Park Place Technologies Opens Operations Center in Cork, Ireland

(County Cork, Ireland) 13 June 2022 — Park Place Technologies, the world’s largest global data center and networking optimization firm, has opened its long-awaited Support & Operations Centre in Blarney Business Park, Cork, Ireland.

Park Place’s new flagship facility consists of 24,500 square feet. The new facility 6km north of Cork’s city center, will accommodate Park Place’s growth, allow employee expansion, offer a landmark facility for clients, and provide a high-quality meeting space for prospects and channel partners.

Positions are filled with local talent, and recruitment will continue for highly skilled engineering and technology positions. These include multiple roles including Support Centre Representatives, Advanced Engineering Technical Support and Buyer Planners. Customer support at the facility is available in all European languages.

Ian Shearer, Park Place Managing Director, EMEA & APAC, said, “Park Place Technologies opened its first office in Cork in 2018. Our growth, commitment to the people of Ireland, and investment in local Irish communities through our STEM philanthropy has been consistent, dedicated and a tremendous addition to Cork’s tech presence. Ireland is a prime destination from which to serve our European and global customer base.”

This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

“I am delighted to welcome the official opening of the new Park Place Technologies facility in Blarney, a very positive development for Cork and for the broader region” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said. “The opening of the new facility is testament to the Park Place Technologies continued commitment to Ireland and the growth and success of the company here. The Government will continue to work to support our thriving technology sector, and leading companies such as Park Place Technologies, as we build on the record 2.5 million people now in employment in Ireland and ensure continued opportunities in the future.”

“U.S. companies have invested literally trillions of dollars in Ireland in the past few years,” said Chris Adams, Park Place President and CEO. “Park Place represents a modest slice of that for Ireland, but Ireland represents a major piece of our global investment in customer and employee experience.”

“As Park Place gains more experience in nearly every region of the globe, it is clear to us that Ireland is a special strategic partner; and the people and business community of County Cork are truly world class in their collaboration, tech skills and vision for the future. We offer tremendous gratitude to IDA Ireland, which has offered insight, guidance and access to resources that have been invaluable to our investment.”

The new Park Place building in Blarney Business Park represents a direct investment in Ireland. Park Place plans to host business and local community events in the facility, so it’s a premises that will benefit the wider community in County Cork in an interactive and accessible way.

“We are very grateful to have the opportunity to establish a presence in Cork,” Adams said. “The business community here is very supportive and we want to ensure we provide not just a financial and employment return to the community but a greater investment in the success of the people who live here. We have been privileged to support both iWish and Coder Dojo and look forward to growing deeper roots in the community.”

Facilities Details

The new Blarney Business Park facility in County Cork, offers many employee and customer amenities:

• Park Place installed electric vehicle charging points in the employee car park, to help workers and visitors play their part in Park Place’s environmentally friendly business approach.
• The flagship office features a full canteen and outdoor dining space with foosball tables (table football) and an enlarged screen for all to gather and watch key company events and town halls
• Informal/casual huddle/meeting spaces, and a customer boardroom, with all six conference rooms equipped with AV equipment to connect employees across the globe
• Ergonomic sit/stand desks for all employees and open plan seating area with plenty of space for employees to move around safely to meet pandemic protocols and to foster collaboration
• Advanced Engineering Lab, a 2,000-sq. ft. space designed for training and R&D capabilities. Engineers and product specialists hired from the OEM develop and deliver hands-on product training to build or enhance our Advanced Engineering Subject Matter Expert product skills. The hands-on training in the lab is supplemented by ongoing remote training sessions and Research and Development collaborations.
• In 2023, an 800-sq. ft., fully functional emergency operations centre will be opened. This space will offer Park Place advanced engineers a real-time triage and communications area for clients facing critical and severe issues.

Philanthropy in Ireland

Park Place has a long history of philanthropy in Ireland and the wider EMEA region. Its STEM efforts have included partnerships with CoderDojo, a nonprofit that teaches children fundamental aspects of computer coding, with an eye on developing careers in IT.

Park Place and Ireland-based STEM non-profit I Wish have been partners since 2019, when they jointly initiated an ongoing intern program that sends two Irish STEM students to the United States every summer for a two-week internship at Park Place’s Global Headquarters in Cleveland and Operations Centre in Boston.

Park Place recently launched a laptop donation program, TechForGood, with I Wish. Park Place Technologies will donate hundreds of refurbished laptops to female students in Ireland who have limited or no access to technology.

In addition to the launch of the TechForGood program, I Wish, with the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) and assistance from Park Place Technologies, is also rolling out an international school twinning program in several American cities, including Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, Charlotte and Santa Barbara. Global school twinning initiatives assist in the sharing and transferring of skills and knowledge among students and teachers along with the broadening of horizons. The program will offer significant benefits for students, including increased awareness of the various STEM challenges across the globe and understanding how different schools in different countries think differently on STEM topics based on their real-life experiences thus promoting diversity of thought.

Park Place repeated its commitment to I Wish’s February 2022 virtual event, which was its biggest ever. This year’s event attracted 17,000+ viewers, with 19% DEIS (disadvantaged schools) representation, and logins from 28 countries, an increase from 19 countries in 2021.For the first time in its eight-year history, the event attracted schools from every county in the Republic of Ireland.

Park Place supports more than 21,500 organizations in over 170 countries. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Park Place currently employs over 2,200 people, and maintains offices across the globe, including in the following cities: Boston, Toronto, London, Wiesbaden, Helsinki, Aarhus, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Hyderabad, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai.