Virtual University of Pakistan has achieved an important milestone with the inauguration of a Smart Modular Data Center developed to enhance its digital academic operations. The advanced facility was officially inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Rector of the Virtual University, marking a significant step toward strengthening digital education and academic infrastructure across Pakistan.

More than a technological upgrade, the Smart Modular Data Center represents a strategic institutional investment that supports Pakistan’s evolving digital ecosystem. It further strengthens the Virtual University of Pakistan’s role in advancing information technology, artificial intelligence, cloud-based systems, and its broader digital transformation agenda. As Pakistan’s most economical public sector university, the Virtual University continues to deliver quality education nationwide, currently serving more than 180,000 active students through its Learning Management System.

During peak academic periods such as date sheet generation, the university’s digital platforms handle nearly 600,000 logins in a single day, reflecting the scale and reach of its academic operations. Each semester, more than 670,000 assignments are submitted online, while the new data center is capable of managing over 715,000 examination papers per examination cycle and more than one million assessments per semester, ensuring uninterrupted access to online classes and academic content across the country.

Built on a future-ready smart modular architecture, students and faculty will now experience a more reliable Learning Management System, as system downtime is expected to be reduced to less than one hour annually. The infrastructure delivers faster performance, improves energy efficiency by up to 50 percent, and is equipped with a fully waterless fire detection and gas-based suppression system to safeguard critical digital assets.

Designed as a next-generation Tier III–standard data center, the facility reflects global best practices in reliability, security, and performance. The launch of this Smart Modular Data Center underscores the Virtual University of Pakistan’s continued commitment to strengthening digital education and supporting a resilient, future-ready academic environment.

Mr. Khizar Hayat, GM ICT, briefed the audience on the technological advantages of the newly established Data Center. Director ICT, Mr. Ehsen Puri, presented a historical perspective of the university’s ICT evolution and expressed gratitude to the Rector and the dedicated ICT team for turning this vision into reality. In his closing remarks, the Rector appreciated the efforts of the Directorate of ICT for leapfrogging the University through this highly important milestone.

In the end appreciation certificates and shields were given to the technical staff.