ePLDT, the ICT arm of PLDT Enterprise, has announced it is undertaking strategic transformation programs for its Vitro data center facilities in Pasig and Parañaque to better serve the digital requirements of industries today.
The transformation programs are set to drive sustainability for the two data centers and likewise make them at par with global data center standards and best practices to cater to the demand of the international market.
The programs also aim to fortify the power efficiency, redundancy, and resiliency of the data center facilities through power systems upgrades and equipment modernization.
“We at ePLDT have been fully supportive of the growth and security of our customers. We continuously strengthen our infrastructure and services, and with these Vitro data centers being transformed, we ensure business continuity and successful digital transformation of enterprises,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT president and CEO.
“Moreover, making our data centers sustainable and at par with global standards is imperative as we see Philippines becoming an attractive destination for global tech companies and hyperscalers. We believe that these initiatives will further help in opening the country’s doors to the global data center market,” Hernandez added.
ePLDT started the transformation of its first purpose-built data center in the Philippines in Pasig City in mid-2019. The three-year transformation project will optimize Vitro Pasig’s support infrastructure facility to generate more power capacity, and to accommodate and host more application requirements of its customers.
Vitro Pasig caters to the needs of both local and global customers with 1,800 racks in capacity and 3,900 sqm data center space.
On the other hand, the facility transformation of Vitro Paranaque is set to be completed by third quarter of the year, with certifications (ISO, PCI-DSS) targeted to be secured by the end of 2021.
Once finished, Vitro Paranaque will be the fourth TIA-942 Rated 3 Certified Data Center of ePLDT. It is a carrier-neutral purposely-built facility.
Accredited by NTT Communications as a Nexcenter-compliant data center facility, it adopts the latest data center design best practices and management experience with 3,000 sqm data center space and 800-rack capacity.
ePLDT said it has been implementing sustainability initiatives for its data center facilities. For instance, Vitro Clark built its own solar energy source that can generate 100Kw of power and has EIFS or Exterior Insulation Finishing System which reduces heat penetration into the building by 55% — thereby making temperature inside a lot lower than in typical facilities.
At present, the group is securing more international data center certifications such as LEED and ISO 50001 to integrate more efficient energy management into all Vitro facilities nationwide to improve service quality and help with environmental management.
ePLDT’s Vitro Data Centers in Makati, Cebu, and Clark, Pampanga are the first in the country to receive the ANSI/TIA-942 Rated 3 Facility Certifications. The standard is based on all physical infrastructure like site location, fire safety, architectural, electrical, mechanical, security, telecommunication and other critical data center requirements.
To date, ePLDT has 10 data centers located nationwide to provide colocation and services.
