Microsoft’s new €388m centre in Dublin may lead to 35 jobs at firm

COMPUTER giant Microsoft has opened a €388 million centre in west Dublin which could ultimately lead to the creation of 35 positions at the firm.

The “mega data centre” will be used as a base for the company’s European, Middle Eastern and African network to help develop the firm’s online, live and cloud network services.

The exact location of the new 303,000 sq ft computer network site, the first of its kind outside the US, has not been revealed owing to security concerns. However, the development, initially announced in November 2007, is expected to help to significantly advance the company’s already existing services in Ireland, with up to 35 people expected to be employed at the centre.

“The opening of the data centre is a milestone in our ongoing investment in Europe and provides the critical infrastructure to support the local delivery of our next generation of online services, for both businesses and consumers,” said Microsoft International president Jean-Phillipe Courtois.

“This opening also celebrates Microsoft’s long-term commitment to Ireland. The facility will play a central role in our promise to deliver computing experiences that seamlessly connect people, data, devices and applications.”

Commenting on the official opening of the facility, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the move was “exactly” what Ireland needed in the current economic climate.

“Microsoft is a dynamic company, driven by innovation. It is exactly the kind of company we want in Ireland, and a model of the kind of company we would like to grow in Ireland for ourselves,” said Mr Cowen.

In addition to the services it will help to develop, the new centre has also been officially recognised by the EU’s Sustainable Energy Europe campaign as being 50% more energy efficient than previous computer network centres.

This is owing to the network’s utilisation of resources such as water and electricity.