User Technology Associates (UTA), an information technology company, has announced it is establishing a European business consulting centre in Belfast which will create 110 "high quality" jobs.
It came on the same day as a separate announcements which, along with UTA, could mean the creation of 380 new jobs in the North. The Massachusetts software firm, Raytheon Systems, said it would create 150 jobs, possibly in Derry. It is currently bidding for three Ministry of Defence contracts, one of which would create 130 jobs at its partner, Shorts in Belfast.
The UTA announcement was made at the US Department of Commerce in the presence of First Minister, Mr David Trimble, Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, and the US Secretary of Commerce, Mr William Daley, who last year led a trade mission to Northern Ireland which included a meeting with UTA.
The chief executive of UTA, Mr Yong Kim, spoke enthusiastically about the new Belfast company, which will be called UTA Enterprises Solutions Ltd.
UTA Enterprises Solutions will base its operations on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software aimed at markets in Northern Ireland, the Republic and Britain. Later, it hopes to sell the ERP software into other European markets and eventually the United States itself.
UTA, which has headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, employs 850 people in 36 offices and customer sites throughout the world.
The announcement was to some extent overshadowed by the news of the murder of Lurgan solicitor, Ms Rosemary Nelson, who is from Mr Trimble's constituency, but he and Mr Mallon insisted that the killing would not be allowed to derail the peace process and discourage further foreign investment. Mr Kim, who comes originally from Korea, also emphasised his company's dedication to the peace process. Mr Trimble welcomed him to Northern Ireland by presenting him with a shamrock Belleek desk clock.
Mr Bruce Robinson, head of the Industrial Development Board, said that UTA was the latest in a growing number of major US software and hightech companies establishing operations in Northern Ireland. These include Western Pacific Data Systems, Northbrook Technologies, Liberty Mutual and Segue Software.
Mr Daley said the UTA decision "clearly shows that Northern Ireland lives up to its promises and is delivering real business benefits for progressive companies".
