Cutting-edge business integration and support
Re-engineering how business is done has become a key feature of the successful innovative corporation in an increasingly competitive and fast changing global market. "Value chain optimisation", "outsourcing", focus on "core competencies", "intellectual property" and "strategic capabilities" are just some of the terms and modalities with which we've all become increasingly familiar. Today, strategic functions such as headquarters, supply chain management, sales and marketing support, logistical and technical support, finance management are all functions and activities which, using the right models, can differentiate and provide competitive business advantage.
Ireland has recognised these changes. By combining a flexible operating environment, multilingual workforce, world-class management capability, quality of life, and favourable fiscal environment into a winning formula it is securing some the most sophisticated and strategic business integration and support activities from global leaders in business.
Yahoo!
Yahoo! is the most trafficked Internet destination and one of the most renowned Internet brands in the world. It has 25 international sites in 13 languages, attracting an estimated 325 million unique visitors each quarter. In 2003, Yahoo acquired Overture, formerly GoTo.com, which had established a successful operation in Dublin.
In 2004, following the acquisition, Yahoo selected the Irish base for a new integrated European operations centre to support its products & services across Europe. The facility includes a European data centre, multilingual web services, customer support and financial and administrative shared services.
Young, talented, technically skilled, people have driven Yahoo's business success. Ireland's combination of a pool of quality multidisciplinary graduates and a competitive business environment with a focus on digital media were the ingredients Yahoo felt would help them achieve further success in the future.
Dell
In 2004, Dell, the world's number one direct seller of computers chose to locate its EMEA (European, Middle East and Africa) Business Centre in a new state-of-the-art facility, which will be the largest customer care and technology support centre in Ireland.
This investment is part of an ongoing development, which has seen the existing Irish operation evolve from mid-value business activities, serving predominantly the UK and Ireland, to a high value EMEA Business Centre. The change has included the enhancement of a number of existing functions such as sales, marketing and IT in addition to the development of a multilingual European Enterprise Expert Centre, providing high-end enterprise technical support. The Ireland-based centre also has leadership responsibility for sales and marketing activities in specific European markets such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece and Finland in addition to the UK and Ireland.
Merck Sharp & Dohme
In 2004, Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. was established as an Irish subsidiary to conduct the clinical research, regulatory affairs, marketing and sales operations in Ireland for Merck & Co., Inc., one of the world's largest research driven pharmaceutical companies.
This €5 million investment was a result of the company's long relationship with Ireland. Over the years, Merck & Co., Inc. has invested more than €750 million in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ballydine, Co.Tipperary which employs over 500 people.
Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. provides market-leading products in the areas of arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, heart disease and a number of specialist hospital products.
Business Objects
Business Objects, a world-leading provider of business intelligence software solutions, has set up a new operations centre in Ireland to serve customers worldwide. The company's business intelligence software, used by more than 30,000 customers worldwide, enables organisations to gain better insight into their business, improve decision-making, and optimise enterprise performance.
The Irish centre plays a strategic role in the company's development of its global markets. Its main responsibility is to streamline support and increase service levels to customers internationally. Functions in the Dublin operation include multilingual technical support, shared services, intellectual property (IP) management, global software localisation, marketing support and product distribution.
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company, the world's leading supplier of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals has chosen Ireland for a new European Operations Centre to manage its growing European market. Core activities carried out in the centre include marketing, sales and supply chain management, supporting Kellogg's European manufacturing and distribution operations. In addition, it has financial responsibility for treasury capital investment decisions, financial analysis and credit control.
"It is important that Kellogg is organised and structured in Europe to take advantage of the full market opportunities that the enlarging EU offers and responds to the changing economic and commercial landscape. Ireland proved to be the best option for us being a cost effective and efficient base with good access and communications to the EU market from a Euro-based location." Tim Mobsby, Area President of Kellogg's
McAfee®
McAfee® is one of the leading software companies in the world and synonymous with internet security. Over the past two years, having undertaken a restructuring of its operations, McAfeeŽ chose to locate a software centre in Cork to serve EMEA market, transferring a range of higher-level activities to Ireland.
With over 80% college graduates, the new centralised facility includes software product development, engineering and supply chain management. The multilingual product localisation team, charged with simultaneously releasing products with international market-specific features in several different languages, is a critical part of the product development cycle. Also included is a financial shared services centre, which manages and supports the company's finance and revenue activities across EMEA.
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is one of the world's largest financial management and advisory companies, employing more than 500 people in its Irish operations.
Merrill Lynch set up its Irish operations in 1995, with the establishment of its Capital Markets Bank in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and is now the 3rd largest international bank in Ireland. It also established, at the same time, an operations centre to support its global markets division. Building on its success since then, Merrill Lynch has expanded significantly and its new operation in Dublin in 2004 accommodates a wide range of additional technology, operations and finance support functions to complement the bank's debt sales and trading and wealth management businesses. Over the last 2 years staff numbers in Dublin have more than doubled.
"Our experience shows that Dublin offers a superb base for financial services firms. We've had an excellent track record here in attracting high-calibre employees and, with the assistance of IDA Ireland, of securing the right environment for the continued growth of our business". Mike Ryan, CEO, Merrill Lynch, Ireland.