Tag: EMEA

Dell Technologies Appoints Jason Ward as Vice President EMEA North & MD of Dell Technologies Ireland

Dell Technologies has appointed Jason Ward as Vice President EMEA North and Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland.

In his role, Jason will help customers and partners to transform their organisations using AI and take advantage of the latest technologies in areas such as cybersecurity, intelligent edge, multicloud, 5G and Generative AI.

Jason had led the Irish business from 2020 to 2023 having been the Vice-President for Medium Business Western Europe for two years. He previously held the role of MD of the enterprise business in the Nordics. Most recently, Jason led the Dell Technologies EMEA Global Alliances team as it delivered advanced digital solutions to partners and Cloud Service Providers.

Jason Ward, Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland and Vice President of Northern Europe said: “I am thrilled to share that I have assumed the role of Vice President EMEA North and Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland. This new position gives me responsibility for running our business in Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and the Baltics, offering a diverse and challenging opportunity.

“The breadth and variety within the countries I am responsible for will make this a really interesting and exciting opportunity. I am particularly pleased to be back working with our teams in Ireland again – a country where I know lots of our customers and partners and have had the privilege of helping them along different stages of their transformation journeys in the past.

“One common theme I’ve observed in my interactions with organizations and leaders is their focus on embracing Generative AI securely and sustainably to drive innovation, unlock new market opportunities, productivity gains and cost savings. The shift towards accelerated computing is revolutionizing productivity levels, akin to the industrial revolution, with potential gains of 20-40%. This is a conversation in every boardroom. It’s going to change the basis and is changing the basis of competition. And if you don’t have a strategy here, it’s an existential #threat.

“At Dell Technologies we lead in GenAI, cybersecurity, Multi-Cloud, Edge, and workplace transformation, providing world class solutions and expertise to help organizations thrive in the AI era.

“I look forward to supporting our customers and partners as they navigate change and drive AI-powered innovation.”

Vantage Data Centers Expands EMEA Portfolio with First Dublin Campus Featuring Next-Generation Energy Solution

Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, today announced its entrance into the Irish market with the development of a multi-phase data center campus (DUB1). The company will invest more than €1 billion over multiple phases to support the construction and delivery of the campus in one of the largest data center markets in Europe. The first two phases consist of 52MW of IT capacity, with the first phase expected to be operational in late 2024. Upon completion, DUB1 will mark Vantage’s 14th EMEA campus in a growing regional portfolio that spans seven countries.

The company’s flagship Ireland campus will be located approximately nine miles (15 kilometers) from the Dublin City Center in Profile Park, Grange Castle, an area known for its data centers. Sited on 22 acres (nine hectares), the 405,000 square foot (38,000 square meter) campus will consist of one 32MW facility and one 20MW facility and has available land and power to add a third facility in the future. The highly efficient campus is being built in alignment with Vantage’s sustainable blueprint to deliver an industry-leading annualized Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.2 using virtually no water for cooling.

Vantage Data Centers is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and drives emission reductions through the use of renewable energy and sustainable fuel alternatives across its value chain. This aligns with Ireland’s climate action plans and with the environmental commitments of the company’s key customers.

The DUB1 campus will include an on-site 100MVA multi-fuel generation plant capable of running a combination of fuels, primarily hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a renewable fuel, and gas fed by Gas Networks Ireland. Given the temporary power constraints in Dublin, this on-site generation plant will support current capacity constraints by alleviating pressure on energy demand from the grid while achieving optimal efficiency and power output. The generation plant is also capable of funneling power back to the grid, further supporting power availability in the Dublin area. In addition, Vantage plans to deploy HVO in place of conventional diesel fuel throughout its fleet of back-up generators and is working to obtain corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) for green energy, such as biomethane from local providers. Currently, the company is leveraging HVO for 99% of its fuel requirements during the construction phase.

