Neil Cummings, Senior Cloud Solution Architect at Huawei South Africa

In a digitally transforming environment, modern businesses find that their survival is closely linked to embracing cloud technology. Moreover, the security concerns that continue to be raised around cloud mean that customers’ apprehension and concerns around it are valid. This indicates that there is a need for greater trust between them and their service provider. 

According to Neil Cummings, Senior Cloud Solution Architect at Huawei South Africa, building trust is always Huawei’s first step in assisting them on this journey. He adds that the trust Huawei aims to build is not just about protecting data, it’s about ensuring a secure future for their businesses.

“At Huawei Cloud, we achieve greater levels of trust by being transparent, reliable and skilled in our field. Our interactions with customers are open discussions, aiming to understand and address their challenges. We then provide the relevant solutions that cater to their needs and, over time, this approach helps build a trustworthy relationship,” he says.

“Being proactive in addressing concerns before they arise demonstrates our dedication to earning and maintaining their trust and then work to increase its levels through the delivery of 24/7 service support from professional Huawei Cloud experts.”

Cummings notes that trust is built on honesty and transparency, and that in the cloud arena, security, privacy, and compliance form the core of trustworthiness.

“Security is essentially about protecting data and operations from unauthorised access. Privacy, meanwhile, deals with the handling of personal and sensitive data ethically. Finally, compliance relates to following and adhering to legal and industry standards. At Huawei, our work with various banks and payment systems is testament to our commitment to these principles, making us a trusted player and advisor in this field.”

He points out that Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhenfei, has been quoted as saying that the company places trustworthiness above all else, because trust is Huawei’s core value.

“From a Huawei perspective, building trust involves excelling the arenas of security, privacy, and compliance. Our security measures, such as encryption and regular audits, along with a multitude of cloud security services, ensures that customers can host data safely in the cloud. In fact, Huawei’s dedication to creating a trusted cloud service is highlighted by its more than 100 security compliance awards.”

“Remember too that a trusted partner ensures stringent security protocols, encryption, and regular audits, along with robust data management practices for privacy, and a strong focus on remaining updated with evolving legal and industry standards for compliance,” continues Cummings. He believes that it’s also important to educate customers and assist them to earn their certifications, in order to make the most of Huawei’s technologies. This education comes through online courses, hands-on training and formal classroom training.

“There is no doubt that effective communication, a strong global presence and years of industry experience play a part in building trust. We also ensure that our teams are continuously learning and earning certifications, demonstrating our dedication to staying ahead in cloud technology.

“We all know that making decisions often involves looking at past evidence, analysing data and assessing risks. Choosing a cloud partner should similarly be based on a history of trustworthiness. Huawei has a proven background as a leading technology provider that develops technologies to help businesses stay ahead. Ultimately, trust is at the centre of what we do, and we believe it’s the most important factor for customers to consider when seeking to leverage the cloud with a partner,” concludes Cummings.

■ Connect with Huawei Cloud: www.huaweicloud.com/intl/en-us/

Email: hauweicloudsa@hauwei.com