Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence arm of Alibaba Group, has entered into a strategic partnership with Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS), a leading ICT Systems Integrator and Solutions Provider based in Sarawak, fully owned by the Sarawak State Government. This collaboration was solidified through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement, coinciding with the launch of SAINS’ Private Cloud, a cutting-edge, secure cloud solution powered by Alibaba Cloud.
This marks a significant milestone as it introduces the first Alibaba Cloud private cloud program in Malaysia, propelling the digital transformation efforts in the region and ushering in advanced cloud computing and innovative technologies for public services, businesses, organizations, and educational institutions in East Malaysia.
Central to this initiative is the deployment of Alibaba Cloud’s Apsara Stack solution, offering versatile implementation options for various businesses. This new infrastructure solution ensures reliable hosting services for SAINS’ customers, thereby reducing Recovery Time Objectives, which define the acceptable downtime duration following a failure or disaster.
Over the years, SAINS has developed numerous applications for its customers, and advancements in mobile and cloud technologies have heightened expectations regarding application reliability and disaster recovery. To address this, SAINS has opted for swift automatic recovery of customer applications.
Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure is purpose-built for scalability and robust financial-grade disaster recovery capabilities, aligning with SAINS’ future growth plans and stringent security standards. With the introduction of two Availability Zones for disaster recovery using Apsara Stack in Sarawak, both SAINS and its key customer, the Sarawak Government, can benefit from applications running simultaneously across two zones.
Busiai Seman, CEO of SAINS, commented, “Our customers have increasingly high expectations when it comes to application service reliability and restoration times. Therefore, we have decided to implement private cloud-based platforms with automatic disaster recovery capabilities from partners like Alibaba Cloud to swiftly provide peace of mind and security while adhering to our key customers’ data sovereignty policies.”
This collaboration has been facilitated by VSTECS Pericomp, the distributor for Alibaba Cloud in Malaysia and a subsidiary of VSTECS Berhad, a prominent ICT distributor in the country with a four-decade track record of supporting ICT infrastructure and digital transformation across Sarawak and Malaysia. By integrating this solution known for its stability, security, openness, and enterprise-tailored smart cloud features, Sarawak aims to position itself as a leading digital economy hub in Malaysia.
Kun Huang, General Manager of Malaysia at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, stated, “The Apsara Stack solution combines leading technical capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region with comprehensive operational capabilities. This will propel Sarawak further and faster into the digital realm, positioning it at the forefront of cloud technology adoption. We are confident that our collaboration with SAINS will drive innovation, efficiency, and growth in the region.”
This newly established partnership underscores Alibaba Cloud’s enduring commitment to empower Malaysia as a high-value-added economy. It reflects ongoing investments of time, expertise, and resources to accelerate Malaysia’s digital transformation journey with advanced technologies and streamlined solutions.
As a global leader in cloud services, Alibaba Cloud operates a network of 89 availability zones in 30 regions worldwide, providing a highly secure, scalable, and robust cloud infrastructure to support global customers in their pursuit of digital innovation while prioritizing sustainability. Furthermore, Alibaba Cloud has maintained twin local data centers in Malaysia since 2017 and introduced its first cloud-based Anti-DDoS Scrubbing Center locally in 2018, serving the region.
