Manx Telecom has been licensed as an approved e-Gaming Disaster Recovery Provider by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.
The licence will enable the company to provide e-Gaming clients with disaster recovery facilities under the Island’s innovative legislation covering online gaming.
The Island’s main provider of fixed, mobile, internet and wholesale carrier telecom networks, Manx Telecom was the first company on Island to provide data centre services.
The company’s involvement in e-Gaming also goes back to the earliest days of the sector, having hosted the first ever live e-Gaming sites to register with the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, in 2001.
Since then, Manx Telecom has continued to invest heavily in the Island’s data centre and telecommunications infrastructure, attracting several global e-Gaming companies, such as PokerStars, to its purpose-built data hosting and disaster recovery facilities.
“Currently, we provide data centre co-location, fully managed hosted platforms, and disaster recovery services for a wide range of customers,” says Stephen Kane, e-Gaming and e-Business Development Manager at Manx Telecom.
"However, e-Gaming is somewhat different in that it is a regulated business.
"Although we have provided data centre solutions and services for some years now to companies with full Isle of Man e-Gaming Licences, the introduction by the Gambling Supervision Commission of a new Disaster Recovery Licence is a great step forward.
"The Isle of Man, in particular, has lead with way with flexible and pragmatic e-Gaming legislation under which e-Gaming companies can put effective disaster recovery arrangements in place, and we are pleased to be able to offer e-Gaming clients this facility”.
Manx Telecom’s new licence will cover all its data centre operations on-Island, enabling it to provide disaster recovery services to e-Gaming businesses worldwide.
Manx Telecom owns and operates a number of data centre sites on and off Island, including the Island’s only purpose-built data hosting facility.
Currently, Manx Telecom’s data centre solutions portfolio includes enterprise fully managed and co-location hosting; global connectivity; and disaster recovery.
As the company's facilities portfolio expands, it has attracted a growing number of prestigious clients, including e-Gaming companies, online bookmakers, e-music platforms, global payment processors, international e money providers, global banks and international insurance companies.
“There is no doubt that, having made such a significant investment – in excess of ?120m in the past 10 years – in the Island’s telecommunications infrastructure, purpose-built data centre infrastructure and fully resilient global connectivity solutions, Manx Telecom has been pivotal in establishing the Isle of Man as a key player in the thriving e-Gaming sector, and in attracting the largest names in the business to the Island,” says Stephen.
"As one of the Island’s largest employers with over 300 people, we also have the largest dedicated data centre solutions team, plus access to O2 &Telefonica group resources of 257,000 professionals in 25 countries.
"With expertise in all aspects of data centre solutions, global connectivity, and disaster recovery, I believe we are truly a great asset to the Island’s economy.”
Garth Kimber, Head of e-Gaming Development at the Isle of Man Department for Trade and Industry, comments, “The Island continues to attract e-Gaming companies, due in part, to our approach to licensing. Manx Telecom has made significant investments, and having an e-Gaming disaster recovery licence can only be good news for the company, and for the Island.”
