BANGKOK, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Huawei Cloud Summit Thailand 2024, Huawei Cloud restated its commitment to joint efforts to make Thailand a regional cloud hub with its growing suite of digital technologies, as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) elaborated on its "Cloud-First" strategy for the first time to encourage the utilization of digital technologies in public services and drive Thailand's digital future.

The drive to achieve the national digital blueprint through joint efforts is a key topic among the hundreds of guests at this summit, which was jointly organized by MDES and Huawei Cloud in Bangkok. Gathering over 700 guests, the summit also attracted top Thai companies such as True Corporation, Big Data Institute, SCBX, and Charoen Pokphand Group guests from which shared their broaden visions on how to advance Cloud-First into reality.

Cloud-First Moving Forward

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the summit, Mr. Prasert Chanthararuangthong, Minister of MDES, elaborated on the details and next steps for the Cloud-First strategy. He commended the joint efforts between MDES and Huawei Cloud, which unlocks the real benefits of the Cloud-First strategy for the Thai people.

He said, "As we stand on the brink of a fully digital world, human society is accelerating into an era where cloud technology and emerging innovations, such as large models and AI, are fundamentally reshaping industries. These advancements are providing new momentum for building an inclusive, competitive, and prosperous Thailand."

"Together with Thailand, we are working to advance technology innovation, industry development, and ecosystem construction," Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, said, "Today's summit is not only an event for technological innovation, but also a platform to showcase the industry's deep cultivation and ecosystem collaboration. We hope to contribute to Thailand's innovation and technology development, and are committed to helping Thailand realize its Cloud-First digital vision."

Shi addressed that Huawei Cloud is set to boost its efforts in Thailand over the next five years, focusing on local digital infrastructure to ensure data security and processing efficiency. This substantial investment will bolster Thailand's position as a digital leader in the Southeast Asia. Huawei has invested billions of Thai baht to build its cloud infrastructure over the past six years, and became the first cloud to deploy three availability zones in Thailand.

"We are glad to see that the Thai government has put forward ambitious AI strategies and action plans. AI is a driving force for Thailand 4.0, and Huawei is ready to support the local government and industry to pioneer an AI future," said David Li, CEO of Huawei Thailand.

Huawei Cloud has brought its suite of latest cloud technologies to Thailand, including GaussDB, an advanced database solution offering unparalleled performance; and MetaStudio's virtual human service, an innovative model for users to build highly synchronized, lifelike virtual humans, which supports more than twenty languages.

Mark Chen, President of Huawei Cloud Solution Sales, shared that, "Huawei Cloud aims to become the cloud foundation for a digital Thailand. We will continuously innovate from Cloud Native, AI Native, to Ecosystem Native. No matter what industry you're in, you can find the cloud services and solutions that best fit your digital journey."

The Kuavo humanoid robot, powered by the Pangu model for embodied AI, debuted in Thailand and completed complex tasks at the summit. It received big applauses from the audience after finishing tasks such as giving a high five, identifying the items related to Huawei Cloud, and handing over water to the thirsty operator. 

Transforming Industries

MDES has outlined seven digital priorities for the Cloud-First strategy, which is designed to drive digital transformation, leveraging cloud computing to enhance government efficiency, support large enterprises, and serve regional customers.

As a trusted cloud service provider, Huawei Cloud has been deeply engaged in local industries. Its hybrid cloud solution, Huawei Cloud Stack, most meets Thailand's local development needs. Huawei Cloud has partners in more than 15 industries in Thailand and launched more than 100 cloud services. According to Frost & Sullivan's report in December 2023, Huawei Thailand ranked No. 1 in the Thai hybrid cloud market. Thailand's top 10 enterprises, more than 70% government ministries, and 25 financial institutions (covering 80% of the top ones) have chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner.

In Thailand, For Thailand

Cloud is transforming not only industries but also the society. At the summit, Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing, highlighted the role of Huawei Cloud in enhancing agriculture, healthcare, nature protection, and talent development, where Huawei Cloud's "Cloud for Good" initiative contributes a lot through the joint efforts with customers and partners. Propelling Thailand's digital journey, this initiative aims to make lives, environments, and the world better.

Huawei and Chulalongkorn University, the top university in the country, have agreed to jointly develop courses in cloud and AI in an effort to expand the local talent pool, reflecting the company's long-term commitments. The partnership aims to create a robust ecosystem that nurtures talent, stimulates technological advancements, and ultimately contributes to the creation of a more intelligent and digitally empowered society.

Huawei said that it is committed to building a robust digital ecosystem and nurturing local talent by helping Thailand fill the gap of 500,000 digital professionals. One of the efforts is the ASEAN Academy (Thailand), which was set up in 2020 and has trained over 96,200 individuals, including ICT practitioners and cloud and AI developers. Huawei also launched the Spark Startup Program with the government and partners, recruited more than 120 startups, and provided technical, capital, market expansion, and operations support.