A Swiss computer services firm is offering to stock sensitive business data for companies in secure servers located in ex-army bunkers deep beneath the Alps.

The company, C-Channel, which specialises in banking software, claims that the data will be stocked "deep beneath the ground, protected from theft, fire, computer viruses and hackers."

"We have already set up several servers in two disused bunkers in the Alps," Rene Reinli, a company executive told AFP.

The company says the service amounts to a "Swiss Fort Knox," in deference to the fortress which houses the US gold reserves.

However, business customers can access up to 200 megabytes of storage space directly at any time with security codes.

The physical entrances to the disused army bunkers near the small western Swiss towns of Saanen and Zweisimmen are under private guard, Reinli said.