domestic workforce, and plans to work with major local universities to train more data and information scientists. Alliance stakeholders include National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science as well as firms like IBM, Far EasTone Telecommunications and Asus, but any data owners, analysts and domain experts are free to join the Alliance.

Taiwanese universities have been fairly active in partnering in partnering with large incumbents to help accelerate the use of big data services. Last year National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in southern Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese technology provider Futjistu which saw the two organisations partner to build out a big data analytics platform and nurture big data skills in academia.

Alibaba, Aliyun, Asia Pacific, Enterprise IT, News & Analysis, Sinopec

Sinopec taps Alibaba for cloud, analytics services

Sinopec is working with Aliyun to roll out a series of cloud and big data services

Sinopec is working with Aliyun to roll out a series of cloud and big data services

Aliyun, Alibaba’s cloud services division is working with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) to roll out a set of cloud-based services and big data technologies to enable the firm to improve is exploration and production operations.

In a statement to BCN the companies said they will work together to roll out a “shared platform for building-based business systems, big data analytics” and other IT services tailored to the petroleum industry.

“We hope to be able to use Alibaba’s technology and experience in dealing with large-scale system architecture, multi-service data sharing, data applications in the large-scale petrochemical, oil and chemical industry operations,” Sinopec said.

The two companies also plan to explore the role of cloud and big data in connected vehicles.

Just last month Aliyun opened its first overseas datacentre in Silicon Valley, a move the Chinese e-commerce giant said will bolster its appeal to Chinese multinational companies.

The company has already firmed up partnerships with large multinationals including PayPal and Dutch electronics giant Philips. The company has five datacentres in China.

It would seem a number of large oil and gas firms have begun to warm to the cloud as of late. Earlier this week Anadarko Petroleum Corporation announced it had signed a five year deal that would see the firm roll out PetroDE’s cloud-based oil and gas field evaluation analytics service.

Anise Asia, Asia Pacific, News & Analysis, SAP, Simon Aspinall, Suhaimee Abu Hassan, Vendor, Virtustream

Anise Asia taps Virtustream to help serve up SAP cloud software to SMEs

Anise Asia is working with Virtustream to deliver SAP applications to SMEs

Anise Asia is working with Virtustream to deliver SAP applications to SMEs

Malaysia-based cloud service provider Anise Asia has selected Virtustream to help the company offer SAP Business One software via the cloud to SMEs.

The partnership will see Anise Asia deploy Virtustream’s micro-VM technology in a bid to help it scale and bill for SAP cloud services, which will be aimed primarily at Malaysian SMEs.

“With SAP Business One Cloud, we answered our clients’ call for an ERP solution that was quick to deploy and easy to run and maintain. By moving those solutions into the cloud, we are addressing their demand for more flexibility, security and cost savings,” said Suhaimee Abu Hassan, founder and chief executive officer of Anise Asia.

“Virtustream is a trusted partner with vast SAP application and managed services expertise, and SAP certification that enables us to provide our customers with the best and most comprehensive set of services available in the market,” he said.

Virtustream said the move will help expand the reach of its cloud and software services, as well as its professional services unit.

“This is a strategic move for both companies,” said Simon Aspinall, president of service provider business, Virtustream. “Together, Anise Asia and Virtustream are able to address the growing demand for enterprise-class cloud services in the ASEAN market.”

Bernard Chiang, managing director of SAP Malaysia said: “Our partners are an extension of the SAP network and, quite often with their local knowledge and expertise, play the critical role of fulfilling the ‘last mile’ of implementation.”

Asia Pacific, Datacentre, Equiniix, Fujitsu, Infrastructure as a Service, News & Analysis, Singapore

Fujitsu partners with Equinix on Singapore cloud datacentre

Fujistu has opened its third cloud datacentre in Singapore this week

Fujistu opened its third cloud datacentre in Singapore

Fujitsu has set up another datacentre in Singapore this week amidst what it sees as increasing demand for cloud services in Singapore and neighbouring countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The datacentre, hosted in Equinix’s western Singapore facility, will host Fujitsu’s portfolio of cloudservices and offer a number of new connectivity features “currently under development” that would allow enterprises to federate with other cloud platforms.

The recently announced datacentre is Fujitsu’s third in Singapore, and it already operates over 100 worldwide; the company’s cloud services are hosted from six datacentres globally.

