Hello Reader,
As with many developments, things often plod along the same trajectory for months or years. Then suddenly there's frantic motion, and before we know it, everything has changed. As it stands, the growth trajectory of data centres in Southeast Asia could well be determined in the weeks or months ahead.
For this newsletter, I want to talk about collapsing LinkedIn reach, the future of data centres in Southeast Asia, and a fireside chat this coming week where an expert will share what it takes to build an AI data centre.
A big thank you!
First of all, I want to thank all of you who have signed up recently. We're just a whisker away from 2,000 subscribers, which is a far cry from the less than 100 in July last year, two months after I started this newsletter.
And you know what, I'm glad I started the Tech Stories newsletter when I did.
LinkedIn reach has nosedived yet again. According to data by the team at AuthoredUp, it's down as much as 47% over 365 days and every category is affected. There are two main reasons for that.
The irony is that this benefits those who attempt to game the social networking platform. It's something I am loathe to do; I'd rather spend more time writing than dabble in unsavoury techniques to boost vanity metrics. Speaking of which, would you be interested in an eBook that teaches you how to tell if someone is gaming LinkedIn? Would you pay a small fee for it? Let me know here.
You, on the other hand, will continue to receive all my stories in your inbox. Smart move signing up, if I may say so. Anyway, if you know of someone who might benefit from this newsletter, do forward this to them - and encourage them to subscribe for themselves.
As a reminder, I write about: AI, cybersecurity, data centres, enterprise IT, gadgets, sustainability, and writing.
New GPU restrictions
In case you haven't read about it yet, the U.S. is reportedly drafting new rules for targeted restrictions on GPU chips. And this time, both Malaysia and Thailand are right in the crosshairs.
This comes from Bloomberg, which has proved accurate on developments relating to GPU restrictions in the past. It will apparently target Malaysia and Thailand as the U.S. continues its attempt to stifle China's access to top GPUs that can be used for AI. Read the post I wrote on Saturday to understand why Malaysia and Thailand are singled out.
Did you know: the SIJORI region of Singapore-Johor-Batam is the world's second-largest AI data centre hub? And according to the New York Times, only a few dozen countries in the entire world have AI data centres. If this development goes through, it could well reshape where data centres are built in Southeast Asia.
How do you build an AI data centre?
This coming week, I'll be on stage for a fireside chat with Dan Madrigal, VP of Cloud AI Sourcing at Oracle. The focus of our conversation? I'll be asking him questions about the construction of an AI data centre.
Huh? I can almost hear you asking: "Why Oracle?"
What most people don't know is how heavily into AI data centres Oracle is. Though they entered the cloud years later than other public cloud giants, they made several big bets in recent years that gave them access to the massive data centre capacity needed by the likes of OpenAI.
So, Oracle has plenty of expertise on that front, far more than most data centre operators.
Anyway, Dan's session starts at 11.05am at W.Media's CDC conference on 10 July this coming Thursday. You can sign up here - limited sponsored passes are available for eligible applicants.
See you next week
I'll be at the MBS two days this coming week, on 9 July for the Open Compute Project Tech Day, and at the Cloud & Datacenter Convention (CDC) on 10 July. A few of you have dropped me a note to meet up - if I haven't responded yet, it means I somehow didn't receive your email. Would you try to drop me a LinkedIn message instead?
Alternatively, do feel free to step up and say hi if you bump into me in person.
As always, you can reach me by replying to this email.
Regards,
Paul Mah.
|
|
Leave a comment
You can now comment on stories published on techstories.co. If you received this newsletter from me, your account was created automatically.
All you need to do:
- Scroll to Member discussion and sign in with the email used for this newsletter.
- An email message with a magic link is sent immediately. Click to log in.
- Comment away.
|
Malaysia, Thailand could face GPU export controls
The U.S. said to be drafting new restrictions targeting both countries.
|
Why the data centre industry struggles to keep secrets
Just two reasons.
|
Friend forwarded this digest to you? Subscribe to receive your own copy in your inbox every week.
|
|
|
Malaysia's data centre operators scramble amid new tariffs
From sanguine to tinged with a slight touch of panic.
|
|
|
Will new tariff structure crush Malaysia's data centre growth?
The reasons for the uproar.
|
|
|
How do you build a data centre?
Oracle VP to speak on this topic at Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2025.
|
|
|
AI data centres are concentrated in a few countries
40% of global investments in AI are made by a mere 100 companies.
|
|
|
Why LinkedIn reach is down again
And three things I'll tell myself if I go back the time.
|
Friend forwarded this digest to you? Subscribe to receive your own copy in your inbox every week.
|
