Cork is WoWed by new jobs

01 October, 2007

The World of Warcraft (WoW) publisher is establishing the centre in Cork City, and is getting support from IDA Ireland. Initially, 50 jobs will be created by the investment, with an additional 50 expected to be added in the coming three years.

The company is establishing the new customer centre to increase the level of support it can offer European players and meet the growing demands of an expanding player base. Not only does it publish World of Warcraft, which is a hugely popular multiplayer online role-playing game, it is also responsible for Diablo and StarCraft. More than 9 million players currently subscribe to World of Warcraft.

The firm already has a European base, with offices located near Paris. The new customer support centre will complement the existing offices and work closely with the company's global teams.

The Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment Micheal Martin welcomed the announcement, describing the firm as a "global leader" in the entertainment software industry.

The announcement of the new jobs is a relief for the Cork area, which has been badly hit by high-profile closures recently. Earlier this year Motorola announced it was to wind down operations in the region, with the loss of 330 jobs. Meanwhile, US company Bourns Electronics, which was based in Cork for 26 years, also announced its intention to close with the loss of 80 jobs.