APAC CIOs have a more security-conscious approach to cloud migration: Verizon exec

Verizon Business, the enterprise division of the $134 billion US telecom giant Verizon Communications, has been operational in the Indian market for over two decades. The company views India as a key market in global and Asia-Pacific arenas, particularly with the country's significant digital transformation over the past 4-5 years, marked by increased adoption of cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and enterprise 5G. However, as digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity threats, particularly AI-driven attacks, are becoming more sophisticated. In an interview with TechCircle during his visit to India this week, Rob Le Busque, Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, explains India's role in Verizon's growth strategy, the future of cybersecurity as well as the company's efforts to secure enterprises’ cloud migration in the APAC region. Edited excerpts:

As a long-time Verizon veteran, how have you seen the company evolve over the past decade, particularly in the last 4-5 years since you took on a new role?  

The tech sector in Asia Pacific has seen significant changes, especially in cybersecurity, with a rise in targeted phishing and ransomware attacks at both individual and organisational levels, partly due to Covid-19. We've also noted an increase in data exfiltration and exposure attacks, as cybercriminals and their tools have become more advanced, with these trends intensifying annually. Another major shift is the evolution of network architecture to support distributed workforces and workloads. Covid-19 accelerated remote work, cloud adoption, and application migration, which impacts security, network, and customer experience architectures. Recently, enterprise customers have increasingly adopted distributed network architectures, prompting new technologies, security considerations, work practices, and funding models for CIOs and CTOs.

How do you view the intersection of security and cloud adoption? What kind of workloads are companies migrating to the cloud?  

These trends are evident globally and in the Asia Pacific region, with a consistent pattern across the technology ecosystem. Cybersecurity threats are global, enabling cybercriminals to target individuals and companies in India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Both globally and locally, cloud and application migrations are being pursued. However, in Asia Pacific, CIOs and CTOs adopt a more security-conscious approach to cloud migration. In the past two to three years, CIOs have consistently asked us two key questions: How can I securely move my applications to a hyperscale cloud environment? And how can I ensure that my network connectivity maintains a high-quality user experience?

How does India fit into Verizon's broader APAC growth strategy and at the global level?  

Having operated in India for over 20 years, Verizon considers it a strategically important market, ranking as the second or third largest by revenue in Asia Pacific. Our commitment involves delivering services like distributed network architecture, cybersecurity capabilities, and our new AI Connect feature to customers worldwide. India presents significant investment opportunities in technology, infrastructure, and architecture. A positive development is the Indian government's recent budget allocation of over $250 million for cybersecurity initiatives, a notable increase from previous years. Additionally, India's economy is projected to grow by 6.6% in 2025, making it a trusted partner for American and European firms in technology investments. These factors position India as a crucial growth market for us in 2025 and beyond. Currently, we employ over 7,000 employees in India, highlighting its importance for core technology and business integration. We continue to invest in engineering and emerging technology resources, led by our Global AI Center of Excellence (CoE), which focuses on developing repeatable AI patterns and responsible generative AI deployment models for Verizon globally.

How does Verizon use GenAI to mitigate various risks and streamline operations?  

We have established a central GenAI CoE and platform team that supports our global product teams in adopting GenAI responsibly. This initiative brings together cross-functional experts from IT, engineering, risk, legal, and finance to assist internal teams in building GenAI solutions. Our platform offers standard tools for creating reusable components and workflow recommendations, streamlining the process of generating value. A key feature of our CoE is the AI financial operations (FinOps) capability, which helps leaders and employees understand cost and value models for GenAI, facilitating better business decisions. We aim to ensure that technology adds value rather than detracts from it. Early indicators of success include reducing the production time for marketing materials from 15 days to five days and demonstrating significant improvements in agility and responsiveness to customer needs.

Which business segments are driving maximum growth and revenue in India and the APAC region?

In the Asia Pacific region, cybersecurity services have driven revenue growth, as the frequency of cyber-attacks continues to rise. Companies increasingly recognise the need for a global cybersecurity provider due to the global nature of these threats. Additionally, the demand for network capacity and computational power is surging, driven by generative AI's requirements for large data loads and rapid information movement. Technologies like 5G and edge computing are expanding the attack surface for cybersecurity, as more devices connect to networks, increasing vulnerability. Our AI Connect offering incorporates edge computing, emphasising security across all network aspects, not just cloud applications or mobile devices.

What are Verizon's current plans involving its partnership ecosystem?  

We are continuously expanding our partner ecosystem, collaborating with companies like HCL Tech and others globally. Our focus remains on identifying value-creating partnerships within the vendor and software community. In terms of competitor analysis, we are concentrating on growth areas that our customers are eager to explore. While generative AI is a key focus, we also consider the surrounding ecosystem, including new connectivity devices and applications. We aim to understand our customers' needs and craft tailored solutions that enable their growth.