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Another New Data Centre for Singapore

On 1 August 2018, we reported that Google will be adding a third data centre in Singapore. This time, it is Facebook which has plans to erect its first data centre in the island. Not only is it the first for the company in Singapore, it is the first in Asia, and fifteenth in the world.

The centre is estimated to cost SGD 1.4 billion. Spanning across 170 000 square meters, the data centre will be in Tanjong Kling, west of the island. Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created as the social media giant plans to expand its presence in Singapore and the region.

World without Borders

Despite the small workforce pool to draw talent from, the Government assesses itself to have “an advantage in terms of data protection, data security, and intellectual property”. While the Minster admitted that the Republic has room for improvement in terms of data analytics, he recognises an equally pressing need for Singapore to play “a meaningful role in the value chain for data storage”.

Data centres typically require huge amounts of land and energy to function. Not to be bogged down by these realities, the social media giant announced that it will be working to compress the data centre and make it energy efficient. A solution fielded is to turn the data centre from a horizontal layout to a vertical one, using a perforated lightweight material as its façade. To reduce energy consumption, the data centre will be the first to use the latest StatePoint Liquid Cooling system. It is believed to be more efficient than what is currently in the market. The technology helps overcome Singapore’s warmer climate which requires hefty cooling solutions. Additionally, the centre aspires to be powered fully by renewable energy with a special focus on solar energy.

Overall, the innovations the data centre provides will be a real breakthrough in how data centres are conceptualised. The company’s investment will make Singapore will be a leader in both the region and the world.

Standing on the Shoulder of Giants

The significance of the ground breaking ceremony is not to be understated. Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Chan Chun Sing, who gave a speech at the ceremony said the project was important to Singapore on two counts. The first is because Singapore is able to transcend beyond its geographical limitations. The second, the opportunities that the data centre provides will improve Singapore’s connectivity with the rest of the world.

It is through technology that Singapore can make the most out of the disruption. The country’s enthusiasm for Industry 4.0 proves the adage “If you can’t beat them, join them” right. Riding on the government’s Smart Nation initiatives, the data centre announcement represents optimistic sentiments for the Republic’s digital future.

Hence, a lot of work is being put in to shape Singapore as a point of connectivity with the rest of the world. Minister Chan Chun Sing stressed the immense value of the non-physical dimensions: data, finance, technology and talent.

In his speech, he said, “We are confident, going forward, that we will need to compete less on scale and price but to compete on the basis of our creativity and connectivity…Our partnership will defy the odds of history – a small city state can not only survive but thrive because of our connectivity and because we are leveraging on the latest technology to transcend our constraints.”

Meeting in the Middle

The Minister’s enthusiasm for the project represent Singapore’s wider political and economic interest. Singapore represents a sweet spot for ‘East meets West’ kinds of agreements. The recent Trump-Kim summit in June was indicative. More accurately however, is Singapore knows how to brand itself in an age of disruption, so as not to be forgotten amidst its neighbour’s successes.

As the number-one country in Asia to do business, the company is reaffirmed in its decision. In the announcement, they cited the “robust infrastructure and access to fibre, a talented local workforce, and a great set of community partners including the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Jurong Town Corporation” as sufficient justifications for the venture. The business-friendly environment and the matured regulatory system supports the enforcement of contracts and facilitates the ease of construction permitting.

For Minister Chan Chun Sing, the data centre is more than just a project. It is a milestone for Singapore.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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