Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 53 | Page 16

EDITOR ’ S COMMENT

THE STATE OF THE CLOUD IN AFRICA : A PARTNER ’ S PERSPECTIVE

ANDREW NGUNJIRI , PRACTICE MANAGER : INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE , DIMENSION DATA EAST AFRICA
As a new wave of investments is spreading across Africa centred on companies migrating to the cloud , Andrew Ngunjiri , Practice Manager : Intelligent Infrastructure at Dimension Data East Africa , discusses the state of the cloud market on the continent and how channel partners need to be preparing for mass adoption of hybrid cloud .
been vocal about investing in the private cloud to cater to their specific requirements .
This has provided the impetus for many hyper-scalers to look at opening operations in Kenya instead of purely relying on their regional offices in South Africa , the United States , and Europe to service the region ’ s demands for cloud computing services .
Cloud-enabled
Events of the past two years have made it virtually impossible for people to move around . The cloud has therefore become an essential tool for businesses to survive .
Beyond this , there are three reasons why the cloud has become a critical building block for the region . Firstly , it provides the business agility necessary to remain competitive . Secondly , the cloud helps to address any security and compliance concerns resulting from a rapidly evolving regulatory environment . And thirdly , the cloud injects a level of performance and operational efficiency not previously possible .

The cloud in Africa is undergoing massive transformation and acceleration . There has been a huge uptake in cloud services , especially when it comes to SMEs turning towards hyper-scalers . Meanwhile , more prominent organisations and governments have been embracing the private cloud .

An EY study has highlighted a new wave of investments spreading across Africa centred on companies migrating to the cloud as they look at becoming more efficient while reducing their operational costs . Closer to home , the Kenyan market has always been one of the largest adopters of technology in the region .
Therefore , it is not surprising that there has been a significant interest in cloud services by both the public and private sectors here . Additionally , the public sector and the financial services industry have
The public sector and the financial services industry have been vocal about investing in the private cloud to cater to their specific requirements .
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