Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (FET, 遠傳電信), the nation’s No. 3 telecoms operator, yesterday teamed up with the world’s top contract laptop computer maker, Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), to provide new cloud computing services, targeting local small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in different sectors from retail to manufacturing.
This marks a further step by Far EasTone in collaboration with Quanta in rolling out cloud computing services by fulfilling the memorandum of understanding signed by the companies last summer.
Under the deal, Quanta would provide equipment such as computer servers, while Far EasTone would help create tailor-made cloud computing services in three areas — infrastructure-as-a-service, software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service. The services are now available for local firms.
In other words, customers would be able to access and process their data using Far EasTone’s cloud servers over a digital network on any remote mobile devices such as notebook computers and smartphones.
“Cloud computing services will help corporations do things efficiently at lower cost. They can better utilize resources -including human resources,” Quanta chairman Barry Lam (林百里) told reporters.
Such new technologies resulted in “destructive replacement” for existing business models, Lam said. For example, Coca-Cola Co could save 20 percent of its marketing spending by posting advertisements via social networks, while its business could grow even faster, he said.
Because of technological evolution, “people live and travel in a new way. All those changes mean new business opportunities,” Lam said, adding that iPhones have replaced video store chain Blockbuster in the movie rental business.
To cope with the changes, Quanta is diversifying from its laptop manufacturing business and aimed to increase non-PC business to account for one-third of the company’s overall revenues by the end of this year. And the server business accounted a major portion of Quanta’s non-PC businesses.
Quanta has long identified cloud computing as a new growth engine, but it set its eye on overseas cloud computing markets rather than at home as the domestic size is small, Lam said.
Lam said Taiwan has no cloud computing ecosystem here and there are no big online service providers like Amazon Inc and eBay Inc in the local market.
“Taiwan has lagged behind other countries in building infrastructure that is needed to develop and deliver cloud computing services ... Taiwan lacks the fourth-generation telecoms technology and a digital broadcasting market,” Lam said.
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