Thomas K. Thomas
New Delhi, May 30 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has invited bids from private players to set up Internet Data Centres (IDCs) in various parts of the country on a revenue sharing basis.
The centres are expected to be set up over the next six months after which the PSU will go for outsourcing contracts for services such as Web hosting, co-location, data warehousing and Internet managed services.
A data centre is a facility where customer can outsource the management and day-to-day operations of their Web sites or other IP connected applications. Customers can purchase the server hardware, rack space, bandwidth and network equipment. In addition, customers get a secure place to physically house their equipment with regulated power, dedicated Internet connection, security, and fire detection equipment.
Although some companies have chosen to address their requirements in-house and to maintain complete control over their Internet Infrastructure, the pressures of provisioning IT Infrastructure are increasingly leading a lot of corporate houses to consider outsourcing their e-business infrastructure requirements.
Private telecom players such as Reliance Communications and Tata Communications are already offering such services. Then there are Internet Service Providers such as Sify which are also in this segment. These private players may bid for the BSNL project.
According to the expression of interest floated by BSNL, the private partner will have to invest the entire amount required to set up the IDCs. BSNL will provide its national communication infrastructure as the backbone for the proposed centres.
As part of the shared hosting services, BSNL plans to bundle in free email accounts, depending on the package customer subscribes to.
“Outsourcing the management and monitoring of mission-critical Internet operations is crucial for stability in an increasingly complex networking environment. Beyond the sheer complexity of infrastructure itself, the uncertainties of ever-changing relationships with telcos, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and rapidly changing technologies often render it difficult for businesses to make the best choices. BSNL’s managed services will provide cutting-edge industry expertise to speed up the time-to-market, in the most cost-effective manner,” said a BSNL official.
The PSU is also planning to offer messaging solutions which will enable customers to outsource their entire e-mail operations.
BSNL has been increasingly adopting the public-private partnership model for its new services. It has, for example, partnered with Soma Networks for offering WiMax based broadband services in three States. Similarly, the PSU has roped in HFCL to roll out its IPTV services.
Analysts said that the franchisee model lowers the risk and cost for the PSU since the private partner invests all the money required for the project.
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