VBT goes large in Wicklow


15 Mar 2005

VBT, a fast-growing Irish IT company that focuses on medium to large-sized enterprises, has invested €2m in a new 6,000sq ft facility in Wicklow.

VBT, which has expanded rapidly in the past three years, is moving its operations from Deansgrange Dublin to Wicklow. Following the move the company will employ 22 people, a number that will be doubled over the next two years, according to VBT director, David Kerr.

In its most recent financial quarter of 2004, VBT, formerly Vision2000, has won new business worth more than €500k. Turnover for the year is forecast to be €3m. Most recently VBT has been appointed a vendor of the Sage product portfolio that complements its extensive range of financial application catering from the small business sector through to the corporate market.

However, the company has warned that a shortage of good sales and support staff is impeding its growth.

Kerr said: “After three years in the doldrums IT spending has picked up sharply again. There has been a big shift though in the type of business we are seeing, something that applies throughout the industry but that has not been commented on. The one or two man operation that comes and fixes viruses is doing ok but the smaller IT companies, employing between five and 10 people are finding the going very tough.

“The level of expertise needed in the business gets greater with every passing day — a network no longer means stringing five PCs together. Clients, even smaller ones, want the network fully integrated with three, five or 10 different applications. Knowledge and size is the only way to deliver that. But one problem we have encountered is the lack of knowledgeable support and sales staff.

“If we could get the right staff we have enough work in the pipeline to increase our workforce by 50pc immediately and I could see that number at least doubled in two years.”

Kerr added: “Lack of broadband availability is an other issue that is affecting all of us at the moment. The Government’s commitment to it can only be described as a bad joke. We rely on satellite broadband, but again if we were given the right infrastructure (that we are happy to pay for!), then we can extract even greater efficiencies for both existing and new clients such as Carroll Joinery, An Oige and BIM.”

By John Kennedy