KOTA KINABALU – Sabah-based Poseidon Technologies Sdn Bhd has joined hands with Permodalan Risda Bhd, the investment arm of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda), in a landmark collaboration aimed at establishing Malaysia’s first Tier 4 data centre in Sabah.
Under the memorandum of understanding inked today, Poseidon Technologies is expected to spend approximately RM119 million into the data centre development, while Permodalan Risda Berhad will provide the requisite expertise and technology.
Poseidon Technologies managing director, Alfian Abdul Rahman, revealed that the state-of-the-art data centre is anticipated to be situated at Aeropod, near Tg Aru, encompassing a vast 20,000 sq ft space to house the essential hardware infrastructure.
“We anticipate the completion of this cutting-edge data centre within the next 10 months, positioning it for readiness by mid-2024,” Alfian stated during the MoU signing event held at a prestigious five-star hotel here today.
Present at the signing ceremony included Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Alfian said Poseidon Technologies plans to collaborate with Singapore-based Uptime Institute Awards to secure the Tier IV Data Centre certification.
He also noted a study has been done and found Aeropod mixed development structure has a better supply for electricity to keep the data centre running smoothly.
A data centre is a physical facility used to store applications and data, while Tier Award levels indicate the efficiency and reliability of such centres, with Tier IV currently being the highest industry standards.
Risda director-general Datuk Abdullah B. Zainal, who was also present at the signing ceremony, said subsidiary Permodalan Risda has been actively involved in the ICT industry for nearly a decade, which includes the supply of high-tech ICT hardware.
“Permodalan Risda Bhd is also currently working with a United States-based company to offer clients cutting-edge technology solutions,” he added.
Permodalan Risda chief executive officer Putra Sidek said the MoU’s terms include the joint operation of the data centre with Poseidon and the provision of technological expertise.
“For the initial five years, we will work closely with Poseidon to manage the data centre. Subsequently, Poseidon Technologies will take over full operations.”
Deputy Chief Minister Jeffrey Kitingan, meanwhile, welcomed the establishment of this advanced data centre, stating that the creation of the data centre is aligned with the Sabah government’s move to be data-driven and push for digital economy. – The Vibes, September 29, 2023
