SAS, the global leader in analytics, is expanding its operations in Ireland with the opening of a new office at Le Touche House in the heart of Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre. It follows the announcement last year of plans to create 150 jobs over three years, equating to an investment of around €40 million. The move is part of a six-fold increase in its workforce and significantly reinforces SAS’ presence in the region. This project has been supported by the Department of Jobs through IDA Ireland.

Welcoming the opening of the company’s new office in Dublin, Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor said: “I am very pleased that SAS has located in Dublin’s Financial Services district for their expanding operation here. This company are at the cutting edge of the new world of ‘Data Analytics’ which is a high growth and very exciting area for business development, driven by changes in technology. SAS have committed to bringing quality, high-skilled jobs to Dublin and I very much look forward to their future success here in Ireland

The new office supports sales of data analytics software into markets across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and acts as a hub for the region, providing a multi-channel service centre for customer enquiries and support. SAS is on track to deliver the 150 jobs announced a year ago. Roles include multi-lingual business development and sales specialists, customer engagement specialists, data scientists and software engineers. Employees work with customers to demonstrate how analytics will add value in their business and support them as they deploy and implement these solutions.

There remains a huge opportunity for businesses that haven’t traditionally adopted big data analytics to drive growth through evidence-based decision-making, rather than relying on business instinct or ‘gut feel’. Research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has shown that big data analytics adoption could add around €27 billion to the Irish economy alone from 2013 to 2017 and will create up to 61,000 net new jobs.

Businesses are increasingly aware of the value data provides in helping them make better decisions, whether they relate to operational efficiency, understanding customers, identifying new opportunities or managing risk. Many of these organisations are mid-market companies that have no history of using data and no in-house expertise. The new workforce will benefit these companies by making SAS Analytics more accessible to them, across a wide range of territories and industry sectors, leveraging the latest developments in cloud computing to make it possible.

“We are delighted to be moving into this new office in Dublin which has built such a reputation within the technology sector,” said Brendan O’Dwyer, EMEA Head of Inside Sales. “It will be home to the Inside Sales and Customer Contact Centre, which covers all of EMEA and has already delivered some fantastic results since it started just over a year ago. We’ve developed close links with universities across Ireland to develop the talent pool in data science, and the new location will put us in an even stronger position to continue delivering for our growing European customer base.”

Speaking about the widespread adoption of analytics, Carl Farrell, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, SAS, said: “This office will serve the really important purpose of delivering analytics technology to mid-market companies across Europe. Much cheaper data storage and modern technology has made analytics much more accessible, resulting in an explosion of analytics adoption among these organisations. We also know Dublin has a developed rich talent pool in technology, and access to data science skills makes it an ideal location for reaching out to Europe’s mid-market businesses.”

Welcoming today’s announcement Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland said: “SAS is a highly recognisable brand name in the global software industry and a leading player in data analytics. The new office in Dublin builds on the announcement of SAS’ investment in Ireland announced last year. It’s further proof that our country is a centre for big data and data analytics – a key emerging sector targeted by IDA Ireland.”

SAS has worked closely with Ireland’s inward investment promotion agency, the IDA, a non-commercial, semi-state body promoting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland through a wide range of services. The IDA has been working with SAS since 2012, providing advice in a range of areas – including links to universities and location of premises – that have made delivery of the new office possible.