EDS decision delights North Shore City Mayor

North Shore City ' s Mayor George Wood is celebrating the decision of the world ' s second biggest IT services provider to locate a major new office in the city, saying that North Shore City ' s future lies firmly in the high tech area of business.

" I ' m delighted that a global company like EDS has seen our city as the most attractive place for this new office which will see hundreds of local jobs come into the city and growing career opportunities develop in IT for our residents, both locally and internationally. The company has chosen Smale ' s Farm Office Park in Takapuna for the consolidation of three of its Auckland premises and further expansion of its New Zealand operation through the EDS Best ShoreSM scheme, " says Mayor Wood.

George Wood says EDS is headquartered in Texas and is the largest employer of IT staff in New Zealand with 2,300 employees. The company is promising more than 360 new jobs in the next three years under a deal negotiated with Investment New Zealand and the Ministry of Economic Development.

" This is a good fit with North Shore City ' s economic development plans as the city is seeking to strengthen its reputation as a place to do business in the growing information and communications technology fields in line with the Government ' s Growth and Innovation Strategy, " says Mayor Wood.

" The decision to locate in North Shore City shows we have the infrastructure, the facilities, the environment and the skilled people to attract the best in the business, " he says. " We have the Southern Cross communications cable right off Takapuna Beach - that is a great asset for businesses. "

Mayor Wood says the city is developing its first economic development strategy and high tech businesses like EDS New Zealand, fit with the need to attract ' clean and green ' businesses of low environmental impact that will ensure high value and challenging local jobs for residents, now and in the future.

" Technology is developing at an extremely fast pace and the jobs of the future will be ones that don ' t even exist at present. We have a great lifestyle in North Shore City with top schools and universities, beautiful beaches and bays, a magnificent coastline and fantastic recreational opportunities. Our number one priority is to protect that valued and natural environment - but at the same time support a growing economy and supply more local jobs with international opportunities to maintain that quality of life, " he says.

North Shore City is already home to the ' e-centre ' high tech business incubator at Massey University, which George Wood says has proven a great success. A number of other leading-edge high tech companies such as Navman, last year ' s NZ Exporter of the Year, are also based in the city.

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