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Nevada is a joint venture between UK telecommunications company Energis and Northern Ireland power company Viridian.
The company designs, integrates and manages voice, data and Internet solutions for businesses.
Earlier this month, Nevada opened a new data centre in Clonshaugh, Co. Dublin, where it is expected to create more than 70 jobs over the next five years.
The data centre cost STG5 million to develop and will provide a range of e-business and hosting solutions. It will also provide an e-payment gateway and supplementary telephony and call centre options.
"We had already been taking orders before the centre opened," said Harris. "The demand is there. However, the centre is really a communications centre for hosted applications."
Although the centre is not yet fully equipped, Nevada has a modular investment program in place that will allow it to be equipped further as Nevada attracts more business.
After his own appointment in June 2001, Harris said that Nevada had three basic tasks to carry out in Ireland, north and south.
The company would have to identify the business needs in both Northern Ireland and the Republic and develop a pan-Irish dimension allowing telecommunications and IT to be effective throughout Ireland.
In addition, the company would have to work closely with development agencies such as the Industrial Development Board and the Industrial Development Authority to position the island as an e-hub.
"We need voice service to complement the Internet," explained Harris. "We have to be competitive and excellent across the bulk of customers' needs."
"Customers want us to be local," added Harris. "We are pretty good in Northern Ireland through Viridian, and we want to reinforce the localness of our business."
"We will become more visible in the major towns and cities in Ireland," he added. "However, Nevada needs to surround itself with companies that share our vision and our goals."
Since his appointment, Harris believes that he has made a difference to the company.
"There has been a burst of energy," he said. "I am also considering different development of our plans."
"I want to achieve a greater depth of portfolio and a greater network presence and I want to remove all the barriers to sales," he added. "We are in business to deliver services to customers and to satisfy them."
"We are fully funded to execute our current plan that supports the IDC and other investments," he said. "We think that this puts us in a strong position competitively."
Nevada was launched in Belfast in 1999, and entered the Republic in July 2000 when it acquired Dublin-based telecommunications company Stentor for STG36 million.
The company currently employs some 160 people in Ireland, with operations in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
Nevada is at www.nevadatele.com
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