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Singtel, VMware to set up hybrid cloud sandbox
The hybrid cloud sandbox environment will let companies test their cloud workloads and software-defined networks
Singtel and VMware are setting up a sandbox environment for enterprises to test their workloads in a hybrid cloud environment, underscoring the growing ties between Southeast Asia’s biggest telco and the virtualisation bigwig.
Both companies said the sandbox – or what they call a foundry – would help to drive digital transformation efforts, such as implementing cloud-enabled workplaces to lower costs, as well as improve operations and productivity.
The sandbox, which is also expected to be available in Australia and Hong Kong, will come with a suite of services, including private and hybrid cloud, multi-cloud managed security and a digital workplace system that supports telecommuting initiatives.
Bill Chang, CEO for group enterprise at Singtel, said the foundry will address the needs of companies that want to migrate to the cloud and implement software-defined networks.
“We will help them design, secure and deploy cloud-enabled solutions, in short, customise the flexible infrastructure they need to accelerate digital transformation, adopt new and disruptive technologies, and boost competitiveness,” he said.
The foundry follows earlier efforts by the two companies to address the needs of organisations across a region that has a growing appetite for cloud services. Singtel’s managed virtual private cloud service, for example, is powered by VMware.
In 2012, Singtel also won a five-year deal to implement the Singapore government’s private cloud service, built on VMware vSphere. The service provides scalable and resilient cloud computing resources for government agencies and supports different levels of security and governance requirements.
Read more about cloud computing in ASEAN
- AWS has rolled out its Snowball data transfer and edge computing service in Singapore, underscoring efforts by the cloud behemoth to ride on the growing momentum of IoT and hybrid IT in APAC.
- Alibaba Cloud will use its City Brain artificial intelligence platform to analyse data from camera feeds and traffic junctions in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
- Organisations in Southeast Asia are looking to augment their on-premise datacentres with cloud-based resources in an increasingly hybrid IT landscape in 2018, a new survey has revealed.
- Rackspace has established a new office in Singapore to tap into the growing APAC market for cloud-based infrastructure.
Besides working with telcos to deliver cloud services, VMware is also courting telcos that are looking to overhaul their legacy infrastructure to support new services such as the internet of things and 5G mobility.
In September 2017, VMware inked a deal with Vodafone, which will use vCloud network function virtualisation (NFV) as part of its group-wide transformation programme.
Anil Rao, principal analyst at Analysys Mason, said that although telcos have embarked on digital transformation initiatives, they remain constrained by their prevalent operating model.
In a report commissioned by Huawei, Rao called on telcos to gear up for a software-driven operations model that not only supports today’s physical networks, but also adapts to the transition towards hybrid and virtual networks.
