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Oracle to Invest $6.5 Bn in Malaysian Cloud Services Region

(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
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Oracle to Invest $6.5 Bn in Malaysian Cloud Services Region

(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)

Tech giant Oracle on Wednesday said it plans to invest more than $6.5 billion on cloud services data centers in Malaysia, joining a list of US titans rushing to build up their AI infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

The firm said the cloud region would help organizations in the country modernize their applications, migrate their workload to the cloud and innovate with data, analytics and artificial intelligence.

Oracle is working to expand its cloud infrastructure business globally. The company recently projected it will surpass $100 billion in revenue in fiscal 2029, driven by increasing demand for cloud services.

Malaysia's new cloud region will be the firm's third in Southeast Asia, following two facilities in neighboring Singapore.

"Malaysia offers unique growth opportunities for organizations looking to accelerate their expansion with the latest digital technologies," Garrett Ilg, Oracle's executive vice president for Japan and Asia Pacific, said in a statement.

"Our multi-billion-dollar investment affirms our commitment to Malaysia as a regional gateway for cloud infrastructure as well as a comprehensive suite of software as a service applications deployed within Malaysia."

The statement also quoted Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz as welcoming the investment, saying it would help firms with innovative and cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies to boost their global competitiveness.

"Oracle's decision to establish a public cloud region in Malaysia underscores Malaysia's infrastructure readiness, and its growing position as a premier Southeast Asian destination for digital investments," he added.

Oracle is the latest global tech giant to announce major digital investments in Southeast Asia. Google-parent Alphabet said in May it would invest $2 billion to house the firm's first data center in Malaysia.

Google on Monday said it plans to invest $1 billion to build digital infrastructure in Thailand, including a new data center.

Amazon and Microsoft have also announced investments worth billions of dollars in the region as demand for AI hots up.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday announced that the country plans to develop a National Cloud Policy.

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Technology

Cards to Consoles: Nintendo Opens First Museum

(FILES) This photo taken on September 24, 2024 shows large console-shaped pillows in the gift shop during a media preview of the new Nintendo Museum, located inside a renovated old factory, in the suburbs of Kyoto. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
(FILES) This photo taken on September 24, 2024 shows large console-shaped pillows in the gift shop during a media preview of the new Nintendo Museum, located inside a renovated old factory, in the suburbs of Kyoto. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
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Cards to Consoles: Nintendo Opens First Museum

(FILES) This photo taken on September 24, 2024 shows large console-shaped pillows in the gift shop during a media preview of the new Nintendo Museum, located inside a renovated old factory, in the suburbs of Kyoto. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
(FILES) This photo taken on September 24, 2024 shows large console-shaped pillows in the gift shop during a media preview of the new Nintendo Museum, located inside a renovated old factory, in the suburbs of Kyoto. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)

Nintendo opened its first museum on Wednesday in a renovated factory in Kyoto, showcasing the long history of the Japanese video game giant from playing cards to "Super Mario.”

The company began life in 1889 producing Japanese playing cards called "hanafuda" as well as Western-style ones. Nintendo launched its first home video-game machines in 1977.

Many exhibits at the museum in Kyoto's Uji city are interactive -- including an area where two people can play Mario and Donkey Kong games together on a giant console.

Other zones focus on Nintendo's vintage products. For example, there is a digital version of an ancient Japanese poetry game, and a workshop for fans to create their own hanafuda cards.

Tickets, priced at 3,300 yen ($22.60) for adults and less for children, are already sold out for October and November, AFP reported.

"Visitors can learn about Nintendo's commitment to manufacturing that places importance on play and originality," Shigeru Miyamoto, the renowned creator of "Super Mario" and other games said in a video in August.

The "Super Mario" games were launched in 1985, two years after the company began selling its classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console.

The museum is part of efforts by Nintendo to broaden its brand exposure, including with a smash-hit animated movie last year featuring the Italian plumber and his colorful crew.

The company has also built a "Super Nintendo World" zone at the Universal Studios Japan theme park, featuring a Mario Kart ride with a real-life Bowser's Castle.

A similar area is set to open at the park's huge Orlando location next year.

Nintendo first announced plans for the museum in 2021.

Kensaku Namera, an analyst at Nomura Securities, told AFP that the museum fits into Nintendo's strategy as a place where "people can interact" with its gaming franchises.

Repurposing an old factory built in 1969, which was once used by Nintendo for producing playing cards and later repairing consoles, is also a canny move, he said.

"It's an effective reuse of assets" by Nintendo, Namera said.