Data centre industry to hit Rm480mil revenue

KUALA LUMPUR: The local data centre industry is expected to chalk up revenue of RM480mil in 2013 from the estimated RM400mil in 2012, due to increasing demand for the services.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said Malaysia saw an accelerating growth in the data centre industry with more than 15 notable service providers offering the entire spectrum of data centre services since 2007.

“From 2008 to 2011, these data centre service providers had grown their net floor space from 500,000 sq ft to over one million sq ft,” he said in his keynote address at the Second International Datacentres Malaysia Summit 2013 yesterday.

Subramaniam said data centre

Rather than being competitive, we want to be synergistic and offer space and service for Singapore companies to grow in our area. — DATUK DR S. SUBRAMANIAM

was identified as one of the Entry Point Projects (EPP) under the Economic Transformation Programme, and the Government was currently giving a great focus to grow the industry as an area of economic growth.

The Government projected the industry to contribute RM2.4bil to gross national income and create about 13,290 jobs by 2020, he said.

Subramaniam said domestic players had built strong local operations, while some had even established regional presence and gained international certifications.

He said the EPP team was working closely with domestic players to leverage on the capability growth programmes in place to explore new opportunities and business models by establishing strategic partnerships and alliances to expand their global reach.

Subramaniam said space was one of important areas to be developed to cater for the data centre industry.

“That is the reason why we have developed an MSC-status area in Iskandar Malaysia as Singapore has grown into its maximum capacity.

“Rather than being competitive, we want to be synergistic and offer space and service for Singapore companies to grow in our area and Iskandar Malaysia would be an ideal area for them to come and locate themselves,” he said.

The Second International DataCentres Malaysia Summit 2013 was organised by international consulting firm, BroadGroup, with Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corp serving as the patron.

The two-day summit, beginning yesterday, aims to highlight Malaysia’s potential as a data centre hub. — Bernama