Equinix expands presence in MY with first data center in Kuala Lumpur

Digital infrastructure company Equinix INC is set to establish its first data centre in Kuala Lumpur in the first quarter of 2024. This follows its announcement last year that it would be entering the Malaysia market with a data centre in Johor.

Malaysia is a fast-growing data centre market in the ASEAN region, with much of its development attributed to Johor and Kuala Lumpur, according to Malaysian trade minister Zafrul Abdul Aziz. 

With the country entering the second phase of its MyDIGITAL blueprint for a digital economy, demand for digital infrastructure is projected to remain strong. Equinix’s expansion then is anticipated to contribute to Malaysia’s MyDIGITAL blueprint to establish Malaysia as a centre for colocation in the ASEAN region.

The new data center in Kuala Lumpur, named “KL1”, together with the recently announced “JH1” in Johor, will provide a more enhanced digital infrastructure that businesses require to capitalise on Malaysia’s digital economy.

Don't miss: CARSOME launches new service center, commences operations at MY hotspots

KL1 will allow customers to utilise its infrastructure to connect with the world’s leading cloud service providers such as Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Webservices and Google Cloud to protect their data in a secure environment.

As to why Malaysia was chosen for its data center, Equinix  noted that Malaysia is one of the fastest growing data center markets in the ASEAN region with much of the development attributed to Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

Adding on to this, John Dinsdale, chief analyst and research director of Synergy Research Group said that “Malaysia is a vibrant market for digital infrastructure, driven by a strong economy, growing demand for digital services, a favourable location and increasing investments from the world’s leading hyperscale operators. That is opening up major long-term growth opportunities for leading data center operators.”

“Following our initial investment in Johor, we are excited to add another data center in Kuala Lumpur. By expanding Equinix in the two most strategic metros in Malaysia, we will enable Malaysian businesses, as well as multinationals with a presence in Malaysia, to leverage a trusted platform to connect the foundational infrastructure to drive their success,” said Jeremy Deutsch, president of Equinix Asia Pacific.

“We believe the two data centers will fuel Equinix’s existing data center momentum and support Malaysia’s aspirations as a digitally driven connectivity hub,” Deutsch ended off.

The news comes just as Southeast Asian car eCommerce platform CARSOME launched its new service center in Malaysia. The company has commenced operations at Petaling Jaya and Ampang. 

Present at the launch of the service centre was minister of science technology and innovation, YB Chang Lih Kan, along with member of parliament for Petaling Jaya YB Lee Chean Chung. 

Minister YB Chang said that CARSOME's new service centre overwrites the traditional practices in servicing and maintenance of cars, making it more convenient with an improved digital experience. "Furthermore, I firmly believe that with this expansion, CARSOME will be creating numerous job opportunities for skilled technicians and specialists to cater to growing demand in this sector," he added. 

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