|
The jobs will be created at Micros Systems' new offices in Parkmore East Business Park in Galway, and the move by the company is part of its strategy of establishing large regional support centres around the world. Employees will handle technical support, administration and treasury operations for the firm's UK and Irish operations. In time, the office will also handle the same functions throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The company's Irish office currently employs seven, but that number is set to climb to 35 in the coming weeks. It is understood that Micros Systems will invest over EUR1 million in the new site, although the company was unwilling to provide a specific figure.
"This project is in line with IDA Ireland's strategy to win top quality projects from leading companies for the BMW regions especially in quality internationally traded services," said Mary Harney, TD, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, announcing the news.
"We are really looking forward to coming to Ireland," Stephen Walder, Micros Systems' chief financial officer for the EMEA region, told ElectricNews.Net. He said that Galway was picked over competing locations in Dublin, Waterford and Athlone.
The availability of graduates from the hotel management school in the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology was an important factor in the firm's final decision. "They have a programme where they join IT with hospitality, and individuals with those skills will be really useful to us," he added. Multi-lingual staff as well as the number of people in the region with experience in the hospitality industry also helped the company to select the location.
Maryland-based Micros Systems recently launched its hotel enterprise management system, Opera, and its operations in Ireland will serve to support the firm's new technology. Opera, as well as all of Micros' software and service offerings, is designed to be sold to the hospitality industry, particularly to hotels, restaurants, casinos and cruise ships. The firm makes point-of-sale computer systems as well as software systems that let customers in the hospitality industry track inventory, sales and reservations. The company also makes central reservation and property management systems for hotels and resorts. Some of its notable customers include Hyatt, La Madeleine, Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and TGI Friday's.
The firm employs around 2,500 people globally and has 135,000 installations in 130 countries. In fact, around half of its business is done overseas. In its most recent quarter, ending in March 2002, the Nasdaq-quoted company had USD92.4 million in revenues, slightly beating analysts' expectations and 13.2 percent higher year-on-year. Net income for the firm's third quarter was USD3.7 million, an increase of USD3.6 million over the year-ago third quarter.
|