“The South Dublin Chamber warmly welcomes the confidence shown in our area through the €1 billion investment by Vantage Data Centers,” said Peter Byrne, CEO, South Dublin Chamber. “Vantage Data Centers will not only be contributing to local employment and taxation but will be ensuring the safety of our data and future-proofing business for years to come with this major investment in technology.”

“With Dublin being one of the biggest data center markets in the world, this expansion further solidifies Vantage’s role at the forefront of the digital infrastructure revolution and signifies the start of a strong partnership with local officials and the community,” said David Howson, president, EMEA at Vantage Data Centers. “Throughout this development, there will be a significant positive economic impact to the community as we employ more than 1,100 individuals during peak construction and create approximately 165 jobs to operate the campus. Vantage is committed to being a good neighbor where we build and operate data centers, and we are eager to continue working with community organizations such as Round Tower GAA Club, Newcastle Tidy Towns, St. Francis Football Club, Ballyboden St. Enda’s GAA, St. Ronan’s National School in Deansrath and others.”

“Vantage is committed to environmental responsibility and is pleased that our sustainability goals, including reducing emissions, achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and maximizing energy efficiency, align closely with those of the Irish government and regulatory bodies as we continue growing Ireland’s position as a leader in the digital age for cloud computing,” said Jinél Fourie, director of public policy, EMEA at Vantage Data Centers. “As environmental technology continues to advance, including the inaugural use of a multi-fuel generation plant in Dublin, we look forward to continuing our local partnerships to explore additional solutions to enhance the local community.”

For more information on Vantage Data Centers’ campuses, please visit: https://vantage-dc.com/data-center-locations/.

Videndum Media Solutions joins forces with Aquatech exclusive distribution across EMEA

Videndum Media Solutions, the leading manufacturer and distributors for imaging and audio capturing devices for the growing content creation world, has announced its exclusive distribution partnership across the EMEA region with AQUATECH, the internationally acclaimed manufacturer of premium underwater housings. Starting April 2024, European ocean photographers will have direct access to AQUATECH solutions through a newly designed experience on manfrotto.com, as well as through Videndum Media Solutions’ qualified distribution network in key European Countries.

For over two decades, AQUATECH has been at the forefront of design for high quality, waterproof housings and professional photographic accessories, engineered to withstand the toughest underwater conditions and ensure the safety of valuable camera equipment. A pioneer in the water photography niche, AQUATECH has empowered photographers and filmmakers to capture breathtaking moments above and beneath the water surface.  

The new announcement expands on the previous collaboration in 2023 that introduced the JOBY SeaPal; the premium, waterproof smartphone case compatible with Samsung Galaxy S24-S22 and iPhone 15-12 that unleashes stunning ocean footage and epic wave-riding shots has been co designed and engineered with Aquatech team. 

Today, the partnership brings together two industry leaders sharing the values of unparalleled quality, innovation and a global presence.
“We’re thrilled to welcome AQUATECH into our partner brands portfolio” comments Chris Carr, Videndum Media Solutions CMO and EVP of Sales. “Their expertise in underwater imaging technology perfectly complements our range of media supports and accessories, adding an exciting new dimension to content creation.”

Alan Love, AQUATECH Founder and CEO, shares the company’s ambitions: “The partnership with VMS marks a pivotal moment for us as we expand across the EMEA region. Their robust distribution network provides a strategic avenue for growth, allowing us to strengthen our presence alongside industry leaders.” 

The full range of camera housings, lens port and accessories is now available to professionals and enthusiasts engaged in photography, cinematography and visual arts such as surfing, sailing, documentary, ocean seascape art, fashion, Olympic water sports, wildlife photography, outdoor sports, and more. 

For more information, browse the dedicated AQUATECH section on www.manfrotto.com, or visit VMS authorized distributors and partners across the EMEA region. 

EMEA Masters Returns for 2024

EMEA Masters returns in 2024 with exciting competitive updates, so mark your calendars!

The changes we’re making to the overall format of EMEA Masters aren’t just to shake the competitive scene up, they’re designed to usher in more competitiveness and bring more excitement to fans and players alike!

