In a country the size of Australia, the concept of local is pretty relative. But when it comes to APIs, size matters. In fact, it’s critically important. Whether we’re talking about ‘local’ geographically or ‘local’ politically, where your API gateway handles your traffic can have major implications for everything from data privacy to performance.

That’s why we’re delighted to add AWS in Australia as a new region to  Cloud. It means our customers in Australia and New Zealand can now use a cloud provider in Australia. (Ok, New Zealand, we’re sorry to be throwing you in with your larger neighbour, but at least Sydney is much closer than California…)

Whether it’s the Privacy Act 1988 that’s stressing you out in Australia or the Privacy Act 2020 in New Zealand, hosting your API gateway locally with Cloud and AWS in Australia delivers some big security, privacy and performance wins. Let’s explore why…

The case for local hosting

When we talk about local hosting here, we’re not talking about installing on your own infrastructure. Of course, that’s something you’re most welcome to do; it’s just not the subject of today’s discussion.

What we mean by ‘local’ in this context is hosting Cloud within a specific country or region – in this case, in Australia.

Enhanced data security 

The first and perhaps most compelling reason to do so is security. When your API gateways are hosted in your local region, you have more control over your data. This is especially important when dealing with sensitive information that could be subject to data protection laws. So, whether it’s the Privacy Act 1988 or the Privacy Act 2020 that you need to comply with, hosting your gateway in your local region is a big step forward.

For instance, if your API traffic crosses national borders, it could be intercepted or subject to surveillance. This risk is significantly reduced when you host your API gateways within your own country, meaning it’s easier to meet your local data protection and privacy concerns – and to sleep more peacefully at night as a result!

Better risk management 

Another key advantage of local regional hosting is improved risk management. When your API gateways are hosted overseas, you’re subject to the laws and regulations of the country in which they’re hosted. This can introduce unexpected risks and complications, especially if there are sudden changes in the political or regulatory landscape. And isn’t life complicated enough without adding unnecessary risks into the mix?

You can better anticipate and manage these risks by hosting your API gateways in Australia. You’ll be operating your APIs within a local legal and regulatory framework you’re familiar with, making it easier to ensure compliance and manage any potential issues.

Data sovereignty 

Do your customers need reassurance that their data will not leave the borders of their own country? APIs make it very simple to move data, but by choosing Cloud, you can ensure that data stays local.

This local data sovereignty applies even if you’re part of a larger organisation with API gateways spread across the globe. Cloud was built to meet large multinational enterprises’ needs – and data privacy and security considerations – That means we have all the controls necessary for you to build a platform that works for you in Australia.

Improved performance 

Hosting your API gateways in your local region can deliver performance benefits, too. The closer your API gateway is to your users, the lower the latency and the faster the response times. This can lead to a better user experience and improved performance for your APIs when serving customers in Australia and New Zealand—another plus point.

Cloud in Australia and New Zealand

enables you to take control of your API management, ensuring security, compliance and performance. Adding AWS Sydney (ap-southeast-2) in Australia to our Cloud offering is a natural extension of this. It means your business in Australia and New Zealand can host our enterprise-level API gateway, which supports REST, GraphQL, TCP and gRPC protocols, closer to your customers. In doing so, you can reap various data security, risk management and performance rewards.

Global API management, local API gateways

Cloud has dashboards and gateways across the globe, so you can decide where your data sits, where it travels to and, importantly, where it doesn’t. To date, has added London (eu-west-2), Frankfurt (eu-central-1), US East (us-east-1), US West (us-west-1), Singapore (ap-southeast-1) and now Sydney.

If your region isn’t covered, don’t worry; more will come shortly. In the meantime, did you know that with  Cloud Hybrid, you can choose an existing region for your dashboard and deploy your gateways into any AWS, GCP, Microsoft or AliCloud region you want? All it takes is a simple Docker command to deploy Hybrid.

Keen to know more? is built for speed, doesn’t depend on a legacy proxy and integrates with Redis for distributed rate-limiting and token storage. You can chat with our team about the benefits of hosting your API gateway in your local region or roll up your sleeves and get started right away with a free trial of Cloud.