Author: Alfie Amir

Alfie Amir is a senior analyst in Current Analysis Group. He is responsible for research, consulting and analysis focusing on market and technology trends, competitive analysis and account-based intelligence for ICT spending and modeling future investments. He also works across several trackers (e.g., fixed, mobile and IT) providing market sizing, forecasts and insights across the region. Alfie is quoted regularly in trade press and is a regular speaker at conferences, workshops and other industry events.

5G Updates in ASEAN – Q4 2020: More Countries to Launch 5G This Year, Steady Growth Expected in the Next Five Years

by Alfie Amir, posted in IT Leader
A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• Indonesia and Vietnam have joined the 5G bandwagon in ASEAN with commercial deployments expected later this year.

• The forecast remains stable with 5G subscribers expected to grow from 600,000 in 2020 to 125 million and account for 16% of the total mobile subscribers in 2025.

Key Announcements

October 2020 – Singtel Launches 5G Standalone (SA) Trial Network For Enterprises: Following the launch of its 5G non-standalone (NSA) trial network to the mass market in September, Singtel offers 5G SA network on 3.5GHz frequency band for enterprises to develop and trial 5G solutions. The telco also partners with Ericsson on dual-mode 5G core network solutions and mmWave to enable new enterprise applications and empower the country’s smart-nation initiatives. These initiatives are crucial for Singtel to gain a first-mover advantage as competitors (e.g., Starhub and M1) are expected to launch their 5G SA networks soon. Continue reading “5G Updates in ASEAN – Q4 2020: More Countries to Launch 5G This Year, Steady Growth Expected in the Next Five Years” →

Telco SD-WAN in ASEAN: Significant Development, but What’s Next?

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure
A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • The SD-WAN market landscape in ASEAN has evolved. Many telcos have added SD-WAN as part of their enterprise ICT portfolio.
  • The ASEAN telcos could consider multi-vendor offerings and overlay-underlay integration as the next steps.

There are two types of telcos. The first type is telcos that are aware of the increase in SD-WAN demand and leverage the technology to drive their network services. This type often comes from a consumer heritage and is looking to expand into an adjacent market. In most cases, they are alternative providers. These telcos have accepted the fact that the MPLS market is on a downtrend and will continue to decline. They position SD-WAN as a value-add to complement their existing connectivity services. There are also cellular telcos with small/no revenue from the fixed-line services which see SD-WAN as a new market opportunity. These telcos have been aggressive in driving the market and leveraging their brand and connectivity advantages to differentiate against non-telco competitors. The second type is telcos that are also aware of the growing SD-WAN demand, but see it as a threat to their connectivity business. These are often the incumbent telcos with a large portion of revenue from legacy connectivity services. Most of them still believe that the declining MPLS revenue is because of competition, not due to lower market demand. These telcos also often do not have any SDN/NFV capabilities. Some of them offer the service quietly/selectively with a below-the-line marketing strategy. Continue reading “Telco SD-WAN in ASEAN: Significant Development, but What’s Next?” →

What Malaysia May Lose from the 5G Pushback

by Alfie Amir, posted in Network
A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• As the industry players are preparing for 5G, the government’s new initiative pushes back the technology to 2022.

• 5G is no longer a new technology and it carries more benefits than drawbacks for a country.

Malaysia was quite advanced in its 5G development with various industry collaborations exploring the potential of the technology in the country. This includes the task force set up by the regulator (MCMC) with initiatives such as events and collaborations among industry players to roll out 55 5G use cases in 2019. Besides, telcos have also been preparing their infrastructure to launch the technology, which was initially planned for H2 2020. Continue reading “What Malaysia May Lose from the 5G Pushback” →

TM ONE Leap Summit 2020: Accelerating Digital Transformation in Malaysia Through Expanded Capabilities

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure
A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • TM ONE has expanded its ICT portfolio and strengthened its professional service capabilities.
  • However, there is still a gap in its partner ecosystem compared to other providers.

