Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has announced the availability of its first data centre in South Korea, an effort that is expected to support local digital transformation.
Unique Song, Regional General Manager of Japan & South Korea, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence said: “We are launching the data centre in Korea to meet the strong needs for digital transformation from our Korean customers. Through the launch of the data centre, we will continue to enable Korean customers with the latest cloud-based technologies and solutions to succeed in their digital journey.”
With the availability of this local data centre, Korean enterprises and SMEs will have complete access to a wide range of cloud products and services offered by Alibaba Cloud, spanning from cloud computing, network, storage, security, database and AI services, to solutions that address vertical industry challenges.
“The new data centre will support our Korean customers to meet not only local security and compliance standards, but go beyond and reach global standards. This will help Korean businesses to expand globally more smoothly,” said Stone Ni, Country Lead of South Korea, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
Local skillsets training
To ensure cyber protection and compliance standards, Alibaba Cloud said that it has more than 80 security and compliance accreditations worldwide. Further, it has committed to providing high-quality and trusted cloud services meeting the world-leading standards of data protection for consumers and businesses under the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR).
“With our latest facility in Korea, Alibaba Cloud aims to train at least 2,000 IT professionals in this fiscal year, so the shortage of talents don’t hinder the innovation of our customers,” Ni added. Alibaba Cloud has continued to invest in South Korea through the expansion of its cloud infrastructure, alongside an increase in both digital talent training and local hiring.
It has established a local team and trained them to address the specific needs of clients and deliver a personalized customer service experience. A total of USD1,000,000 cloud credits will be available for Alibaba Cloud’s new customers enrolled in March and April. Businesses can use these credits to purchase Alibaba Cloud’s products and services.
Since Alibaba Cloud entered the South Korea market in 2016, it has introduced proven technologies from the Alibaba ecosystem to serve a wide array of South Korean customers in various industries including retail, finance, manufacturing, logistics, media & entertainment, and internet companies.
For example, Alibaba Cloud has provided Lala Station, one of the leading Korean live streaming companies, with a one-stop e-commerce live streaming solution. It will provide a rich and seamless online shopping experience for Korean consumers, while furthering Lala Station’s appeal among consumers in across Southeast Asia.
Alibaba Cloud’s local partner MEGAZONESOFT, a leading cloud service provider which has partnered with Alibaba Cloud since its entry to the Korean market in 2016, also expressed excitement about the opportunities that the new Korea data centre will bring to local businesses.
“The launch of the Alibaba Cloud data centre in Seoul is a great opportunity for Korean enterprises with ambitions to enter global markets, including China. The new availability also serves as an opportunity for local customers to choose the best cloud option for their business. We will work together with Alibaba Cloud to help Korean enterprises adopt and migrate to the cloud, while working closely with Megazone affiliates and oversea branches to aid entry to markets abroad,” said Lee Joo-wan, CEO of MEGAZONESOFT.
The opening of the new data centre in Korea is part of Alibaba Cloud’s expansion plan in the Asia Pacific region. With this, Alibaba Cloud has 82 total availability zones, spreading across 26 regions worldwide.
