Singapore - Equinix announced the launch of phase four of its second Singapore International Business Exchange data center as it invests $28.5 million to increase the number of cabinets to 3,256.

Phase four is expected to be available at the end of 2012.

Andrew Khaw, senior director of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), said Singapore is an ideal place for companies to set up critical hub operations to serve Asia.

"As a leading independent data center and Internet exchange provider, Equinix's expansion is yet another testament to the competitiveness of Singapore's ICT sector. In addition, Equinix's close proximity to Mediapolis@One-North contributes to IDA's vision of ICT as a critical differentiator to this flagship initiative to position Singapore in the international digital media industry."

Clement Goh, managing director, Equinix South Asia, said many businesses in Asia-Pacific were realising the benefits of cloud as the new way to deliver and consume IT services. He cited statistics from Gartner which showed spending on data center services reached $10 billion last year alone.

"Cloud adoption in Singapore will accelerate rapidly in the next few years, with many companies such as the financial institutions identifying cloud technology as part of their business plans. With Mediapolis@One-North earmarked as a media hub, the media industry in Singapore is poised for greater growth and will increasingly require cloud facilities to effectively connect and collaborate with their global partners."

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, Equinix opened three new IBXs in Hong Kong, Sydney and Tokyo last year and launched an expansion phase in Sydney this year.