This advertorial was originally published in
DCD Magazine Issue 38: Voyage of Discovery

The sheer scale of digital growth across Asia dwarfs that of any other continent. By 2023, the Asia-Pacific region will have 3.1 billion Internet users, up from 2.1 billion in 2018, according to the Cisco Annual Internet Report (2018-2023). As Fiona Lau, executive director and commercial director at SUNeVision explains, this scale of regional data growth is a key driver behind the launch of the SUNeVision Cloud eXchange [SCX].

Equally important is the consensus that cloud and in particular multi-cloud is the way to meet Asia’s surge in digital demand, and the recent impetus from COVID-19.

“The way the economy is growing through innovations such as AI, 5G and IoT is off the charts,” says Lau. “We have seen significant growth in data traffic in the past few years. Our customers understand digital transformation is inevitable. In the past, they knew they needed to migrate to cloud; now they know they have to do it sooner rather than later.”

The Era of Multi-cloud

The SCX is designed to meet the growing demand for multi-cloud which offers greater efficiency, flexibility and ease of use. Increased regional access to multi-cloud is only possible through a unique provision system which is carrier and cloud-neutral and available on demand. Users in key upcoming markets including Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and the Philippines can now access major cloud providers via virtual connections into the software-defined SCX in Hong Kong.

“Multi-cloud has been around for some time, but it’s not used uniformly across Asia, so we have developed strategies to enable them to maximise the performance and benefits,” says Lau. “Our data centre campus and SCX just serve the local economy and help the neighbouring regions grow digitally. Access to SCX is through a single portal - the system will then enable one-to-many connectivity as required by each individual user.”

Delivery of SCX is based on reliable data centre infrastructure and secure networks which connect users to multi-cloud. The SCX is hosted from SUNeVision’s Asia-leading MEGA Campus. Its core resides in a strong ‘eco-system’ built up over 20 years, founded on strategically connecting telcos, ISPs, CDN, OTT, new economy players and enterprises from different sectors with all major cloud providers. Lau considers this the key asset and most unique benefit of the SCX platform since it opens up greater business opportunity, instant collaborations and more effective business decision-making across the region

There are more than 10 submarine cables which land in Hong Kong and the majority of these have chosen to locate their PoPs within SUNeVision’s facilities. Hong Kong’s proximity to the markets of East and South East Asia also facilitates faster regional data exchange.

More Choice, Anywhere, Sooner

SUNeVision’s rich ecosystem provides customers with the competitive advantages of choice, accessibility and opportunity. “Migration is much easier than before when the client actually needed someone to go to their rack to switch provider,” says Lau. “That might take a couple of days, not forgetting associated labour costs and security risks. The beauty of the SCX is that it is all remotely managed. So, with the click of a button, you’ll be able to switch to any major cloud provider, enabling greater flexibility and better user experience for customers.”

Deployment of cloud has not always met expectations. A key feature of the SCX is clients know what they are using, for what purpose, and only pay for what they use. “Especially in larger organisations there will be different use of cloud in different departments, and nobody really has an oversight over what is being used and how they can optimise it,” says Lau. “Therefore, we have developed a totally technologically viable and proven platform that means now we can create significant convenience and extra value for customers – you pay for it only if you use it. That is what the SCX represents, a better way of enabling businesses to use multi-cloud effectively and efficiently in order to harness the opportunities that technology can bring.”