TM ONE held its third LEAP Summit virtually in November 2020.  At the event, the provider shared various initiatives not only in enhancing the country network infrastructure in line with the government’s plan, but also in expanding its portfolio and capabilities as a digital transformation partner to Malaysian enterprises.  Its focus is on the future of work (e.g., robotics, automation AI), digital competency or skillset, agile working, and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0).  The provider also shared several actual use cases and showcased its portfolio and capabilities in cloud, cybersecurity, 5G and IoT, and data analytics.  This post discusses TM ONE strengths and gaps in the market as well as recommendations for the provider and buyers in the country. Continue reading “TM ONE Leap Summit 2020: Accelerating Digital Transformation in Malaysia Through Expanded Capabilities” →

Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts – An ASEAN Perspective, Part 2: What’s Next for Providers and Buyers

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, IT Leader

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • Apart from providing technical certification and accreditation to partners, enhancing their consulting/advisory capability is also a crucial area for AWS to win in the region.
  • Enterprises with strict data residency requirements should consider migrating their data from on-premises to Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts to access the wide range of features and development tools offered by the hyperscaler as well as seamless integration with workloads in AWS Regions.

The first part of this post, ”Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts – An ASEAN Perspective, Part 1: Addressing Enterprises’ Key Concern in Data Storage,” analyzes the solution and how it will address the ASEAN market.

Despite the promising demand, ASEAN is a highly competitive market and has attracted various other players including Alibaba and Google Cloud. Microsoft has a strong presence and has been strengthening its footprint in the region. There are several areas AWS could consider to drive greater market impact in the region with Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts. Continue reading “Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts – An ASEAN Perspective, Part 2: What’s Next for Providers and Buyers” →

Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts – An ASEAN Perspective, Part 1: Addressing Enterprises’ Key Concern in Data Storage

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, IT Leader

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts will address the increasing need for data storage and drive edge computing requirements in the region.
  • The traction for hosted storage is aligned with the growing cloud adoption in the region; enterprise spending on cloud is expected to increase by 6% in 2020.

Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts

AWS announced the availability of Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts across its global footprints to meet customers’ demands for low-latency applications, local data processing, and data residency. Based on the same APIs and tools used for the Amazon S3 on AWS Regions, the solution offers consistent experience and performance to enterprises for management and orchestration of workload across different locations. Continue reading “Amazon S3 on AWS Outposts – An ASEAN Perspective, Part 1: Addressing Enterprises’ Key Concern in Data Storage” →

5G Updates in ASEAN – Q3 2020: Mixed Developments, but Still a Solid Growth Forecast

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • There have been mixed 5G developments in the region. While the 5G race is heating up in the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore, the launch is still unclear for Indonesia and Malaysia.
  • 5G subscribers are expected to grow from 0.2 million in 2020 to 127 million and account for 17% of the total mobile subscribers in 2025.

Key Announcements

July 2020 – Philippine PLDT/Smart 5G Goes Live: The incumbent launched its 5G services in key business districts in Metro Manila about one year after its rival, Globe. While PLDT may have lost some very early opportunity, the launch is timely in the Philippines considering the ecosystem and market readiness. The launch will also increase the competition and hence drive the adoption of 5G in the country. PLDT is also leveraging its strength in the enterprise segment to stay ahead of competitors. It has integrated the technology in its enterprise portfolio and is collaborating with various industry players to co-develop 5G use cases, such as partnerships with TV5 to modernize news operations and with Ateneo de Manila University on 5G smart campus. Continue reading “5G Updates in ASEAN – Q3 2020: Mixed Developments, but Still a Solid Growth Forecast” →

Can Converge ICT Break PLDT and Globe’s Duopoly in the Philippines?

by Alfie Amir, posted in IT Leader

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

• Converge ICT is rapidly expanding its business and upgrading its infrastructure.

• While it is breaking PLDT and Globe’s dominance in the mass market, Converge ICT is still several steps behind in the enterprise segment.

The Philippines Managed Services Market
Like other emerging ASEAN countries, the Philippines managed ICT service market has been growing rapidly in the last few years driven by digital transformation initiatives by enterprises across different industries. The adoption of newer technologies such as cloud and SDN/NFV is increasing and has recently been accelerated by new demands such as remote working during the COVID-19 crisis. While the market is largely dominated by the two big carriers: PLDT and Globe; there are several other players such as Converge ICT, Radius Telecoms, Eastern Communications, and NOW Corporation with a small piece of the market share pie respectively. Continue reading “Can Converge ICT Break PLDT and Globe’s Duopoly in the Philippines?” →

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

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable

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). Continue reading “Google Cloud Next 2020 – ASEAN Impact – Part 1: Driving Multi-cloud Adoption in the Region” →

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

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable

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. Continue reading “Google Cloud Next 2020 – ASEAN Impact – Part 2: Powering SMBs in the Post COVID-19 Era” →