BUSINESS
IDA looks to bring Google to Ireland
30-01-2003
by Andrew McLindon
Dublin is one of two cities under consideration as the European base for Google, the company that runs the world's most popular Internet search engine.
It is believed that Google is looking to establish a European sales, marketing and technical support centre in either Dublin or Zurich later this year.
According to a report in Thursday's The Irish Times, a delegation from Google visited Dublin last week during which they held talks with IDA Ireland and toured data centres.
Getting the American firm to base itself in Dublin would be a major coup for the IDA as it would not only boost Ireland's reputation as a technology centre, but would also create hundreds of jobs. A decision by Google is expected in the next few weeks.
A spokesperson for the IDA told ElectricNews.Net that it would love to bring Google to Ireland and would do anything to support any interest from such a company. The spokesperson declined to elaborate on the matter. Google, meanwhile, has said that the company had nothing specific to announce regarding plans to locate servers in Ireland.
It would certainly appear to be a good time for Google to move into Dublin. The city is ringed with several data centres that are either vacant or have plenty of space available. As one observer put it, "it is a prime time to get data centre space because it is easy and cheap to obtain."
Google would also benefit from Ireland's highly skilled workforce, which due to the downturn should be more readily available and less costly than used to be the case for technology companies basing themselves here.
Ironically, one of Google's biggest competitors recently announced plans to set-up its European operations in Dublin.
US company Overture Services, which offers pay-for-performance search services, said in December 2002 that it planned to transfer its customer service and editorial functions from California to Dublin leading to the creation of around 50 jobs.
A spokesperson for the company told ElectricNews.Net at the time that its Dublin office would be up-and-running by April of this year.
The move was being made, said Overture, because of the "dramatic" growth in its business in Europe, particularly in Germany, France and the UK. In the run-up to the announcement, Overture had managed to sign-up several major European ISPs such as AOL Europe, Lycos, and Tiscali France.
Overture, which was previously called GoTo and is quoted on the Nasdaq, provides such companies with search engines that allow advertisers to bid for the top rankings in specific keyword searches.
A similar service is offered by Google and the two are fierce competitors in the US where they were involved in a lawsuit over their offerings. It would appear that with its proposed establishment of an operation in Dublin or Zurich that Google is set to take this fight to Europe.
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