Conglomerate plans to offer ASP services to non-Group organizations in near future.

Stretching 227 meters into the Bangkok sky, the 58 floors of Empire Tower house offices, food and beverage outlets and shops. Developed by Thai conglomerate T.C.C. Group, the building is home to the local and regional operations of such familiar names as Dell, Epson, Jobs DB, Maersk, Lowe, KPMG and organizations including Australian Tourist Commission, German-Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Administrative Court of Thailand.

It is easy to understand why these businesses and organizations have chosen to put up their shingles at Empire Tower. Strategically located in the business district of Bangkok, the complex has a Skytrain station at its doorstep and is easily accessible via major arterial roads and expressways. Another draw: an impressive array of hi-tech systems that were conceived and designed to meet the current and future technology needs of international businesses. These systems include 52 high-speed elevators, over 4,000 direct phone lines and 24-hour computerized security and energy management systems, and a fiber-optic backbone that branches out at every floors.

In early 2003, T.C.C. Group added another delicacy to this hi-tech smorgasbord: with a forming up of T.C.C. Technology, an Internet Data Center provider. Built with the help of 1-Net, which provided network consultancy and IDC operational management training, the IDC will provide bandwidth and 24/7 operational support necessary to run and maintain sites and services on the Web, as well as the secure, monitored computer facilities needed by companies within Empire Tower.

IDC now, ASP later
Located on the 30th floor and connected to the Internet via high-speed connections to international gateways at the major telecommunication centers, the IDC will initially serve entities in the T.C.C. Group, starting with the provision of SAP enterprise solution to major subsidiaries. The Group's plans call for the data center to offer Internet services such as hosting and managed e-mail to Empire Tower tenants and other organizations at a later time.

What is unique about this IDC is that it is one of the very first of its kind that was designed and constructed by taking advantage of the building's two fully independent incoming power sources. This IDC has been integrated and become part of the building facilities. "This will free customers from having to worry about infrastructure issues (server rooms, air conditioning, emergency power source, and support staff, etc.) so they can focus on business," said Mr. Johnny Quah, Executive Vice President, Management Support of T.C.C. Technology. "And, having the IDC in Empire Tower makes the complex even more attractive to companies needing prime office space and hi-tech facilities to match."

Expectations of Consultant
The T.C.C. Group, which first broached the idea of having its own IDC in 2000, was very clear as to what it expected of the consultant for the center, Mr. Quah said.

"Though the data center concept is rather new in Thailand, there are local IDC builders and other such contractors who could provide specific services or equipment. However, our preference was for a consultant who could offer a broad spectrum of capabilities from the design of the IDC through to the transfer of the knowledge needed to effectively and efficiently operate the IDC."

1-Net, with its world-class industry best practices, field-tested policies and procedures and experience in the actual running of data centers and the Singapore ONE broadband backbone network, offered the T.C.C. Group the advantage of getting the IDC right from the beginning, besides lending it credibility, said Mr. Kosit, General Manager of T.C.C. Technology.

1-Net's Role
1-Net's charter, which it began executing late 2001, included reviewing the design of the IDC and its physical environment (temperature control, fire suppression, power supply, etc); advising T.C.C. Group on the selection of IDC designer and builder; planning LAN and WAN design, hardware and software; preparing tender documents and evaluating equipment vendors; and training IDC staff in the operation and management of the center.

"Prior to our engagement with T.C.C. Group, we had already set up two IDCs in Singapore. These projects have equipped 1-Net with skills, knowledge and experience, and we applied these to the T.C.C. Group IDC project," said Lee Hung Kwong, 1-Net's Network Engineering Manager and leader of the project team.

"Mr. Lee and his team have delivered to us a fully functional IDC. The services that they have provided have been very professional. On several occasions, they have even uncomplainingly extended their help beyond what was contractually agreed, like when they helped to interview and shortlist staff for the IDC," said Mr. Kosit.

Work on leveraging the IDC within the T.C.C. Group is under way, he added. Among the benefits the Group is expecting are: cost savings from the consolidation of IT resources now distributed across the various business units and the centralized serving of the SAP applications, and the streamlining and standardization of business processes across the Group.

"Once we complete the Group-internal work, we'll be rolling out ASP-type services to Empire Tower tenants and other businesses and are confident that the take-up rate will be optimistic. We're also considering another IDC in one of our business hub projects. If that happens, we'll most likely count on 1-Net's help again," said Mr. Quah.