CABLE & WIRELESS Jamaica (C&WJ) is now offering local businesses a means of 'insuring' their information technology with the launch of its new Hosting Services Centre.
The new facility is at the centre of the company's thrust to provide disaster recovery and business continuity management services. One of the first of its kind in Jamaica, C&WJ's Hosting Centre was officially opened yesterday by Mr. Ronald Jackson, deputy director-general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
"In the United States after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, many companies were not able to operate because their servers were offline," explained Arthur Phidd, regional vice-president and chief information officer for Cable & Wireless Caribbean.
"In Jamaica, we have to deal with heavy rains and flooding on a regular basis and the occasional threat of hurricanes, and when companies suffer any kind of dislocation it usually takes them some time to recover, and obviously, that's not good for business," he added.
Located on Constant Spring Road in Kingston, the centre offers businesses a secure off site facility to house their critical hardware and software so they can conduct business as usual even if their main location suffers severe damage.
The Hosting Centre has floors which are raised two feet off the ground to prevent flood damage, diesel generators and UPS systems that can generate up to one month of electricity if the public power supplies go down, and redundant air conditioning systems. The centre is also equipped with fire suppression systems, redundant data facilities, moisture sensors under the floor and in the ceiling, and its interior and exterior are monitored around the clock on site and off site at the C&W Jamaica Network Operations Centre (NOC)
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE
In addition to reducing business operators' risks, the centre also offers an affordable alternative to companies that are not in a position to make a major investment in their own secure infrastructure.
"Businesses can use C&WJ's infrastructure and experience to host and manage the hardware and software used to support, secure and monitor their operations. They can utilise our facilities and expertise in information technology management and concentrate on their core business," Phidd said.
For customers who prefer offshore hosting, C&W also offers similar services at its International Data Centre in Panama. The centres in Jamaica and Panama are among the first of several that C&W will be setting up across the Caribbean.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Management have become high priorities for businesses worldwide following the spate of disasters, both natural and man-made, that have affected several major commercial centres in recent years.
