As the sole local CSP, TM One will ensure data sovereignty and greater trust, privacy and security in the migration and storage of Government and citizen data

With the Malaysian Government’s Cloud Framework Agreement (CFA) formalised, the appointed Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) must now demonstrate their strategic offerings to potential clients.

Anticipating the extended capabilities needed to implement the Government’s strategic shift to cloud, TM One, the enterprise and public sector business arm of Telekom Malaysia Group (TM), continues to expand its data centre portfolio. Furthermore, as the sole local CSP, TM One’s established in-country data centres, infrastructure and services ensure that all operations and transactions are independent of foreign regulations or third-party policies and requirements – which imparts greater agility and trust in the migration and supervision of Government and citizen data.

Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM said, “As Malaysia’s leader in end-to-end cloud and data centre services, we are committed to strengthening our digital offerings to meet the Government’s MyGovCloud requirements. Investing into the growth of our data centres will enable us to manage the volumes of public data throughout and after the migration process. Our locally-based infrastructure and cloud services also enable us to support the unique needs of the Malaysian Government, especially on data sovereignty.”

With several carrier-neutral data centre facilities in Malaysia and one in Hong Kong that operate as multi-cloud providers for various hyperscalers, TM One is on course to launch its tenth centre, which will be a Tier III/Rated 3 Data Centre, anticipated to be unveiled in Q3 2022. With no less than 3MW of power and the ability to accommodate 700 equipment racks, this data centre will aim to improve power efficiency through its cooling system design which runs on modular air-cooled chillers. Across the board, TM One continues to strive towards achieving lower Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) while meeting the SLA of the customers.

Similar to TM’s other globally certified hyperscale data centres in the Klang Valley, Iskandar Puteri and Brickfields, this new centre will also conform to security standards and certifications including ISO27001, PCI DSS, DCRA and TVRA which will safeguard the Government’s data and assets.

Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President of TM One said, “This latest edition to TM One’s data centres will include enhanced data security capabilities through TM One’s Cyber Defence Centre (CYDEC), addressing the Government’s potential risk areas including cybersecurity, compliance, privacy, ethics and social responsibility. To facilitate the transformative journey of individual Government agencies, TM One’s Professional Services team, along with our partner MSP, Cloud Connect, will work closely with these agencies on Cloud Design Planning, Migration Services, and Workload Optimisation Services, customising the solutions and experiences to the unique needs of each agency.”

Cloud Connect, a local cloud broker and software engineering company will partner with TM One as its dedicated MSP. Having worked with service providers, enterprises, small-and-medium businesses, as well as Government agencies for a decade, Cloud Connect has a proven track record of implementing multiple enterprise integration projects, bringing together the right people, processes, and technological capabilities. This makes Cloud Connect the perfect fit to deliver TM One’s end-to-end cloud infrastructure and services to Government institutions in their transformation journey.

Also addressing the importance of data residency, locality and sovereignty in the MyGovCloud endeavour, Shazurawati explains, “Our hyperscaled and intelligent cloud solutions and data centre facilities are governed by the laws of Malaysia, which guarantees data sovereignty and privacy for the Malaysian Government and its citizens. This removes the need and risk of foreign laws and policy intervention or inclusion, ensuring data privacy and security, while enabling greater flexibility and agility in Government services.

“With our deep understanding of the Malaysian landscape and a full suite of established services and infrastructure, we are confident that our infrastructure, solutions, and partnership with Cloud Connect will enable the Government to reach their next advantage, today and tomorrow,” she concluded.