In 2023, we introduced two new EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs) to the ecosystem, to better represent the EMEA region. We’ve seen some amazing players use our ERL and EMEA Masters infrastructure to move up to the LEC, with a few even making it to the recent 2024 LEC Winter Split Finals! This year, we’re looking to ensure that every team and player fighting for the spotlight has an opportunity to shine. We also brought the EMEA Masters Summer Finals to the main stage during our 2023 LEC Season Finals roadshow, and we’re happy to reveal that this year, our two EMEA Masters finalists will compete at the 2024 LEC Season Finals in Munich!

Spring Split

Looking towards the Spring Split for 2024, it will be held in a very similar competitive format. Unfortunately, we only have a two-week window in the competitive calendar for the EMEA Masters Spring Split due to overall calendar restrictions, which isn’t suitable to properly accommodate the tournament as we did in 2023. To remedy this, the number of parallel matches will be increased, but the overall amount of matches has remained the same.

For 2024, we’ll continue with the three-stage approach, which sees 28 teams competing over two weeks – starting on April 15 and concluding on April 28. As a friendly reminder, here’s the format for the Spring Split:

 

  • Play-in: 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams in each group progress to Knock-outs.

  • Play-in (Knock-outs): 8 teams will compete in a best-of-three series. The top four teams progress to the Group Stage.

  • Group Stage: 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams from each group progress to the Playoffs.

  • Playoffs: 8 teams will compete in a best-of-five, single elimination bracket.

Summer Split

We have, however, made changes to the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split. Firstly, it will now be held in three stages: Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ), Group Stage and Playoffs. You’ll also see a total of 38 different teams compete throughout the tournament – so you better strap in for the ride!

 

 

Last Chance Qualifiers

The LCQ will be the stage for 24 teams to compete for a ticket to the Group Stage – with one to three teams competing per region. We’ll be sharing more information on the format of our opening stage for the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split in the coming months so stay tuned!

Group Stage

The Group Stage will consist of 16 teams, with 13 of the teams having automatically qualified – being the winners of each respective ERL Summer Final. The remaining three teams will qualify through our LCQ. Four groups of four teams will fight for victory in a best-of-three, GSL format. The teams will be assigned to their respective groups through a draw show. For a quick-fire explanation of GSL, if you win twice, you move on to the next stage – so the pressure is on! Teams will have a total of three chances to rise from their group. The top two teams from each of the four groups will then advance to the Playoffs.

Playoffs

Playoffs will see the best eight teams of the tournament fighting tooth and nail for the crown. The format will be a double-elimination bracket, with the first seeds from the Group Stage being placed in the upper bracket, and the second seeds progressing to the lower bracket. All matches will be best-of-threes apart from our Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals, which are both best-of-five – allowing teams to grapple with each other for the trophy!

Just like the 2023 EMEA Masters, this year’s Summer Finals will be taking place on the big stage, during the 2024 LEC Roadshow. The two finalists will compete in front of the crowd for the championship title. We’ll be announcing more information on the finals weekend later this year so make sure to stay tuned!

Qualtrics Opens New EMEA Headquarters in Dublin City Centre

Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the experience management category, today announced it has opened its new Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Dublin City Centre, which will feature an XM Innovation Centre focused on AI.

The EMEA headquarters, at Costello House on Clarendon Row in the heart of the city, was officially opened today by Brad Anderson, President of Products and Engineering at Qualtrics, and Simon Coveney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The opening of the state-of-the-art building marks 10 years of investment and expansion in Ireland by Qualtrics, since the US-headquartered company set up a Dublin base as its first office outside of the United States in 2013. Costello House is Qualtrics’ largest office in EMEA and the base for the company to target further international expansion.

The Dublin office will also house a planned R&D XM Innovation Centre. Building on the strong engineering presence in Dublin, the new centre will serve as a centre of excellence dedicated to creating innovations leveraging AI, machine learning and natural language processing amongst other technologies. The facility will bring together industry experts to shape the future of experience management.

