1-Net Singapore has launched a new data center, 1-Net North, expected to be Singapore’s first Tier III designed and constructed data center certified by the Uptime Institute.

It expects to complete the build by the last quarter of 2015.

1-Net North will cover more than 200,000 sq ft and will be located at Marsiling.

According to 1-Net, the new building is on a long-term lease from CitySpring Infrastructure Trust (CitySpring), as part of a joint venture with Shimizu Corporation.

The facility is expected to cost around S$130m, with 1-Net investing an additional S$70m to fit out the data center with the technology required to attain the Tier III Design and Construct certifications.

In recognition of the growing consumption of rich data in the region, 1-Net aims to be the first in the South East Asia region to provide a specialized offering to companies looking to focus on digitized content.

The launch of 1-Net North will also be the first of its regional expansion plans in the Southeast Asia region; with focus on regional cities such as Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

“We’ve seen a shift in the way consumers consume their information over the last few years, and businesses have also responded by changing the way they engage customers,” said Wong Ka Vin, Managing Director of 1-Net Singapore.

“With the opening of this new 1-Net Data Center, 1-Net aims to become Asia’s data center of choice.”

Speaking with FOCUS, Wong said 1-Net North will be first data center in South East Asia to be built with a Tier III Facility Design and Construction Certifications established by the Uptime Institute.

Most data centers in the region are certified under the Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Design Documents only.

Wong said many of the data centers in Singapore don’t conform fully to Threat and Vulnerability Risk Assessment (TVRA) guidelines adopted by the Singapore Monetary Authority (MAS) for financial organizations, especially in the area of their fencing and car parks.

“We will be seeking full TVRA conformance,” Wong said.

1-Net is a fully-owned subsidiary of MediaCorp Pte Ltd, a media company in Singapore that operates a range of platforms including television, radio, newspapers and magazines.