Unified Endpoint Management: Solutions Evolve with Advanced Security, Analytics, and App Enablement

Summary Bullets:

K. Weldon

• GlobalData’s latest update on the unified endpoint management (UEM) market sees market leaders (such as VMware, MobileIron, and BlackBerry) adding differentiated capabilities to foster greater adoption.

• New offerings include support for IoT devices, app performance monitoring, usage analytics, and threat management. Easy on-boarding for a remote-first workforce and integration of multiple platforms are also important to UEM customers, as COVID-19 offers unique challenges.

While UEM discovers, manages, and secures mobile devices and governs those devices’ access to enterprise applications and data just like its predecessor enterprise mobility management (EMM), UEM also provides management and control functions for traditional desktops and laptops, IoT devices, and applications used on diverse end-points. UEM also offers a wide range of additional features including secure collaboration, file editing, sharing and cloud-based file storage, mobile app customization and deployment, analytics for mobile devices and applications, and IoT device and data management and security. UEM has emerged as a mechanism for organizations to unify management of mobile and traditional endpoints as well as provision applications across multiple platforms.

Google Cloud Next 2020 – ASEAN Impact – Part 1: Driving Multi-cloud Adoption in the Region

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• Google Cloud announced new solutions and updates to catch up with competitors in value-added services and differentiate in open-platform and analytics.

• Multi-vendor support enables Google Cloud to address the multi-cloud requirements of ASEAN enterprises.

Google Cloud made several announcements at the recent Google Cloud Next 2020 OnAir, including BigQuery Omni (multi-cloud analytics solution. For more, please see Google Cloud Next 2020: Google Pads Anthos via GCP’s BigQuery AI Extensions, July 15, 2020), Confidential Computing (encryption of data while being processed), Assured Workloads (automation of compliance), G-Suite update, and Anthos update. At the event, the provider also shared its plan on partner ecosystem expansion and professional service capabilities. For more, please see Google Cloud Next 2020: What Google Lacks in Cloud Market Share, it Makes up for in Engineering, July 16, 2020. These announcements are crucial for Google Cloud to retain its advantage against other providers in areas such as analytics and interworking with other platforms, and close the competitive gaps in other areas (e.g., market share, partner ecosystem, professional services and value-added services).

Google Cloud Next 2020 – ASEAN Impact – Part 2: Powering SMBs in the Post COVID-19 Era

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• Google Cloud could position G-Suite and its retail solution to help ASEAN SMBs during the pandemic.

• Google should include key local players in its partner ecosystem to extend its market reach in the region.

Google Cloud made several announcements at the recent Google Cloud Next 2020 OnAir and shared its expansion plan of partner ecosystem and professional service capabilities. The first part of this report: Google Cloud Next 2020 – ASEAN Impact – Part 1: Driving Multi-cloud Adoption in the Region analyzes Google Cloud’s proposition in multi-cloud in ASEAN. This post discusses the opportunity in SMBs and recommendations for Google Cloud and end-users in the region.

Impact of COVID-19 on ASEAN SMB

Domestically, SMB represents a large amount of market opportunity driven by over 90% of total establishments in a country. The buying behavior is different than large enterprises and MNC. The low ICT adoption and lack of internal ICT capabilities translate to higher opportunities for managed service providers. However, market growth is expected to be slower post COVID-19 as many SMBs are significantly impacted by the pandemic. SMBs, especially the small and micro enterprises, have had to squeeze their budgets across all functions including ICT to sustain their business during and post lockdown. Digital transformation is becoming less important, and the main priorities have shifted to adapting to new customers’ buying bmehavior such as e-commerce and cashless payment (e.g., mobile wallet). The economy and low power purchasing in ASEAN are also pushing them to be even more cost-sensitive with ICT purchasing. All discretionary spending is expected to be put on hold.

Google Cloud Next 2020: What Google Lacks in Cloud Market Share, it Makes up for in Engineering

Charlotte Dunlap – Principal Analyst, Application Platforms

Summary Bullets:

• Google’s BigQuery Omni announcement pads Anthos, strengthening its multi-cloud position

• Google’s lagging cloud business will be fulfilled via GCP, expert enterprise developers, and engineering culture

What Google lacks in cloud followers and enterprise confidence, it makes up for with its engineering culture.

