The new two-storey building, adjacent to the Itex data centre at Rue des Prés, has capacity to seat more than 200 people, plus additional space for data storage.
The ground floor consists of a large open-plan area, with four separate disaster recovery suites on the first floor.
The 10,000 sq ft of space are owned and paid for by the trust which owns the site.
Itex have invested around £300,000 to fit out the structure in line with international standards.
The facility is being launched in tandem with a management and monitoring package, SystemWatch, which offers monitoring, maintenance, server and desktop systems administration and end-user support adaptable for every type of business.
‘We have made significant investment in software and tools,’ explained Itex managing director Paul Marett, ‘and we have also upgraded our call desk and help desk software and integrated our monitoring system.
The more we can automate, the better the savings in staff time.
‘We are taking on new clients all the time – we now service about 7,000 end-users across both Channel Islands.
‘We think we have anticipated the markets correctly and we are seeing more and more demand for business continuity as regulatory standards are continually being ratcheted up.
Currently most of the firm’s clients are locally based, but Mr Marett said that he expected international client business to grow – particularly the demand for data centre monitoring.
Itex have also recently introduced a new business continuity service, Safeharbour, for small and medium-sized businesses, which they are marketing in the UK and beyond.
The Channel Islands are being called upon increasingly to provide a safe haven when disaster strikes.
More than 20 companies relocated their business to the islands temporarily following last year’s Hurricane Ivan, and more recently two firms affected by the terrorist bombs in London invoked disaster recover plans locally.
Paul Patterson, chairman of the Business Continuity Institute in the Channel Islands, said: ‘We are delighted that Itex are investing heavily in further facilities and services.
Jersey is well-positioned to gain new business by publicising its position as a world-class centre for relocation.
Jersey Finance chief executive Phil Austin added: ‘In the global world of financial service, Jersey, because of its size, can only ever be a niche player.
To be successful as a niche player, you have to be world-class, at the top end of the range.
In this context the new Itex business recovery centre fits the bill perfectly, and I have no doubt that it will attract new business to the Island.
