Cisco Sees Asean Opportunities in AI Demand and Sovereign AI

Tay Bee Kheng, Cisco's Asean president, emphasizes the importance of understanding South-east Asia as individual economies rather than a homogenous bloc. She notes that while multinational corporations recognize the region's economic potential, they often view it as one entity due to simplicity. However, each country in the region has its own culture, form of government, and growth stage.

Tay sees her role as a bridge between Cisco's global bosses and the Asean market, simplifying the complexity of the region for her counterparts. She identifies specific needs for each market and communicates them to her global bosses. For example, she highlights opportunities in Malaysia's data centre build-out and Vietnam's artificial intelligence ambition.

Cisco is benefiting from AI demand, with its revenue rising 18% year on year to $17.3 billion in the most recent quarter. The company expects continued growth driven by AI, with 92% of businesses in Asean planning to deploy AI agents within a year but only 16% fully ready to leverage it.

Tay points out that apart from prominent examples, there are other aspects of Asean's potential that may be overlooked. She notes that the Philippines is catching up and will likely see AI growth in the next 12-24 months.