The 550 square-meter Principality of Sealand 10 km off the coast of Suffolk. Despite an average population estimated at five, Sealand passports and stamps have been in circulation since 1969.

And, according to the website of HavenCo, the main--and only--business in Sealand, data can be stored on "the world's most secure managed servers in the world's only true free market environment." HavenCo's site claims "unsurpassed physical security from the world, including government subpoenas and search and seizures of equipment and data."

Naturally, this degree of data security commands a premium price. While most Hong Kong IT professionals would consider a less extreme form of datacenter, secure backup for data is desirable at least, and not infrequently, mission-critical.

HK datacenter back-story

"Hong Kong companies are extremely sophisticated--not just in doing business but also in integrating IT and harnessing it to further our business objectives," said Peter Yeung, managing director, Hong Kong operations, Jardine OneSolution. "I would say that we are as good as our US and European counterparts in the adoption of new technologies."