The Thailand branch of a Japanese system integration communications company plans to launch an “innovation lab” to test and develop new technologies in blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to accelerate the pace of digitisation in the country.
The continued investment in technology is in line with Thailand 4.0.
The innovation lab investment is in addition to a 500-million-baht outlay for additional space for data centres at Amata Industrial Estate to meet increasing demand in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The President of the firm noted that despite uncertainty surrounding the formation of a new government, technology investment will continue in line with the Thailand 4.0 objective and EEC megaprojects.
The head noted that the company will continue to commit to the Thai market as automation and an ageing society disrupt the labour force.
By the second quarter of this year, the firm will open its first and largest innovation lab in the ASEAN region located at its Bangkok 2 Data Centre in Amata Industrial Estate.
The firm’s innovation lab will introduce a playground for customers and partners to do a proof-of-concept, development for disruptive technologies such as blockchain, IoT, AI, hybrid cloud and software-defined networks.
This innovation lab will serve as preventive maintenance for smart factories and blockchain solutions for the financial and insurance sectors.
The company also expanded the third phase of Nexcentre, a high-density Bangkok 2 data centre, spanning 1,200 square metres with 2,000 kilowatts, located in Amata.
The firm plans in July 2019 to expand its business to meet the needs of over-the-top service operators, online games, online businesses, cloud service operators and financial institutions.
This expansion expects to serve the demand for the next two years in the growth of big data and cloud computing services.
The company foresees demand to grow in hybrid cloud services as businesses need to use its private cloud in core applications while using its public cloud providers for email and salesforce application services.
The company provides connectivity and managed services to enable enterprises to connect their private clouds with other public cloud services of both US and Chinese cloud service operators.
In addition, there is a rising demand for multi-cloud management providers and enterprise use of multiple public cloud services that need managing of security policy and migration of data in applications.
The firm also sees an increasing trend for the outsourcing of managed security services, as a result of the rising concern over cybersecurity risks in the digitisation era and the upcoming Cybersecurity Act to manage security risks and the Data Protection Act to prevent data leaks.
However, the company will wait and see how the laws are executed by policymakers. The company aims to grow by 30% over three years to 2021.