Alibaba Cloud empowers partner ecosystem to drive AI adoption in Malaysia

“Our partners are not just participants; they are the architects of a new digital landscape in the AI era,” says Kun Huang, General Manager of Malaysia, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

For Alibaba Cloud, the partner ecosystem is essential in helping it connect with customers around the world. As the Chinese cloud company continues to unveil newer innovations in AI and the cloud, it’s also keeping tabs on the development rate of its customers.

In Malaysia, Alibaba Cloud remains one of the fastest growing cloud service providers, serving both large and small enterprises. One of the company’s biggest achievements in the country is Ilmu 0.1, a Malay-language AI model using Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen 2.5b, developed by YTL AI Labs.

According to Kun Huang, General Manager of Malaysia, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, this initiative highlights the potential of custom AI models to address local business needs and sets a precedent for other organizations looking to develop AI solutions tailored to the Malaysian market.

“By developing high-performing Malay-language AI models, YTL AI Labs and Alibaba Cloud are making AI more accessible to businesses and researchers in Malaysia, helping drive wider AI adoption across industries,” said Huang.

The Qwen 2.5 model family is the latest iteration from Alibaba Cloud’s proprietary large language model (LLM. The LLM features State-of-the-Art (SOTA) model performance in coding, and mathematics capabilities and are able to support over 29 languages.

“The rapid evolution of GenAI models like Qwen 2.5 is expected to accelerate AI adoption by offering businesses pre-trained, scalable solutions accessible via the cloud. These models enable rapid deployment for tasks such as natural language processing, customer service automation, and data analytics, reducing the need for in-house AI expertise. Integration with Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure ensures cost-efficient scalability, secure data handling,” said Huang.

Huang also highlighted that Qwen 2.5 supports multilingual applications and industry-specific customization, allowing businesses to innovate faster while minimizing upfront investments in AI development.

“We are committed to integrating AI into our business scenarios to create value across both our business-to-business and consumer offerings. This integration will drive higher efficiency, increase user engagement, and deliver greater value to our customers,” added Huang.

Enabling partners and AI

Huang pointed out that various industries in Malaysia are actively adopting AI technologies to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and overall business performance.

Apart from YTK AI Labs, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s advanced AI technologies to improve operational efficiency, enhance decision-making processes, and optimize customer support services in the financial services industry.

For marketing and business solutions, HiSEVEN is utilizing Alibaba Cloud’s AI and cloud computing technologies to enhance AI-driven marketing strategies, promote standardized AI applications, and improve overall business operational efficiency.

Another example is Alibaba Cloud’s collaboration with Pictureworks, a leading provider of innovative photography imaging solutions to elevate digital imaging solution and enhance visitor’s experience. By leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s robust and secure cloud and AI technologies, Pictureworks has generated over 150,000 photos at an award-winning theme park in Hong Kong.

Enabling the rapid adoption of AI in the country is Alibaba Cloud’s partner ecosystem. For Huang, collaboration is key to unlocking innovation and driving growth at Alibaba Cloud.

“Our partners are not just participants; they are the architects of a new digital landscape in the AI era. We are committed to supporting our local and global partners to jointly reap the benefits of AI era and meet the diverse business demand of global customers,” explained Huang.

“Alibaba Cloud is committed to building a strong local ecosystem in Malaysia to accelerate digital transformation. By collaborating with customers, partners, and public stakeholders, we help organizations of all sizes unlock opportunities across Asia. Through strategic partnerships, businesses gain access to advanced cloud and AI solutions, as well as expertise and resources from the broader Alibaba ecosystem,” added Huang.

At the same time, Huang also stated that partners often face challenges such as helping businesses navigate AI adoption, bridging the talent gap, ensuring cost-effective implementation, and integrating AI with existing infrastructure. As these challenges vary across industries and have unique requirements, having a one-size-fits-all approach can be ineffective.

“To address these challenges, Alibaba Cloud works closely with partners to provide customised AI solutions, cloud infrastructure, and industry-specific best practices. We also offer training programs, AI toolkits, and collaborative frameworks to help businesses seamlessly integrate AI into their operations,” said Huang.

Highlighting a customer case study, Huang shared about how they worked with Genting Malaysia Berhad when it faced the challenge of developing an IT strategy that could support its rapidly growing business while enhancing the customer experience. Known for its theme parks, their online booking engine was a critical touchpoint, requiring a seamless and scalable solution to manage high reservation requests, especially for Genting SkyWorlds. Seasonal traffic spikes also posed a risk to system performance.

“To address these challenges, Alibaba Cloud provided a customized cloud solution that included data migration, web hosting, and availability in China. Additionally, we deployed the Virtual Queue (VQ) Solution, an AI-powered system integrating multiple algorithm modules to optimize ride reservations. This innovation not only streamlined operations but also enhanced visitor engagement by gamifying the experience and improving overall efficiency,” explained Huang.

Given the success stories and also the challenges both businesses and partners are facing, Alibaba Cloud announced the digital Accelerator program to boost AI adoption in 2024. The program aims to groom 50 independent software vendors (ISVs) by equipping them with essential cloud knowledge, particularly in GenAI.

“By building such an AI-driven ecosystem, Alibaba Cloud together with the ISVs aims to assist and onboard 1,000 SMEs on their digitalization journey this year,” said Huang.