Dialog Enterprise: keeping the data of Sri Lanka’s enterprises safe and sovereign

Offering an extensive portfolio of ICT solutions and services in conjunction with its high-available data centers, fastest broadband internet and telecommunications networks for consumers and businesses, Dialog Enterprise is one of the most trusted information and communication technology brands in Asia. Now it is also the first provider in Sri Lanka to earn the VMware Sovereign Cloud distinction.

“More than 35,000 enterprises rely on us for the compute, storage and networking power they need to excel,” says Venura Mendis,  Head of ICT Business at Dialog Enterprise. “The cloud of course is a game-changer and our Dialog Enterprise Cloud gives customers in a wide range of industries the capabilities and flexibility inherent in a software-defined data center, complete with a self-service portal and hybrid cloud capabilities.”

Based on VMware technology and featuring numerous capabilities, among them Container PaaS service, Backup-as-a-Service and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service, the Dialog Enterprise Cloud is the choice of many of the country’s industry leaders. This includes stalwarts in the nation’s banking, construction, education, government, healthcare, hospitality and dining, manufacturing, retail and transportation industries.

“We understand that different industries require different business solutions,” adds Mendis. “For that reason, we offer a broad array of solutions and services designed for various industries that can be customized for any business, along with completely bespoke offerings that draw on the extensive design and development expertise our team offers. Increasingly, we’ve seen a lot of demand for sovereign cloud offerings, particularly in highly regulated industries where the stakes are high and data privacy demands are great.”

To address this, Dialog Enterprise sought to earn VMware Sovereign Cloud distinction, becoming the first provider in the entire region to do so – a feat that echoed its earlier honor of being the first company in Sri Lanka to provide VMware Cloud Verified services. Mendis is quick to stress that while the company is currently the only company to have done so, the demand for sovereign clouds is great and growing rapidly.

“When a solution is a build on a robust framework like VMware’s, it simply and seamlessly works across VMware-based multi-cloud platforms, which makes it easier to lift and shift workloads from on-premises environments to the cloud while allowing for continual modernization at a much lower cost of ownership,” he says. “Now enterprises also increasingly want and demand the added ability to ensure full data sovereignty and jurisdictional control at all times. This includes making sure that data is never accessed by foreign parties in the context of maintenance or service.”

Mendis notes that because the data in its sovereign cloud is subject to the full jurisdictional control of Sri Lanka, full compliance with the country’s privacy laws can be guaranteed. This stands in stark contrast to the clouds offered by hyperscalers, but it is not the only reason customers are choosing a Sri Lankan sovereign cloud.

“Yes, customers are concerned about hosting their sensitive data in public clouds due to issues like data confidentiality, data loss, data storage needs, security and transparency issues,” says Mendis. “But it’s not all about safeguards, or the ability we have to guarantee compliance with local laws and regulations. Enterprises also turn to us because our sovereign Infrastructure-as-a-Service offers low-latency connectivity options, an intuitive portal, pricing models that are based consumption and high performance.”

Notably, it also integrates seamlessly with the myriad innovative solutions the company offers, from those that harness the potential of the Internet of Things, to broader Enterprise solutions platforms. This includes managed SDWAN and SASE solutions, Data as a Service offerings and multiple other Cyber and physical security solutions – among many others.

“As organizations across industries look to digital transformation to drive growth, the cloud will by necessity play a core role,” says Mendis. “And it is no surprise that it is increasingly important to ensure that sensitive data be stored and processed in a secure and compliant environment. The sovereign cloud solution we offer gives our clients much-needed peace of mind and the knowledge that their data is securely stored in a physically and logically isolated environment, managed by a team of experts. It’s only natural that more organizations will want that.”

Learn more about Dialog Enterprise and its partnership with VMware here.