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[DIGITAL Business Africa] – ST Digital was present in Brazzaville, Congo, at the eighth edition of the Central Africa International Technology and Innovation Fair (Osiane). The fair was held at the Palais des Congrès in Brazzaville from April 23 to 26, 2024. This was an opportunity for the company to present its key innovations and solutions to thousands of attendees at its stand.
Also, on the sidelines of this exhibition, ST Digital officially launched its "Cloudstore africain" solutions in Brazzaville. This took place on April 25, 2024, at the Hôtel Olympique in Brazzaville, in the presence of several special guests, companies, and institutions.
And it was Jean-Francis AHANDA, General Manager of Datacenter Services at ST DIGITAL, who briefed the guests. Also present at this meeting, Digital Business Africa took the opportunity to ask a few questions to the ST representative at this event. Interview.
Digital Business Africa: Why are you officially launching your solutions and your "African Cloudstore" in Brazzaville?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: Following our launch in Cameroun and Côte d'Ivoire in 2023, our objective is to continue expanding our coverage across the continent by offering this service in an additional country in Central Africa.
By deploying cloud infrastructures across each of the targeted markets, ST DIGITAL guarantees data sovereignty and security in accordance with the local regulations of the country of deployment.
ST DIGITAL makes its expertise and talent available to deliver the best Cloud service experience as close as possible to local users seeking to successfully carry out digital transformation projects. This is the continuation of the commitment to being a 100% African Cloud.
Digital Business Africa: During this launch, you mentioned the need to store data in local datacenters close to users, and above all, you stated that if a government requests a client's data, you will refuse. What security guarantees do you provide to your users and potential clients?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: The 100% African cloud is a sovereign cloud built on infrastructure based in Africa and operated by African teams who have chosen to work for the common good by offering a genuine trust pact between a cloud provider, its clients, and African citizens. With the vision of addressing the threats posed by extraterritorial regulations, such as the Cloud Act.
Digital Business Africa: How do you address energy challenges to reassure clients of the 24/7 availability of their servers?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: This is indeed a real challenge for our teams in certain countries. Our infrastructures in each country are equipped with several generator sets and backup batteries that ensure uninterrupted operation of our services. We have even had to run on generator power for two consecutive weeks without stopping.
Digital Business Africa: With the challenges of Internet connectivity in Africa, what connectivity solutions do you have in place to guarantee better stability and better quality of service for your datacenters?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: We deploy multi-operator connectivity across our sites and also make use of routing via multiple submarine cables which, combined with connections to local internet exchange points, enables us to offer the best possible connectivity for access to our services.
Digital Business Africa: When will a Tier 3 datacenter be created in Brazzaville, Congo?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: This is currently under study and our investment plan includes the construction of four datacenters in Africa.
Digital Business Africa: What are ST Digital's prospects in Congo Brazza?
Jean-Francis AHANDA: Companies are increasingly turning to digital technologies to improve their productivity, profitability, and competitiveness.