$3.7M expansion by Databank

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 19

$3.7M expansion by Databank

; Databank Systems. Ltd, ithe company which projcesses the data of the live ! major trading banks operating in New Zealand, has announced a $3.7 million programme to establish new computer centres in two North Island and three South Island cities. I The company said it has iappointed Fletcher Devellopment and Construction, .'Ltd to design and build four ,new single storey centres I for it in New Plymouth, I Lower Hutt, Nelson, and Invercargill, as well as alter an existing building in l Christchurch. , The new centres will! streamline existing operations in the company’s 'southern region and provide I better service for the j branches of the banks its ’serves. Databank’s general ’manager and director (Mr G. H. J. Hogg) said. i “Correct geographical distribution of computer centres to provide bank

branches with efficient local processing has always been our aim.” he said, adding that, the new programme will bring the company’s total centres nationwide to 17. Fletchers is co-ordinating design and building work from Wellington and is arranging leaseback of the buildings for Databank. Mr Hogg said that with the exception of Christchurch, where an existing building is available, the design and build approach had proved the most economic of the options open to, the company. All up cost of design and building work will be about $1.2 million and five new IBM 4331 one megabyte computers for the new centres will cost almost $2.5 million. Mr Hogg said. At present each of the southern regional provincial centres to have new Databank installations has its material processed in the nearest metropolitan city.

Databank’s southern re-i gional and national premises, manager, (Mr P. .1. Montague) said that each computer centre will employ about 20 people, but because some personnel from existing centres will transfer to new ones the over-all increase in number of employ-1 ees will be about 65. The new Christchurch! centre will be an addition to existing facilities at Hornby and is expected to give Databank sufficient resources to cope with bank growth in the area into next decade, Mr Montague said. The first of the new Databank centres is expected to be in operation in Lower Hutt by mid-July and the al- ; terations to the Pye building on the corners of Moorhouse and Fitzgerald Avenues in Christchurch will be completed in August, when Invercargill will also be ready. New Plymouth will be completed this year, and Nelson will be in operation early next year. .