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Rackspace announced its Asia headquarters and Hong Kong data center on September 8, 2008. The launch was presented as part of the company’s expansion in response to global customer demand, with particular opportunity in Asia’s financial-services sector. Details on Rackspace’s current Hong Kong facilities should not be mistaken for specifications of the original site.
What Rackspace announced in 2008
On September 8, 2008, Rackspace announced that it had opened its Asia headquarters and a data center in Hong Kong. Invest Hong Kong’s announcement described the move as a response to global customer demand and an addition to Rackspace’s then-existing four U.S. data centers and three U.K. data centers. Those counts describe the company’s footprint at the time, not its current network.
Rackspace’s SEC filing independently records the Hong Kong opening on September 8. The announcement quoted Jim Fagan, then Rackspace’s vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific, saying: “Asia represents a significant growth opportunity for Rackspace, especially in the financial services area.”
Services included in the original announcement
The 2008 release described a broad hosting and technology-services business, rather than a data-center-only offering. Its list included:
#1 Best Overall
- Save valuable floor space: 6U wall mount server cabinet Dimensions: 13.78" H x21.65" W x17.72" D.Maximum mounting depth is 14.2"
- Keep critical network equipment secure: glass door and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access. Front door can be installed on either side of the front of the cabinet to satisfy your door swing orientation preference
- Easy equipment configuration: Fully adjustable mounting rails and numbered U positions, with square holes for easy equipment mounting with top and bottom punch-out panels for easy cable access
- Durability: Made of high quality cold rolled steel holds up to 110lb (50kg) (Easy Assembly Required)
- PCI & HIPPA and EIA/ECA-310-E compliant
- Managed hosting and cloud hosting
- Platform hosting and virtualization
- Security services
- Email services
- Storage and backup
- Professional services
The announcement does not establish which of these services were hosted specifically at the Hong Kong site on opening day.
What the sources do not establish about the original facility
The announcement and SEC filing do not give the original facility’s exact address, opening capacity, construction or lease cost, or Hong Kong-specific customer and revenue figures. Rackspace’s 2008 company-wide results—net revenue of $531.9 million and net income of $21.7 million—are not Hong Kong facility figures and cannot be used to infer the site’s investment or performance.
Rackspace’s Hong Kong facilities today
Rackspace’s current facility pages describe HKG5 and HKG1 separately. They provide a later snapshot, with no effective date for each listed specification, and do not show that the details applied at the 2008 launch.
Rank #2
- Save valuable floor space: 12U wall mount server cabinet Dimensions: 24.25" H x21.65" W x17.72" D. MAXIMUM MOUNTING DEPTH is 14.2".
- Keep critical network equipment secure: glass door and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access; Front door can be installed on either side of the front of the cabinet to satisfy your door swing orientation preference
- Easy equipment configuration: Fully adjustable mounting rails and numbered U positions, with square holes for easy equipment mounting with top and bottom punchout panels for easy cable access
- Durability: Made of high quality cold rolled steel holds up to 110lb (50kg) (Easy Assembly Required)
- PCI & HIPPA and EIA/ECA-310-E compliant
HKG5: Tsueng Kwan O
Rackspace identifies HKG5 as being in Tsueng Kwan O. Its facility page lists colocation, network security, dedicated servers, RackConnect Global, private and public cloud, and managed storage and backup. It states 917 square metres of dedicated data-center space, 13.5 MW of total utility power, and 7.2 MW of UPS power capacity.
The same page describes 24x7x365 staffing, biometric scanners, video surveillance, key-card access, multiple Tier-1 providers, seven fiber carriers, and redundant network equipment. These are claims on the current facility page; the page does not date each specification.
HKG1: Tsuen Wan
Rackspace identifies HKG1 as being in Tsuen Wan. The listed services are colocation, managed dedicated hosting, network management, managed security, compliance management, and hybrid and multicloud. Its page describes round-the-clock monitoring and security, three-factor security access, dual-feed power, and carrier-neutral connectivity. These descriptions are specific to HKG1 and should not be attributed to HKG5 or the original 2008 site.
Rank #3
- Sturdy:4u server rack is construct from cold rolled steel, with a weight capacity of 110lbs(50kg); Electrostatic powder coat prevents rust and corrosion,quality finish
- Direct use:Open and use, not having to assemble it.Network rack can be placed flat or mounted on the wall,also can be installed vertically under the table
- Design Features:maximum mounting depth of 14 in,cables can be fixed on the side panel;Open frame server rack achieves effortless inspection, replacement and assemble
- Installation:wall mount network rack is easy to install,with instructions or videos for reference;Equipped with multiple accessories, suitable for different needs
- Application:EIA/ECA-310-E Compliant;wall mounted 4u rack fits all 19" racks and cabinets to hold various IT, network, and AV equipment;wall mount rack available in 4U, 6U, and 8U to choose
HKG2: a documented network edge location
Rackspace documentation lists HKG2 as an edge location at Equinix HK3 in Tsuen Wan for RackConnect Global. That is a distinct documented network location; it is not evidence that HKG2 was the data center opened in 2008.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A later Hong Kong service milestone
On March 26, 2014, Invest Hong Kong announced that Rackspace had launched ObjectRocket MongoDB Database-as-a-Service in Hong Kong. The announcement said the service was intended to help customers in Hong Kong and across Asia scale and manage cloud data workloads. This was a later product milestone, not part of the 2008 opening announcement.
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Quick Recap
Sources
- Invest Hong Kong, “Leading hosting provider sets up Asia headquarters and data centre in Hong Kong” (September 8, 2008).
- Rackspace Hosting, SEC filing covering 2008 operational highlights and the Hong Kong launch.
- Rackspace Technology, Hong Kong (HKG5) facility page.
- Rackspace Technology, Hong Kong (HKG1) facility page.
- Invest Hong Kong, “Rackspace launches ObjectRocket MongoDB Database-as-a-Service in Hong Kong” (March 26, 2014).
- Rackspace Technology, RackConnect Global FAQ.
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