Asia-Pacific boosts cloud capabilities

SINGAPORE CITY, Apr 16: Mature Asia-Pacific (APAC) economies continue to top the Cloud Readiness Index (CRI) 2018 rankings. Developed by the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA), the CRI places Singapore and Hong Kong ahead of much larger APAC markets such as China, India, and Indonesia, says a Media OutReach release.

The CRI also reveals that the readiness divide observed in CRI 2016 has slightly widened despite emerging markets' efforts to leapfrog into digitally-enabled economies. If left unaddressed, this divide could lead to a pervasive unequal access to the potential socio-economic opportunities brought about by digital technologies.

Nine of 14 APAC economies did not move in the rankings, suggesting that cloud readiness is progressing at a homogenous pace across the region. The Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan markets stood out by ascending one rank each, while Hong Kong and Australia respectively lost one and two positions.

Singapore's renowned no-nonsense efficiency is a powerful cloud readiness enabler. It is consistently positioned among the top three economies for most segments and parameters, taking top spot in this year's rankings.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are pushing the Japanese government to increase the scope and scale of its cloud readiness. With its high internet speeds, secure environment, and recent privacy reforms, Japan is well positioned to lead regional cloud adoption, added the release.

As one of the four Asian tigers, Taiwan has long put emerging technologies at the forefront of its economic strategies. Improvements in the cloud governance and infrastructure segments, have for instance, strengthened its ability to drive wider cloud adoption by the public and the private sectors.

Hong Kong's tumble may be indicative of the significant advances made by other APAC economies rather than any specific shortcomings. It remains a strong performer in the cloud infrastructure and security segments, while others do much better in terms of cloud regulation and governance.

Despite falling in the rankings, Australia remains a strong regional contender. Weighed down by its relatively poor cloud infrastructure, it remains a strong performer in other key readiness areas thanks to its forward-looking 'Cloud First' policy.