Google building in Mountain View, California
Today marks the official opening of Google’s new €150 million data centre in west Dublin, expanding the company’s cloud computing facilities globally.
The data centre, opened by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, is Google’s second in Ireland (the first was opened in 2012), increasing the tech giant’s presence in the country and bringing the company’s total investment here to over €750m.
The two-storey data centre will run services including the Google Search, Gmail and Google Maps.
Its construction took just over a year and 400 jobs were created during construction. Of the more than 12 building and engineering companies involved in the build, over 80pc were Irish.
The data centre supports Google’s global bid to become what VP and head of Google in Ireland, Ronan Harris, refers to as “the world’s most energy-efficient computing network”.
Using an advance air-cooling system and taking advantage of Ireland’s naturally cool climate, the data centre doesn’t need to use costly and power-hungry air-conditioning units, enabling Google to maintain its global status as a carbon-neutral company (a distinction it first claimed in 2007).
According to Harris: “As Google grows globally, Ireland will continue to benefit from that growth.”
Ireland a prime location for tech skills
The data centre will create 30 jobs – for computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, and catering and security staff – bringing to 6,000 the number of employees the company has on its books in Ireland.
An Taoiseach was joined at the opening by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD.
Speaking at the opening, Mitchell O’Connor said, “This new data centre further enhances Google’s presence in Ireland and is a vindication of the competitive advantage we can offer high-technology companies. It is also a further commendation of the skilled Irish workforce available to such companies”.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, echoed that latter sentiment: “Google’s ability to build its business across a number of highly-skilled functions and to increase its talented team of Googlers year-on-year is a great testament to the business environment and skills available in Ireland”.
Good news for Google, where that are over 250 positions currently open in its Irish operations.
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Main image via Liang Zou/Shutterstock
