Qwest Communications International Inc., of Denver, says Spokane-based Sterling Savings Bank has agreed to reinforce its network disaster recovery capabilities with data hosting space in Qwest's data center in Seattle.

Under a three-year contract, Sterling and Qwest are expanding their current relationship to include 350 square feet of space in Qwest's Tier 1 data center in Seattle, Qwest says.

"Uptime is critical to instilling customer confidence," says Cindy Parker, information technology director at Sterling. "With its proven data protection and secure network, Qwest gives us redundant hosting solutions that round out our business continuity plan."

Qwest says it provides secure, redundant, and environmentally controlled facilities that house mission-critical information.