Technology company VMware today announced the creation of 250 new jobs in Cork.

The jobs, which will be created over three years, will be mainly in the field of sales and high-level customer support. Recruitment has started, the company said.

VMware, which is one of the leading cloud-computing and virtualisation companies in the world, already employs 550 people at two sites in Ballincollig. It has about 10,000 employees worldwide.

The company established a technical support centre in Ballincollig, Co Cork, in 2005 and in 2007 announced a major expansion, creating an additional 370 jobs.

Speaking at the opening of VMware's new office in Ballincollig in Cork this morning, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton said cloud-computing is one of the key target areas for the Government's job-creating strategy. It is estimated that 8,600 jobs can be created in the area by 2014, he said.

"VMware is a really exciting company operating in the area of cloud computing which the government has targeted as an area where Ireland has advantages and where it is estimated that 8,600 jobs cans be created by 2014," he said.

"This is 250 jobs for Ballincollig and for Cork and for Ireland and it shows the dynamic ability of the workforce here in Cork to support one of the most dynamic companies in the world so it's a very positive story."

VMware senior vice president and general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Maurizio Carli said the expansion reflected the fact that cloud computing had moved to top of the business agenda as companies seek to cut costs.

"The availability of the required skill-sets and languages in Ireland, along with the strong work ethic and solutions-orientated approach of the campus, has proved to be invaluable for our business," said Mr Carli.

VMware Ireland country manager, Ian Moore said the new expansion resulted from the dedication of the company's existing Irish workforce and Cork's development of an IT cluster of companies and its long established support for global technology brands.

IDA chief executive Barry O'Leary said VMware's decision to expand in Ireland "boosts Ireland's growing reputation as a location of choice for cloud computing".

Around 8,000 people work in IDA-backed technology companies in Cork, he added.

Cork Chamber president John Mullins said the investment would bring huge benefits to the local economy and demonstrated Vmware's commitment to the Cork region.

VMware, which is majority owned by EMC, is headquartered at Palo Alto in California and has more than 250,000 customers worldwide. It reported revenues of $2.9 billion last year.

Mr Bruton conceded it had been tough fortnight for Irish employment with some 575 jobs being lost at TalkTalk in Waterford and concerns growing for up to 400 jobs at Pocket King and Allied Logistics in Dublin but he was confident for the future.

"I believe we are going in the right direction but every day is a struggle in this job - we are seeking to rebuild an economy that has had a real hard hammering in recent years but there are really positive achievements and days like today show the underlying trends are positive.

"Many of the most dynamic and ambitious companies in the world regard Ireland as a location of choice and that is a testimony to the IDA and to the quality of the workforce here and it does give us hope and confidence to build for the future."

Mr Bruton pointed out IDA Ireland, in its mid-year report, had signalled the number of companies coming to Ireland this year was up 25 per cent and projected job losses within IDA supported companies was down 50 per cent.

Responding to questions from reporters on the JobBridge scheme, Mr Bruton said, under the revised rules, strong and dynamic companies were coming forward.

"I think these opportunities that are being developed will lead to real jobs for people so I am encouraged by the profile of companies that are coming forward and I think this scheme will be a success and hopefully we will be in a position to expand it in time based on that success."

"The actual numbers as I understand is that 3,500 positions have been brought forward by companies and about 1,500 or so have been filled - this is very early days, the scheme is only six-weeks in place so the success of it will be judged over the coming months not just in the first few weeks."