![[Cameroon] ST Digital launches](cloud.jpg)
[Cameroon] ST Digital launches "first 100% African cloud” services
In late January 2021, Cameroon-based group ST Digital (a pan-African IT solutions provider) launched “the first 100% African cloud” services.
"Cloud Services are entirely managed by service providers via infrastructures such as ST Digital's datacenter. They are offered to customers through hosting service providers' servers, so the company does not need to host applications on its own servers," explains Joël Nlepe, Director of Sales and Digital Transformation at ST Digital.
The aim, he explains, is to reduce the cost of data storage for local companies. "With the Cloud Services provider providing the infrastructure and software needed, the company does not need to invest in its own resources or assign IT staff to manage the service. This then allows the company to simply scale the solution as user needs change, whether it needs to increase the number of licenses to accommodate new employees or enhance applications. This provides an opportunity for cost reduction and flexibility," Mr.Nlepe adds.
ST Digital claims to be the only independent player to own a Tier-3 data center that complies with international norms and standards in Central Africa. By Tier-3 datacenter, they mean a data center with multiple power supply and cooling distribution circuits. To comply with international norms and standards, the data center must be available 99.982% of the time, meaning it should not be unavailable for more than 90 minutes every year.
It’s noteworthy that there are already operators in the cloud services market in Cameroun. They include telecom operator MTN Cameroon and Cameroon postal services (Campost), the state-owned postal operator whose data center houses the National Payment Switch.
