Computer Associates Ireland will increase its workforce from 25 to 80 and double its £12 million (€15 million) turnover within 18 months, its country manager, Mr Noel Meaney, said yesterday.

The company's new office in Ballsbridge, Dublin, was opened by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke. Computer Associates develops enterprise management software and provides end-to-end IT solutions. The increase in IT costs, due, in part, to Y2K-associated problems, has led to Computer Associates moving into the provision of managed business services. Customers would be provided with their software and solutions needs, Mr Meaney added.

Computer Associates International, which is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, has more than 13,000 employees worldwide and had a $5.1 billion ($4.7 billion) turnover in 1998. It recently made a $3.5 billion (€3.8 billion) bid for Platinum Technology, the data warehousing and knowledge management software company.