Poland is attracting some of the world's biggest and best-known technology companies because it can offer a skilled workforce, reduced salary costs, efficient working practices and easy access to the industrial hubs of western Europe. Below are just some of the household names that have decided to set up software development centres in Poland.
In November 2006, Google opened a new R&D centre in Cracow. Poland has been chosen as the first Google location in Central Europe because of the available engineering talent. Polish students proved their programming skills in international IT competitions like Google Code Jam or Imagine Cup 2006. Polish division will develop modern search mechanisms and other search engine solutions. The products will be dedicated for Polish as well as global market.
Samsung is opening a mobile technology centre in Poland this autumn. It will be the company's first in Central and Eastern Europe. In the first stage of investment - to the end of 2008 - the centre will employ more than 100 specialists. Located in Warsaw, it will mainly develop software for mobile phones, adapted to market needs. For the past seven years, Warsaw has also been home to a Samsung research and development centre, which develops software for digital satellite television.
The decision to build the new mobile centre in Poland was influenced by the high qualifications of Polish IT engineers. Until the end of 2007, it will concentrate on software and graphical user interface testing.
In September 2005, the Cracow city authorities concluded an agreement with IBM to locate its R&D centre in the city. The potential of Polish engineers was a major influence in the choice of location, because they assured the company's success in the challenging market of specialised technical projects. The centre was co-financed by the Polish authorities to the tune of PLN800,000 (around GBP145,000) because it was expected to generate PLN16 million (GBP3 million) in income for the central budget and local government within two years. The Cracow-based IBM software lab will be responsible for software design and implementation.
On 1 June 2006, Microsoft opened its Innovation Centre in Poznan, western Poland. The result of co-operation between Microsoft, the Poznan-based Supercomputer-Network Centre and the Technical University of Poznan, the Centre supports new solutions and technologies in computer security and outsourcing services. Microsoft Innovation Centres around the world form a platform for sharing scientific research between offices, universities and companies related to IT technologies and solutions.
The Poznan-based Centre uses the R&D facilities of the Supercomputer-Network Centre. It also works with Intel, which provides the Centre with the newest equipment. Microsoft's Innovation Centre in Poznan confirms that Polish IT engineers are among the world leaders.
Global giant Motorola chose Cracow as the location of its first European software development centre. The decision was made after analysis of many potential sites in Europe and was based on geographical situation, access to communications and the availability of highly-qualified personnel and universities. Since the Cracow centre was established, it has become Motorola's leading software development centre and has received the highest ranking given by the Software Engineering Institute of the United States, a leading software quality authority.
Hewlett-Packard Poland has been based in Warsaw since March 1991. The company's operations include IT infrastructure, personal computers, access devices, global services and printing and image processing products. Following HP's acquisition of Mercury Interactive, the Polish unit has also been developing and distributing HP's IT-management software, Business Technology Optimization.
The Siemens Software Development Centre is located in Wroclaw, south-west Poland. Siemens is represented in the Polish market by a group of 12 production, trade and service companies from various industries - subsidiaries of the Siemens parent company. The entire group is co-ordinated by Siemens Sp. z o.o., established on 1 March 1991.
The Wroclaw-based Siemens Software Development Centre is among the largest of its kind in Poland. It provides complex software engineering services and complete IT projects. The centre currently employs around 700 people and is still developing.
