Irish company debuts during Kenny Boston visit

[caption id="attachment_69909" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets John P. O'Malley, CEO of Framingham-based IDG as Paul Veale, vice president of IDA Ireland Boston looks on. The taoiseach met Massachusetts business leaders at an IDA/Enterprise Ireland lunch event at the Kennedy Library during his Boston visit last week."]

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Irish political leaders and agency heads are constantly pointing to the number of jobs being created in the U.S. by Irish firms in recent years, this most especially when there are grumbles over U.S. corporations setting up shop in Ireland.

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The latest example of the quid quo pro aspect of the transatlantic investment relationship was demonstrated last week during the taoiseach's visit to Boston.

Enda Kenny used the Boston visit to highlight the opening of a new office in the city by Irish security firm, Netwatch.

The office will serve as the Carlow-based Netwatch's U.S. headquarters and will also serve as a springboard for the company as it expands its operations in North America.

Netwatch monitors 20,000 video camera for about 2,000 clients worldwide, and, according to a Boston Globe report, already has contracts with several customers in the Boston area, including the Massachusetts Port Authority.

Netwatch, said the Globe report, has a temporary office in Medford and is currently looking for a permanent home in Boston. It expects to hire as many as 100 people over the next three years and invest $4 million in its U.S. expansion.

Netwatch chief executive, David Walsh, said the company chose Boston because of the strong cultural link between the city and Ireland, and because of the influence of former Boston Police commissioner, Kathleen O'Toole, who serves on the company's board.

Walsh told the Globe that he hopes to draw from talent coming out of Massachusetts universities as the company expands. Netwatch has offices in Britain and South Africa, and plans to open a facility in Jordan.

According to Walsh,tThe technology that Netwatch uses to monitor real-time video sends out alerts when intruders enter a client's property. The company can then inform police.

"Netwatch is a prime example of the potential of Irish services companies to become multinational companies, creating jobs and wealth not only for Ireland, but also for Boston," the taoiseach said at the Netwatch launch.

 

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