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PacificNet
Pacific Internet Limited (PacNet) started in 1991 as TechNet, a research and
development computer network for academics’ use at Singapore’s premier National
University of Singapore. As the use of internet exploded in the US, sensing the aroma of
opportunity, the Sembawang Group, a diversified Singapore conglomerate, purchased
TechNet and commercialized its services in September 1995 and launched it as Pacific
Internet Corporation Pte. Ltd. It went public on the NASDAQ in February 1999 and
operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, India, Thailand, Malaysia,
and Vietnam.
Pacific Internet’s state-of-the-art Internet Data Center (IDC) has one of the best
infrastructures in Singapore to house servers in a secured, high-speed and reliable
environment. It comes with 3 different server housing facilities – common locked racks,
caged solution for more privacy, as well as even fully customized private room for
privacy and security. It has sought to position itself firmly as the answer to the needs of
SMEs.
In a survey of SMEs conducted by Pacific Internet in Singapore, data security emerged
as the critical issue for SMEs with respect to using IT and internet in their business. PacNet
has skillfully highlighted these risks (e.g., businesses are exposed to, on average, 39 malicious
attacks each day) to position itself as the guarantor of security for SMEs doing business on
internet. Towards, this, in addition to the standard security technology offered by all IDCs,
PacNet has introduced use of biometric to prevent unauthorized access to servers housed at
their IDCs. Further, in partnership with Cisco, PacNet has developed a subscription based
NetworkGuard (Figure 20) service which promises an “enterprise grade” network firewall
protection without the need to invest in expensive hardware.
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