OCBC unveils $240m purpose-built data centre

The bank is avoiding interdependence on data centre tenancy.

OCBC Bank unveiled its new $240m regional data centre, fully operational since Q3 2017, designed to support the operational requirements of OCBC Group entities for the next 30 years.

According to a press release, the data centre is cloud-enabled to support the bank in its move towards a hybrid and private cloud infrastructure.

“As the data centre is a critical and core facility for any bank, we wanted a dedicated data centre owned by us and not one that is leased,” said OCBC head of group operations and technology Lim Khiang Tong. “We, therefore, embarked on a four-year journey to develop our purpose-built data centre from the ground up – being the first Singapore bank to do so. Putting together some of the most advanced security features, cutting-edge technologies and modern facilities were not good enough for us.”

OCBC noted that a wholly-owned data centre it enables it to have absolute control on security and physical access, and eliminates the risk of unavailability of space or capacity when needed. “It also removes any risks associated with interdependence on other tenants' activities, which is the case in shared facilities,” it said.

OCBC said the facility sits on a land area of 0.5 hectares with a built-up floor area of 134,500 square feet across six storeys. “It hosts thousands of devices with the expanded capacity to serve the needs of the OCBC Group, including Bank of Singapore, OCBC Wing Hang, Great Eastern, Lion Global Investors and overseas branches across 18 countries,” it said.

OCBC said the data centre is the first in Southeast Asia to have one technology command centre monitoring and managing both cybersecurity and day-to-day operations of core IT systems and is 30% more energy-efficient than other standard data centres in Southeast Asia.

“It boasts some of the highest standards in security, resiliency and efficiency in the region – to ensure enhanced security against cyber and physical threats, business continuity even in times of outages, and $500,000 in annual cost savings from energy efficiency,” it said.

More companies are tapping into data centres to ensure their digitisation and other operations are more smooth sailing. Previously, DBS Bank partnered with data centre provider Equinix to transform its traditional data centre into a cloud-optimised one. It has been migrating to cloud-optimised technology in recent years.

Singapore is also considered the most robust country for data centres in Asia as it scored 84.50 out of 100 in Cushman & Wakefield’s Data Center Risk Index. According to the index, Singapore ranked strongly for network infrastructure, diverse connectivity to major APAC markets, its pro-business environment and political stability.