Google Cloud to open first cloud region in NZ - among others
Google Cloud has announced plans to bring three new cloud regions, one each in New Zealand, Malaysia and Thailand.
The company says these new regions will join Google Cloud's 34 current regions in operation worldwide — 11 of which are located in the Asia Pacific.
Google Cloud says the New Zealand cloud region will give Kiwi businesses the choice to keep their data onshore, retain data sovereignty and drive their digital transformation efforts locally with speed, security and scalability at the core.
A recent report by AlphaBeta, commissioned by Google New Zealand, found that if leveraged fully, digital transformation could create up to NZD $46.6 billion in economic value by 2030, the equivalent of the GDP of Canterbury and Hawkes's Bay.
Google Cloud Australia and New Zealand vice president Alister Dias says New Zealanders are world famous for their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.
"We want to give New Zealand businesses the right platform to serve as a foundation for growth and innovation," he says.
"Whether it's getting smarter about the use of data or having the flexibility of an open-platform that can adapt to changing market and regulatory conditions, our New Zealand region will give customers key controls that will enable them to maintain low latency and the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards."
When launched, Google Cloud says the region will bring high-performance, low-latency services and products to local customers and will have three zones to help protect against service disruptions.
The company currently has a Dedicated Cloud Interconnect in Auckland to support New Zealand customers. The New Zealand cloud region will be Google Cloud's third region in Australasia, joining Sydney and Melbourne.
Google Cloud says it has marked 15 years on the ground in New Zealand. Last year, it opened its first purpose-built office in Auckland and established a New Zealand-based engineering team to drive deeper adoption of AI and ML across the country.
Google New Zealand country director Caroline Rainsford says for over 15 years, the team has been working closely with businesses, communities and educators in New Zealand to support them with the skills they need to succeed in a digital future.
"Bringing a new cloud region to Aotearoa shows Google's increasing investment and will allow us to partner more deeply with local businesses, to deliver on our unique ability to bring enterprise and consumer ecosystems closer together - across Search, YouTube, Cloud - to deliver more powerful customer experiences, quickly and securely," she says.
Trade Me chief executive officer Anders Skoe says customers are at the heart of its business, and helping Kiwis find what they are looking for faster than ever before is its key priority.
"Our collaboration with Google Cloud has been pivotal in ensuring the stability and resilience of our infrastructure, allowing us to deliver world-class experiences to the 650,000 Kiwis that visit our site everyday. We welcome Google Cloud's investment in New Zealand, and are looking forward to more opportunities to partner closely on our technology transformation journey," he says.
Vodafone New Zealand chief executive officer Jason Paris says digital transformation is key in helping Vodafone deliver better customer experiences and connect all Kiwis.
"We welcome Google Cloud's investment in New Zealand and look forward to working together to offer more enriched experiences for local businesses, and the communities we serve," he says.
With 34 regions and 103 zones currently in operation worldwide, Google Cloud says its global network of cloud regions is the foundation of the infrastructure it is building to support customers of all sizes and across industries.
