The climate in the Highlands is one of the reasons why an IT firm is planning a new data centre in Inverness leading to the creation of 400 jobs.
The new £20 million building is billed as Scotland's first eco-friendly data centre and is planned for a major development at Inverness harbour.
The proposed plans are by Alchemy Plus, a partner of Microsoft, who provide data-centre services to customers on a "pay as you go" basis.
Customers pay a monthly fee to use "utility computing" which allows them to access vast IT resources and data. The applications are securely stored centrally, rather than on individual computers.
The applications are then delivered over the internet, allowing clients to access them from anywhere.
A planning application is to be submitted early next year with the centre to be finished by the end of 2010.
Data centres produce large amounts of heat and it is proposed that the waste heat from the 20,000sq ft building will help to warm neighbouring parts of the harbour development.
It will need high levels of power to supply the computing hardware and the cooling systems that protect it but Alchemy says the colder Highland climate will reduce the need for artificial refrigeration.
Peter Swanson, the chairman of Alchemy, told the Scotsman: "This development could not be better timed. Demand for premium data-centre space continues to far outstrip available supply, and the current economic downturn is driving a rapid shift towards "cloud-based" services, which offer greater economy and flexibility.
"Utility computing will revolutionise the way businesses use computers and seriously cut costs for many companies and public-sector organisations."
Stewart Nicol, the chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said: "This project will really put the city on the map for developments in information technology."
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