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Mountain View, California-based Internet search engine leader Google is considering Malaysia as the location  for a forthcoming Southeast Asia server farm and operations center, according to Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who spoke with Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt during the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland. Abdullah said any deal arising from ongoing discussions between the search giant and Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation "will be a big boost for our ICT [information and communications technology] industry." Top Google Users in Southeast Asia While recent reports have named India and Vietnam as rival locations for the huge new Google clustered data center, Malaysia's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Jamaludin Jarjis confirmed last week that further talks with Google are to be held, according to Malaysia's state news agency Bernama. Prime Minister Abdullah, speaking between official proceedings at the WEF, noted Google's desire to operate in Malaysia. "They want to make their presence felt in Malaysia. I hope they do so," Abdullah said. Malaysia's existing technology infrastructure and key geographic location may make building a base in the country attractive to Google, as may the popularity of Google among Malaysians. "I was told that Malaysians formed the highest group of Google users in Southeast Asia," Abdullah said in a recent article in the Malaysian Star. Google is looking to add what is likely to be its largest server farm yet to Asian operations already in place in Taiwan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and India. Prime Minister Abdullah said government plans to further develop Malaysia's information and communications technology sectors are already in place and would mesh well with Google's expansion goals. Malaysian Technology Project Underway For the past decade Malaysia has seen its global technology ambitions take hold, especially along the so- called "Multimedia Super Corridor" the country built from the ground up in a homage to California's Silicon Valley. In June Kuala Lumpur will host the World Economic Forum on East Asia, organized in partnership with Malaysia's Institute of Strategic and International Studies, which will showcase some 350 participants including heads of governments, academics and leaders in the private sector. "Participants will also discuss how Asian countries and communities of different races and ethnic backgrounds can co-operate, either as a continent or in their individual countries," said ISIS Malaysia chairman and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Mohamed Jawhar Hassan in a recent New Straits Times article, speaking about the upcoming forum. "This is one area where Malaysia's example would be put forward," he added. Google Eyeing Malaysia For World's Largest Server Farm Prime Minister Abdullah said that while Google was not able to give him detailed information about any plans it may have in Malaysia, his talk with Schmidt represented a potential positive development for his country. "They did not go into detail, but they have started discussions with MDC. In one aspect, they hope the Google facilities will also benefit our people," Abdullah told reporters. Related Links:
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11:18 pm on Jan. 28, 2008 (utc 0)