Tech firm expanding in Georgia

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A technology firm is set to bring 800 new jobs to metro Atlanta, and Gov. Nathan Deal is calling it a great move for the state.
   
Channel 2's Linda Stouffer was there Friday for the announcement in Sandy Springs about the high-tech expansion.

When an airline loads maps on pilot iPads and when many of the nation's top companies secure and track employee phones and tablets, they are using Airwatch security systems. A co-founder told Stouffer his company is growing because they spotted mobile security needs in 2006.

"The fact that we identified that trend early and were able to get on the ride and build the company to a critical mass so that when the real explosion happened, we had the infrastructure to take advantage of it," Airwatch chairman Alan Dabbiere said.
 
With the new expansion, Airwatch will double its Georgia workforce.

"It is a huge opportunity. It is a huge opportunity for us. It's a huge opportunity for the state of Georgia," Dabbiere said.

Deal said he hopes this marks a trend for the region.

"We will continue to attract the Airwatches of the future," Deal said.

He told Stouffer the success of graduates from Georgia universities, such as Georgia Tech, is key for attracting those types of high-paying jobs.

"You can't just any longer get a degree in something hoping that there's going to be a job. You have to anticipate what those future jobs and current jobs are going to be," Deal said.

The first wave of 500 or 600 jobs will be in Georgia. Airwatch plans to expand even more in the next two years.

WSBTV