A talk I delivered at MOSC (Malaysia Open Source Conference) 2010 on cloud computing from the perspective of developing nations.

1. Cloud Computing in Developing
Nations
Marshal Yung
Chief Software Architect, Synapses Systems Sdn Bhd
©2010 Marshal Yung

2. Developing nations have a very different cultural
and political landscape
Can developing nations adopt strategies from
developed nations to adopt cloud computing?
What are our developing nations doing to stay on
track with the advent of cloud computing ?
©2010 Marshal Yung

3. What on Earth is
Cloud Computing?
©2010 Marshal Yung

4. Revisit: What is Cloud Computing?
● An unavoidable question during these times
● Fundamentally made possible through:
● Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
– Software and hardware enabling utility computing and metering
● Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
– Application development platform enabling software providers to
develop, deploy, and deliver software as services through a
cloud computing environment
● Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
– Web based applications delivered over the internet as services
without the need of installing and running the application on end-
users computer
©2010 Marshal Yung

5. Revisit: What is Cloud Computing?
● Technically, it's not entirely a new thing
● From the business perspective, it's a whole
new world in business computing
● Another technology marketing hype?
● Definitely not – cloud computing is here and it's very
real
● In short, it's delivering IT services with a whole new
business model, opening new windows of
opportunities
©2010 Marshal Yung

6. What's Not New in Cloud
Computing?
● Almost everything about the technology are not new
● Cloud computing technologies had been around for
at least 30 years (or more)
● Grid computing, virtual machines, programming
languages, on-demand applications, operating system,
development platforms, etc.
● Is resource elasticity new?
● No: Partitioning of storage, memory, and resources
allocations by images
● Yes: Resources elasticity and management are now
automated for scalability
©2010 Marshal Yung

7. What's New in Cloud Computing?
● Everything from the business perspective is new
● Utility billing and pay-per-use:
● All computing resources are billed as utilities like water and
electricity consumptions
● Storage space, memory, computation power, bandwidth,
database consumption, etc.
● ROI:
● Collaborative cloud development = Higher Development
Efficiencies = Shorter design-build-deploy cycles
● Green computing:
● Elastic computing = efficient computing power consumption =
less energy wastage
©2010 Marshal Yung

8. Cloud Computing in
Developing Nations
©2010 Marshal Yung

9. The Developing Nations
GDP Per Capita
Countries
(2009 IMF Estimates)
Malaysia USD6,896
Thailand USD3,939
China USD3,677
Selected based on
Indonesia USD2,329 similarities in
India USD1,124
cultural and
political landscape
Vietnam USD1,060
Average GDP Per Capita USD3,170.83
©2010 Marshal Yung

10. Cloud Computing Challenges for
Developing Nations
● 3 main common challenges:
● Costs of technologies and insufficient funds
● Challenges in technical expertise
● Infrastructure stability and availability
● Other challenges?
● Mindset and cultural perspectives?
©2010 Marshal Yung

11. Cloud Computing in Indonesia
©2010 Marshal Yung

12. Cloud Computing in Indonesia
● Typically, servers are deployed everywhere, as
silos and widely distributed
● New data centres built around the country by
local telecommunication operators
● Deploying consolidated data centres with
virtualisation for e-Government services
● Disaster recovery centres
● Data centre infrastructures and facilities
outsourcing becoming a common trend
● Provision to both commercial and public sectors
©2010 Marshal Yung

13. Cloud Computing in Indonesia
● Main challenge:
● Internet bandwidth and usage demand
● Estimated cloud computing uptake:
● Within 3-5 years time
©2010 Marshal Yung

14. Cloud Computing in Thailand
©2010 Marshal Yung

15. Cloud Computing in Thailand
● Pioneered by local ISP and data centre operators
● IaaS facilities
● Computation, storage, and security virtualisation
● Initial cloud applications:
● Security software offered through SaaS model
● SMB being the highest adopters due to low CapEx and
TCO
– Zero setup costs in hardware, software, and technical personnel
– Zero ownership on hardware and network equipments
©2010 Marshal Yung

16. Cloud Computing in Thailand
● Strategy:
● Joint collaborations between local ISP, data centre
operators, software companies (20 selected)
● Reusing existing facilities - Software Park (established in
1997)
● Creating cloud computing development environment
● ISP and data centres sponsored cloud computing
environment to encourage development, testing, and
deployment of cloud applications
● First year target: at least 20 front-office ERP applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

17. Cloud Computing in China
©2010 Marshal Yung

18. Cloud Computing in China
● A giant magnet to foreign cloud computing
companies
● IBM, Dell, Joyent, Enomaly, Microsoft, CDC Software
● Wide adoption of Community Clouds
● Very strong government involvements – from the
China Central Government to state/provincial
governments and municipalities
● Data centres in each SEZ sponsored by the
China Government
©2010 Marshal Yung

