Arab countries lagging behind in cloud computing — Microsoft executive

AMMAN — Adoption of cyber security strategies in the region will boost the utilisation of cloud computing, which remains “modest” across Arab states, a Microsoft expert said Monday.

Increased awareness among Arab governments and the private sector is crucial to increase adoption of the technology, which can help save millions of dollars annually, said Ashraf Abdel Wahab, corporate affairs manager for Egypt and North Africa at Microsoft. 

“Arab countries are very late when it comes to adopting cloud computing,” Abdel Wahab noted at a roundtable.

“The technology can significantly help reduce budgets that companies and governments spend annually on IT-related expenses,” he said. 

Cloud computing includes the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage and process data, rather than a local server or personal computer.

Web-based computing helps businesses reduce IT spending, focus on innovation and enhance employees’ productivity, especially if they are allowed to use their own devices for accessing work-related databases, according to experts.

The adoption of cloud computing will increase the need for experts in certain IT fields such as network management and security, which will play a key role in creating jobs, Abdel Wahab noted.

“The Middle East and Africa is one of the main regions in the world where there is a huge consumption of data, which makes it necessary to resort to cloud computing,” he added.

The more the technology is utilised, the more jobs will be created, he said, adding that academia should focus on equipping IT students with skills that are relevant to data management and security. 

The Microsoft executive stressed that small- and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from cloud computing, as it lowers IT infrastructure expenditures.

“It is important to raise awareness among governments in the region on the benefits of cloud computing, as they can play a role in its adoption in the private sector,” Abdel Wahab said.