Public-private partnerships with cloud providers key to driving smarter cities in Asia

SINGAPORE,March 8,2022 -- At this year's Technology for Change Week Asia,Tencent Cloud discussed the increasingly critical role the private sector plays in driving digital transformation,as Asia moves towards smart cities. Tencent Cloud believes that private sector stakeholders continue to be invaluable in fostering a vibrant,sustainable digital ecosystem in Asia.

Speaking at a panel discussion on the role of cloud-based solutions in e-governance,Poshu Yeung,Senior Vice President,Tencent Cloud International noted that successful digital transformation is powered by collaboration between governments,private sector players and local stakeholders like citizens and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Emphasizing that the private sector needs to see themselves as partners to the digitalisation process,he outlined two key areas where cloud technology providers can better support smart city initiatives: working in tandem with ecosystem players and cultivating a skilled talent pool.

Developing a strong,thriving digital ecosystem is key to sustaining smart cities. At the onset,the role of the government remains critical to initiate the move towards a smarter city. Private sector players complement the government by lending their expertise and technical know-how to better advise local stakeholders. These stakeholders can range from local businesses and governments themselves to citizens,who may not yet realise how digitalisation can make their lives more efficient. Yeung commented,"The challenge for both businesses and governments in their digitalization journey is similar. They may not know where or how to start,or even what they want. Beyond the technology,we now need to step up as consultants to help them understand the options available and the way forward."

Individuals are now moving to online channels for their day-to-day services,from making payments to shopping and even booking consultations at healthcare institutions. To meet this growing range of digital demands,expedited by the onset of the pandemic,businesses and governments look to improve service efficiency and drive better engagement amongst employees and citizens. As technology adoption accelerates amongst end-users and service providers,local talents need to keep pace and continually upgrade their skills to harness these rapidly evolving technologies,ensuring that there is a healthy pipeline of tech talent to support the digitalisation process.

As one of the world's leading and fastest-growing cloud companies,Tencent Cloud is a strong proponent of leveraging its experience and knowledge for training and upskilling. Having officially launched its Tencent Cloud certification programs in 2021,the company has since made its high-quality learning materials available for free on international e-learning platform Coursera. Closer to home,Tencent Cloud recently collaborated with Kydon Group,Asia's leading digital learning agency to develop and offer cloud computing and other cutting-edge technology courses to learners in Southeast Asia.

For example,Tencent Cloud joined hands with Guangdong's Digital Government to bolster the province's transition to e-governance. The company's digital solutions had helped build a "Digital Guangdong Series" platform,featuring more than 1,800 livelihood services and functions for its citizens to access on a single digital platform. Yeung shared that the initiative had improved the quality and efficiency of online government service capabilities for citizens in Guangdong.

It is clear that cloud technologies have been and will continue to be a key enabler for digital transformation in the post-pandemic era. Across the region,cloud spending is expected to reach US$200 billion in the region by 2024,with investment into cloud growing at a compound annual growth rate of over 20% since 2018. Tencent Cloud remains committed to being a trusted partner of choice for businesses,industries,and governments as they look to unlock the full potential of the digital economy.