19. Cloud Computing in China
● SaaS as the primary focus:
● 74% of Chinese firms look at SaaS as high priority
● 29% of Chinese firms planning to pilot SaaS projects
in the next 12 months
● SaaS applications in high demands:
● Content management applications
● Collaboration software
● Human capital management tools
● ERP applications
Source: Forrester
©2010 Marshal Yung

20. Cloud Computing in China
● Cloud computing services:
● e-Government for the public
● Business applications for local industries
● Ironically, software piracy plays a key role in
boosting cloud computing in China, particularly
SaaS applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

21. Cloud Computing in China
● Strategy:
● China Central Government provide funds and
resources to state/provincial governments
● State/provincial governments allocate funds and
resources to municipalities
● Community Clouds initiated by the government,
implemented by private sectors
● Cloud computing consumed by businesses and
citizens
©2010 Marshal Yung

22. Other Developing Nations
● Vietnam
● IBM first cloud computing centre in HCM
● Foreign investments with Vietnam ministries
● Cloud computing centres for universities
● India
● Driven by local software industry – SaaS provider
● Continue to leverage on off-shore IT outsourcing
● Uganda and South Africa
● Mobile data centres - UConnect
● Enabling schools and educations with internet access in rural areas
● Mobile device enabled SaaS applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

23. What are the Observations?
©2010 Marshal Yung

24. Common Strategies
● Localised joint collaborations, mainly among:
● ISP, data centres, software providers
● Public-private sector collaborations
● Reusing existing facilities and infrastructure
● Incubation centres
● Web hosting providers, ISP
● Test-bed centres for cloud computing R&D, testing,
and deployment
● Incentives to encourage cloud computing initiatives
©2010 Marshal Yung

25. Common Strategies
● Initial adoption:
● e-Government, education, SMB
● Driving force:
● Local software industries
● SaaS providers – new and legacy applications
● Pioneers:
● Local ISP and data centre operators
©2010 Marshal Yung

26. What About Cloud Computing in
Malaysia?
©2010 Marshal Yung

27. Cloud Computing in Malaysia
● MIMOS Bhd participation in Open Cirrus
● Open source cloud computing test-bed initiated by
HP, Intel, and Yahoo!
● Wide media coverage since 2008
● Data centre consolidations
©2010 Marshal Yung

28. Is Malaysia Ready for
Cloud Computing?
©2010 Marshal Yung

29. Thought I would say a big YES?
Well, I say, let's look into it
©2010 Marshal Yung

30. Our Existing Resources
● Infrastructure services
● Probably not the best globally, but certainly good
enough or one of the best
● 8 high performance data centres in Malaysia – NTT
MSC, AIMS
● Web hosting providers
● Software providers
● SaaS, mobile applications, web based business
applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

31. Where Do We Start?
Collaborations from All Parties
©2010 Marshal Yung

32. Where Do We Start?
● IaaS
● Too costly to build new cloud computing data
centres
● Why not reuse existing ones?
● Participations from ISP and data centre operators
● SaaS
● e-Government services – application consolidation?
● Business applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

33. Where Do We Start?
● PaaS
● THE MISSING LINK!
● Cloud platform for SaaS development, cloud
computing management, metering, etc.
©2010 Marshal Yung

34. A Thought for Today: Plans for
Malaysian Cloud Computing
©2010 Marshal Yung

35. Fundamentals Must Be In
Place First
● Utilising existing data centres as cloud
computing data centres
● e-Government services and e-business
applications
● COMMUNITY CLOUD!
– Application consolidation
● Software application revolution
– Building new cloud application – if necessary
– Converting legacy applications to cloud applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

36. Beware of Traps
● Vendor lock-in
● A true cloud should have:
– True interoperability
– Platform and technology independence
● Security in the cloud
● Software and network securities
©2010 Marshal Yung

37. Fostering Adoption
● Universities and education institutions
● Research and computation work utilising cloud
computing resources
● Citizens WOULD accept e-Government
services
● Businesses WOULD accept e-Business
applications
©2010 Marshal Yung

38. Fostering Adoption
● What about rural areas?
● The challenges:
– Unstable infrastructure
– IT literacy – less people having a computer
– Lack of internet coverage
● The good news:
– More than 90% mobile network coverage
● Solutions:
– SaaS applications has to be mobile device friendly
– Trading and business over mobile networks
©2010 Marshal Yung

39. Cloud computing, hype or not, it's
happening, and it's very real!
©2010 Marshal Yung

40. Thank You!
©2010 Marshal Yung