Article by Tyler Qiu, Country Manager of Thailand, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence
It's crucial to innovate and stay ahead of the competition constantly. One significant leap ahead is cloud computing to succeed in today's business climate, allowing companies to leverage the internet fully. Businesses can avoid traditional infrastructure constraints by storing, processing, and managing data on internet servers.
With its many advantages, cloud computing has quickly become ingrained in the Thai business community. There are several ways in which Thai businesses can benefit from adopting cloud computing, including opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness, foster cooperation, and speed up the process of digital transformation. Businesses of all sizes in Thailand can benefit from cloud computing due to its lower costs, scalability, and adaptability.
The adoption of cloud computing services in Thailand has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years. This transformation is a part of the government's attribution initiatives aimed at promoting digitalization and fostering the use of cloud technologies. Numerous industries in Thailand have embraced cloud computing to modernize their business operations and gain a competitive edge in their respective markets. The availability of robust internet infrastructure and high-speed internet connections across the country has played a significant role in driving the widespread adoption of cloud computing. Additionally, the expanding presence of both local and international cloud service providers has provided Thai businesses with access to a diverse range of cloud-based solutions and services.
Thailand is at the forefront of Asia's cloud adoption trend
According to the results of "The Next-Generation Cloud Strategy in Asia" survey, the latest independent research that Alibaba Cloud commissioned, Thailand is leading the way to encourage cloud adoption throughout Asia. According to the survey, a vast majority of Thai businesses (95%) foresee a sizable increase in cloud investment, leading the pack of 8 surveyed Asian markets including Indonesia (94%), the Philippines (91%), Hong Kong Special Administration (83%) and Singapore (83%)
The survey results indicate that many businesses choose public cloud based on reliable local support and strong reputation for security. It's clear that businesses have seen the value of moving to the public cloud in terms of operational efficiencies, cost savings, and improved security.
Investments and usage of cloud is becoming increasingly diverse in Thailand
According to the survey's findings, as a direct result of COVID-19, 54% of businesses in Asia are expanding their utilization of software hosted in the cloud. Businesses in Thailand are diversifying the types of cloud-based technologies in which they invest their capital. To be more specific, 59% of organizations were investing in automation, while 53% were investing in data analytics and artificial intelligence.
Even though the private cloud is relatively the most ideal type (36%), public cloud (23%), and hybrid cloud (29%) are making significant headway in the country. The cloud is set to play an increasingly important role in the Thai market, with around half of business intending to increase their investment in public cloud (49%) and hybrid cloud (55%) more than one fifth in 2023.
More than 60% of the surveyed Thai enterprises have been utilizing cloud services for at least three years, which suggests that cloud adoption has attained significant momentum across businesses. The findings also shed light on the subfields of the Thai industry that stand to benefit the most from digitalization, including financial and banking services, retail, education, media, and gaming.
While there are many benefits to using cloud computing, there are also some obstacles that Thai companies must overcome. Inadequate staff training is the most important barrier for implementation for both public and private cloud users, while the high cost (36%) and lack of tech support (42%) for vertical industries pose the greatest barrier to digitization and innovation. However, by taking the initiative to move to the cloud, Thai businesses may enhance productivity, speed up their digital transformation, and stay ahead of the competition.
Cloud computing is changing the business landscape of Thailand
The widespread adoption of cloud services in Thailand has revolutionized the business landscape, offering organizations across industries a plethora of advantages. The remarkable benefits of cloud computing, including increased adaptability, scalability, collaboration, deployment speed, return on investment, compliance, and ease of adoption, have fueled its popularity, and positioned it as a key driver of business expansion and innovation.
To embark on this transformative journey, businesses in Thailand are encouraged to explore the possibilities of cloud computing further. Taking the initiative to assess their organization's requirements, seeking guidance from cloud experts, and formulating a robust cloud adoption strategy tailored to their specific goals will be paramount.
It is crucial to remember that the cloud is not merely a technology; it is a powerful tool capable of revolutionizing operational efficiency and enhancing customer connections. Embracing the cloud, harnessing its capabilities, and embarking on a journey of digital transformation will propel businesses in Thailand to new heights and pave the way for sustained success.
As Asia Pacific's largest and world's third largest public cloud provider, Alibaba Cloud has 88 data centers in 29 regions globally to provide cloud computing services worldwide. In Thailand, we launched our first data center in 2022 offering a full range of global leading and proven cloud solutions to assist Thai companies to improve operating efficiency and accelerate business growth through digital transformation.
The Next-Generation Cloud Strategy in Asia is an independently conducted research commissioned by Alibaba Cloud, collecting feedback from 1,000 cloud strategy decision-makers in small and large-sized businesses using cloud services. It looks at the cloud adoption status and cloud strategy across eight Asian markets (Thailand, Hong Kong S.A.R., Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea) and key industries to generate insights into cloud investment, product development, and service delivery to helps businesses identify opportunities and address challenges.