Global data center provider deems Philippines as growth driver

CEBU, Philippines - A global data center provider, deemed as the world’s largest, is shifting its focus towards the Philippines as it considers the country as one of its growth drivers in Asia-Pacific.

Digital Realty, which is based in San Francisco, USA, provides a combination of data center ecosystem business with a colocation services provider in a seamless, interconnected global network. Its Asia-Pacific business is headquartered in Singapore.

Elisa Wong, the company's regional sales director for Asia-Pacific, said the Philippines' huge market-base with over 100 million population is one of the solid draws why the company sees the need to penetrate the country, along with other big-size population states in Asia, like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

These markets in Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines, Wong said are too difficult to ignore.

Parallel to the shift of the world's economy to digital stage, the need of data centers has become one of the top most important priorities of economic movers, especially financial institutions (banks), apps or online and Internet-based companies, telecoms, among others.

Omer Wilson, Digital Realty's marketing director for Asia-Pacific, said while there is a strong temptation to set up physical data center facility in the Philippines, the company is also considering a number of considerations before it decides to invest here.

Important factors to be considered is the existing laws and regulations of the Philippine government towards foreign investors, the general political security, access to ample power supply, among others.

Digital Realty is one of the largest data center solution providers of social media companies like Facebook, technology giants such as IBM, among others.

This time, the company is reaching out directly to the clients, offering cloud database for homes.

Wong and Wilson, who were among the participants to the ongoing 12th Asian Carriers Conference at the Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa, said Asian markets have become a key focus for many global players, with Singapore being a key strategic hub of unparalleled connectivity.

The company's data center in Singapore, along with its existing and developing facilities in Hong Kong, Osaka, Melbourne and Sydney are all key elements of Asia Pacific's growing "Digital Silk Road" and reinforces its mission of providing the foundation of the new digital world.

Digital Realty supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 1,800 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Its clients include global companies of all sizes, ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products. (FREEMAN)