Costello House has capacity for over 500 employees and an immersive Executive Briefing Centre for customers from across EMEA to reimagine experience management for their business. The space boasts impressive features including an employee enablement hub, gym, wellness studio and pub. Qualtrics currently employs almost 400 people in Dublin and is continuing to hire locally.

“The depth of talent we are able to access in Ireland makes it a perfect place for our EMEA headquarters,” said Brad Anderson, President of Products and Engineering at Qualtrics. “As we continue to build across EMEA, the XM Innovation Centre will be central to our ability to drive innovation with unrivalled uses of new technologies to deliver exceptional experiences to organisations worldwide.”

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney T.D. said: “I warmly welcome this announcement from Qualtrics as they open their new EMEA HQ in Dublin city centre. Qualtrics is a world renowned leader in Experience Management and this highlights that we are attracting the best companies to our shores. With the new office capacity allowing for growth from 400 – 500 staff, this is also hugely positive and welcome news. Congratulations to all the team at Qualtrics on this expansion and indeed their 10 year milestone in Ireland.”

Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “Qualtrics’ new EMEA HQ in Dublin and plans for an innovation centre is a testament to the strength of the Irish talent pool. The company’s growth trajectory since it established in Ireland over 10 years ago signals confidence in the conditions that Ireland offers large scale companies. I wish Qualtrics continued success over the coming years.’’

Qualtrics EMEA HQ facts:

The Qualtrics EMEA headquarters, Costello House, is named after the late Dermot Costello, who established Qualtrics in Ireland and led its European business before sadly passing away from cancer in 2018, age 49. Qualtrics established and supports 5 For The Fight, a global non-profit dedicated to ending cancer. In Ireland, Qualtrics works closely with the medical research charity Breakthrough Cancer Research.

The Qualtrics EMEA headquarters incorporates a purpose-built new office space into Qualtrics’ previous office, doubling the size of the facility and introducing many new amenities including a gym, yoga studio, games room and on-site masseuse. The canteen and meeting space, The Field, has floor-and-a-half height ceilings and the building includes Dermot’s Pub, which was moved and restored from Qualtrics previous office.

Costello House stats:

– 1.2km of cabling in the building

– 138 energy-efficient bulbs in reception

– 361 people worked on site during construction

– 63 meeting rooms and break-out spaces

– capacity for 233 people seated in The Field

Evolve IP EMEA Partner Engagement Model Continues Growth Trend

Evolve IP today announced the addition of a series of new reseller partners across the EMEA region – to fuel continued growth in its partner network and expansion of its cloud-based Unified Communications platform that reaches more than 73 countries.

The company’s successful partner model is built on a combination of a deep understanding of partner needs, customer use cases, training, co-sales, implementation, support resources, platform resiliency and geographic coverage, as well as support for important charitable causes. 

Recently, Evolve IP kicked off its partner event schedule by hosting a successful golf day with key resellers, technology partners and the Evolve IP EMEA team, all in support of UNICEF, its chosen charity for 2023. A total of 32 players tee’d off at the Downs Course, Goodwood amidst a collaborative and competitive spirit helping to raise funds for the children’s charity. 

Productive partnerships

The event, aimed at collaboration, brought together players from the partner and client community where relevant industry issues, priorities, and goals were a central theme. Sponsors included Akixi, Dubber, Enghouse Networks, Intelligent Billing, Green IP, Knight Corporate Finance, Mason Hayes & Curran, ProVu and Bandwidth.

Jamie Hughes, Evolve IP’s UK Sales Director, commented afterwards: “The Evolve IP success story continues to grow with the recent addition of 11 new reseller partners.

“Productive partnerships represent the cornerstone of our business and the golf day was a great use of everyone’s time. Needless to say, the course was quite tough, but the weather was warm and the conversation was lively. It was a brilliant way to have some fun, bring people together, network and discuss ways of working smarter and more efficiently. Plus, we did a good deed raising valuable funds for charity.”

