Dell launches Internet of Things in Limerick

Picture: Irishtexaminer.com

DELL has recently announced that its first dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) lab to be based outside of the US is to be located at its operation in Limerick.

The lab which will be the first of its kind in Europe beyond its Santa Clara, California equivalent in the US – will, Dell said in a statement, “enable customers to create innovative, industry-leading solutions”.

This lab will be one of the bases for the new IoT division that carry out research and development of web connected devices. The facility will see Dell’s specialised staff working with customers to create innovative new hardware, software and services in the IoT market.

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But what is Internet of Things? It is a network of physical things that are embedded with electronics, software, sensors and connectivity. These things can then exchange data with the manufacturer, operator and/or other connected devices. For example, in the home it lets us remotely power on or off heating systems, control ovens, or change lighting conditions.

Dell said it would be adding resources and forming a new product division focused exclusively on creating “leadership IoT solutions” in Limerick and was also launching the division’s first product release, a gateway designed to help customers “kick-start their solution development and begin realising the value of IoT immediately”.

“As a global end-to-end solutions provider, Dell can support OEMs throughout their entire product lifecycle, from endpoints, networking, compute, and storage to large scale data management, analytics software and services,” said Dermot O’Connell, executive director and general manager, OEM Solutions, Dell EMEA.

The launch of the Limerick IoT base follows in the wake of the successful opening of Dell and Intel’s first IOT lab in Santa Clara, California in November last year.

Dell recently announced the creation of 100 new positions at the computer giant’s plant in Limerick, a move which will see the firm’s headcount smash through 1,000 people here.

The highly skilled engineering roles, it said, are in research and development with the Texas-based firm seeking software engineering graduates, with team in Limerick focusing on creating more ease and flexibility in the end-to-end customer journey including the sales experience – which ties into the establishment of the IoT centre here.

Paul Walsh, Dell’s chief information officer, said in April that company founder Michael Dell was “really excited about what we are doing in Limerick. He has a great affinity to Limerick and is excited about this phase of our development. If you guys were not doing what you are doing, there would not be this investment.”

Dell currently employs nearly 2,500 experienced professionals in our two Irish sites in Raheen, Limerick, and Cherrywood, Dublin.

“In Limerick, customers will have a flexible and scalable foundation for developing market-ready solutions with a trusted, reliable partner. Our specialists in the lab can reduce the complexity of IT and help customers to bring their ideas to life.”

Speaking to the media, Mr Walsh said the company was boosting its investment here because of “the talent we have seen here. We have some great technical talent. We have been working with the colleges to identify software engineers and computer engineers. With the talent we already have, we want to augment this with more high-end software engineers”.

The Dell IoT lab is open to customers and partners now, the company said.

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