The planned Qualtrics data center in Singapore will add to the list of the existing 26 providers and 52 data centers in Singapore, including 50 colocation facilities, 41 cloud nodes, 9 Internet exchanges (IX), and 21 disaster recovery and business continuity (DRBC) sites.
In the 2019 Cushman & Wakefield report, Singapore’s data center market ranked third globally and was recognized as the only mature data center market in Southeast Asia. Many multinational companies expand their presence in the country since Singapore continues to rise in the global index due to improved high-speed connectivity, political stability, and low risk of natural disasters relative to other countries.
As the city-state is projected to remain a major connectivity hub in the Asia Pacific region, it is no surprise that Qualtrics has set its eyes on Singapore to be its next data center location to cater to Southeast Asia customers. Slated to open in 2021, the Qualtrics data center aims to ensure government and enterprise customers’ compliance with data sovereignty and security requirements when deploying the vendor’s experience management (XM) platform.
Sharing about the rationale behind opening a new data center in Singapore, Mao Gen Foo, Head of Southeast Asia at Qualtrics, said:
“With the opening of a dedicated data center for Southeast Asia in Singapore, Qualtrics is well-positioned to help businesses and governments improve the customer and employee experience they deliver with our industry-leading XM technologies.
Our continued and substantial investment demonstrates our long-standing commitment to build the XM category in the region, giving local businesses the competitive advantage needed to continue competing on the global stage.”
Growing APJ Market
To address the growing demand for XM solutions at the end-user level, the new data center in Singapore is anticipated to increase local headcount by at least 50{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} in Southeast Asia during the next 12 months.
Soon after SAP’s $US8 billion acquisition of Qualtrics early last year, Qualtrics APJ has become the fastest-growing market for the company, serving over1200 customers, employing approximately 160 people, and having eight offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Qualtrics cater to industry leaders such as Cathay Pacific, GOJEK, Samsung SDS, Fuji Xerox, Sony, Yamaha, Qantas, Chobani, and Volkswagen Group Australia, which have contributed to the unprecedented growth of the XM company in the region.
Brigid Archibald, the recently appointed Qualtrics Managing Director of APJ and former Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand, explained that the strategic move is a logical consequence for the business. She stated:
“The capabilities and expertise of the Qualtrics team is unmatched, and we are excited to continue this growth in 2021.”
Qualtrics currently operates a network of global data centers, spanning the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and the APJ region. Four years after the opening of its APJ headquarters in Sydney, Australia, Qualtrics APJ doubled the size of its regional workforce in 2019.
Commenting on Qualtrics’ plan in Singapore, Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia, said:
“The establishment of a Qualtrics data center in Singapore is of huge value to businesses and governments – giving them the tools and capabilities needed to thrive in today’s business environments. Qualtrics is central to helping businesses unlock the insights they need to improve every experience they deliver.”
SAP announced in July its intent to take Qualtrics public through an initial public offering (IPO) while retaining majority ownership.
