A locally owned data center company recently opened its first data facility in the country, touting it as the Philippines’ largest telco-neutral data center meant to address the market’s need for a telco-grade and tailored data center services.
The new multi-million facility is operated by Beeinfotech PH, short for Bee Information Technology PH Inc., which is being led by industry veteran Reynaldo Huergas, who previously headed data center firm IP Converge before it was bought by dominant carrier PLDT.
“The ongoing pandemic has pushed companies and even the government to bolster their digital infrastructure and integrate more digital-based solutions to protect employees and better serve customers and the citizens. However, this endeavor can be difficult in the face of the economic impact of the pandemic and the increasing complexity in managing IT infrastructure,” said Huergas, who serves as Beeinfotech’s president and CEO.
“Our data center facility assists businesses in their digital transformation efforts by delivering critical IT management expertise and solutions that, once outsourced, can propel businesses further in their growth and development even in these difficult times,” he added.
The data center covers 19,000-square meter space spread across three floors of more than 6,000 square meters each. This is enough to accommodate up to a 45U rack height and hold more than 3,000 racks, which is currently the largest number of racks within a single data center in the country.
As a telco-neutral data center, Beeinfotech PH’s facility allows clients to choose among multiple connections from different telecommunications providers. This setup allows clients to select the connection that best suits their interests and needs, the company said.
Additionally, telco-neutrality adds redundancy to a company’s connection. For example, if one network goes offline, Beeinfotech PH said it can transfer the client to another connection to maintain online accessibility.
The data center’s floors follow the Open Design and Elastic Floor concepts so that Beeinfotech PH can meet certain client’s specifications such as special enclosures, zoning, and caging.
Both designs, the company said, make it easier to scale resources up or down, thereby providing a fully-OpEx (operating expenditure) model where clients only pay for the resources they need and use.
In addition, the Beeinfotech PH data center houses three dedicated sites that companies can utilize against the effects of the pandemic and other challenges in the future.
Its Security Operations Center (SOC) gives companies protection against cybercrime as it detects, analyzes, and immediately responds to incoming threats such as DDoS attacks and phishing.
Meanwhile, its Network Operations Center (NOC) monitors the entire network and maintains uptime at all times. Lastly, the Disaster Recovery Site is a specialized facility that organizations can use to recover and restore their infrastructure in case of disasters.
Beeinfotech PH is also aiming to leverage its footprint across Asia and serve as a gateway hub both for international companies seeking to enter the lucrative markets in the region and for Asian companies seeking global expansion.
According to a report from Grand View Research, the global data center colocation industry is expected to have a 13.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2021 to 2028, with the Asia-Pacific region leading.
The Philippines, in particular, is expected to increase its rack space market to 400,000 sq. ft. by 2024]. Among the growth factors cited are the increased complexity of building and maintaining one’s own data center facility and the benefit of scaling up infrastructure to accommodate larger data volumes, which increased further during the pandemic.