This week during Google Cloud Next digital conference, the company went after its arch-rivals in the cloud wars with new innovations that shore up its hybrid/multi-cloud brand Anthos. Google’s release of multi-cloud analytics solution BigQuery Omni is a reminder of Google’s ability to address sophisticated application modernization requirements by centralizing access to datasets located across major clouds including Google Cloud, AWS, and soon Azure.

COVID 19: GlobalData Survey Reveals Minority to Cut Cloud and App Dev Spending

Charlotte Dunlap – Principal Analyst, Application Platforms

Summary Bullets:

• Only 30% of survey respondents will cut cloud budgets

• Within app modernization projects, the vast majority will prioritize app development/management

While less than half of global enterprises surveyed by GlobalData indicated plans to cut cloud and application development IT spending budgets, ops teams will seek more consolidation and automation to achieve a DevOps model.

In the area of application platforms, a recent GlobalData survey revealed that only 30% of respondents indicated plans to cut IT spending in cloud computing. In the area of application development, respondents reported that application development and management was the priority by a large margin compared to more traditional app infrastructure and DevOps areas including: application lifecycle management (ALM); application platforms (PaaS); business process management (BPM); ICT services management; and app performance monitoring (APM). The survey included over 4,000 IT buyers across the world to better understand how COVID-19 is expected to impact technology purchases.

AWS Outposts Availability in New Countries Strengthens AWS’ Presence and Drives Edge Computing in ASEAN

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• AWS Outposts availability in ASEAN countries strengthens AWS’ presence in the region and enables it to capture the high-growth cloud opportunities there.
• AWS Outposts and Wavelength will drive edge computing through stronger collaborations with partners, especially the telcos.

Launched late last year in select markets, AWS Outposts takes hybrid cloud to the next level by enabling enterprises to run AWS compute storage, database, and other services within their own premises or preferred third-party data centers. For more, please see “AWS re:Invent 2019: AWS Announces General Availability of Outposts, but Must Demonstrate Management Competence” (December 5, 2019). Recently, the provider added nine new countries, including emerging markets such as Malaysia and Thailand, making Outposts available to 50 markets through 22 regions to date. While competitors have their own approach (e.g., Azure Stack, Google Anthos, Alibaba Apsara Stack), AWS is a step ahead in its service availability globally and partner ecosystem.

Cloud Wars’ Latest Ammunition: Robotics

Charlotte Dunlap – Principal Analyst, Application Platforms

Summary Bullets:

• IBM and Microsoft make key robotic process automation (RPA) acquisitions in May and June, respectively

• RPA is largely viewed as a major component of emerging intelligent automation solutions

RPA software has become the silver bullet of the various components which comprise new intelligent automation solutions that promise to provide cloud providers with an edge in the hotly contested cloud wars.

In recent weeks, cloud leaders Microsoft and IBM have made Tier 3 RPA acquisitions in order to fortify their automation strategies. Automation solutions are turning into a major new opportunity that application platforms vendors are betting on to help lure enterprises into app modernization projects and to gain steam amidst cloud rivals. The ability to automate repetitive operational processes is a mounting objective among enterprises in order to speed time to market with important services, and help reduce manual errors.

AWS Telco Symposium: 5G, Edge, and IoT Come Together

K. Weldon

Summary Bullets:

• AWS partners with telcos in four primary domains: digital transformation and modernization; applied AI/ML; business automation; and monetization of 5G, edge, and IoT. At a recent virtual symposium, presentations on each area were replete with solutions and use-case examples, shedding considerable light on the breadth of AWS’s vision.
• 5G, edge, and IoT are increasingly linked as key technologies that work together for telco growth. The event illustrated how AWS is already playing a key role as a partner and enabler, helping telcos bring new solutions to light as 5G emerges, while expanding its own opportunities.

AWS held a half-day virtual symposium on July 8 that focused on its telco business; the solutions the hyperscaler and its partners detailed were extensive, highlighting how telcos of all shapes and sizes have extensive relationships with AWS. Carriers often depend on the provider for much more than cloud infrastructure. While these alliances are often synergistic and reciprocal (as telco relationships also are with Microsoft and Google), and clearly the two ‘camps’ of telco and cloud provider can’t quite live without the other, there is also some level of ambiguity/co-opetition as they offer joint or highly enmeshed solutions to many of the same enterprises.