By Pemphero Malimba:
Malawi Stock Exchange-listed, TNM plc, has taken over the operations of Open Connect Limited (OCL) data centre at Kanengo in Lilongwe following the recent K12 billion acquisition of the centre.
TNM plc Chief Executive Officer Michel Hebert led the official takeover of the facility on Thursday.
Hebert said the move would see TNM providing quality digital services to customers.
“Data centres are places where we see a massive amount of computing powers interconnected to all data centres and computers across the world.
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“From here that means we can provide any digital services to any Malawian business, any Malawian entrepreneur and Malawians themselves,” he said.
Hebert said the centre would allow the company to host Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms for provision of AI services to individuals and companies.
He said the centre would ensure that customers experience speed in the use of various digital platforms.
“We can host contents and applications that can go quickly to your phone or laptop so speed is improved enormously. Malawians can only expect better services with faster services. It improves the quality of your experience by having everything here in Malawi,” he said.
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He said the company was a pioneer of provision of AI services in the country. “We have already built the software, we are putting them down these in data centres now so in terms of AI in Africa we are pretty the first. Maybe South Africa is a little bit ahead of us but we are definitely pioneers in Malawi,” he said.
He said the mobile network company would install AI services and AI software into the facility next year.
“This infrastructure allows us to do that. This infrastructure is going to meet that vision. It’s really Malawians who own this data centre. It’s for everyone here,” he said.
TNM Plc Chief Technical Officer Lloyd Gowera said the facility, which will have high compute units and storage, would also be used by other companies and individuals.
“We will use it ourselves even for Mpamba. For instance, we have a product called Ndikankhe which requires us to know that this customer uses so much and he can get a loan of up to this amount. So all those are done through AI computations,” he said.
He said the facility would provide enough space as compared to another facility that the company was operating from in area 9, Lilongwe.
“We looked at it as an opportunity for Tnm to expand its services, ensure reliability of its services across the country by ensuring that we have a replica of what is exactly in Blantyre in a similar fashion so the equipment or facilities that you saw, the power, Cooling infrastructure as well as severs,” he said.
TNM plc shareholders approved the acquisition of OCL during the company’s recent annual general meeting.
The company has a similar centre in Limbe, Blantyre.
