Dublin-based software localisation company VistaTEC, which employs 50 people, has opened its first overseas office in the US. The Washington D.C. office will offer engineering and international localisation services, and will be headed up by Ms Unn Villius. Ireland is as a world leader in software localisation, with many US software companies including Microsoft modifying their software here. The industry, which translates software into foreign languages for export, is expanding by 30 per cent annually and is expected to be worth $6 billion (£4.3 billion) worldwide by the year 2000. VistaTEC plans to double in size over the next 18 months.