EMC says Irish future is bright

ONE of Ireland’s top employers says it has confidence in the country and believes there is a positive outlook ahead.

EMC, the world’s biggest maker of storage computers said that Ireland can continue to deliver the skilled workforce and new ideas that will help it meet the increasing demands on its customers across the globe in the coming years. It said Ireland is a “key part” in its overall global business.

Jason Ward, EMC’s country manager for Ireland, said: “With continued investment in Ireland from multinationals, and with increasing exports, we see a very positive outlook for business in Ireland.

“Irish businesses continue to thrive within the current climate and the EMC’s Centre of Excellence in Ireland is supporting the company at a global level to drive innovation for their customers.”

In Ireland, EMC said it grew its revenue by 25% last year and its expecting growth in 2011 of 20%. There were some key new deals, including the Revenue Commissioners, Beaumont Hospital, Intel and Department of Transport.

“Revenue growth, both in Ireland and across the globe, is being driven by being able to deliver cloud efficiently to organisations with an extensive range of technology and solutions supported by the highest levels of consultancy and service delivery,” said Mr Ward.

EMC said it sees a lot of its customers in Ireland focusing on cloud computing and data management. “At the Cork Centre of Excellence it will continue to further develop its role as a centre of excellence with cloud and R&D being a primary focus,” he said.

On a group level the company yesterday reported a record 61% increase in fourth-quarter profit. Net income rose to $628.6 million (€462m) or 29 cents a share from $390.6m or 19 cents a share a year earlier.

EMC is one of Ireland’s largest employers, with over 1,900 staff between Cork, Dublin and Belfast. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary in Ireland in 2008 and announced a €20m investment in its local research and development Centre.

For 2011 EMC is forecasting revenue of $19.6bn. Analysts said EMC customers are starting to upgrade their storage systems due to the increasing amount of data they handle and a recovering economy.