By Jihad Tayara, CEO of EVOTEQ
At GITEX in October, EVOTEQ, the Middle East’s leading digital transformation catalyst, announced plans to develop Sharjah's first Tier 3 datacenter, in collaboration with Khazna, the UAE's largest datacenter wholesale providers. I believe this is an important step for the development of the UAE’s digital transformation, as datacenters are an increasingly essential element to the infrastructure of our modern environment. Here is what you need to know about the project.
Why Tier 3?
We cannot evolve the use of data without being able to process huge amounts of information and make sense of it to create knowledge and wisdom. Our job is to create a set of tools to help business leaders and governments make better-informed decisions, based on insights from the data.
For example, an increasing number of players in the AI field rely on analytics generated from their data pool. This data will soon be more widely used for analysis such as facial and behavioral recognition. For example, there might soon be a lot of cameras on the streets that understand human behavior. Then you have autonomous cars, with each one using, and also creating, a vast amount of data.
The important thing for businesses or governments to know about why datacenters will be relevant to their operations in this evolving future, is that Tier 3 is an industry standard set of certifications. This includes high-tech security, fire and environmental control systems, and full redundancy grade power. These benchmarks benefit companies using the facility because they are guaranteed reliability and resilience, leaving them to focus on their core business strengths. They can plan for their future knowing that it is built on firm foundations.
Digital dividend
We’re pleased to work with Sharjah as it takes bold steps on its digital transformation journey. Businesses and governments will know that their data is safe and is being taken care of in a sophisticated manner. Target sectors of the Sharjah Tier 3 datacenter include government departments, banks, universities, enterprises and technology companies. This will also allow Sharjah to attract leading multinational technology companies, boosting the economy of the Emirate and creating new job opportunities for UAE national talent.
However, we would also like this datacenter to be a pillar for the whole country, and for international players who could be part of this initiative. Moving even further, we think there is scope for development outside the country.
The bigger picture
As the region’s premier technology management partner, EVOTEQ has a broader remit to help facilitate the digital wave of change. This includes our ‘Offices of the Future’ project that we have developed in partnership with Microsoft and Johnson Controls. Our new ICT technology will enable the sustainable development of cities, including our Smart Transport initiative, which reimagines the future of a city’s transport management system, and our Smart Track platform, an advanced serialization and tracking system. Our SAPEQ project will see the largest digital transformation project for the Sharjah City Municipality, and we’ve also undertaken several other large-scale projects in the region, including the development of Sharjah’s first blockchain platform for the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority: a state-of-the-art waste permit portal.
These projects will drive positive change for our economy and citizens, and they are all linked by the same vital commodity: data. For this reason, the prospect of a new Tier 3 datacenter is great news for all of us, as it will add value to our economy and benefit the residents of this country.
