C & W builds $10million stronghold
The building will be able to withstand earthquakes and Category 5 hurricanes.
Cable & Wireless has commenced building a facility, able to withstand earthquakes and Category 5 hurricanes, to house its major investments in the new technologies that will keep Cayman at the very forefront of development in telecommunications.
This state-of-the-art building will house the "Next Generation Network" technology. It also accommodates major components of the new GSM cellular system.
The building will provide Cayman businesses with secure communication and web hosting facilities.
In these developments Cable & Wireless is able to merge voice, data and IP transmissions seamlessly integrating with mobile communications, hence the choice of name: "One Technology Square".
This investment enables Cable & Wireless to realise cost efficiencies, improved quality of service, and new innovative products for all of their customers in the Cayman Islands.
Designed by OBM team members Cindy O'Hara Managing Director, and Craig Nixon and Jaron Jackson Architects, the modern, 38,000-square-foot One Technology Square will be the most advanced commercial structure in the Cayman Islands.
The new building will house the highest level of technological equipment and data systems for Cable & Wireless' central telephone exchange, Internet servers and cellular service.
Located on the corner of Shedden Road and Eastern Avenue, the new facility will stand as a pillar of confidence in Cayman during the most powerful, and sometimes devastating, weather systems.
Designed to withstand category five hurricanes, as well as 300 pounds of pressure per square foot tripling the standard Cayman office building requirements telecommunication service for the Cayman Islands will be well protected.
According to Ms. Cindy O'Hara, Managing Director for OBM Limited: "One Technology Square is the beginning of a new trend in architecture. In addition to the design aspects of a project, the current trend is for architects to focus on what is beneath the surface. "At OBM, we base our designs on safety, hurricane resistance, and sustainability, green (or environmentally sound) technology and protection from the elements. Investors today are looking at facilities that will stand the test of time. One Technology Square will do just that."
Other innovative features include ten-inch concrete walls, a state-of-the-art security system, a twenty-four-seven incident control room, a sophisticated networking system, temperature and humidity monitors and controls, and handicap accessibility. Bunkrooms are a vital design feature, providing employees the opportunity to successfully manage and operate the control center from an enclosed, secure space during a time of crisis.
Kitchen and bathroom amenities will allow employees to remain on site during inclement weather and perform vital operations for as much as two weeks.
With great respect to its surrounding environment and functionality, OBM's design of One Technology Square will incorporate lush landscaping, adaptable design plans to accommodate roadwork expansions, such as traffic-calming circles and roundabouts, and ample parking.
General Manager of Cable & Wireless, Mr. Timothy Adam, said Cable & Wireless' decision to build this new facility demonstrates the company's strong and ongoing commitment to the Cayman Islands and its confidence in the future.
"Cable & Wireless has been an integral and important part of Cayman's past and will continue to be a key part of Cayman's future," he said.
"Cable & Wireless is in a business that is very exposed to the risk of obsolescence, not only of technical equipment and facilities, but even buildings. Obsolescence means that from time to time we have to write-off assets that have not been fully depreciated; this in turn impacts our profitability.
"To be successful, Cable & Wireless must continue to invest in new infrastructure. However, we must be able to demonstrate to investors that our revenues and our profits can sustain such risks and also yield good returns on their investments."
Mr. Adam added: "Our company believes in the Cayman Islands. For 130 years globally and 34 years locally, Cable & Wireless has provided its private and business clientele with the latest in technological advances.
"The development of our new, state-of-the-art exchange building will serve to enhance provision of our services. The new facility will provide Cayman with service that can proudly compete with any telecommunication company in the world, as well as contributing to the economic welfare of the region. "Moreover, the company's role as an industry leader goes hand-in-hand with its dedication to work with and support the varied communities in which it operates, in ways that are the most appropriate for those communities."
Like Cable & Wireless, OBM's unparalleled success can be measured by its decades of experience, with over 67 years of operation throughout the Caribbean and over 30 years in the Cayman Islands.
In Cayman, only the expertise of the OBM team can provide a full-service design operation from small jobs to turnkey projects, as well as providing an advanced technological system that improves communication between the firm and the client.
From architecture to interior design to
project management, OBM continues to be Cayman's design leader.
Cable & Wireless is also very pleased that Arch and Godfrey,
a highly respected local construction firm, will be the main contractor
for the building.
Arch and Godfrey has, for three generations, been associated with construction in the Cayman Islands and has gained an exemplary reputation for meeting commitments of quality workmanship on time and within budget.
Established in 1972, Arch and Godfrey has a working relationship with leading North American and British construction organizations and are now recognised as a leader in the Cayman construction industry with services such as cost planning, project management, general contracting, design build and unit rate contracting.
In addition there are several other professionals and suppliers participating in this project, and this is giving a very welcome boost to the island's economy.
The three-phase, $10-million One Technology Square is slated for completion in spring 2004.