US Software-as-a-Service and data analytics company, Qualtrics, has officially opened its Sydney headquarters.
NSW Government executive director, office of international engagement, department of premier and cabinet, Susan Calvert, officiated at the formal opening.
She said the SaaS platform provides real-time data to help companies make informed business decisions and within the NSW government, the company is changing the way citizens are able to provide feedback to government agencies.
“They are allowing governments to be able to provide a voice for our citizens and our communities in a way that is very accessible and very real. Another important investment Qualtrics has made is its local datacentre based in Sydney. This enables government agencies and corporate organisations to be able to keep their customer market and employee data on shore, compliant with our Privacy Act,” Calvert added.
Qualtrics was established in 2002 in Utah and began international expansion in 2013.
The company’s founder and chief executive, Ryan Smith, said the startups original goal was to make sophisticated research simple.
“We built a software that would basically democratise the world of research and turn anyone from a student to a PHD researcher and give them the ability to make decisions based on data. In 2009, it became the year of the customer. Everyone bought into the idea that we need to be data-driven and that’s what propelled Qualtrics to be where it’s at.”
Qualtrics’ local team has already grown from 3 to over 50 and the company’s managing director APAC, Bill McMurray says Qualtrics will have 70 local staff by September 2016.
The new headquarters boasts a fun office environment with meeting rooms named after Australian deadly animals, a treadmill facing the Sydney harbour view called the “Walking Desk”, scooters, ping pong tables and a mini golf course.
