KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 10): Google Cloud — a suite of cloud computing services offered by American tech giant Google LLC — has announced plans to add cloud regions in Malaysia to meet growing demand for cloud services in Asia-Pacific.
Malaysia will be among three additional countries, besides Thailand and New Zealand, to join six other previously announced Google Cloud regions, namely Berlin, Dammam, Doha, Mexico, Tel Aviv, and Turin.
However, Google did not detail where the cloud regions are slated to be in Malaysia.
When they are launched, these new regions will join Google’s 34 cloud regions currently in operation around the world, 11 of which are in Asia-Pacific, and which Google claims are delivering “high-performance services" running on “the cleanest cloud in the industry”.
The Sunnyvale-based firm said in a blog on Wednesday (Aug 10) that enterprises across industries, start-ups, and public-sector organisations across Asia-Pacific will benefit from key controls that enable them to maintain low latency and the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards, including specific data storage requirements.
“The new Google Cloud regions in Malaysia, Thailand, and New Zealand will help our customers to continue to enable growth, and solve their most critical business problems. We will work with our customers to ensure the cloud regions fit their evolving needs.
“These new cloud regions [also] represent our ongoing commitment to supporting digital transformation across Asia-Pacific,” said Google Cloud Asia-Pacific vice-president Karan Bajwa.
Bajwa noted that Google will continue to invest in expanding connectivity throughout the region by working with partners in the telecommunications industry to establish subsea cables — including Apricot, Echo, JGA South, INDIGO, and Topaz — and points of presence in major cities.
Meanwhile, International Data Corp (IDC) expects that total spending on cloud services in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan will reach US$282 billion (RM1.26 trillion) by 2025.
IDC Asia-Pacific research director for cloud services and software research Daphne Chung said the new Google Cloud regions will help to address organisations’ increasing needs in the area of digital sovereignty, and enable more opportunities for digital transformation and innovation in Asia-Pacific.
“With this announcement, Google Cloud is providing customers with more choices in accessing capabilities from local cloud regions, while aiding their journeys to a hybrid and multi-cloud environment,” she said.