IBM to leverage SingTel’s data centre as its Asia Pacific hub to deliver next generation computing facility for clients

Singapore, 3 May 2004 – IBM Singapore and SingTel have reached a long-term data centre lease agreement to provide next generation computing facility for clients in the Asia Pacific region.

IBM will invest S$21 million at SingTel’s latest purpose-built state-of-the-art data centre equipped to deliver highly secure and reliable network infrastructure services.  It will complement IBM’s strategic outsourcing business and enable IBM’s clients to leverage SingTel’s local and international data services to support their computing and communications needs in the region.

At the heart of the centre, IBM will make available to customers its Universal Management Infrastructure (UMI) with built-in intelligence that will deliver performance at higher levels of productivity, capital efficiency and financial flexibility.  

Companies may choose to have an on-demand operating environment built and managed by IBM at the centre or at their data centres outsourced to IBM.  The latter allows companies to focus on their core business without the hassle of building and managing their own in-house data centre.

Francis Fong, general manager, Strategic Outsourcing, IBM Global Services, Singapore, said, “We are delighted to sign this data centre leasing agreement with SingTel, who has a ready and reliable data centre infrastructure at this new facility.  With our service extension into on-demand computing, housing our data centre with SingTel can help our clients integrate many of their diverse applications and technology platforms into a single, cost effective and highly secure computing utility.

“The underlying technology is specifically designed to bring the flexibility, productivity and the power of the Internet to our customers’ clients and internal users. As such SingTel’s world-class data network service is a natural fit for IBM’s needs in Singapore and for our clients with international reach.”

The new data centre facility is SingTel’s latest telco-grade data centre facility. With this new addition, SingTel has four SXPAN data centre sites in Singapore, with extended presence in the pan-Asian region; Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.  This provides customers with an option for local or regional site diversity as well as instant access to readily built-up data centre space and services.

Mr Lee Han Kheng, CEO of Managed Hosting Services, SingTel, said, “We are honoured to have IBM as our customer in SingTel SXPAN’s latest data centre facility in Singapore.  IBM, as a leader of technology, has excellent skill sets and expertise in helping clients deliver innovative technology solutions in this region.  SingTel’s strength in providing data centre facility management as well as local and regional connectivity will help to provide the added edge and enable a more comprehensive and complete suite of offerings to IBM customers.”

With the completion of this data centre agreement, both organizations have also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to work together to promote the facility and leading edge offerings to their combined customer base.