announced a deal with an American company for data storage for its expanding e-commerce business.

StorageNetworks are to provide `Disk-on-Demand' for Global Crossing's new e-commerce service centre, Global Centre.

StorageNetworks is the leading provider of storage services for the so-called e-Economy.

The Disk-on-Demand service being offered to Global Centre's customers base will let Internet companies have access and pay for data storage on demand without investing in costly memory expanding technology.

It will also allow any size of company to have world class storage management services.

The scheme also promises to give business continuity and disaster recovery for all data.

"The growth and success of an online business is highly dependent upon the availability and reliability of real-time access to mission-critical business and customer information,'' said Paul Santinelli, vice president, technology and applications at Global Centre.

"The alliance with StorageNetworks provides our customers with the industry's best disk storage solution in an `on-demand' environment.

"Without having to implement their own full-scale enterprise storage systems and storage area networks, customers provision how much disk storage they need and when they need it, at a fraction of the cost.'' Disk-on-Demand Service will be available to Global Centre customers in the first quarter of 2000.