THE establishment of a dedicated data centre in Limerick by US financial technology firm, ACI Universal Payments is regarded as a significant breakthrough for the city’s status as a hot-spot for foreign investment.
ACI, who are establishing their base for the European, Middle East and African (EMEA) markets at the National Technology Park in Plassey, will provide a significant jobs boost at the data centre and more during the construction phase.
Software used by ACI is responsible for handling $13 trillion in payments and securities transactions every day for more than 300 of the leading global retailers, and 18 of the world’s 20 largest banks.
The move by the US multinational to Limerick has been seen by industrial promotion agencies as a significant development.
The city has the favourable climate and geographical conditions that tech firms seek when they are selecting data centre sites.
Cool, temperate climates in areas considered to be earthquake-free are just two of the external factors considered by data centre operators who rank Ireland, the UK, Iceland and some of the Scandinavian countries amongst their top choices.
IDA Business Development Manager Niall O’Callaghan told the Limerick Post that the region’s ability to attract foreign direct investment companies was bolstered by access to Shannon Airport and its international route network, including its connections to the US.
Together with a highly educated talent pool emerging from the University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology and Mary Immaculate College as well as the amount of grade A office space coming onstream are aiding the IDA’s ability to sell the region to their client companies abroad.
Firms like ACI, who already have a number of data centres in the US states of Georgia and Nebraska, are looking to invest in other international locations to meet growing demands from the EMEA markets
ACI Group President, Carolyn Homberger, said that their new Limerick base would enable them provide a world-class software as a service (SaaS) offering that would give clients a software licensing and delivery model in which software is centrally hosted and licensed on a subscription basis.
“As companies in the region increase their demand for SaaS-based solutions, we’re excited about this European data centre expansion and enhancing our ability to meet those customers’ needs with world-class SaaS offerings,”she said.
Two years ago, ACI set up a software development centre in Limerick which employs 60 people but the company’s new centre will establish ACI as a key financial technology (FINTECH) firm in the region.
