Cloud firm Options to create 30 jobs in Belfast with new office

Options, a private financial cloud provider for the global capital markets industry, is to open a new office in Belfast which is expected to create more than 30 jobs in the city.

The company provides managed services and infrastructure products to hedge funds, global investment banks private equity firms an exchanges.

It currently employs more than 100 staff from London to New York and Hong Kong.

The chief operating officer of Options is Northern Ireland-born  Danny Moore,  who was also a former chief operating officer of NYSE Technologies and chief executive of Wombat Financial Software.

Mr Moore believes the growing financial technology sector in the North which has attracted major investors including CME and Citi Group and the highly educated workforce will make Belfast a perfect location for Options to expand in to.

“The breadth of local talent, both technical and non-technical, is the reason we brought Wombat to Belfast, and later NYSE, and I’ve no doubt that it was this talent that helped propel Wombat to its ultimate success,” he said. “Similarly, I fully expect Belfast to be an integral part of Options’ future growth.”

Mr Moore is also the principal behind the Belfast-based investment firm Lough Shore Investments.

The North's Enterprise Trade and Investment minister Arlene Foster said the company's rationale for selecting Belfast as an investment location was based not only on the availability of skilled support engineers but also the high-speed telecommunications links between Northern Ireland, North America and Europe.

“Options was also influenced by the positive experience of other financial IT companies here, such as Citi and CME, and by the strong links between industry and our university research groups in Belfast and Londonderry,” said the Minister who is currently on a trade mission in the United States.

The latest jobs boost for Belfast comes as the Minister also announced that San Diego based Leardon Solutions is to establish a new European centre in Northern Ireland which will initially create 10 jobs.