3 min read
In May 2025, Zong 4G (CMPak Ltd.) formally unveiled Z SAIS Cloud, Pakistan’s first AI-enabled, fully locally hosted cloud platform. Aimed at strengthening the nation’s digital backbone, Z SAIS Cloud promises enterprise-grade performance, stringent security, and minimal latency by operating out of newly commissioned data centers in Islamabad and Lahore.
Pakistan’s rapid digital transformation has underscored the need for sovereign data solutions. International hyperscale providers often grapple with local regulations on data residency, unpredictable foreign-currency fees, and performance lags over long network routes. In response, Zong leveraged its telecom expertise to build a homegrown cloud alternative—ensuring that government bodies, enterprises, and SMEs can store and process data under Pakistani jurisdiction, at locally competitive costs.
Details of Service
Z SAIS Cloud offers more than 40 distinct solutions across seven core business domains. Key services include:
- Compute & Containerization: Kubernetes orchestration, GPU-accelerated virtual machines.
- Security & Compliance: Firewalls, web application firewalls (WAF), encryption at rest and in transit.
- Data Protection: Disaster-recovery orchestration, automated backup.
- End-user Enablement: Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), unified management console.
Integrated modules for business continuity, storage, and network security round out a full-stack IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offering—all billed in PKR (with optional USD or RMB invoicing).
During a media capacity-building briefing in Islamabad, Zong executives detailed how Z SAIS Cloud aligns with national policy and industry needs. Presenters highlighted the urgency of data sovereignty, noting that local hosting slashes latency to below 50 ms for major cities while ensuring compliance with Pakistan’s legal frameworks. Journalists were walked through live demonstrations of one-click Kubernetes deployment, encrypted storage provisioning, and real-time analytics dashboards.
Support and Onboarding
Z SAIS Cloud includes a flexible pricing model that scales with actual usage, allowing smaller organizations to access core cloud services without large upfront investments. Deployment is simplified through pre-configured templates for common sectors—such as retail, finance, healthcare, and government—that reduce the need for in-depth DevOps expertise. A local support team, available in both Urdu and English, offers introductory training, ongoing monitoring, and troubleshooting assistance to help users become self-sufficient over time.
Addressing Key Considerations
Officials at Zong informed TechJuice that when evaluating a locally hosted platform versus global alternatives, organizations often cite data compliance, cost predictability, and setup time as primary concerns. Z SAIS Cloud keeps customer data within Pakistan’s borders to meet national regulatory requirements, and bills primarily in PKR to minimize currency-exchange fluctuations. Its modular design accommodates a variety of workloads—from basic virtual machines to GPU-enabled instances for machine learning—while streamlined provisioning means many users can complete initial setup within days rather than weeks.
With its initial rollout in May 2025, Z SAIS Cloud represents Zong’s entry into cloud services alongside its established telecom offerings. Future developments are expected to focus on expanding partner integrations, refining sector-specific solutions, and gradually broadening the platform’s feature set. As more organizations begin migrating workloads locally, the platform’s performance and compliance profile will be further tested and adapted to Pakistan’s evolving digital environment.
