PLDT data centers up for integration

MANILA, Philippines —  The biggest data center built by telco giant PLDT Inc. is set to be connected to facilities in Metro Manila, scaling up its capacity to handle applications and information.

PLDT unit VITRO Inc. said that VITRO Sta. Rosa, its 11th and largest facility, would be connected to the rest of its data centers in Makati, Parañaque and Pasig.

Once connected, VITRO Sta. Rosa will expand its efficiency and scalability, raising its attractiveness to tech players searching for data centers where they can store applications and information.

VITRO president and CEO Victor Genuino said the company has acquired the services of Ciena Corp. to do the integration of its data centers.

According to Genuino, it is important to connect the sites for redundancy, keeping backups in place for emergencies.

“VITRO Sta. Rosa will soon connect seamlessly to other sites in Metro Manila. The integration will enhance our network operations, providing top-notch connectivity solutions across all of our facilities,” Genuino said.

“Our clients will benefit immensely, given the ability to interconnect their racks across different VITRO sites, optimizing their disaster recovery strategies,” he added.

VITRO spent at least $350 million to build VITRO Sta. Rosa, equipping it with a capacity of 50 megawatts to become its biggest data center to date.

Right now, PLDT, through VITRO, leads the telco industry in the race for data center leadership, managing 11 facilities in its portfolio for a combined capacity of 100 MW.

Emerging competitor Converge ICT Solutions Inc., for its part, is also making a case for the data center crown. The internet service provider (ISP) is building two data centers – one in Caloocan City and the other in Pampanga – that are both set to open in 2025.

Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the data centers would be installed with 1,500 racks. This means Converge can lean on these sites to support its target of graduating from simply an ISP, to a tech player capable of delivering digital services.

“Our future-proofing investment is in anticipation of the massive demand in the coming years for more data-intensive applications in gaming, financial technology, over-the-top (services), public services and more,” Uy said.