Indian company, Zoom Technologies, has chosen Dublin as its European headquarters, and intends to employ 150 people here within a year, The Irish Times has learned.

Zoom currently employs around 1,000 people between its India and US operations and last year recorded sales of £25 million (€31 million).

According to founder and chief executive officer, Mr Mohsin Noble, the Republic will be used as a base for software development, implementation and training for the European market.

Zoom, which launched into the Irish market at this week's EXPO Windows World, describes itself as an Internet development company offering bandwidth, website development and e-commerce expertise to customers.

Mr Noble says Zoom's initial investment in the Republic will be between £1 million and £2 million, and at the outset it will locate Indian software developers here to establish the European operation.

Microsoft used the Windows World event to announce its 11 official partners for the launch of the Exchange 2000 server later this year. They include BIC Systems, Bull Cara, Compaq, DMR Consulting, Entropy, EPS, ICL, SX3, Siemens and Technology Consulting.

The partners will now work closely with Microsoft in the run up to the product's launch. The Exchange 2000 server promises to help organisations manage information within organisations through "anytime, anywhere" messaging and collaboration techniques.

The product is expected to launch in the Irish market in September.

This year's Windows World also saw new product launches from Novell, EsatNet, Corel, BIC Systems, Entropy, NetResults, Exact and GFK Take Five.

The new product release from NetResults, net.monitor, has been designed for organisations experiencing the downside of mass communications - employees engaging in non-productive Internet and email activity.

Net.monitor examines Internet usage within a company and provides detailed reports on user activity within an organisation.