Eugene Kaspersky Christens New European Headquarters In London
The office complex is not going to open for another two months, but celebrations have already begun
Even though the building work is still in progress, on Thursday evening Eugene Kaspersky flew into London to christen his company’s new European headquarters in Paddington.
Kaspersky Laboratories hopes to eventually employ around 120 people at the new premises, most of them recruited in the UK.
“London is a global city, and it’s very easy to find the right people here to help us develop our business, protect our customers, and save the world,” said the charismatic security expert.
“From the village to the city”
Kaspersky Laboratories develops the fourth most popular cyber security product in the world. Even though it originated from Russia, the holding company is actually registered in the UK, and pays its fair share of tax here.
The office in a newly built Paddington Central complex will officially open in two months and serve two purposes: half of it will work for the British market, while the other half will coordinate European research and marketing efforts.
The new headquarters will replace the company’s offices in Oxfordshire, where Kaspersky has been based since it first arrived in the UK. The move was originally planned for October 2013, but it was delayed by infrastructure issues.
“I remember, the first time I was in London was in 1992, and it was a different city,” said Kaspersky. “I drink to London and the local government, and the efforts to make it a friendly place that’s attractive to businesses.”
When asked about the development of a secure OS for industrial control systems, which he first mentioned in October 2012, Kaspersky told TechWeekEurope that the project is still very much alive, but the company is having trouble finding an expert partner to take it further.
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