Netgear creates new jobs in Cork
12-06-2006
by Deirdre McArdle

One hundred new jobs are to be created in Cork as Netgear announces it is to establish its international headquarters at the UCC Technology Centre.

US-based Netgear, which designs, develops, and markets networking products -- Ethernet, broadband and wireless products for connecting PCs to the internet -- for small business and home users worldwide, will base its international headquarters in Cork, with the help of IDA Ireland.

The Cork operation is to be called Netgear International Ltd and is part of the company's strategy to develop and support its international growth. The firm's international customer base is growing rapidly, according to Patrick Lo, Netgear's chairman and CEO, who said it now amounts to over 56 percent of the company's sales.

The new office will centralise many of Netgear's geographically diverse activities and will have management responsibility for a variety of international operations. The firm said it is already recruiting staff for positions in finance, technical and IT support, human resources, operations and product marketing.

"This new international headquarters is established to provide a better service to our international customers, and Cork offers an ideal location due to its excellent infrastructure, multi-lingual capability, highly skilled workforce and ease of doing business," said Lo, in a statement.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheal Martin called Netgear a company with strong brand recognition in its business internationally. He went on to say it was an excellent addition to the IT industry cluster in Cork, which includes such firms as EMC, VMware, Alps Electric, Motorola and Apple.

"It is the first operation for the company outside of the US that will centralise many of the current geographically diverse activities into one location and we know they will find the required skills and infrastructure necessary in Cork for a knowledge-based business of this kind. The new facility will support its international business and will be a replication of the parent company in Santa Clara, California," said Minister Martin.

Netgear employs 300 people. In the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, which represents 50 percent of its worldwide business, it operates via sales subsidiaries.