Benefit, a leading fintech and electronic financial transactions services company in Bahrain, 

has reached an agreement with top telecom services operator Batelco to move its core IT infrastructure to the group's recently established data centre in Hamala. 

 

This is the third data centre of the company and the second to achieve Tier III certification for design and build from the “Uptime Institute”, a global authority that specializes in evaluating global Data Centers through a series of performance-based assessments designed to measure progress and efficiency of all Data Centers across the world. 

 

With an area of 12,236 sq m, the centre is equipped with a total capacity of 2.7MW that services 250 working racks. Batelco’s Hamala Data Center is the largest enterprise data center in Bahrain.

 

Prior to signing the contract, representatives from Benefit visited the Hamala facility, where a number of operational, technical, and security features were outlined by the Batelco team.

 

Benefit Company CEO Abdulwahed AlJanahi said: "We are very proud of this important milestone which serves to strengthen the Company's electronic platforms with the newest up-to-date systems. Our partnership with Batelco follows on from a study of the best available solutions, and this collaborative effort shows the power of national companies coming together to achieve a collective vision for the Kingdom and the region." 

 

The Benefit Company manages and operates very advanced systems. Investing in infrastructure and electronic systems is always at the top of our priorities to maximize customer confidence, stated Al Janahi. 

 

"Furthermore, it shows our commitment to our role as a national institution in advancing the level of banking sector services and contributing to the image of Bahrain as a regional hub for financial technology and advanced payment systems," he added.

 

Batelco Enterprise General Manager Abderrahmane Mounir said: "We are very pleased to sign this contract with Benefit, a national entity in the banking and finance sector, as this reflects on Batelco’s efforts in supporting this vital sector and also Benefit’s trust in Batelco’s infrastructure and capabilities."

 

"In hosting their entire IT infrastructure at Batelco’s Data Center, Benefit’s requirements to safeguard large volumes of mission critical data and ensure a seamless customer experience for its end-users, can be reliably met," noted Mounir.

 

"Establishing and equipping a Data Center of this level is part of our national contribution towards developments taking place within all sectors in Bahrain and in particular those that fall in line with the national vision for the growth of the digital economy," he added.

 

According to him, Batelco’s Data Center is designed to serve the growing demand from companies that require sophisticated and cutting-edge IT management services, along with premium collocation services, to suit all corporate needs while eliminating the cost for companies to maintain their own disaster recovery solutions. 

 

The range of key Benefit services to be moved to Batelco Data Center includes the switching of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and Point of Sale (POS), GCCNet, Bahrain Credit Reference Bureau (BCRB), Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS), Payment Gateway (PG), Bahrain Cheque Truncation System (BCTS), BenefitPay as a national eWallet across Bahrain and Know Your Customer Electronically (eKYC), he added.-TradeArabia News Service