Khmer Times-June 25
A new joint venture of local and international companies will result in the creation of the biggest data center in the country, boosting the Kingdom’s capabilities to provide digital and cloud services.
Local IT companies Te Aikhong Enterprise and Kepstar Data Center on Friday signed a partnership agreement with Malaysia-based firm Fourtitude Asia to improve the digital ecosystem in the country by bringing online a $70-million data center in the capital.
The infrastructure will be built over an area of five hectares in Kambol commune, and will be ready within 18 months, with construction beginning in June, according to a project representative.
During his speech at the signing ceremony, Te Aikhong’s director Te Chour called the agreement “historic”, arguing that this is the first time a local company is joining forces with such heavyweights in the industry to develop digital infrastructure in the country.
“A data centre is a key asset for the development of our digital economy,” Mr Chour said. “It is key for our economic growth.”
“It will play an important role in attracting investors. Companies are more likely to come to Cambodia if they have a reliable place to store data,” he said, also explaining that they are now conducting negotiations with the government to determine the fee that will be charged to users of the upcoming facility.
“The data center will comply with all international requirements and our customers will be private companies and banks, but we will also reserve some space for the government.”
Tang Pen San, director of Fourtitude Asia, the largest cloud platform developer in Malaysia, highlighted the importance of the partnership for the local IT sector.
“We have a lot of experience and expertise that we want to bring to Cambodia. This partnership is important as we found that the country is lacking professionals in technology and cybersecurity.”
Mr Pen San said his company will train locals so that they can participate in the development and maintenance of cloud platforms in the Kingdom.
Andy Chee, chairman of Kepstar Data Center, said the result of the partnership will be a comprehensive solution that will help further the development of the country’s digital economy.
“Our experience building data centers, combined with Fourtitude Asia’s expertise in cloud solutions and Te Aikhong’s experience in developing IT solutions for businesses, will result in a complete solution for users,” Mr Chee said.
“We are committed to boosting the local digital economy by bringing together local and foreign expertise.”
Kan Channmeta, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, welcomed the partnership, explaining that expanding the country’s ability of store data is one of the priorities of his ministry.
“We’ve been focusing on enhancing cybersecurity, as well as facilitating electronic payments, transactions and data storage. These are all important areas in which we need to focus,” Mr Channmeta said.
