Ryan Yates’ Post

Today, we announced a $1B strategic partnership with e& to deliver cloud and AI solutions to the UAE market. This collaboration is a game changer for UAE enterprises, offering several key advantages: 1. Seamless Cloud Transition: Enterprises in the UAE can now leverage the combined expertise and resources of AWS and e& to modernize and migrate their workloads to the cloud smoothly, optimizing efficiency and reducing costs. 2. Support Across All Sectors: AWS and e& will empower companies of all sizes—from startups to large enterprises, including those in the public sector and regulated industries with stringent security needs. This partnership also ensures that hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses gain access to the AWS Marketplace and tailored solutions. 3. Democratizing AI Innovation: By utilizing Amazon Bedrock and developing industry-specific AI use cases, AWS and e& will democratize access to generative AI technologies. This will enable companies of all sizes, across every industry, to innovate, drive productivity, enhance customer experiences, and fuel business growth. 4. Empowering Local Talent: Through initiatives to train thousands of UAE professionals, enterprises will gain access to a highly skilled local workforce proficient in AWS technologies, accelerating digital transformation with reduced onboarding times and enhanced productivity. Kudos to the AWS and e& teams for reaching this groundbreaking milestone!

At Amazon Web Services (AWS), we are investing in the Middle East to help customers with their ambitious AI strategies and are working to empower every organisation in the Middle East to leverage #AI for innovation and growth towards a digital future in the region. This report is a great read!

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Strengthens Investment in Middle East's AI Future and continue to deepen its commitment to the Middle East, offering the region's most secure, extensive, and reliable cloud infrastructure. Our recent whitepaper, developed in collaboration with IDC, underscores the transformative potential of AI in the region. Key findings from Saudi Arabia and UAE: • 88% of early AI adopters report improved business performance • Significant impact across government, finance, hospitality, and retail sectors • Only 28% of organizations have initiated AI implementation This data highlights both the immense opportunity and the risk of a widening digital divide. In response, AWS is strategically investing to: 1. Expand regional cloud infrastructure 2. Enhance AI and machine learning services 3. Provide comprehensive training and support across all organization sizes Our goal is to empower every Middle Eastern organization to leverage #AI for growth and innovation. We invite business leaders to partner with AWS in shaping the region's digital future. For more information on how AWS can support your AI initiatives, please reach out to discuss your organization's specific needs and you can download the full whitepaper to learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzXcrvXX #AWSMiddleEast #AIInnovation #CloudComputing #DigitalTransformation

#AI, Microsoft to invest $2.2B in cloud, AI infrastructure in Malaysia Microsoft will invest $2.2 billion in cloud and artificial-intelligence infrastructure in Malaysia, coming on the heels of fresh spending plans in Indonesia and Thailand as the U.S. tech giant gears up for rising AI computing demand in Southeast Asia.   Microsoft said last Thursday that its investment over four years will build on previously announced plans to construct its first data center region in Malaysia, and mark its single biggest investment in the country.   Microsoft made the announcement as part of Chief Executive Satya Nadella's visit to the country, where he met with the Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday.   It said the outlay would help meet growing demand for cloud computing services in Malaysia, provide training in AI skills to 200,000 people, and allow it to work with the government to develop local cyber security capabilities.   Nadella is on his final leg of a trip to Southeast Asia, where he has unveiled plans to spend billions of dollars to boost the company's footprint in the region, including by building data centers to help power its cloud computing business. The company said it would build its first data center in Thailand, and invest $1.7 billion into cloud computing and other pursuits in Indonesia, where it is currently building a data center.   Microsoft competes in cloud services with Alphabet, Amazon and Alibaba in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing region of more than 670 million people where demand for data centers is rising.   The company's cloud computing business, Azure, has been expanding rapidly amid rising demand for AI computing. The company said last week that its Azure cloud business in the first quarter grew 31% compared with the same period a year earlier, with 7 percentage points of the growth coming from its AI services, helping to fuel the company's 17% topline growth.   Spending on data centers and other infrastructure to host rising demand took the company's capital expenditures to $14 billion in the first quarter, up from $11.5 billion in the preceding quarter. #AI, #RB

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Strengthens Investment in Middle East's AI Future and continue to deepen its commitment to the Middle East, offering the region's most secure, extensive, and reliable cloud infrastructure. Our recent whitepaper, developed in collaboration with IDC, underscores the transformative potential of AI in the region. Key findings from Saudi Arabia and UAE: • 88% of early AI adopters report improved business performance • Significant impact across government, finance, hospitality, and retail sectors • Only 28% of organizations have initiated AI implementation This data highlights both the immense opportunity and the risk of a widening digital divide. In response, AWS is strategically investing to: 1. Expand regional cloud infrastructure 2. Enhance AI and machine learning services 3. Provide comprehensive training and support across all organization sizes Our goal is to empower every Middle Eastern organization to leverage #AI for growth and innovation. We invite business leaders to partner with AWS in shaping the region's digital future. For more information on how AWS can support your AI initiatives, please reach out to discuss your organization's specific needs and you can download the full whitepaper to learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzXcrvXX #AWSMiddleEast #AIInnovation #CloudComputing #DigitalTransformation

The global IT services market will balloon to $2 trillion by 2028, as enterprises pursue cloud modernization, according to a new Forrester report. The firm reviewed public financial documents, conducted executive interviews and used additional consumer and executive data in its analysis. Forrester expects enterprise IT services spend to increase an average of 16% annually through 2028, despite relatively tepid near-term growth. Economic headwinds spurred by trade conflicts, geopolitical tensions and budgetary caution have taken a bite out of IT services revenue projections this year, the report said. Hyperscalers Amazon Web Services (AWS) Microsoft and Google Cloud are driving the strongest growth by category, with IaaS spending expected to double in five years. By 2028, Forrester expects public cloud infrastructure providers to command 15% of the IT services market, up from 8% in in 2022.

Navigating the Cloud and AI Landscape: Avoiding Vendor Lock-in and Unlocking Potential Big tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google dominate cloud computing and AI, offering businesses powerful tools. However, their dominance raises concerns about vendor lock-in, limiting flexibility and innovation. This article explores this issue and suggests strategies for businesses to: Understand the risks of vendor lock-in: Reduced flexibility, stifled innovation, potential price hikes, and data security concerns. Be aware of the AI arms race: Competition between tech giants might further lock businesses into their ecosystems. Consider the European AI Act: This legislation promotes data portability and interoperability, potentially preventing lock-in. Strategies for businesses: Multi-cloud approach: Distribute workloads and data across multiple providers for flexibility and better pricing. Open standards and technologies: Use solutions built on open standards for easier migration and collaboration. Hybrid cloud models: Combine on-premise infrastructure with cloud services for control and scalability. Strong contract negotiation: Secure clear terms regarding pricing, data ownership, and exit clauses. By adopting these strategies, businesses can leverage the benefits of cloud and AI while maintaining autonomy, fostering competition, and driving innovation. #vendorlockin #AI #AIlockin #cloudcomputing #cloudlockin https://lnkd.in/eq_pQxqd

#AI, Google cloud fuels diverse Asia Pacific digital initiatives Enterprises in Asia Pacific are beginning to adopt services from Google Cloud and its partner ecosystem to support a growing number of digital transformation initiatives, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group, a leading global technology research and advisory firm.   The 2024 ISG Provider Google Cloud Partner Ecosystem report for Asia Pacific finds that companies in the region (which for this report covers Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and India) are quickly embracing digitalization through cloud adoption and data modernization. Google Cloud has become a leading force in these trends, especially in the retail, finance and healthcare industries, often due to its strong partner ecosystem and advanced AI tools.   As governments in Asia Pacific tighten data sovereignty and compliance rules, enterprises seek cloud services specific to the region, the report says. Providers are meeting their needs with security architectures, encryption standards and compliance frameworks that align with local standards, building on Google Cloud's regional data centers.   Generative AI (GenAI) is going from theory to reality in Asia Pacific, changing how some industries operate, ISG says. Businesses are exploring uses in content creation, design automation and personalized customer experience. The democratization of AI development, enabled in part by Google Cloud tools such as GenAI Studio, lets companies take advantage of AI even if they have limited expertise. Applications include better fraud detection by financial institutions, more efficient networks in telecommunications and inventory and price optimization in retail.   The high concentration of AI and ML startups in the region, especially in India, benefits enterprises that need to modernize their data management, the report says.   The report also examines other Google Cloud trends in Asia Pacific, including the growing use of Google Cloud tools to easily generate cross-cloud insights and the influence of Google's distinct approach to gain control over AI-generated content.   For more insights into cloud challenges facing Asia Pacific enterprises, including the complexity of cloud migration and the need for cost optimization, plus ISG's advice for overcoming these issues, see the ISG Provider Lens(TM) Focal Points briefing here. The report names Accenture, Cognizant, HCLTech, TCS and Wipro as Leaders in all five quadrants. It names Infosys and Persistent Systems as Leaders in four quadrants each and Capgemini and LTIMindtree as Leaders in three quadrants each. Genpact and Tech Mahindra are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. Cloud4C, Eviden (Atos), Kasna/Mantel Group, Quantiphi and Rackspace Technology are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.   #AI, #RB

Massive move for Microsoft in the domain of private regional cloud providers I believe this is just the start and we will see many more of those partnershios and deals from hyperscalers to penetrate the market considering data sovereignity will always be a key priority for governments #Data #Microsoft #G42