Leveraging data in the APAC region: AWS paves the way with advanced solutions

• 2023 presents a crucial opportunity for APAC organizations to leverage data to optimize costs, find new revenue streams, and reinvent customer experiences.
• AWS will focus on providing customers with advanced tools for malware and ransomware protection at scale.

Many businesses in the ASEAN region are embracing digital transformation to remain competitive in the face of economic challenges. They are turning to cloud technology as a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way to update their data and tap into the benefits of advanced analytics. A recent research report by Deloitte Access Economics, commissioned by AWS, showed that organizations in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region that use data have the potential to increase their yearly business revenue by as much as 8.7%.

Tech Wire Asia sat down with Wayne Duso, Vice President, Storage, Edge, and Data Services, AWS, to discuss the importance of data optimization for businesses in the APAC region in 2023. He highlighted the latest AWS innovations and discussed how they compare to other storage companies. He also talked about the protection and security of data in the cloud, which is a top priority for AWS.

Understanding the need for data

2023 presents a crucial opportunity for APAC organizations to leverage data to optimize costs, find new revenue streams, and reinvent customer experiences. With limited budgets and the need to do more with less, data offers untapped potential for businesses looking to improve their operations. However, the effective use of data is not a natural part of most people’s skillset, and many organizations struggle to turn their data into tangible results.

“To address this, a technology called CRISPR from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) allows for DNA splicing. The goal is to make this technology accessible to everyone so that it becomes a natural part of their skill set. To achieve this, we must first gather data – not just for ourselves, but for others as well,” said Duso.

AWS: A leader in data management

AWS, a leading provider of cloud computing services, is committed to helping APAC customers make the most of their data. The company offers unmatched data storage, database, and computing services, as well as Data Lab, which provides a fantastic opportunity for anyone in the region to learn how to turn their data into valuable insights.

The recent re:Invent conference showcased AWS’s ETL-less capability between Redshift and S3, which makes it easy to move data from S3 to Redshift for analytics. This product eliminates the need for infrastructure or pipeline knowledge, as AWS cleans and validates the data as it moves into Redshift.

AWS is also innovating in hybrid edge and storage services, offering a unified continuum of capabilities that allows customers to interact with AWS in their preferred way.

“This means bringing AWS to the customers where they need it, when they need it, and in the format they need it, with consistent services defined by their APIs and tools. This was discussed at the AWS re:Invent event,” said Duso. “We believe that local presence is essential, which is why we are doubling down in the ASEAN, Asia Pacific region, with a 100% year-over-year increase in our presence.”

For customers who need AWS equipment in their data centers, Outposts provide a way to extend AWS from the region to their data centers, reducing latency for real-time decision-making applications. The Snow Family and IoT solutions are also available for customers in remote locations, such as mining, oil and gas, or areas with limited network connectivity.

In terms of storage, AWS has made significant advancements, including the introduction of Glacier instant retrieval, which allows direct access to archival data in milliseconds, and glacier deep archive, which significantly reduces the cost of storing and using data. These innovations were made possible by analyzing AWS’s operational data, providing valuable insights and allowing for price reductions and increased capabilities.

AWS vs pure-play storage players

Duso, who has 30 years of experience in building storage products and ten years of that time at AWS, shared his thoughts on the company’s comparison with other pure-play storage companies in terms of capabilities and offerings. He believes that AWS stands out due to its unmatched capability to swiftly deploy logical products globally, continuously improve based on customer feedback, and provide cost-efficient solutions. The offering is possible because the company does not deal with physical products, allowing them to adapt to market changes swiftly.

“I don’t believe comparing ourselves to traditional on-prem products is fair. Such a comparison wouldn’t be fair to either. What’s more crucial is the shift in the model. The question is, how can we cost-effectively embrace this change for our customers and maintain our focus on cost-effectiveness? Over the last 11 years, we have reduced our prices 129 times while others are increasing. This makes us a powerful player in the market,” he explained.

AWS provides services that are designed to perform one specific task efficiently, thereby eliminating the need for customers to purchase a system that performs multiple tasks.

When asked about the viability of tape storage in today’s cloud-driven world, Wayne expressed that tapes have outlived their usefulness, especially in terms of cost-effectiveness and simplicity. “I have no strong opinion on tapes themselves, but I have a much stronger opinion on what they are used for, which is cost-effective deep data storage,” said Duso. “The need for deep data storage has not disappeared, but the solution needs to be simpler, easier, more cost-effective, and more efficient than tapes.”

According to Duso, tapes require physical removal and storage in a salt mine, resulting in a waiting period of several weeks for retrieval, with no guarantee of functionality. This method is no longer suitable for today’s fast-paced business environment.

Instead, he sees the value of Amazon S3 Glacier, which provides the same cost benefits as tapes but with increased speed and agility. “I do not believe tapes are dead, and if someone wants to use tapes for their solution, that is fine. But the solution that tapes initially provided is no longer sufficient,” he continued.

Security of data is a top priority for AWS

Security is always a top priority for AWS, as studies indicate that every 11 seconds, some type of malware attack, such as ransomware, takes place. This is a concerning thought and highlights the need for security to be a top priority. The company has built numerous security services for its customers, and security is always at the forefront of its work. A security professional reviews every line of code to ensure security is not compromised.

“Traditionally, security has focused on perimeter security, building a fence around the network to keep out intruders. However, with the rise of cloud computing, this approach is becoming less effective,” said Duso. “We are moving towards a zero trust architecture where every endpoint is responsible for its security. While it is impossible to keep out all threats, a zero trust architecture allows for detection and remediation of violations, minimizing the impact on the rest of the work.”

AWS will focus on providing customers with advanced tools for malware and ransomware protection at scale, with the goal of a holistic approach to security that is truly effective.

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