The tech business week: Facebook opens new HQ in Dublin, ClearStream Technologies grows


10 Nov 2014

Sonia Flynn, managing director, Facebook Ireland, and Taoiseach Enda Kenny attend the official opening of Facebook's new EMEA headquarters in Dublin. Photo by John T Ohle Photography

A digest of the top business technology news stories from the past week, beginning with the news social networking giant Facebook has opened a new EMEA headquarters in the ‘Silicon Docks’ area of Dublin.

Facebook opens new EMEA headquarters in Dublin

Social networking giant Facebook has set up shop in new EMEA headquarters spanning 120,000 sq feet at Grand Canal Square, Dublin.

Sonia Flynn, managing director, Facebook Ireland, joined Taoiseach Enda Kenny to officially open the Frank Gehry-designed building in the area that has become known as ‘Silicon Docks’.

Flynn said Facebook is entering a new chapter at Grand Canal Square.

“We are proud to be here in Dublin, where we are able to find the talented people we need to enable Facebook to support the people who use it every day,” she said.

Facebook employs some 500 people representing more than 50 nationalities at its headquarters in Dublin and continues to recruit to support the millions of people who use Facebook every day in Europe.

ClearStream Technologies expands Enniscorthy office for future 200 roles

ClearStream Technologies, a medical-device manufacturer, has completed a 50,000 sq-foot extension to its Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, facility, providing room for 200 new roles in the future.

The completed expansion is expected to support growth through 2019.

ClearStream expects the additional capacity will allow it to build upon its current product portfolio and potentially add new products.

New web portal to ensure businesses are paid on time to launch next year

A new portal to host the Prompt Payment Code of Conduct and ensure businesses are paid on time will go live in the first quarter of 2015.

The initiative is backed by the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BFPI), small business representative groups and the Irish Institute of Credit Management (IICM).

Three main focuses of the code are: to ensure best practice between businesses and suppliers; to improve cash flow between businesses; and to drive a change in payment culture.

Organisations who sign up to the code will undertake to pay suppliers on time within the terms of a contract or in accordance with legislation. Under the legislation, firms will be obliged to pay suppliers under the terms of a contract or within 30 working days.

Digital ads empire Publicis buys Sapient in US$3.7bn deal

Publicis Groupe’s ambitions to lead the digital ads economy have been boosted by the acquisition of digital marketing company Sapient for US$3.7bn in cash. The new platform will be know as Publicis.Sapient.

The motivation behind the massive deal is to establish Publicis Groupe as an advertising leader in the digital age.

The move will put both companies at the nexus of the convergence of communication, marketing, commerce and technology.

AOL’s Q3 results show significant gains

Digital media company AOL’s recently released third-quarter financial results show strong advertising sales driving growth for the seventh successive quarter.

Perhaps more significantly, this is the second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, with net income rising to US$28.5m.

Advertising was up 18pc, with third-party platform in particular improving and a huge increase in growth in video ads served. Revenues came in at US$626.8m, up on analysts’ expectations.

Apple moves in on Microsoft’s turf with new Seattle office

Consumer tech giant Apple is taking its business deep into the heart of Microsoft territory in Seattle, Washington, with a new office accommodating 2,000 employees to work on Apple’s network infrastructure.

It is understood that the core makeup of the staff in the new office will be former F5 engineers, many of whom had previously worked at Union Bay Networks, a local cloud start-up company that has since shut down its email service, Brier Dudley’s Blog for The Seattle Times reported.

One of Union Bay’s backers, Madrona Venture Group, declined to say whether the company was sold to Apple, the blog post added.

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