Barry Trades Globally While Based In Omagh
One local man who personifies the potential for the local economy to compete on an international scale is Barry McGillin.
The Tattyreagh native is director of development at Oracle, an American multinational computer technology corporation who specialise in developing and marketing computer hardware systems and enterprise software products.
Mr McGillin runs a remote development centre across China, India, UK, Bulgaria and the USA, all from the comfort of his office at Omagh Enterprise Company.
After deciding to move home from Dublin six years ago, the senior IT professional was wondering how he could still do his job on a remote business from Omagh.
“From my perspective back then was that there was not much in Omagh and it didn’t have the broadband infrastructure to do what I do.”
His concern prompted a visit to Omagh Enterprise Company, soon followed by the relocation.
“There is only me here, but my team is remote and I never meet anyone. But coming in here has provided the infrastructure that I need to run my business,” said the Tattyreagh man.
“Based on what I have done, more people are asking me how are you doing that? How are you working in Omagh? How does it work from a technology standpoint?
“That is slowly gaining acceptance across a lot of organisations.”
He said working remotely and working from home was becoming the norm rather than having large organisations in single places.
“Here in the north-west I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for amount of smart folks we create and ship off to other parts of the world.
“We’re shipping all that talent out and we can do it here, the technology is here to do it.”
Echoing that sentiment, Professor Fabian Monds told those gathered at the new innovation centre last Friday, that while it remains difficult attracting foreign direct investment outside of Belfast, “Surely a facility in operation as we now have in Omagh can be a powerful asset in demonstrating that international enterprise can flourish here too.
“We can use our successful indigenous companies as exemplars in demonstrating to entrepreneurs elsewhere in the world, especially in the USA, that they can set up shop here and access our workforce and access our workforce skills and challenge the European market.
“These inward entrepreneurs will not necessarily be large companies, but they will be ambitious, fast moving and with a global perspective,” he said. “Some may have family links to here. A drive to attract them may be well worthwhile and we at Omagh Enterprise Company will certainly play our part.”
Source: ulsterherald.com
