Nokia to back up Converge data centers

MANILA, Philippines — Broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions has tapped tech giant Nokia Corp. to supply it with the switching platform to speed up the processing in its data centers.

Nokia is providing Converge with a data center fabric solution, called 7220 Interconnect Router (IXR), that would scale up both hardware and software components of the latter’s facilities.

In essence, the IXR will improve the network efficiency, performance and scalability of the data centers that Converge is building.

The solution will make Converge’s data centers sovereign cloud-ready for regulatory compliance. Further, the IXR will promote sustainable operations by using artificial intelligence (AI) to slash energy consumption, expediting data processing in the facilities.

Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the decision to subscribe to IXR forms part of its strategy to maximize AI in its service delivery.

Converge is opening this year two data centers, one of which is located in Caloocan City, which has secured a rare Tier 3 certification.

The Caloocan Data Center is designed to house 300 racks which Converge plans to use for its own purposes, while another facility in Pampanga can manage 1,200 racks for residential and enterprise requirements.

Converge chief network transformation officer Paulo Martin Santos said the company is investing in the newest technologies to ensure that it can serve future requirements.

“Nokia’s industry-leading solutions can help us prepare our infrastructure for future demand. The use of automation and AI will enable us to ensure regulatory compliance and to enhance network operations to gain a business edge,” Santos said.

Recently, connectivity providers have seen the urgency to build more data centers where it can store applications and information. This requires them to raise capital expenditures to support the construction of these facilities.

Converge is increasing its capex to a range of P20 billion to P25 billion this year, from an actual spend of P9.3 billion in 2024, for the completion of subsea cables and data centers.