M&E company NG Bailey is to launch an IT services division, making it the first building services firm to offer complete M&E fit-out to specialist financial institutions.

The division, to be called Extrasys, will be launched in May. It will form part of Bailey Teswaine, the cabling and telecoms division that Bailey formed after buying cabling firm Teswaine.

The decision to broaden the company's focus comes amid an increased demand for specialised data centres away from central London, particularly from large financial institutions. Demand has increased since 9/11and the attacks on London.

Mark Andrews, Bailey's chief executive, said: "The new business is quite a leap from the core. It's a completely different service from that offered by other M&E providers, but we will be able to install all the services needed to run a large office. This is particularly important given the proliferation of data centres."

The expansion is part of a wider growth strategy at Bailey that has seen the firm make four acquisitions in the past year.

The firm plans to strengthen its operations through further acquisitions, possibly including some parts of Mowlem, the contractor acquired by Carillion last week.

Andrews said: "We are looking at most of the takeovers, and potential takeovers. There are bits and pieces of those companies that we will look at very closely."