In December 2008  Alchemy announced plans to build Scotland’s most advanced shared services computing centre in the Highland capital. The centre would offer secure data services to both private and public sector clients enabling businesses of all sizes to benefit from sourcing all their IT services on a “pay as you go” basis.

The IT services company is hoping to build the centre on a site in the Inverness harbour, which is stated as having the capability of opening up a "whole new industry opportunity in the Highlands". Alongside creating up to 400 jobs, the centre will offer utility computing and data services.

Some 300 racks of computing equipment, including structured cabling (which Comms Express is either angling for or supplying) will be stored in the first phase of the centre, with work potentially beginning in the summer if the council approves plans.

At full capacity the centre will draw around 4MW of electrical power but will also have access to emergency power provision to allow it to continue to operate for several days in the event of supply problems. The design includes provision for capture and re-distribution of heat produced by the computing equipment to help warm neighbouring buildings. Reliable, high-bandwidth, fibre optic connections will link the facility direct to UK’s ‘internet backbone’.
 
Steve Chisholm Alchemy Plus CEO (right) says: “With the ability to house powerful new high density computing applications – up to 10 times the ‘per rack’ capacity of most existing UK data centres - and boasting one of the most energy-efficient designs of its time, the centre will be a ‘best in class’ facility which will open up a whole new industry opportunity in the Highlands.
 
“A computing centre with world class capability could be a major catalyst for the expansion of key sectors and the knowledge economy in the region," agrees  (left) Gareth Williams, Highlands & Islands manager at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).

" Oil and gas and renewable energy, life sciences, financial and business services, web-based tourism and education all have a rapidly growing demand for computer processing and data storage services.”

The Lockerbie data centre at Peelhouses,  thought to be starting this year could attract £3.5bn in investment. It posits 3000 jobs created over the construction phase, set to last between five and 10 years and Lockerbie Data Centre hope the business park alone could attract 900 new jobs and a further 90 could be created at a horticultural research centre. Long term however, the data centre itself will only create about 50 jobs with another 10 for estate management.