Fujitsu unit Amdahl, once one of the pioneers of foreign investment in the Republic, sees growth potential from its reduced base here as a high-tech service company.

"We want to reinforce our business continuity," said Mr Larry Fillmer, president of Amdahl IT Services. "We have the ability to provide customers with a single point of contact for the overall service environment... for management and support of their own equipment, to vendor and warranty work, to data recovery," Mr Fillmer said.

"It is a growing business - a business where for the last 20 years we had a reputation in the service arena... known by a loyal set of customers but not necessarily in the market."

The company's Irish operations employ about 50 people compared with the 600 who worked for Amdahl in the 1970s.