Opening an office in Europe is the moment to get IT right, before ten people become fifty. This checklist covers what to decide before the first hire, what to have ready on day one, and what changes when your data and staff are in the EU or UK.
When a company opens an office abroad, IT support usually comes from one of three places. None is right for everyone. This guide compares them honestly, including when we are not the best choice.
Spain, and Barcelona and Madrid in particular, attracts international tech, professional services and logistics companies. Here is what to plan on the IT side before your Spanish office opens.
For many US companies the UK is the first overseas office. Shared language makes it feel simple, but data protection, customer security expectations and the time difference still need planning.
Ireland, and Dublin in particular, is a common EMEA base for US companies. Offices here often grow from a handful of people to a regional hub quickly, so IT has to scale from the start.
The Netherlands is a popular location for European headquarters, logistics operations and tech companies, and English is widely used at work. A few Dutch specifics are worth knowing before you set up IT.
Germany is Europe's largest economy and home to many US subsidiaries, from Berlin tech teams to Frankfurt finance and Munich engineering. German employee and data protection expectations are among the strictest in Europe, so plan IT with them in mind.
When a US company opens offices in Europe, one of the first questions is where its Microsoft 365 data lives. This guide explains how data location works and the options available.
The honest answer is "it depends", but on a short list of factors you can control. This guide explains how managed IT is priced, what changes the number, and how to compare quotes fairly.