Evolve IP EMEA is planning more events throughout 2023 to further develop its partner network, expansion of geographic coverage and solving client’s distributed communications challenges. To learn more about its solutions or to become a partner, visit https://www.evolveip.net/en-gb/partners 

SHEIN Launches EMEA Headquarters in Dublin City

SHEIN, a global e-retailer of fashion, beauty and lifestyle products, has officially launched its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters, based in Dublin City Centre, Ireland. The Dublin office will host SHEIN’s strategic IT hub for EMEA and will function as the heart of SHEIN’s operations in the region, building on our
commitment to local economies, communities and consumers.

The opening ceremony was joined by Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, where he met with SHEIN’s Global Head of Government Relations, Leonard Lin, and other company leaders to discuss SHEIN’s strategy in Ireland. This included discussing the growth of SHEIN’s workforce in Dublin, to fill roles in data analytics, security engineering, finance management and legal, as well as expanding SHEIN’s graduate program in Ireland. SHEIN aims to fill 30 key roles in the Ireland office by end 2023, with a view to increase that number as the company grows.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD said: “I warmly welcome the announcement that SHEIN has launched their new EMEA Headquarters and IT hub in  Dublin, creating 30 new jobs in 2023. These positions will be in a range of specialist areas and no doubt SHEIN will have no problem filling these rolls from our skilled workforce. It is a vote of confidence that another global leader has chosen Ireland to launch their EMEA HQ and highlights that we have the environment to attract FDI companies to our shores. I wish all the team at SHEIN the very best in their new Dublin office and ventures.”

As part of SHEIN’s efforts to empower local entrepreneurs, SHEIN’s in-house fashion incubator programme, SHEIN X, has collaborated with 390 designers and artists across EMEA since its launch in January 2021, supporting them in their aspirations of launching a fashion collection by providing them with the knowledge, experience, network and global sales channel, so that they can focus on what they do best – create. SHEIN aims to continue to grow this number in the coming years.

In 2023, SHEIN plans to host around 30 pop-ups around the EMEA region, with the next Ireland pop-up happening from May 12 to 17, 2023, at the exciting Opera Lane, in Cork. Last year, SHEIN’s pop-up at Jervis Shopping Centre, Dublin, attracted over 4,000 visitors per day. These pop-ups form an integral part of the SHEIN business model, allowing consumers to experience products first-hand as well as allowing the brand to engage with consumers.

SHEIN’s nearshoring strategy has also seen three new distribution centres opening across EMEA in 2022, including a 40,000m2 distribution hub in Wroclaw, Poland, as well as centres in Italy and the United Arab Emirates, growing its nearshoring bases in EMEA to eight. By nearshoring its distribution hubs, SHEIN aims to improve the speed of fulfilment in the region. Both initiatives are prime examples of SHEIN’s dedication to offering the best customer service and experience for consumers in EMEA.

As part of SHEIN’s social impact efforts, SHEIN has made monetary donations and donationsin-kind, in the form of apparel, household items and home decorations, to various women’s and children’s charities across EMEA. These include Irish charities and NGOs such as The Marie
Keating Foundation and The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ireland, which support causes that are aligned with SHEIN’s social impact focus areas.

Said Leonard Lin, Global Head of Government Relations for SHEIN, “I am delighted to launch our EMEA headquarters in Ireland. Ireland’s pro-business environment and great access to talent make it an excellent hub for companies, including SHEIN, to manage and grow our business in the region. Our Dublin office opening marks an important milestone in SHEIN’s growth in EMEA – which is one of our most important markets. We look forward to contributing to the growth of the local economies and to supporting local communities.”

Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland said: “The arrival of SHEIN in Dublin is a welcome addition to Ireland’s IT sector along with their plans to hire 30 people by the end of 2023. Ireland is an ideal location in terms of talent and experienced resources from which SHEIN can grow and expand their offering in Europe. I wish them great success here.”