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Paul Mah

Technology Journalist and Content Creator

Paul Mah: Veteran Technology Journalist and Content Creator

Paul Mah is a seasoned technology journalist and content creator based in Singapore. He currently serves as the Editor-at-large at TAP Content Pte Ltd, a role he has held since January 2023.1

Professional Experience

  • Editor-at-large, TAP Content Pte Ltd (January 2023 - Present)

    • Contributing to trade, technology, and consumer publications as a technology journalist
    • Writing over 2,000 bylines, with a focus on enterprise technology topics like cloud computing, cybersecurity, data science, AI, and data centers1
  • Founder, TAP Content Pte Ltd (July 2015 - Present)

    • Founding TAP Content to write and edit enterprise white papers, marketing collateral, and thought leadership content for global brands1
  • Senior Editor, CDOTrends (October 2019 - Present)

    • Responsible for the thrice-a-month Data Science and AI newsletter
    • Moderating panel discussions and roundtable meetings for enterprise brands1
  • South East Asia Correspondent, DataCenterDynamics (May 2014 - Present)

    • Writing about data centers and the cloud, with opportunities to visit data centers and attend tech conferences worldwide1
  • Contributing Writer, The Straits Times (January 2021 - Present) and South China Morning Post (November 2016 - Present)

    • Writing tech stories for consumers and covering gadgets and tech gear1

Education

  • Diploma in Information Technology, Temasek Polytechnic (1996 - 1999)
  • Bachelor of Information Technology, University of Wollongong (2002 - 2003)1

Paul Mah's extensive experience in technology journalism, content creation, and his active presence on LinkedIn make him a respected figure in the industry.2345678

Highlights

Sep 2 · linkedin

In a battle for the clouds, Blackstone is nearing a deal to acquire AirTrunk and its data centres for $17.7B.

According to Bloomberg, Blackstone wants to acquire Australian data centre operator AirTrunk for A$20 billion (SG$17.7B).

Final details are being negotiated and a transaction could be signed as early as this week.

𝟭/ 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮

AirTrunk has data centres in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysia.

In July, AirTrunk launched the first 50MW phase of its 150MW JHB1 data centre in Johor - 15MW Ready For Service, according to a tip.

(Read "AirTrunk launches Johor data centre": https://lnkd.in/gFTF_w7C)

What stands out about its Johor data centre is a new liquid cooling design that AirTrunk claims resulted from 5 years of R&D.

𝟮/ 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴

AirTrunk had apparently come up with a unique liquid cooling-centric design for data centres with:

  • Its own piping, valve design.
  • Their own 400kW cooling distribution units (CDU).
  • Liquid load banks as thermal buffers for more reliability.

Some readers have pointed out that operators such as OVH have been refining their own liquid cooling tech in its data centres for a long time.

Still, I'll submit that while liquid cooling isn't new and the concepts are well understood, scaling it for hyperscale data centres efficiently and safely is a work in progress.

Indeed, the first phase of JHB1 will only feature 20MW of liquid cooling - so air-cooling is still predominantly featured.

𝟯/ 𝗔 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀

The impending Blackstone deal would be one of the largest data centre deals in recent history.

In 2023, KKR acquired a 20% stake in Singtel Nxera and its rapidly growing portfolio of data centres in the Southeast Asia region.

Modern data centres require a lot of money to build but could offer huge rewards for investors due to our insatiable demand for digital infrastructure.

𝟰/ 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀

One observation I'll make is how all of AirTrunk's data centres are massive facilities. In fact, the majority are >100MW.

Is there room for smaller data centres? Some of you seemed to think so after I wrote about the incongruence of ever-larger data centres and sustainability last week.

(Read "Operators say they care about sustainability but build massive data centres. Is something amiss?" https://lnkd.in/ggtwnpFt)

🤔 What do you think?

📆 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

Don't be limited by what the LinkedIn algorithm shows you. Get my free newsletter, just once a week: www.techstories.co/updates

My name is Paul Mah and I explore tech developments with bite-sized reports in #EverydayTechStories

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: AirTrunk. 𝘈𝘪𝘳𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘚𝘎𝘗1 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦.

Sep 1 · linkedin

Want something to read? Bookmark this for my articles on AI, cybersecurity, data centres, gadgets and life.

Yesterday, I shared what I've learned from writing a weekly LinkedIn article for 15 weeks straight.

There were some great questions, which I address in a standalone post today.

𝟭/ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳

What is the impact of posting on Sunday?

🔸Conventional wisdom suggests that fewer people check LinkedIn over the weekends.

🔸Even fewer people post over the weekends, though, so the competition might be less intense.

The main reason for my Sunday articles isn't about engagement - I post because I have pockets of time over the weekend to write.

It's purely about my schedule - and staying consistent.

If you're thinking of writing more regularly, start with yourself: Your strengths, schedule, and preferred cadence.

The rest will fall into place.

𝟮/ 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺

How does writing an article differ from a shorter post?

Short posts call for:

  • Precision.
  • Brevity.

Long-form requires:

  • Stamina.
  • Cohesiveness.

So yes, they are quite different.

Yet, I've discovered that a long-form article is made of short sections. Writing shorter pieces helps train your ability to write longer ones, like interval training.

Writing longer pieces, on the other hand, gives you the luxury of a larger canvas. This allows for deeper exploration and the weaving of complex, multi-layered narratives.

The long and short of it is, you are practicing the craft of writing regardless of length. That in itself is a uniquely rewarding experience.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀

Here are the articles I wrote.

  1. Are we doing enough to fight scams? https://lnkd.in/g2KAwDv5

  2. What lies ahead for AI? https://lnkd.in/gdcqdmx6

  3. Why we need to build more sustainable data centres https://lnkd.in/gktc8JEJ

  4. The simple things that trip us up https://lnkd.in/gqPehM2y

  5. As AI booms, the open Internet may soon be a relic of the past https://lnkd.in/gWixmja9

  6. The day everything crashed: CrowdStrike and the future of cybersecurity https://lnkd.in/g_gbc2S4

  7. Why AI won't be writing feature stories soon https://lnkd.in/gcX2V_qy

  8. The future of AI is murkier than before https://lnkd.in/gTK5r92p

  9. Will screen time, device use guidelines save our kids? https://lnkd.in/ggHkwbVv

  10. The job losses have already begun https://lnkd.in/geZRQnUF

  11. Putting stylus to tablet: Finding what works for you https://lnkd.in/gT_KUzAm

  12. What's next for data centres in Singapore https://lnkd.in/gv7H77XY

  13. Dissecting Singapore's 300MW allotment for data centres https://lnkd.in/gZDZYjxZ

  14. They are coming for your data. https://lnkd.in/g--jgjDf

  15. Where exactly are we headed with AI? https://lnkd.in/gRGuVQGw

📆 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

Don't be limited by what the LinkedIn algorithm shows you. Get my free newsletter, just once a week: www.techstories.co/updates

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: NLB

Related Questions

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Experience

Editor-at-large at TAP Content Pte Ltd, Founder of TAP Content Pte Ltd, Senior Editor at CDOTrends, South East Asia Correspondent for DataCenterDynamics, Contributing Writer at The Straits Times and South China Morning Post SCMP
Associate Lecturer at Republic Polytechnic, Head of IT at Overseas Courier Service (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Product Manager at Razer, System Analyst at PBI Interstate Pte Ltd

Education

Bachelor of Information Technology from University of Wollongong (2002 - 2003), Diploma in Information Technology from Temasek Polytechnic (1996 - 1999)

Location

Singapore