Hewlett-Packard (HP) has acquired the Irish division of Schlumberger Business Continuity Services as part of a multimillion-euro deal, the value of which was not disclosed.
Schlumberger’s Business Continuity division in Ireland provides disaster-recovery services and “hot seats” in Ireland, with some seven working sites distributed across Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
The acquisition will enable the technology giant to offer its Irish SME and corporate customers services that will keep their businesses running in the event of a disaster.
The services include regional facilities that provide space for a firm’s staff to carry out critical work as well as IT resources containing backed up information that will enable businesses to get back on their feet quickly until operations can be restored to normal.
HP Ireland’s managing director Martin Murphy commented: “We are constantly looking for new ways of enhancing our services portfolio. This acquisition enables us to bring another industry-leading offering to the Irish market.”
His colleague Tom Carson, director of HP Ireland’s Technology Solutions Group, said the acquisition was driven by the growing need for corporate governance and forthcoming legislation. “Businesses in Ireland need to ensure that they are able to continue operation, regardless of circumstance. Achieving this requires that they proactively mitigate their risk by having plans in place to ensure that critical resources are always available.
“With legislation including Basel II and Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 in place, business continuity management has become an increasing priority for Irish businesses,” Carson said.
By John Kennedy
