At the "Hong Kong -- Prime location for data centres" seminar held today at the Tamar Central Government Offices, the Hong Kong Office of Government Chief Information Officer told some 150 attendees that it is part of the government's overall ICT strategy to develop Hong Kong as a prime location for data centers and cloud services in the Asia Pacific region.
In his opening keynote, Daniel Lai the Hong Kong government said data center and cloud computing markets are growing at an unprecedented fast pace. Using the five-letter word "CLOUD" -- which represents continuity and connectivity, land, open, unfailing support and door to China -- Lai outlined the strategic advantages of Hong Kong as a prime mega data center location in the region, and the recently implemented government measures to facilitate data center development in the city.
High continuity and connectivity
In two consecutive years, Hong Kong was ranked in Cushman & Wakefield's "Data center risk index" 2011 and 2012 reports as the safest place for setting up data centers in Asia Pacific -- ahead of South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, China, Indonesia and India.
In terms of connectivity, Hong Kong's internet connection speed is averaged at 45.9 Mbps. The city has six submarine cable landing stations connected to seven regional and trans-Pacific submarine cable systems, and is connected with an overland cable network of the three telecoms operators in China.
By 2014, CLP will build a new power substation at the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate (TKOIE), said Kenneth Cheng, assistant GCIO (e-government service delivery) OGCIO. TKOIE is currently home to about 10 data centers, including HSBC, NTT Com, China Mobile, HKCOLO.NET, Pacnet Global I & II, Google, Towngas, Digital Realty & Savvis and Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing.