BSNL, Dimension Data to offer data centre services

NEW DELHI: State-run BSNL today launched its Internet Data Centres (BSNL IDC) in partnership with Dimension Data and is targetting revenues of Rs 100 crore in the first year.

BSNL will offer managed co-location, managed hosting and cloud services through these IDCs, which have been built by Dimension Data for BSNL.

Dimension Data will also operate and manage these centres, which are located in Mumbai, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Ludhiana and Ghaziabad.

"In the first year, we are looking at Rs 100 crore in revenue, which will be shared between BSNL and Dimension Data. In full capacity, the potential is of Rs 300 crore," Dimension Data India CEO Kiran Bhagwanani told reporters here.

However, BSNL will get the revenues from bandwidth services, he added.

Bhagwanani, however, declined to comment on details of the revenue-sharing agreement.

"This public-private initiative will leverage the strength of BSNL in telecom infrastructure and vacant buildings and that of Dimension Data in providing data center and cloud computing," Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said while inaugurating BSNL IDC services.

Dimension Data estimates data centre market in India is growing at a CAGR of 22 per cent and will touch Rs 6,500 crore by 2016.

"These IDCs will enhance BSNL's comprehensive service portfolio to meet the communications and IT needs of large as well as small businesses in India. It will facilitate various organisations to quickly induct IT-enabled services without the hassles of setting up and maintaining their own data centers," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director R K Upadhyay said.

BSNL has already signed contracts with three government organisations for managed hosting and cloud services, he added.

"We expect to sign more contracts from state and central government departments as well as several private enterprises shortly," Upadhyay said.