Better Together: Hybrid Cloud and Colocation

Data centre demand is heating up, and the Asia Pacific region is at the heart of it all. On the back of accelerating digital transformation, increased cloud adoption and the upcoming launch of 5G mobile networks, the Asia Pacific data centre market is set to overtake North America as the world’s largest by 2021, hitting a projected US$ 28 billion in market size by 2024¹. Similarly, Southeast Asia is seeing an exponential increase in demand for colocation data centre facilities. Growing at a 13% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), Southeast Asia will be the fastest growing colocation data centre market in the world, surpassing the rest of the APAC region (12.2%), EMEA (11.1%) and North America (6.4%)². 

Leading the growth of demand in colocation data centre capacity is the burgeoning cloud market. Public cloud spending in the APAC region is expected to increase three-fold between 2018 and 2023, at a rate of 33.9% CAGR to hit US$ 76.1 billion by the end of the period³. With many organisations realising the benefits of scalability, agility and the immense capability boost afforded by a hybrid cloud strategy, it is no longer a choice between a purely private or public cloud. Instead, today’s CIOs face the challenge of selecting the right mixture of cloud and traditional IT to suit the needs of their organisation – be it public, private, hybrid or multi-cloud, complete with edge computing, containers and serverless configurations. 

All aboard the hybrid express 

Research shows that 81% of organisations today are already adopting a hybrid or multi-cloud strategy⁴. Amidst all the ongoing digital transformation efforts, CIOs should realise that colocation facilities offer the best of both worlds between hybrid and private on-premise deployments. 

Experienced partners can help businesses maintain round-the-clock connectivity between private and public cloud servers maintained at a colocation facility, saving them the hassle of building a private on-premise facility from scratch while enjoying the scalability and agility offered by the cloud as well as assured security from a private deployment. 

Connectivity: Access to cloud providers and services 

One of the chief benefits to a colocation facility is that of connectivity. Compared with on-premise configurations, colocation gives businesses access to multiple cloud providers and therefore access to different Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) services. 

By placing colocation hubs closer to end-users and cloud availability zones, businesses can reach customers with localised direct traffic and achieve lower latency for certain time-sensitive applications such as real-time monitoring or trading purposes. Businesses can also right-size their storage and compute facilities according to demand across geographies for regional or global deployments. Additional resources can be added on-demand for better agility and scalability. 

Furthermore, carrier and cloud-neutral colocation facilities can offer easy access to a variety of cloud providers as per the customer’s choice, enabling businesses to easily connect to services and establish service offerings, thereby achieving quicker go-to-market schedules. 

Reliability: Insight into operational excellence and network visibility 

At ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, our colocation facilities provide operational excellence with 24/7 onsite support that is further augmented by real-time visibility and transparency into the network via our dedicated customer portal. Customers are able to monitor key performance statistics, manage cross-connect inventory and place orders – key functions that are critical to managing daily operations for any deployment. 

Real-time environmental and power readings via the customer portal also enable on-the-go optimisation to ensure that power utilisation, cooling and lighting are in line with operational needs. Our 100% power availability promise further ensures our customers’ mission-critical data is protected at all times, providing peace of mind and the reliability required. 

Compliance: Continually adapt to changes in regulations 

With complex and changing regulatory frameworks, as well as multiple sets of regulations to adhere to in regional or global deployments, keeping up-to-date and in line with the latest regulations may be an onerous task for any company. It may also take up resources that may be otherwise diverted to core mission-critical tasks. 

In these instances, colocation providers with robust compliance programmes and frameworks provide customers with trust and added confidence for their outsourcing needs. This also means that colocation providers like us at STT GDC are well-attuned to customers’ needs and can provide the necessary guidance and support in times of need. 

Accelerating your cloud journey 

As our economy becomes increasingly digital, businesses that have embarked on a digital transformation journey will come to realise that such a journey will never end. In fact, the pace of change is only going to accelerate as consumer demands evolve. Regardless of strategies deployed, the cloud will remain a key element for any digital transformation strategy, serving as the foundation of any modern business. 

To keep up with the rapid pace of change while maintaining a competitive edge over competitors across different markets, businesses must ensure the best cloud strategy is in place for them. This is achieved by working with a global colocation partner that can provide a unified platform equipped for multi-region hybrid-cloud deployments and is supported by local teams with the necessary on-the-ground knowledge. The best of partners will help accelerate the cloud journey of businesses by handling all technical matters related to connectivity, reliability and compliance – enabling businesses to focus on what truly matters: delivering impactful business outcomes. 

¹ Cushman & Wakefield, Southeast Asia to Lead Data Centre Growth in the Next Five Years  
² Cushman & Wakefield, Southeast Asia to Lead Data Centre Growth in the Next Five Years  
³IDC, New IDC Forecast Reveals Asia/Pacific Spending on Public Cloud Services to Reach USD 76.1 Billion by 2023  
⁴ RightScale, 2018 State of the Cloud Report