Plans to create more than 200 jobs will soon come to fruition after the go-ahead was given to a US online gaming giant to begin construction work and redevelopment of a site in Rahoon.
ZeniMax Online Studios, headquarted in Hunt Valley, Maryland, made the welcome announcement in March of last year that its European customer support centre was to be located in Galway, heralding the creation of more than 200 new jobs initially with the distinct possibility of hundreds more jobs being created in the years to come.
Following this announcement the company set to work on finding a site for the centre which is to provide customer support for players of ZeniMax’s online multiplayer role playing games. Planning permission for the site at Rahoon was lodged in November of last year and planners have now given the all clear for the company to begin work at the site at Rahoon Business Park, close to the Aviva Insurance call centre. The work will involve a change of use of the industrial building, known commonly as the former Connacht Laundry site, to technology office use. The fit-out, which could be completed before the summer, will be carried out on part of the ground floor and first floor of the vacant premises with changes to external elevations, carparking and sundry site works. The planning permission was approved with one condition attached, that a mobility management plan be put in place to ensure sustainable travel patterns for commuting staff.
Meanwhile, there was more good news on the jobs front with indigenous software company OpenJaw Technologies announcing that it is to create 45 new positions over the next two years at its Galway and Dublin offices.
Headquarted in Glasnevin, OpenJaw Technologies provides online retail technology and services to the global travel industry and has a regional office located in Galway Business Park, Dangan. The company also has offices in Madrid, Frankfurt, and Dallas, as well as a presence in Moscow.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation Richard Bruton made the annoucement on Monday with OpenJaw Technologies adding that it will make a €3.3 million investment into the company’s research and development programme. It is understood that the Government is to contribute to this investment through Enterprise Ireland.
The 45 new positions will be created predominantly in
sales, engineering, development, and product management functions This will bring the total number of people employed by the company in Ireland to 151 by 2013 and its global workforce to 169 over the same period.
OpenJaw enables travel companies such as airlines, on-line travel agencies, hotel chains and loyalty programmes to offer their products and services in the internet domain. Its customer portfolio features in excess of 40 customers including British Airways, SAS, and other large global travel players.
Making the announcement Minister Bruton said: “OpenJaw is an exciting Irish technology company which is innovating, exporting and creating jobs, and today’s announcement is very welcome. Through my Department’s capital budget and the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs I will provide greater support to businesses like this so that more dynamic Irish companies can start up, grow, and get our country back to work”.
