| | APRIL 20248IN FOCUSRACKSPACE NAMES RAMESH BABU AS SOUTHEAST ASIA CLOUD LEADERPHILIPPINE IT & BUSINESS PROCESS ASSOCIATION TARGETS NEW EUROPEAN MARKETSRackspace Technology has appointed Ramesh Babu as the new leader for Public Cloud Go-To-Market (GTM) operations in Southeast Asia. With over three decades of experience in business development and sales, Babu will spearhead Rackspace Technology's initiatives to establish itself as a trusted cloud partner in the region. The company's focus will revolve around managed services, data, infrastructure, and security to cater to the needs of Southeast Asian clients.Based in Singapore, Babu will collaborate closely with businesses spanning a wide range of sectors as well as hyperscalers in the region. Martin Dubé, Vice President, Public Cloud Asia Pacific & Japan at Rackspace Technology, expressed their excitement at the new appointment. "We are thrilled to have Ramesh join us as his strong background in cybersecurity is a perfect fit for our thrust to strengthen and expand the business in Southeast Asia this year", stated Dubé. His appointment is expected to inspire Rackspace Technology's initiative of helping more Southeast Asian businesses to transform IT from a cost center into a value creator.In addition to Babu's appointment, Dubé also revealed Rackspace Technology's commitment towards increasing investments within the key regional markets, particularly targeting the sales and technical sales aspects of the business. Babu, on his part, is eager to begin his tenure by endorsing consolidated management and unified security policy messaging to potential and existing customers. "Rackspace Technology's rich cybersecurity offering encompasses holistic user protection - whether on-premises or in hybrid and multi-cloud environments - and I am excited to play this role of empowering organizations in Southeast Asia to innovate securely with scale and agility", Babu shared.Before joining Rackspace Technology, Babu held the position of Vice President for Global Accounts at Check Point Software Technologies. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in elevating market share within the global and multinational corporation (MNC) segment. Babu's distinguished career also encompasses various roles at Accedian and Cisco in Singapore. He played a key role in boosting revenue and profitability through initiatives such as exploring alternative sales channels, conducting competitive analyses, and forging strategic partnerships.With the addition of Ramesh Babu to their team and their heightened investment in critical regional markets, Rackspace Technology is strategically positioned to extend its reach and achieve its objective of delivering dependable and accessible cloud solutions in Southeast Asia. This endeavor will assist businesses in improving their IT infrastructure and thriving within their respective industries. The umbrella organization representing Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) companies in the Philippines is targeting expansion into new European markets as negotiations resume between the Philippines and the European Union (EU) for a free trade agreement (FTA). Jack Madrid, President and CEO of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), informed journalists that there is significant potential for market growth in Europe for the group's member companies."It's showing progress, but I envision it to reach greater heights. Currently, our focus remains largely on North America," he remarked. With IBPAP's aspirations for expansion in Europe, the group views the recent declaration from Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis regarding the recommencement of FTA discussions between the Philippines and the EU as a favorable step forward.Pascual mentioned that formal negotiations are anticipated to recommence in the first half of the upcoming year. Discussions regarding the Philippines-EU Free Trade Agreement were paused following the last round in 2017. The FTA aims to elevate the partnership between the Philippines and the EU by surpassing the advantages of the trade preference scheme Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, offering enhanced opportunities for market access in goods, services, and investments.To grow the market being served in Europe, Madrid said there is a need to step up promotion efforts. 'We
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