WESTERN Australia’s IT and communications industry is capitalising on a growing demand for data storage, with two local players moving to improve their service offering. Perth iX, which has spent the past two years building its data storage business from its William Street centre, is constructing a new data centre in Belmont. Internet provider Westnet has also relaunched its data co-location service, to meet demand from small-to-medium businesses. Perth iX’s new facility will be the only ‘tier 3’ site in WA, meaning it has the ability to run on an independent power supply, and is expected to be completed in June. WA Business News understands that an ASXlisted company in the sector is planning to take an active position in Perth iX’s new facility, and may potentially sell its own three data centres to the company. Perth iX managing director Kim Gray said the centre would be the first significant investment in data storage in Perth since about 2002, when Colonial Brewing Company set up its facility in William Street, which was later bought by Perth iX. Mr Gray said the new centre would also allow the company to offer data recovery services. Westnet has reconditioned its existing co-location data centre, located in Osborne Park, which marketing manager Dan Scott said had been driven by demand from SME clients, particularly those using a high number of data transactions.