The facility, situated at 1705 N. Plano Rd., will house Taqua's research and development and customer service divisions for its Open Compact Exchange next-generation Class 5 access switch. For two years, the firm has been operating out of a smaller facility also in Richardson.Company officials say the move will support a software development expansion and beef up its staff. Taqua currently employs 220 in Richardson and its corporate headquarters in Hyannis, MA, but is planning to hire another 180 in the next year. By this year's end, the firm plans to add 75 more professionals in a doubling of its Richardson staff.

"The wealth of telecommunications and engineering talent available in the Telecom Corridor will accelerate Taqua's efforts to further enhance the OCX and develop future generations of Class 5 access switching technologies," says Don Pratt, Taqua's CFO. The OCX is its flagship product. Taqua's chief technical officer, Bill Pennington, says the Telecom Corridor's synergy has "been a crucial contributing factor" in the firm's success.

Earlier this year, Taqua undertook a project to expand corporate campus, breaking ground on an operations and manufacturing facility. That structure is slated to deliver in December. Formed two years ago, Taqua has raised more than $83 million in venture capital funding.