Gov. Nathan Deal announced that AirWatch, an industry leader in mobility technology and security, will expand its present headquarters facility in metro Atlanta, creating 800 jobs over the next two years and investing more than $4 million in new equipment.
“Georgia has become a hotbed for companies engaged in mobile applications and other advanced technologies,” said Deal. “Our rapidly accelerating base of knowledge workers not only attracts new industry, but encourages Georgia-grown companies such as AirWatch to commit to staying and expanding here. This decision moves Georgia closer to becoming the No. 1 place in the nation to do business.”
AirWatch designs solutions to simplify mobility, including enterprise-grade Mobile Device Management, Mobile Application Management and Mobile Content Management. Founded in 2003 by current owners John Marshall and Alan Dabbiere, the company is headquartered at 1155 Perimeter Center in north Fulton County and currently has a workforce of 650 in Georgia. Hiring has already begun, and the company’s expansion is scheduled for completion in 2015.
“We’ve grown to twice the size of our nearest competitor and expect to double our size this year by combining innovative mobile technology and exceptional talent with the state’s economic development resources,” said chairman of AirWatch, Alan Dabbiere. “AirWatch and other software companies are playing a critical role in attracting new businesses to the region and solidifying Atlanta as a leading technology player.”
With 5,300 customers and nearly 1,000 global associates, AirWatch is more than twice the size of any other Mobile Device Management company. The company is predominately funded by operating cash flow, with no venture capital funding. This, combined with a scalable high-availability architecture, results in virtually every mobility project with more than 20,000 devices being managed by AirWatch. Clients include the top four global Fortune companies, nine of the top 10 U.S. retailers, six of the top 10 global airlines, the top four global energy companies, six of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies, seven of the top 10 global CPG companies, three of the top five U.S. medical device companies, five of the top 10 global luxury goods companies and two of the top three global hotel groups.
“The expansion of Airwatch gives Atlanta a leading edge in the mobile techonology industry and aligns very well with our focus on positioning the region as a global center for this industry,” said vice president of Economic Development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Hans Gant. “We have key assets for both the mobile industry sector and the security industry through our institutions of higher learning, which produce quality talent. Having a company like AirWatch here confirms our leadership position and helps solidify Atlanta as a global mobility hub.”
“This expansion clearly defines the state’s and city’s leadership in innovative mobile technology and its applications,” said the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Chris Cummiskey. “The increased amount of R&D activity landing in Georgia is giving our workers more and better chances for the high-paying jobs that in turn lead to a high quality of life.”
Leading the state’s project team was Amanda Shailendra, a senior project manager on Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Health Sciences and Advanced Technologies team. The Metro Atlanta Chamber and the North Fulton Chamber also assisted with AirWatch’s expansion. The Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Mobility Task Force and the Georgia Department of Economic Development are collaborating with AirWatch to promote Atlanta as a global hub for mobility at the Mobile World Congress 2013, the world’s largest mobile trade show, which will be held Feb. 25-28 in Barcelona.