I-Berhad is expanding its global footprint for Finance Avenue at i-City, Malaysia No. 1 Technology City.
The company's chief technology officer and executive director Ricky Lim said that many organisations have been looking to mitigate risk and accelerate growth since Covid-19.
The last two years have been unprecedented for financial services organisations, with the industry undergoing one of the most significant and transformative periods since the internet's inception.
During this time, the industry has seen a significant acceleration in the modernisation of its technology to support the need for customers to interact digitally with their banks, insurers, and other financial services providers, with Covid-19 being a significant force for change.
"Finance Avenue i-City has created an IT infrastructure for both businesses and consumers. Enterprise grade infrastructure has been put in place for businesses. When it comes to internet connectivity, organisations that come to Mercu Maybank typically require high service level assurance. The mother of all internet, as we call it, is powered by our Super AI (artificial intelligence) network. We have multiple telco lines, so if one goes down, the other takes over. It offers almost no downtime to enterprises that subscribe to it. This is critical for high-value industries such as Fintechs, which require a choice between the mother of all internet, Tier-3 data centre, or private cloud.
"It is also important for disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Maybank assessed i-City at the height of Covid-19 and recognised at the time that it could not have a single main headquarters. In addition to their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, they require an additional centralisation site. This is their business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.
"So, critical infrastructure is required if you plan for business continuity and disaster recovery. You can't just have a structure. Mercu Maybank is designed for enterprise grade organisations and high-end industries, as we have TM, TIME, Digi, and Maxis. All these are plug and play. It is essential for disaster recovery and business continuity management (BCM)," Lim said.
Mercu Maybank at Finance Avenue i-City is home to over 1,500 Maybank employees as the bank occupies 14 floors of this building as part of its BCM and resiliency planning efforts.
Maybank has said that Mercu Maybank is an excellent permanent alternate location due to its premium corporate office design, security features, and Green Building Index certification, which aligns with the bank's sustainability commitments.
Datuk Khairussaleh Ramli, the bank's group president and chief executive officer, paid a working visit to Mercu Maybank @ Finance Avenue i-City last week and took a look at the Charging Bull.
He praised Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong, chairman of I-Bhd, for the success of Finance Avenue i-City.
Finance Avenue i-City expansion
When completed in 2024, Finance Avenue i-City will have a gross development value of RM1.5 billion, with Fortune 500 companies accounting for the majority of tenants.
Roughly 40 per cent of the 7.45-acre Finance Avenue i-City site has already been developed. It currently consists of Mercu Maybank, DoubleTree by Hilton i-City, Hill10, i-City convention centre, premium offices/signature retail suites (2023), and BeCentral (2024).
Lim is confident that Finance Avenue i-City will continue to attract Fortune 500 companies and high-value industries as a result of i-City's integrated Tier-3 data centre, Super AI network, and dual fiber network.
He also stated that Finance Avenue i-City will be 5G ready in the future.
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man rules, and we have two eyes. We stand out, especially when compared to an environment that has nothing," he said.
The five-star, 300-room DoubleTree by Hilton opened for business on July 27.
The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, will officially open the hotel on August 11.
Lim believes that DoubleTree by Hilton will add vibrancy and value to Finance Avenue i-City, which embodies i-City's vision of being both an integrated mixed development and a tourism destination.
To cater to the growing number of business and leisure travellers in the Shah Alam area, the upscale, full-service hotel provides first-rate hospitality, conference facilities, and fine dining.
"It is expected to be a game changer in the luxury hotel segment for Shah Alam business travellers. The smart technology infrastructure of i-City will increase the appeal of DoubleTree by Hilton, where clients can seamlessly enjoy the latest technological innovations," Lim said.
The 10-foot-tall Charging Bull sculpture, weighing 1,100 kilogrammes, fronting the hotel adds to the allure of Finance Avenue.
Lim said that the charging bull, which was inspired by New York City Wall Street's universal symbol of the stock market and business, will now become a symbol of Finance Avenue i-City's vigour and to celebrate its tenants' perseverance in carrying through good and bad times.
"Like the Charging Bull on Wall Street, which has become a popular tourist attraction, i-City would like to welcome visitors to take pictures with its iconic bronze beast," he said.