Tan Thuan Data Centre in Vietnam Makes History, Gets Certified for Operational Sustainability by Uptime

CMC Telecom‘s Tan Thuan Data Centre has officially achieved the Uptime Tier III Certification for Operational Sustainability (TCOS), becoming the first data centre in Vietnam to achieve TCOS and hold the full portfolio of three certifications for Design, Construction, and Operations.

To accomplish the first TCOS from the Uptime Institute in Vietnam, the CMC Telecom Data Center (DC) team underwent a preparation and implementation process that lasted eight months, including infrastructure and more than 100 standard operating procedures and documents. Tan Thuan DC successfully fulfilled 89 stringent standards checklist according to the Uptime assessment framework and officially received the Operational Sustainability certification on the 7th of August 2024.

At its inauguration in August 2022, Tan Thuan Data Centre became the first data center in Vietnam to simultaneously hold two important Uptime Tier III certifications for Design and Construction. After two years, the CMC engineering team has continued to demonstrate to the Uptime Institute that the operational capabilities of Tan Thuan Data Centre have reached the highest level according to global standards and all the stringent criteria for evaluating the sustainable operation of data centers—Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability (TCOS) from the Uptime Institute.

Tan Thuan Data Centre Proves Sustainability in Operations

The Uptime TCOS (Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability) certification, issued by the Uptime Institute, focuses on evaluating and validating the sustainable operational capabilities of data centres. This certification not only examines the design and construction of the data centre but also assesses operational and management aspects to ensure that the data centre can maintain stable and continuous operations over the long term. The Uptime’s assessment approach will concentrate on:

• Managing risks associated with data centre operations.
• Implementing effective operational and maintenance processes and procedures.
• Training operational personnel.
• Ensuring continuous operation 24/7/365 even in emergencies.

Uptime Institute is a leading global organisation famous for its certification system and widely recognised as a global benchmark for assessing the readiness and overall performance of data centres—from design and construction to operations. According to Uptime Institute, Asian countries and cities strong in data storage, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and even Japan, still do not have any data centres that meet Tier 3 – TCOS standards. Tan Thuan Data Centre proudly stands among the few data centres in the Asian region that hold three certifications in Design, Construction, and Operations.

“Becoming the first data centre to achieve TCOS and holding the full set of three Uptime certifications (TCCF, TDD, and TCOS) confirms our commitment to building a leading digital infrastructure system in the region. This marks a significant milestone in CMC Telecom’s journey to becoming a Comprehensive Services Provider. Operational upgrades are also a part of our strategy to deliver excellent customer experience, providing high-quality, international-standard services to financial institutions, leading enterprises and organisations in the region,” said Dang Tung Son, Deputy CEO/Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at CMC Telecom.

A Bastion of Data Centre Knowhow and Expertise

CMC Telecom currently has the top number of experts with international certifications, including two CDCE (Certified Data Centre Expert) certifications, regarded as the “PhDs of Data Centres,” along with other certifications such as CDCP, CDRP, CDCS, CDFOM, and CDMS, which are designed for specialists in operations, risk management, and data centre migration.

Lê Minh Hiếu, Data Center Director at CMC Telecom, who is one of the first three Vietnamese individuals to hold the CDCE certification, stated: “Investing in people is the key factor in establishing a world-class data center. We would like to thank Uptime for their rigorous and meticulous evaluation system that allows our technical team to transform through challenges. CMC Telecom team has learned from the assessments and gained a deep understanding of sustainable operations following the highest international standards.”

In June 2024, the Tan Thuan Data Centre was recognised as the first data centre in Vietnam to achieve Level 4 of  Information System Security Standards, validated by the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense.

The CMC Telecom Data Centre, certified at Level 4, is designed to serve large-scale users with specific requirements, including government agencies, public administration, finance, banking, and e-commerce. Founded in 2008, CMC Corporation established CMC Telecom with the  mission as an ISP and Internet service provider. After 16 years, CMC Telecom has become a Comprehensive Service Provider, offering connectivity, data centre, cloud/multi-cloud, information security, and managed services that focus on serving enterprise customers in high-demand sectors such as finance, banking, energy, manufacturing, retail, and logistics.