PRESS RELEASE

Unique new Highland Data Centre can boost Scots business

Plans to develop a groundbreaking computing data centre in the Highlands have taken a major step forward following a major investment by an award winning innovative Highland company.

Dingwall based Alchemy Plus which provides complete IT solutions for business has installed the state of the art pilot system with support from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network.

The development is a major stepping stone on the way to establishment of a unique Utility Computing, Data Storage and Shared Services centre which is currently under design and scheduled for completion during 2008. A 2.4 acre site at Dingwall Business Park has been identified as the preferred location for the new centre.

The Utility Computing vision being pursued by Alchemy Plus will allow subscription clients to access an extremely powerful and flexible processing infrastructure providing data storage and software applications on an “on demand” basis.

Subscribers can “log on” to the service using dumb terminals or their existing PC’s from any location via the internet or dedicated communication lines. They are billed only for their actual usage like other utilities such as electricity supplyor telephone service.

Alchemy Plus’ Utility Computing vision will deliver numerous advantages over traditional IT solutions and improve small to medium size business competitiveness by significantly driving down IT costs. Capital expenditure on IT infrastructure is eliminated as are ongoing support costs. The solution is completely flexible and highly secure, changing hour by hour if needed to meet a client’s precise computing needs whilst providing full business continuity and disaster recovery protection.

In addition to a host of technical and commercial benefits the solution is also very environmentally friendly.

Steve Chisholm, chief executive officer of Alchemy Plus said, "Everyone we've spoken to shares our excitement about the potential for the planned Utility Computing centre. By giving companies of any size access to extremely powerful, new IT systems with inbuilt protection for business continuity on a “pay as used” basis the savings are substantial. We are not aware of any other Scottish company offering such a service."

Mr Chisholm reveals: "We are in advanced discussions with our first clients who will go 'live' on the system within just a few weeks, accessing all their business applications and data from our pilot centre on a remote basis.”

Researchers from the Centre for Business Process Outsourcing and Strathclyde University worked with Alchemy to review the market potential for the new Utility Computing centre. The pilot system provides the equivalent of up

to 30 business servers and 14 terabytes of data storage (one terabyte equals over a thousand gigabytes), just a fraction of the processing power and storage which will be available when the completed data centre goes on line. As well as supporting clients, the pilot system will provide important operating data which Alchemy Plus will use to fully develop the billing system which will enable clients to “pay as used”.

Peter Swanson, Alchemy Plus chairman, says: "We are looking forward to our new data centre being up and running by the end of the next year. It is extremely satisfying to work on developing such a groundbreaking facility here in the Highlands.”

Mr Swanson added that there is "exceptional interest" in the new services Alchemy Plus is introducing.”

Alchemy, set up in May 2006, recently received top prize from First Minister Jack McConnell as best new business in the Highlands and Islands Business Awards. In only nine months it has positioned itself as one of Scotland's leading providers of IT support to business, with a customer base stretching from Caithness to Glasgow.

Queries to:

Bill McAllister, McAllister Media

01463 236830

0771 077 2366

Steve Chisholm, Alchemy Plus

01349 865000