Microsoft officially opened the recently completed European Product Development Centre building in Sandyford, Co Dublin yesterday.
The facility, officially opened by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, TD, was the final element of a two-year $165m capital investment programme by Microsoft in Ireland. The investment also included the development of the Atrium building, home to the European Operations Centre and the Sales and Marketing Group – also in Sandyford – and the European Internet Data Centre based at Citywest, Co Dublin.
Speaking at the opening Jean-Philippe Courtois, CEO, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa, said, “This new building is a symbolic representation of the continued investment in our operations in Ireland. The culmination of a two-year capital investment programme, this state of the art building brings all 600 European Product Development Centre (EPDC) employees under one roof for the first time in their 15-year history in Ireland. It also facilitates the organisation’s continued evolution in terms of the role that it plays in our EMEA business. From being an organisation that was focused almost exclusively on software localisation, this group is now also involved in testing, engineering and core development work and is an integral element of the pan-EMEA team.”
Courtois also paid tribute to the quality of Irish employees and to the Government for its support during the company’s 18-year history in Ireland. “We look forward to deepening our relationships over the coming years,” he said.
Completed on schedule and within budget, the new building is 116,000 sq ft and can accommodate 606 staff. The facility has a complete wireless LAN, and is fitted to the Cat 6 data cabling standard.
The building opening comes as Microsoft prepares for the Irish launch of Microsoft Office System this coming Friday. Over 300 people across the Microsoft Ireland operations were involved in ensuring that this product was ready for launch across over 85 countries.
By Brian Skelly
