Member Article

US software firm move into Bristol

Silicon Valley open source software firm ForgeRock have opened its UK HQ in Bristol, as part of ambitious expansion plans.

Today guests from Bristol’s IT businesses and public bodies were joined by Councillors Mark Wright and Guy Poultney, attended the official opening.

ForgeRock has worked with major corporations such as Toyota, Allianz, CapGemini, Betfair, News International, Nomura, Vodafone and AOL.

Guy Poultney, Cabinet Member for Communities said: “This is excellent news that ForgeRock have chosen Bristol as their UK headquarters bringing new jobs to the city.

“It further reinforces Bristol’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading digital and creative cities and a great location for companies to invest and grow.

“We are keen to do all we can to support this sector by creating world-class digital infrastructure through our ambitious Gigabit Bristol plans to deliver ultrafast broadband and citywide Wi-FI.”

The firm are now looking to recruit 20 “top-flight” employees, who will enjoy a Silicon Valley style workplace, with well-stocked bar, games room, free drinks and snacks, as well as the opportunity to own a stake in the business.

Steve Ferris, Vice President Services, ForgeRock: “We’ve come to Bristol because the city already has possibly the best concentration of IT companies and research organisations in the UK - across software, hardware, robotics, microprocessor design and digital media - and so we can not only look to work with these businesses, but also draw upon the serious talent pool of people available.

“We offer the rare opportunity for developers to work in engineering roles for a Silicon Valley startup outside of the valley.

“And we hope to work closely with the local Universities, as they produce an incredibly skilled talent pool.

“We’re also keen to hear from Bristol IT businesses that would like to work with us - there’s huge potential for collaborative working within the open source arena here in Bristol.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .