This article was published in The Manila Standard on August 6, 2021. Photo from the same page.
During the past year, the Philippine Government and businesses have participated in a surge in digital innovation in response to COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges.
The Philippine Government’s Department of Information and Communications Technology even amended its Cloud First Policy in June 2020 to provide more precise instructions on policy coverage, data classification, and data security.
Together, these developments contributed to a major step towards cloud realization in the Philippines. Based on 2020 data released last month, the country ranked number 11 in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region with a total Cloud Readiness Index (CRI) score of 55.3, according to Statista. The Philippines reached 23.2 —the 10th highest score in APAC—for the cloud regulation segment.
Markets are recognizing the importance of digital innovation—particularly cloud adoption—in ensuring business continuity among industries. But a new challenge arises as companies, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), need help implementing their cloud adoption strategies.
Challenges Moving to Cloud
As companies adopt cloud-based infrastructure, large volumes of data are generated and stored in the cloud, introducing new security issues. Due to technical requirements and an industry-wide lack of technical skills, many organizations will need the services of a cloud services provider to ensure the security and confidentiality of the data.
Cloud service providers can also provide migration services to help enterprises move applications to the cloud or provide on-premises facilities based on business requirements. The increased use of cloud-based applications addresses modern customer requirements to access information anywhere and securely.
However, the biggest struggle that many companies will find when expanding their use of cloud technology is cloud management – the process of maintaining oversight and administrative control of cloud computing resources and services. Without effective cloud management, organizations risk the potential for issues related to security, performance, and efficiency, as well as unnecessary costs.
Remediating Cloud Challenges
To improve cloud management in the Philippine Market and the rest of the APAC region, Stratpoint Technologies (www.stratpoint.com) is leveraging its deep understanding of cloud migration and the importance of cloud management. A born-in-the-cloud enabler of digital transformation that delivers enterprise-grade solutions, Stratpoint is collaborating with nOps, a provider of the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud management platform for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an AWS Advanced Technology Partner.
With the help of nOps, Stratpoint helps its customers rapidly execute AWS infrastructure assessments, known as AWS Well-Architected Framework Reviews, to identify and remediate high-risk issues (HRIs). They go beyond simple “lift and shift” of applications to the cloud to help clients design and implement an architecture that fully leverages AWS technology. The strategic partnership includes collaboration on training, support, and a go-to-market focused on cost optimization and security best practices in the AWS Well-Architected Framework.
The nOps cloud management solution has enabled Stratpoint to help its customers save an average of more than 15 percent per month in AWS costs, translating to an effective annual savings of US$20,000 or ₱1,000,000.
“We chose nOps as our cloud management partner because, as users ourselves, we find it is the best tool to manage cloud usage and costs. It works well with AWS, the leading cloud platform globally, which works well for us as an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner,” said Mary Rose Dela Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of Stratpoint.
She added that the partnership with nOps comes at a “fortunate time as companies that have adopted digital and cloud technologies are more equipped to get to the other side of the massive economic shift that is happening today.”
“Stratpoint and many of our clients have long been cloud-native. Together with nOps, we will help Filipino and ASEAN businesses build resilience now and be future-ready,” Dela Cruz added.
The collaboration brings nOps into the Philippines market, expanding the company’s representation in Asia. This helps their rapid-growth customers build, monitor, and run secure and optimized AWS infrastructures aligned with the AWS Well-Architected Framework and other industry best practices.
“We are excited to partner with Stratpoint as we build on the great momentum of the AWS adoption in the Asian market. As an nOps user, Stratpoint has experienced first-hand the benefits that nOps brings to the Well-Architected Review process. And its ability to deliver insights into any changes in the AWS environment that can impact cost, security, and availability,” said JT Giri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of nOps.