Tokyo, Japan – Singtel, a telecommunications group, has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with IT services and consulting firm Hitachi to work on the establishment of next-generation data centres and GPU cloud in Japan. This move is potentially expected to extend to the Asia Pacific region under the lead of Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit.
Through the alliance, the two aim to sustainably improve data centre performance and capabilities, accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and the digital transformation of enterprises.
This will specifically bring together Singtel’s expertise in data centres and connectivity and technology platforms with Hitachi’s capability to deliver end-to-end data centre integration, including green power solutions, cooling systems, storage infrastructure, and data management.
The said agreement further expands on a partnership announced by the companies in June 2024*1 to trial and incorporate the all-in-one orchestration platform for 5G, edge computing, and cloud with Hitachi’s AI applications for Hitachi’s manufacturing operations as well as enterprise customers.
Leveraging Singtel’s Paragon platform and Hitachi’s deep AI expertise, the duo intends to address the complexities faced by customers when deploying AI capabilities.
Bill Chang, CEO at Singtel’s Digital InfraCo, commented, “Our strategic partnership with Hitachi, a leader in digital systems and services fields, opens up new opportunities in a strategically important and expanding Japanese market. Building a strong ecosystem of partners has always been a priority at Singtel to better serve our customers and broaden our global reach.”
“We look forward to bringing our collective expertise, digital assets, and solutions to help more enterprises innovate and transform their businesses and operations through the cloud and AI. As we scale our digital capabilities with our partners like Hitachi, we aim to become a leader in the Asia Pacific region,” explained Chang.
Toshiaki Tokunaga, executive vice president and executive officer at Hitachi, also said, “Since its inception, Hitachi Corporate philosophy has centred on addressing the challenges faced by customers and society. As generative AI continues to drive new innovations, the issues of environmental impact due to rising electricity demand is becoming more prominent. Striking a balance between these two factors is a significant mission for Hitachi’s Social Innovation Business.”
Tokunaga then noted, “We are delighted to embark on this mission through our strategic alliance with Singtel. By combining Singtel’s expertise in the development and operation of sustainable data centres with the comprehensive capabilities of the Hitachi Group, ranging from green power solutions to facility and data management, we aim to enable companies to utilise data centres in an intelligent and environmentally conscious manner, ultimately achieving continuous innovation while promoting sustainability.”
