Salesforce.com, the enterprise cloud computing company, announced plans this week to add more than 100 new jobs in Dublin to meet the demands of continued growth in Ireland. The company is immediately looking to hire qualified professionals in sales, marketing, IT and customer support functions.
In further developments this week, University College Cork announced that it will partner with Dell and VMware to set up a cloud computing incubator, allowing smaller firms the chance to apply cloud in their businesses—free of charge. Efforts are underway to encourage cloud-based enterprises both north and south of the border: the BBC reported this week that cloud could bring 16,000 jobs to Northern Ireland over the next few years.
The Salesforce.com announcement was made in Dublin on Friday by Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton TD, and salesforce.com’s EMEA chairman, Dr Steve Garnett. IDA Ireland has worked with salesforce.com on its developments in Ireland since it first established operations in Dublin in 2000.
Cloud computing allows users to store and use files and applications via the internet. It is seen as a boon for businesses and consumers alike, as it can free up resources by allowing users to rent software rather than buy it, and to store their files on remote servers rather than buying those servers themselves. Retail and service providers often find cloud computing particularly attractive in their efforts to improves services and reduce costs.
Indeed, new research published this week by Cisco shows a dramatic shift in attitudes towards cloud computing in the UK and Ireland. The report, Cisco CloudWatch 2012, is the second in Cisco’s annual Cloud series and finds IT decision makers in bullish mood, increasingly placing applications and services from across their business into the cloud, and planning for further investment over the coming 12 months.
