In the competitive telecommunications market of Singapore, network operators must focus on innovations to remain relevant and profitable. Among these operators, StarHub stands out due to its strategic deployment of Red Hat OpenShift as part of its hybrid multi-cloud platform. This initiative, known as Cloud Infinity, is designed to balance the control over critical infrastructure with the scalability and flexibility that public cloud services offer.
The Genesis of Cloud Infinity
Strategic Vision and Market Differentiation
Two years prior to the present, StarHub embarked on a transformative journey to differentiate itself in a commoditized market. Realizing that traditional telco models were insufficient, it envisioned Cloud Infinity, a platform built on Red Hat OpenShift. Ayush Sharma, StarHub’s chief technology officer, described this shift as necessary to harness the strengths of the internet and the cloud, thus enabling the provision of an “infinite number of digital platforms and services” for both the company and its customers. This vision reflected a critical understanding that legacy systems and conventional models could no longer sustain the competitive edge required in modern telecommunications.
StarHub’s deployment of Cloud Infinity has enabled the company to enhance its service delivery capabilities significantly. This became crucial at a time when customers seek seamless, uninterrupted services supported by robust infrastructure. By providing a broad array of digital platforms, StarHub aims to improve user experience, thereby reducing customer churn and bolstering loyalty. Additionally, the move towards digital transformation meant that the company would also enjoy internal efficiencies, reducing operational costs and optimizing resource utilization.
Selection of Red Hat OpenShift
The selection of Red Hat OpenShift was a deliberate decision by StarHub to ensure standardization, maturity, and support from major cloud providers. According to Sharma, Red Hat OpenShift is central to StarHub’s transformation strategy, acting as the cohesive element for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), cybersecurity, and the development of cloud-native and AI-native capabilities across diverse cloud environments. This decision underscores StarHub’s focus on modernizing its infrastructure without relinquishing control over critical operations. The robustness of Red Hat OpenShift guarantees that StarHub can maintain high service levels and security compliance.
This platform offers comprehensive support for hybrid cloud environments, facilitating seamless interactions between private and public clouds. OpenShift’s abilities to deploy and manage containerized applications across these environments ensure that StarHub’s services remain resilient and scalable. Moreover, this choice aligns perfectly with StarHub’s commitment to leveraging innovative technologies to stay competitive. The applicability of Red Hat OpenShift to different cloud environments mitigates the risks associated with vendor lock-in, giving StarHub the agility it needs to adapt to evolving tech landscapes.
Hybrid Multi-Cloud Strategy
Balancing Control and Flexibility
StarHub’s hybrid cloud strategy emphasizes cost optimization and control retention. High-consumption workloads, sensitive data, and core telco differentiators are housed within its private cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, public cloud services are utilized for more general-purpose functions, resource scaling, and access to an extensive ecosystem of software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools and applications. This selective approach allows StarHub to efficiently manage resources and adhere to regulatory requirements without compromising on innovation and service delivery. The hybrid model facilitates not only operational efficiency but also allows for nimble scaling to meet demand spikes effectively.
Maintaining control over critical operations within a private cloud means that StarHub can assure customers of data security and compliance with industry standards. On the other hand, by leveraging public cloud services for less critical applications, the company can reduce costs and access a reservoir of cutting-edge tools and services. This blend of scalability and security positions StarHub optimally within the market, ensuring it meets both operational and customer-centric goals. This multi-faceted strategy epitomizes a balanced approach towards modern cloud adoption, enabling innovation while safeguarding core business processes.
Proprietary Solutions and DevSecOps
Internally, StarHub is developing proprietary solutions, including its own DevSecOps processes and cloud-native network functions, such as user plane function/session management function. These functions are deployed on Red Hat OpenShift for enhanced flexibility and portability, exemplifying StarHub’s commitment to building innovative, in-house capabilities tailored to its unique telco requirements. Developing these solutions in-house gives StarHub a significant edge by allowing for highly customized and optimized implementation that addresses specific operational challenges and customer needs.
By fostering an environment of continuous improvement and automation through DevSecOps, StarHub reduces the time to market for new services and products. This approach ensures that security is integrated at every stage of the development process, bolstering the company’s defense mechanisms against potential cyber threats. It also allows for swift deployment and scaling which is critical in a fast-paced market. Deploying these solutions on a versatile platform like OpenShift enhances their portability and ease of management, enabling StarHub to maintain high service standards across its diverse cloud landscape effortlessly.
Comprehensive Transformation
Modernizing Legacy Systems
A comprehensive transformation necessitates addressing the entire technology stack, operating model, and business strategies. This includes modernizing legacy systems, such as operational support systems, through autonomous operations and closed-loop automation to enhance the customer experience and enable hyper-personalization. Moreover, StarHub’s business support systems are transitioning to SaaS models, with a strict mandate against using vertically integrated or virtual machine-based applications unless there is a clear migration path to cloud-native architectures. This bold move aims to ensure future proofing and adaptability of systems architecture, enabling seamless integration and agile responses to market changes.
By upgrading their legacy systems, StarHub is also poised to offer a more personalized and efficient service to its customers. Enhanced data analytics and automation enable deep insights into user behavior and needs, paving the way for customized services and offers. This drives not only customer satisfaction but also operational efficiencies through predictive maintenance and resource optimization. The transition towards SaaS models for business support systems underscores StarHub’s commitment to flexible, on-demand service procurement and utilization, fostering a sustainable and scalable business environment.
Organizational Commitment
Sharma emphasized that successful transformation requires concerted efforts from all organizational levels, including top management and the board. This transformational journey involved making bold decisions and re-architecting fundamental systems to achieve significant improvements. Leadership’s involvement ensures that the initiatives align with the company’s overall strategic goals and also secures the necessary resources for execution. It is this top-down commitment that fuels the comprehensive shift needed for enduring success.
