Key Takeaways from Huawei Cloud’s Annual Partner Conference in Thailand
More than 400 partners from across Asia Pacific gathered in Thailand on May 9 for Huawei Cloud’s annual partner conference. The event focused on leveraging AI to enhance services and meet the growing demand in various industries, with this year’s theme being “Go Together, Grow Together.”
Jacqueline Shi, who heads Huawei Cloud’s global marketing and sales, emphasized the company’s commitment to regional partnerships. She highlighted the rapid adoption of AI by governments, banks, telecoms, and internet firms, and how Huawei Cloud is enhancing its tools and services to support this shift.
To assist local partners in getting started or expanding their businesses, Huawei Cloud has established a competence center in the region. This center will provide training, technical support, and marketing assistance to ensure partners can build profitable ventures on the Huawei Cloud platform.
Expanding Presence in Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific has emerged as a key focus area for Huawei Cloud, with the company reporting a thirty-fold growth in its regional business over the past five years. Working with over 2,500 partners, Huawei Cloud has established five cloud regions and 18 availability zones, ensuring low-latency coverage across most of Asia Pacific.
In 2024, partner revenue saw a significant 75% increase, showcasing the region’s potential for cloud services.
Sunny Shang, President of Huawei Cloud Asia Pacific, attributed this growth to the company’s localized approach. He introduced an enhanced version of the Partner Sales Acceleration Program, offering product support, joint development funds, and collaborative go-to-market strategies.
Focus on Key Sectors
Huawei Cloud launched the “Industry Deep-Dive Initiative” targeting internet, finance, and telecom sectors. By emphasizing practical use cases, the company aims to foster better collaboration models in each sector and deliver relevant solutions through its partners.
Joy Huang, responsible for strategy and industry development at Huawei Cloud, discussed the increasing impact of AI in various industries. Huawei Cloud is investing in AI-native infrastructure, such as the Huawei computing platform CloudMatrix, to empower partners and customers in keeping pace with technological advancements.
According to Huawei’s Cloud Computing 2030 report, the company expects millions of AI-powered robots and intelligent devices to connect to the cloud, emphasizing the transformative potential of AI.
AI-Driven Cloud Services
Huawei Cloud advocates a “Cloud for AI” and “AI for Cloud” approach, underpinned by six core capabilities: secure cloud services, global infrastructure with low latency, cloud-native tools, foundational AI models, data tools, and seamless cloud-device synergy.
Huang highlighted Huawei Cloud’s reliable network spanning 33 regions and 96 availability zones globally, offering uninterrupted services for AI workloads. The platform’s utilization of Kubernetes and cloud-native tools like CCE Turbo enables enterprises to deploy AI solutions efficiently and securely.
Product Development and AI Readiness
William Fang, Chief Product Officer at Huawei Cloud, shared insights into the company’s infrastructure roadmap. Huawei Cloud is enhancing its capabilities to handle large AI workloads and data volumes, supporting distributed cloud setups, AI storage, and hybrid deployment options.
Furthermore, Huawei’s Pangu models are being optimized for diverse applications, while new AI computing centers in Asia Pacific enable local firms to develop and deploy AI models seamlessly.
At the conference, Huawei Cloud introduced the “APAC AI Pioneer Plan” to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies through closer collaboration with ecosystem partners.
Building a Strong Partner Network
Ken Kang, head of Huawei Cloud’s global ecosystem division, emphasized the importance of a robust partner network in the company’s long-term strategy. Huawei Cloud aims to empower partners to create, test, and market AI-powered solutions effectively.
In Asia Pacific, Dale Chen, director of partner development, highlighted the company’s focus on deeper collaboration in key industries and enhanced support for sales efforts. This includes targeted marketing initiatives, technical assistance, and shared sales resources to drive growth.
Leon Yu, a Huawei Cloud executive overseeing partner programs, highlighted the company’s extensive ecosystem, comprising over 45,000 partners and 50,000 developers. He emphasized the Partner-Customer Engagement program’s success in generating leads and the company’s commitment to supporting partners with a dedicated team of digital workers and engineers.
Yu also discussed the evolving landscape of IT investments, with SaaS now dominating the market and AI poised to drive further advancements.
Emphasizing Local Partnerships
During the conference, regional partners such as AIS, SCash Global, Orange Business, and Chulalongkorn University shared their collaborative efforts with Huawei Cloud. These sessions highlighted joint development projects and the customization of products to meet local requirements.
Huawei Cloud reiterated its commitment to investing in local partnerships, focusing on AI tools and services tailored to evolving industry needs.
For more insights on cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and industry trends, explore upcoming events like the Cyber Security & Cloud Expo by TechForge.
