Google to open Cloud platform in Hong Kong in 2018
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Google to open Cloud platform in Hong Kong in 2018

Google has announced that it will open a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) region in Hong Kong in 2018.

This will mark Google’s sixth region in the Asia-Pacific area following; Mumbai, Sydney, Singapore, Taiwan and Tokyo. Although further investments in the region are expected in the coming months.

Commenting on the news, Nicholas Yang, secretary for innovation & technology, HKSAR government, said: “A solid cloud infrastructure is the foundation for building a smart city and helping businesses succeed in the digital economy. We are glad that Google is launching the Hong Kong cloud region, a recognition of Hong Kong's edge and strengths as a data hub. This means businesses in Hong Kong, whether big or small, can leverage the latest, well-established technology infrastructure to expand and succeed in the region and globally.”

In the Google blog post announcing the news, Rick Harshman, managing director of Google Cloud, Asia-Pacific says that the decision to open the next GCP in Hong Kong will enable customers in Hong Kong to benefit from “low latency and high performance of their cloud-based workloads and data” adding that the region is also designed for “high availability, launching with three zones to protect against service disruptions”.

He goes to add that the GCP in the region aligns itself with Google’s commitment to boost Hong Kong’s digital economy and smart city efforts. Hong Kong has just started its smart city plans and Google hopes that its GCP will allow companies to build “highly available and performant applications.”

The plan to build a data centre in Hong Kong is one that has been ongoing since 2011 when a to be located in the Tseung Kwan O industrial Estate in Kowloon, was due to go live in 2013 but never came to fruition.

Most recently, Google and other leading internet companies such as Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix, are appealing against Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai and his intentions to repeal the controversial net neutrality rules. According to a statement and draft ‘Restoring Internet Freedom Order’, with many expecting a 3-2 vote along party lines,  the FCC is due to vote on the proposal 14 December.

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