Amazon opens new international development center

Amazon’s announced plans for a new design and development center in London to focus on global digital media projects.

The  eight-floor, 47,000 center will bring together software development engineers, user-interface experts and graphic designers from Amazon film and TV-on-demand companies Pushbutton and LoveFilm.

They’ll be working on creating interactive digital services for TVs, game consoles, smartphones and PCs; developing digital media on Amazon websites around the world; and building related services and APIs.

“London is a hotbed of tech talent and testament to that fact is Amazon choosing the capital as the location for the new global Digital Media Development Centre,” says Paula Byrne, managing director of the center.

“Innovation is part of the Amazon DNA and we are creating a British centre of excellence to design and develop the next generation of TV and film services for a wide range of digital devices.”

The center is in Glasshouse Yard, near the Barbican – near London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ tech hub in Shoreditch.

“I am thrilled to welcome  Amazon’s fantastic new international digital centre to London. For this wildly successful and dynamic company to choose our city to site such an important facility is a splendid feather in our cap,” says Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

“We know we have the talent, the space and infrastructure to make the most of the digital economy – this will be my prime message during Games-time, as I seek to woo even more companies for the capital, delivering jobs and growth for Londoners.”