AWS Showcases Its Infrastructure Design to Offer Higher Performance and Cost Savings in ASEAN

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• While AWS is expanding its ASEAN footprint, in-country regions can be important to capture high-growth domestic opportunities.
• Its custom and modular approach offers higher performance and reliability, but also enables cost savings through better resource management.

AWS has shared with analysts its capabilities and some details of its infrastructure design, including the data centers, networking, and server equipment that make up each of its regions.

Globally, AWS has 81 availability zones across 25 regions in 19 countries, comparable with other major cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud and ahead of niche players and market challenges such as Alibaba Cloud, Tencent, Oracle, and IBM.  Each of its regions has two or more availability zones, with newer ones consisting of at least three.  Each availability zone has multiple data centers to offer high availability and performance.  This is not new and has been a common approach by some leading global hyperscalers.  AWS has also been using a modular approach for its data center (a.k.a. Amazon Perdix) for over a decade.  All the availability zones are interconnected through its own metro fiber network.  It also uses cutting-edge 6912-fiber-count cables in its network.

The Final Frontier: Fueling Space Exploration with Edge, Cloud, and Open Source

C. Drake

Summary Bullets:

• Recent experiments conducted on the ISS showcase the potential for edge computing, cloud, and open source software to advance space research and exploration.
• The experiments have involved technology from IBM, Red Hat, HPE, and Microsoft, illustrating the benefits of a collaborative approach by ‘big tech’ to space exploration.

Since its launch into space earlier this year, the Spaceborne Computer-2 (SC-2) on the International Space Station (ISS) has been enabling several important experiments, including crop cultivation projects and efforts to monitor astronaut health.  These experiments showcase the potential for edge computing, cloud computing, and open source software to advance space research and play a key role in missions to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  The experiments have involved technology from IBM, Red Hat, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Microsoft, also illustrating the benefits of a collaborative approach by ‘big tech’ to space exploration.

Investment in Facial Recognition Forges Ahead Despite Ethical Concerns

R. Bhattacharyya

Summary Bullets:

• Despite public apprehension related to the privacy and accuracy of facial recognition, companies offering the technology continue to attract the attention of investors.
• Suppliers of facial recognition technology are taking steps to address the ethical concerns raised by civil liberties organizations.

Despite the negative publicity around facial recognition, companies offering the technology continue to attract the attention of investors. This summer, U.S.-based Clearview AI raised $30 million from private investors; Israel-based AnyVision raised $235 million from SoftBank, Eldridge, and others.  Both companies have been embroiled in controversy around the use of their technology by law enforcement, but neither seems to be hindered by it.   Instead, both are using the opportunity to move the ethics conversation forward.

Automation/Observability Market Heats Up with ServiceNow’s Acquisition of Swarm64

Summary Bullets:

Charlotte Dunlap – Principal Analyst, Application Platforms

• ServiceNow’s acquisition of modern database vendor Swarm64 combined with Lightstep’s modern monitoring platform aligns nicely with ServiceNow’s observability strategy.

• Under increased pressure to accelerate digitization of company apps and systems, integrated observability technologies (as a component of automation solutions) will play a significant role in accelerating app modernization in the next six to 12 months.

Last week saw more jostling among players involved in the hotly contested intelligent automation space, with workflow automation leader ServiceNow continuing its technology buying spree to reinforce its DevOps arsenal.

ServiceNow announced plans last week to acquire hybrid database vendor Swarm64 to help ease management of large volumes of data transactions via advanced analytics. The move comes on the heels of its acquisition of Lightstep, a modern monitoring platform which aligns nicely with ServiceNow’s observability strategy. ServiceNow has become a growing competitive threat in the automation and observability space, stemming from enhancements to its Now Platform under an initiative the company calls insight-guided workflows.

Are IIoT MVNOs Still Relevant?

K. Weldon

Summary Bullets:

• IIoT MVNOs have struggled in recent years due to a reliance on connectivity-led portfolios while large mobile operators have had a stronger focus on directly selling their own enterprise IoT solutions.
• Those MVNOs that remain and thrive have revamped offerings in order to stay relevant, drawing customers with application enablement, vertical solutions, management platforms, and professional and managed services.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) play an important role in expanding the reach of enterprises looking to connect diverse devices on a global basis, primarily via cellular technologies.  They can expand mobile or fixed operators’ footprints as a partner or sell directly to OEMs and enterprises that need widespread, easy-to-use connectivity.  Whether they partner with operators or compete directly against them depends on whether customers need seamless connectivity in regions where a single carrier cannot provide service.  They also may partner with satellite providers or have their own satellite connectivity services – ideal for markets where cellular service is spotty or unavailable such as maritime environments.

Event Platforms Bloom in a World Gone Hybrid

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Summary Bullets:

G. Willsky

• The best event platforms enable execution of hybrid events spanning in-person and virtual attendees.

• Event organizers benefit disproportionately from event platforms as compared to attendees.

When COVID-19 arrived, virtual meetings became de rigueur seemingly overnight. Almost as soon as vaccines began to be administered and a pandemic ‘exit strategy’ took shape, team collaboration platforms graduated from facilitating ‘meetings’ to enabling ‘events’. What features do event platforms typically possess and are these platforms worthy of accolades? Let’s find out.

Team collaboration platforms have expanded to include large-scale, multi-session events and conferences. Such affairs are reminiscent of the pre-COVID world when no one thought twice about jetting to destinations near and far to cram into hotel venue rooms or convention centers. The best platforms today reflect the need for some to join from the comfort and solitude of a home or office while others navigate crowds traversing miles of institutional carpeting stretching under their feet. Vendors such as Cisco, Microsoft, and Zoom have invested heavily in fortifying their event capabilities.

China Public Cloud Infrastructure Market Still Has Plenty of Room for Growth with Significant Inbound/Outbound Opportunities

S. Soh

Summary Bullets:

• Public cloud services saw strong growth (over 50%) in 2020, as businesses and consumers have come to rely more heavily on digital services during the pandemic.
• Chinese cloud vendors still dominate the domestic market, but there are significant opportunities for global cloud vendors to compete in China and for Chinese vendors to expand globally.

The Rise of Public Cloud Amid the Pandemic

China’s public cloud infrastructure services market, comprising infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and cloud management platforms, grew over 50% year-over-year in 2020 to reach $14.8 billion.  China has managed the pandemic better than many countries, and it has weathered the economic impact relatively well.  Still, with the international travel restrictions and the government’s priority to get economic growth back on track, there has been stronger investment focus on digital technologies.  This includes digital infrastructure (e.g., 5G and data centers) and solutions around AI, big data, IoT, and smart city.  These initiatives have a direct, positive impact on public cloud services.  Domestic cloud vendors including Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei, and Tencent are also investing heavily in developing cloud-based AI technologies to drive different use cases including autonomous vehicles, voice assistants, machine vision, etc.  Moreover, the pandemic has driven greater demand for online activities such as healthcare and education, and the adoption of cloud-based solutions across all industries is expected to continue beyond the pandemic.