WSP Communications will offer a turnkey service for high-tech facilities such as internet data centres. Speaking at the launch of the new company (see news story 10 July) in a Covent Garden 'cyber lounge' MD Peter Welch told i-FM: "We have advanced expertise in the resilience of buildings and can take a project through site selection, design, engineering and construction to facilities management. Clients really only want to deal with the critical ICT systems but they recognise the massive risks in construction projects. For them, programme not money is the key."

Director Gary Marshall, pictured here, said: "We are one of very few companies undertaking real R&D in building services and have applied for patents on some of our technology. We are looking particularly at protection systems and the vulnerability of single failure points in building systems. The answer is not always back-up systems but smarter design."

Richard Byatt