The company said it chose to add another datacentre in Singapore because of its strategic location and attractiveness to large multinational firms.

“In recent years, companies increasingly are embracing cloud services as a platform to support the accelerating pace of business in Asia. In particular, because of its low level of natural disaster related risk and its position as an international network hub with reliable broadband network lines, Singapore is often chosen as the location for integrated systems operations by many companies that are pursuing multinational business expansion,” the company said in a statement.

Fujitsu is the latest cloud vendor to view Singapore as a relatively untapped market for cloud services. This week CenturyLink, which recently expanded its managed services presence in China, added public cloud nodes to one of its Singapore datacentres.

Apart from locally established multinationals and the booming financial services sector, the Singapore Government has also shown itself to be looking to invest more in both using cloud services and growing usage of cloud platforms in the region.

According to Parallels, local SMBs are also hopping onto cloud platforms with reasonable pace. The firm believes the SMB cloud services market in Singapore is projected to hit $916M in 2017, with a three-year CAGR of 21 per cent.

Asia Pacific, Cisco, Internet of Things, IoT, Irving Tan, News & Analysis, Vendor

Cisco to open Internet of Things innovation centre in Australia

Cisco will open an Internet of Things innovation centre in Australia this year

Cisco will open an Internet of Things innovation centre in Australia this year

Networking giant Cisco plans to open an Internet of Everything Innovation Centre in Australia this year, which the company said will house experts in the Internet of Things and help catalyse IoT innovation in the region.

The $15m centre, one of eight planned globally (Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Songdo, Berlin, Barcelona, Tokyo and London) will include locations in Sydney at Sirca and in Perth at Curtin University. Perth-based energy firm Woodside Energy will also contribute resources to the centre.

The centres include dedicated space to demonstrate Internet of Things platforms, and are being pitched as areas where customers, startups and researchers can come together to prototype and test out their ideas.

“Australia is a sophisticated market with a high level of innovation and an early adopter of new technology. Australia is already highly regarded globally for its resources and agriculture sectors and is well-placed to serve the rapidly growing Asian markets, and the Australian government has prioritised these sectors accordingly,” said Irving Tan, senior vice president Asia Pacific and Japan at Cisco.

“The aim now with Cisco IoE Innovation Centre, Australia and its ecosystem of partners is to accelerate innovation and the adoption of the IoE in Australia,” Tan said.

The announcement comes the same week Cisco published a report claiming UK Internet of Things startups could generate more than £100bn over the decade as their offerings catch on in industries like healthcare, retail, transport and energy.

The company also said large firms, SMEs, and government organisations in the UK need to cultivate more joint innovation partnerships if any industry stakeholders are to reap the financial benefits of such a proliferation in internet-connected devices.

Asia Pacific, AWS, centurylink, Datacentre, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, News & Analysis, Pivotal, Red Hat

CenturyLink expands public cloud in APAC

CenturyLink is expanding its public cloud platform in Singapore

CenturyLink is expanding its public cloud platform in Singapore

American telco CenturyLink has expanded the presence of its public cloud platform to Singapore in a bid to cater to growing regional demand for cloud services.

CenturyLink, which recently expanded its managed services presence in China and its private cloud services in Europe and the UK, is adding public cloud nodes to one of its Singapore datacentres.

“The launch of a CenturyLink Cloud node in Singapore further enhances our position as a leading managed hybrid IT provider for businesses with operations in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Gery Messer, CenturyLink managing director, Asia Pacific.

“We continue to invest in the high-growth Asia-Pacific region to meet increasing customer demand,” Messer said.

The company said it wants to cater to what it sees as growing demand for cloud services in the region, citing Frost & Sullivan figures that show the Asia-Pacific region spent almost $6.6bn on public cloud services last year. That firm predicts annual cloud services spending in the region will exceed $20bn by 2018.

The move also comes at a time when the Singapore Government is looking to invest more in both using cloud services and growing usage of cloud platforms in the region.

Last year the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said it was working with Amazon Web Services to trial a data as a service project the organisations believe will help increase the visibility of privately-held data sets.

The agency also signed a Memorandum of Intent with AWS that would see the cloud provider offer usage credits $3,000 (US) to the first 25 companies to sign up to the pilot, which will go towards the cost of hosting their dataset registries or datasets.

It’s also announced similar partnerships in the past with Pivotal and Red Hat.