Google Cloud & DNeX partner to boost Malaysia's cloud tech

Google Cloud and Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX) have announced a strategic multi-year partnership to deliver sovereign cloud services in Malaysia aimed at industries with stringent data requirements such as public services, finance, healthcare, and energy.

The collaboration intends to address the increasing local demand for cloud solutions that adhere to specific data residency, security, and privacy regulations.

Under the agreement terms, DNeX will operate the Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) as a Managed GDC Provider (MGP) in Malaysia, specialising in air-gapped configurations to satisfy the needs of local organisations. This approach allows DNeX to offer various deployment options, either on-premises or in partner data centres, with adaptable hardware solutions, such as general-purpose CPUs and GPUs, catering to specific workload demands.

This endeavour marks Google's introduction of its sovereign cloud solution, allowing operation fully within a customer's chosen setting, devoid of any need for connectivity to a Google Cloud region or the public internet.

"Malaysia's public sector and regulated industries require cloud capabilities that guarantee digital sovereignty while adhering to stringent regulatory standards," commented Karan Bajwa, Vice President for Asia Pacific at Google Cloud. "We're pleased to address this need by partnering with DNeX." Bajwa added that this collaboration would empower Malaysian organisations with advanced cloud infrastructure, developer tools, and AI services.

Through GDC, DNeX is set to provide organisations in regulated sectors access to Vertex AI, Google Cloud's enterprise AI platform, enhancing the ability to develop and deploy machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications while keeping data securely within national borders. Additionally, the GDC enables utilisation of Google's open AI models and pre-trained models for tasks like speech recognition and optical character recognition, supporting over 100 languages, including Bahasa Malaysia.

Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir Jamalullail, Executive Chairman of DNeX, voiced the benefits of this partnership, stating, "Organisations in Malaysia's regulated industries are eager to deliver modern digital services to their stakeholders but are constrained by limited access to cloud services that meet strict sovereignty requirements. This unique solution will unlock possibilities for secure and transformative innovation."

In addition to the cloud services, both companies are exploring the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence in Malaysia. This initiative aims to nurture local AI talent and foster innovative solutions to various challenges, aligning with Malaysia's ambition to become a regional leader in AI technology. Tan Sri highlighted the importance of this centre, saying, "An AI COE will help upskill Malaysians and DNeX's workforce in particular. This will enable the Group to embed enterprise-ready AI into all its lines of business."

This partnership continues Google Cloud's investment in Malaysia, following the company's plan to establish its first data centre and Cloud region in the country. The goal is to enhance the digital infrastructure supporting Malaysian organisations across diverse industries, thereby boosting their digital competitiveness.