Singapore telco Starhub is offering IO's modular software-defined data center (SDDC) technology to enterprise customers.

StarHub is one of the top three telecommunications providers in Singapore, offering mobile network, fixed line broadband, international network, and pay TV.

IO has developed data center modules that are integrated with its proprietary IO.OS data center operating system, which allow companies to deploy a data center at any location and analyze performance metrics across the IT equipment and support infrastructure.

StarHub currently operates five data centers in Singapore, and has identified the data center as a pivotal part of its comprehensive suite of next-gen network solutions. The additional level of security that IO said it is able to deliver will benefit new and existing customers where security is paramount, including those in the financial services industry (FSI), media and IT.

Several companies in these sectors are understood to be using the “StarHub Data Centre powered by IO” solution at the moment, which has also undergone a threat vulnerability risk assessment (TVRA) to ensure it meets the most stringent security requirements, according to StarHub.

TVRA is a set of guidelines adopted by the Singapore Monetary Authority (MAS) for financial organizations in the country. Pacnet's Cloudspace II (SGCS2) data center that was launched earlier this year went through a TVRA assessment, while 1-Net Singapore has indicated that it will be seeking full TVRA conformance for its upcoming 1-Net North data center.

StarHub CEO Tan Tong Hai said: “companies today require a non-traditional data center solution that is able to easily scale, to rapidly support their business growth.”

“StarHub is pleased to partner with IO to deliver a state-of-the-art, software-defined data center solution that is highly scalable and secure, and can be deployed just-in-time to help our clients to reduce costs and operate more efficiently,” Tong Hai said.

IO’s CEO and product architect said the announcement isn’t about a “rip and replace” of legacy colocation services with technology from IO, but in order for StarHub to offer “next-gen services.”

“Our platform combined with [StarHub’s] reach both regionally and globally provides a really unique solution to customers,” he said.

In response to whether the partnership means that technology from IO will be deployed at all its data centers, StarHub told DatacenterDynamics that it would be “evaluating the deployment of state-of-the-art software-driven platforms to monitor and manage the performance of its data centers”.