At the Money 20/20 Asia event in Bangkok, the focus on the evolving APAC financial landscape centered on the increasing “opening up” of the region. Suresh Vaghjiani, CEO and Founder of CLOWD9, discussed how governments that were historically inward-facing and protective of their banking industries are now embracing a more open approach. This shift is exemplified by countries like Thailand, which has become one of the first in the area to offer new banking licenses, triggering a competitive race for entry and a newfound willingness to learn from other global regions.
However, this transition presents a unique economic challenge, as European financial solutions can often be too costly for the APAC market, where operations run on very low margins. Vaghjiani highlighted that in this region, success is driven by volume and extreme operational efficiency. To address this, CLOWD9 provides cloud-based processing that operates on a pay-as-you-use model, similar to a pay-as-you-go phone. This approach allows clients to avoid the high costs associated with expensive peak times, ensuring that their processing remains highly cost-efficient.
For banks and fintechs adopting these cloud-native solutions, the impact over the next 12 months is significant. By moving away from traditional, high-cost infrastructure, institutions can launch new services at a 90% reduction in cost compared to other regions. This efficiency allows firms to respond to the region’s openness quickly and competitively, turning the challenge of low-margin environments into an opportunity for high-volume growth.
Key Highlights from Suresh Vaghjiani:
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The Opening of APAC: Vaghjiani discusses the shift from protective government policies to a more open, competitive banking environment in regions like Thailand.
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Overcoming High-Cost Barriers: Why traditional European financial solutions are often economically unviable in the low-margin, high-volume APAC market.
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Pay-As-You-Go Processing: How CLOWD9 utilizes cloud technology to offer a flexible payment model that eliminates the burden of expensive peak-time costs.
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Massive Cost Reductions: A look at how firms can achieve up to a 90% reduction in launch costs by utilizing efficient, cloud-native processing.
