Data Center POST Interview with Oliver Jones, CEO of Chayora
By Kathy Xu, Contributing Editor
As the CEO and co-founder of Chayora, Oliver Jones is principally focused on overall team leadership and oversight of investor management as well as securing tenants and raising the external profile of the venture with key stakeholders. Chayora is a world-class infrastructure developer based in Hong Kong whose primary focus is building data center platforms in China, enabling multinational companies to effectively access the nation’s vast and rapidly developing market. Oliver originally qualified as a chartered surveyor and after completing his MBA at the London Business School in the late 1980s, he specialized in corporate finance, complex outsourcing transactions, and property and operating related investment deals.
Data Center POST recently interviewed Oliver at Datacloud Europe, which took place June 12-14, in Monaco. Oliver talked about the trends and emerging technologies that will impact the Chinese data center market, and how Chayora is positioned to best serve multinational firms seeking access to state-of-the-art infrastructure in China.
Data Center POST Kathy Xu (DCP-KX) Question: Chayora is the only international standards-based data center infrastructure in China. What does that mean?
Chayora, Oliver Jones (C-OJ) Answer: All Chayora sites have fully provisioned power from grid as well as direct-feed renewable sources, and are fiber connected to world-class standards. Chayora ensures the most reliable route to business engagement in China, helps to overcome regulatory and licensing obstacles, and acquires the necessary infrastructure that meets the SLAs of multinational businesses, cloud and colocation providers. Our hyperscale campuses are ready for data center construction and immediate connection to the domestic internet. Chayora is driven to deliver and execute with the same speed and reliability that is common in other parts of the world.
DCP-KX Q: What major trends and technologies do you see affecting the cloud space currently and in the future?
C-OJ A: The Forward Intelligence Group recently projected that in two years China will represent approximately 25 percent of world cloud revenues, which aligns with Chayora’s expectations and reinforces our strategy of creating some of the world’s largest and most advanced data center sites to accommodate this development.
Additionally, China’s major cloud service providers, including Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, are poised to deliver Artificial Intelligence applications online. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has taken steps to open the telecom industry to private companies and support the development of technologies related to AI and the Internet of Things to boost economic growth. In fact, the country already possesses the world’s largest M2M market with significant growth evident in the connected car industry. Everyone one of these drivers will necessitate the development of new advanced infrastructure across China.
In the big picture, nearly 800 million people in China have internet access, and this number is expected to increase to more than one billion within the duration of the next Five Year Plan. China, a nation of 1.4 billion people, is an enormous market, representing more than 20 percent of the world’s online community. Whether supporting cloud, AI, colocation providers, or multinational enterprises seeking to establish their footprint in China to take advantage themselves of the tremendous business opportunities here, Chayora can serve all these diverse needs and entities through its hyperscale data center campuses.
DCP-KX Q: How is this affecting the way Chayora approaches its business?
C-OJ A: Today’s largest technology firms and leading cloud services providers must have a China strategy to effectively access this market. In addition to striving to be the leading developer of world-class infrastructure in China, Chayora is also focused on delivering value to customers by offering future-proof data center solutions that enable sustainable growth.
Equally important, Chayora offers leading international property and technology experts with exceptional insight into the Chinese market that can help multinational businesses and C-level executives to develop a China strategy. Because of the barriers to entry, most companies are overwhelmed with the idea of doing business in China. Chayora can streamline the process, help set up the entity, ensure compliance, provide the shell to enable business, and provide ongoing guidance.
DCP-KX Q: What new developments and initiatives can we anticipate from Chayora in 2018 and beyond?
C-OJ A: Chayora continues to develop its new Beichen, Tianjin hyperscale data center campus which will commence live operations by the close of the year. The carrier-neutral, 300MW, 32-hectare / 80-acre data center campus will serve the greater Beijing region that is home to more than 150 million people in the JingJinJi mega-metropolitan area of northern China. Chayora is also looking forward to beginning construction of a second hyperscale campus, a 280MW data center, to serve the greater Shanghai region.
DCP-KX Q: Why is Datacloud Europe such an important industry event for you and your company?
C-OJ A: Datacloud Europe is an ideal conference at which to network and demonstrate thought-leadership with potential customers, partners and suppliers.
DCP-KX: Data Center POST appreciates your time today and hopes Chayora enjoyed Datacloud Europe. Readers can learn more about Chayora at www.chayora.com.
