Akamai Technologies, Inc., a cloud services company, recently conducted a survey on the importance of cloud computing in different countries in the Asia Pacific and Japan region. The results of the survey were quite revealing. In this article, we will delve into the results of the survey and what they mean for the region.
Survey Results
The survey conducted by Akamai Technologies found that 96% of channel partners in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) agreed that cloud is important to their customers’ 2023 strategy. The survey covered 386 respondents across ANZ, Japan, China, India, Singapore, and South Korea.
The survey revealed that the willingness to spend on cloud varies greatly across the APJ region, with 27% planning to spend below 20% of their IT budget on cloud, and 33% planning to spend above 40% of their budget.
Vietnam, Indonesia, and India had the highest percentages in terms of respondents who said the proportion of IT budget spent on cloud would be 60% and up. Conversely, Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan had the highest percentages for respondents who indicated that the proportion of IT budget spent on cloud would be below 20%.
Importance of Cloud Computing in the APJ Region
According to the survey, 95 percent of partners in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region agreed that cloud computing would be key to their 2023 strategy. 96% of channel partners in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) agreed that cloud is important to their customers’ 2023 strategy, with most respondents (48%) estimating that 21-40% of IT budgets would be spent on cloud.
Understanding Cloud Priorities Across the APJ Region
The survey revealed significant differences in the willingness to spend on cloud computing across different countries in the region. Vietnam (31%), Indonesia (27%), and India (23%) had the highest percentages in terms of respondents who said the proportion of IT budget spent on cloud would be 60% and up. Conversely, Thailand (50%), Japan (49%), and Taiwan (40%) had the highest percentages for respondents who indicated that the proportion of IT budget spent on cloud would be below 20%.
Investing in Cloud Computing Capabilities
While most organizations acknowledge the importance of cloud computing, many are apprehensive about investing their IT budgets in this technology, given concerns about costs and how this will affect other overarching IT priorities. As a result, Akamai is investing heavily in scaling its cloud computing capabilities.
In February, Akamai announced Akamai Connected Cloud, a massively distributed edge and cloud platform for computing, security, and content delivery. As part of the announcement, Akamai plans to launch four new enterprise-scale core cloud computing sites across APJ in Chennai, Osaka, Jakarta, and Auckland by the end of 2023.
Security Remains a Key Priority
While cloud computing remains top of mind, so too is security, which continues to be an overarching priority for ANZ partners, with the rise of data breaches in the past months. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) third Annual Cyber Threat Report, the agency received over 76,000 cybercrime reports last financial year – a 13 per cent increase from the year before. To account for these challenges, partners are increasingly looking to provide a range of products and services for customers that embed different layers of security and in-depth defense.
Join the Discussion