TÁNAISTE ANNOUNCES 498 NEW IT JOBS IN DUBLIN

Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today (Thursday, 30th July, 1998) announced 498 new jobs in two IT-based international services projects in Dublin. Perot Systems Corporation, headed by former US Presidential candidate Ross Perot, is involved in both projects, which are separately supported by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

A technology venture between Bank of Ireland and Perot Systems, supported by Enterprise Ireland, is projected to create 342 new jobs over five years at the Bank's computer centre in Cabinteely. The joint venture - PS Information Resource (Ireland) Ltd. - will commercialise and expand its activities to become the European hub of a range of monitoring, advisory, diagnostic and other value-added IT services to international clients.

The new jobs will be additional to 204 existing software and technical specialists at the centre who are transferring to the new company.

Speaking in Cabinteely, the Tánaiste said, "A common focus of both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland is on building and sustaining Irish and overseas companies. One of the key ingredients in this process is working closely with client companies to maximise their potential to penetrate overseas markets". The Tánaiste said that the building of mutually profitable alliances has been a key success factor for Irish companies in export markets in recent years. "Creative partnerships such as this between a major Irish financial services company and a global technology specialist are of major significance in developing internationally tradable skills and in generating employment in the information technology world."

"Today's announcement marks the entry of one of Ireland's top companies into a new domain, in which a vital internal service function is being creatively transformed with world class expertise into a commercial force in the international arena. I very much welcome this initiative which builds on the outstanding success of Irish companies in the traded international services sector over the past decade," the Tánaiste added.

At the announcement, Mr. Perot, Chairman, President and Chief Executive of Perot Systems, said, "This is a win-win situation for Perot Systems and Bank of Ireland. PS Information will be a leader in operations management, as the technology environment transforms from the mainframe data centres of old to the network-based world of the future."

According to Pat McDowell, Deputy Group Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland, "The joint venture will combine Perot's marketing and operations management skills with our advanced infrastructures and IT facilities. It will aggressively service new opportunities rapidly opening up in technology driven service businesses such as e-commerce, internet and home banking."

"The partnership will enable Bank of Ireland to continue its innovation and leadership in the field of information technology services, enjoying the partnership of a strong global player. The joint venture creates a new source of income for the group and contributes to the process of internationalism," said Mr. McDowell.

In a separate development Perot Systems Corporation is to establish a Software Development Centre in Dublin, with the support of IDA Ireland, to service its growing customer base in Europe. The new company - Perot Systems Ireland - is to create 156 new jobs over the next five years for software and business graduates and a decision on its Dublin location will be made following the company's consideration of a number of suitable facilities.

Perot Systems Ireland will offer an outsourcing service to both Perot and Bank of Ireland clients throughout Europe on a contract basis. The contract process involves taking a client's project through strategic conception, consulting, planning, software design, development, customisation and implementation and data centre management.

Information technology outsourcing has had significant growth in the 1990s and the trend is expected to continue as more and more companies concentrate on their core functions and contract-out the increasingly complex and difficult tasks of maintaining information technology systems. Perot Systems Corporation of Dallas, USA, the world's sixth largest provider of outsourced information technology services, was established in 1988 by Mr. Ross Perot. Employing 5,600 people, the company has offices in more than 50 locations. The European market, which it entered in 1991, accounts for over a third of its revenues.