Intel will invest several millions of euros into a software development center which will be located in Romania and which will initially hire a staff of 25, mainly focusing on the development of the MeeGo open-source platform. Intel Romania Software Development Center will initially work on the MeeGo platform, a joint project of The Linux Foundation, supported by Intel and Nokia. The Intel Romania staff is expected to increase to 100 and diversify R&D activities for software products used on devices based on the Intel architecture, like intelligent TVs and multimedia systems for vehicles.

Intel has chosen to invest in Romania due to the tax exempt on IT programmers' revenues, according to the Romanian Government. Romania Prime Minister Emil Boc met Intel representatives in Bucharest on Monday, when the company officially announced its software center in Romania.

MeeGo is an open source, Linux project which brings together the Moblin project, headed up by Intel, and Maemo, by Nokia, into a single open source activity.The MeeGo operating system runs on netbooks, handsets, connected TVs, in-vehicle devices and media phones.

Intel is known primarily as a microprocessor company, but has also been trying to expand its software operations. Romania has a rich university environment and software engineering talent, said Renee James, Intel senior vice president and general manager, Software and Services Group, in a statement.

Intel already runs an 11-employee office in Romania, which opened in 2005. In 2006, the company bought shares in Siveco, which it teams up on educational projects. Intel took over Wind River in 2009 and incorporated the 130-staff local Wind River office in Galati.

editor@romania-insider.com