Telecommunications provider BT and the New South Wales government recently announced the opening of a new global security hub in Sydney, Australia. The new facility, which is BT’s first R&D facility outside of the UK, will help in research and development with regards to key areas such as cybersecurity, machine learning, cloud computing, big data engineering, data science analytics and visualization among others.
“We are thrilled at this exciting new opportunity to tap into local cyber security skills,” Mark Hughes, CEO of BT Security, said in a statement. “Never before has cyber security been more important and we see potential for growth in New South Wales, Australia and further afield. The hub will be a cornerstone of our global cyber security capabilities and help us stay ahead in this fast moving space.”
To build the center, BT invested AU$2 million ($1.6 million) whereas the New South Wales government invested AU$1.67 ($1.34 million). It will create 172 new jobs over the next five years and will be among BT’s 14 global security operations centers.
“This cutting edge operation will help keep Australia’s best cyber security talent here in NSW while nurturing our next generation of specialists to ensure we remain a regional leader in this fast growing industry. As well as creating 172 jobs, including 38 jobs for skilled graduates over the next five years, BT will also make a $2 million investment in capital infrastructure and a further multi-million dollar investment to employ cyber security specialists at the hub,” said Matt Kean, minister for innovation.