This organizational commitment is reflected in the willingness to embrace change and support innovation throughout StarHub’s structure. It also translates to empowering teams with the right tools and training necessary to navigate and implement new technologies effectively. The involvement of leadership fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, which is critical to maintaining momentum in large-scale transformation projects. This shared vision and clear leadership direction are instrumental in steering the organization through the complexities involved in modernizing its operations and infrastructure.
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence
AI Center of Excellence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also pivotal in StarHub’s transformation. An AI center of excellence steers AI initiatives, focusing on impactful projects that yield measurable outcomes. StarHub’s development of an OpenShift data science team aims to create unique AI differentiators within its operations, driving both operational enhancements and new customer-centric offerings. This center of excellence acts as a hub for innovation, drawing together expertise and best practices to spearhead AI integrations across the company’s functions and services, ensuring that AI isn’t just a buzzword but a viable tool for advancement.
The initiatives under the AI umbrella include predictive analytics, automated support systems, and personalized user experiences. By focusing on high-impact projects, the AI center of excellence ensures that the implemented solutions contribute to measurable improvement in efficiency and customer satisfaction. The team’s role in developing bespoke AI tools means that StarHub remains ahead of industry trends, leveraging AI to not only enhance existing services but to venture into new product offerings as well. By embedding AI into the core of its operations, StarHub can gain significant operational efficiencies and transformative business insights.
AI-Powered Operations
StarHub is also leveraging AI-powered operations through knowledge graphs and partnerships with companies like Nvidia, Google, and Amazon Web Services. This strategic collaboration aims to explore advanced AI capabilities to support StarHub’s operational and business goals. These partnerships facilitate access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise, which are crucial in creating sophisticated AI applications that can revolutionize the telecom landscape. By using knowledge graphs, StarHub can manage and utilize complex datasets, enabling more informed decision-making and streamlined operations.
This approach allows for more advanced AI implementations, such as enhanced cybersecurity measures and predictive maintenance, which bolster the company’s core operations. These collaborations not only accelerate the development and deployment of AI tools but also ensure that StarHub stays at the forefront of technological advancements. The integration of AI into everyday operations ensures that StarHub can optimize resource allocation, improve customer service, and reduce operational costs, laying a robust foundation for continued growth and innovation while staying aligned with strategic business objectives.
Benefits and Future Plans
Cost Efficiencies and New Opportunities
The benefits of StarHub’s hybrid cloud approach are already evident. Cloud Infinity 1.0 has delivered cost efficiencies, as reflected in StarHub’s annual reports, and is on track for a commercial launch in March 2025. The platform’s multi-tenancy design has unlocked new business opportunities, with trials being conducted with major clients across various industries in Singapore. For instance, a major bank is using Cloud Infinity for low-latency connectivity, cybersecurity, and improved observability, allowing it to focus on core business activities while reducing complexity and extraneous costs. These tangible benefits underscore the success of StarHub’s strategic vision in delivering enhanced value to its customers.
Furthermore, the adoption of Cloud Infinity is paving the way for innovative business models and revenue streams. The multi-tenancy design enables StarHub to offer tailored solutions to clients across different sectors, tapping into diverse market needs effectively. As additional industries embrace digital transformation, StarHub’s versatile cloud platform becomes an attractive solution for businesses aiming to streamline operations while maintaining high standards of security and performance. The cost-efficiencies realized through this strategy not only boost StarHub’s profitability but also enhance its competitiveness in Singapore’s crowded telecom market.
Expansion and Sovereign Cloud Services
Future plans for Cloud Infinity include the launch of version 2.0, which aims to expand StarHub’s reach within the ASEAN region. This will leverage the telco’s terrestrial, subsea, and satellite connectivity assets, opening new revenue models and positioning StarHub as a regional hybrid cloud provider. Cloud Infinity also addresses the growing need for sovereign cloud services in Southeast Asia, with features that enhance security, including advanced encryption and quantum-safe technologies. These capabilities make StarHub an attractive provider for government bodies and regulated industries seeking to adhere to stringent data residency and security requirements.
The focus on sovereign cloud services responds to the increasing demand for data localization and security protocols, positioning Cloud Infinity as a pivotal player in the regional cloud market. The rollout of Cloud Infinity 2.0 is poised to expand StarHub’s operational footprint significantly, with the potential to drive considerable economic value. By addressing key regulatory and security concerns head-on, StarHub ensures that it remains a trusted partner for public sector clients and industries with critical data governance needs. This strategy not only enhances client trust but also aligns StarHub with emerging trends and regulatory frameworks within the region.
Industry Recognition
Praise from Red Hat
In Singapore’s fiercely competitive telecommunications market, staying relevant and profitable hinges on continuous innovation. Network operators must therefore focus on adopting new technologies and strategies. Among these operators, StarHub has distinguished itself through a strategic move that sets it apart: the deployment of Red Hat OpenShift within its hybrid multi-cloud platform. This initiative is part of their broader Cloud Infinity project.
Cloud Infinity’s main aim is to provide StarHub with balanced control over its critical infrastructure while benefiting from the scalability and flexibility of public cloud services. By leveraging OpenShift, StarHub can ensure its operations remain adaptable to the swiftly changing demands of the telecommunications industry.
The drive to innovate is not just about keeping up with competitors but also about enhancing the customer experience. StarHub understands that adopting a hybrid multi-cloud strategy allows them to quickly respond to new opportunities and challenges. This approach helps them maintain robust performance and reliability, which are critical factors in customer satisfaction in an industry where technological advancements and customer expectations are ever-evolving.