US media firm to set up Dublin base

MORE THAN 30 jobs are to be created in Dublin after a leading US media firm announced that it plans to locate its European operation in the capital.

EyeWonder Inc, whose video and rich-media advertising products are used by more than 1,000 online publishers, including Yahoo, AOL and MSN, is to base its sales and customer support centre in Dublin.

Barry Bedford, EyeWonder's managing director for Britain and Ireland, said it considered several European locations but chose Dublin because of the availability of skilled personnel with experience of the European advertising industry. Ireland's business environment and the cluster of technological and media trading firms were other determining factors.

"We have established this sales and customer support operation to provide a better service to our international customers, and Dublin offers an ideal location due to its excellent infrastructure, multilingual capability, highly skilled workforce and ease of doing business," he said.

The firm, which has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, is currently recruiting its Irish-based workforce.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin said: "EyeWonder will represent the first company within this sector of the digital media space to locate in Ireland and the company represents the high value-added activities associated with this industry.

"EyeWonder is an award-winning leader and innovator with the newly emerging industry of online rich-media advertising."

The Minister assured EyeWonder and other web-based firms that the Government was committed to supporting and investing in the digital media sector. "Ireland is the location of choice for many of the world's most advanced internet and digital companies and I am confident that EyeWonder will be a valuable contributor to the future direction of Ireland's digital media industry."