Avanade, the Seattle company that helps enterprise clients upgrade and manage their computer systems using Microsoft technology and infrastructure, plans to hire 300 people in Halifax over the next two years.

Founded in 2000 as a joint venture between Microsoft and Irish-American service company Accenture — still its parent company — Avanade now employs about 56,000 people, with offices in 26 countries. It is opening an engineering hub in Halifax, citing comparatively better availability of talent than other regions, a friendly legislative environment and the presence of well-respected universities.

Avanade’s hiring binge will include both entry level and senior staff, including data engineers, developers and leadership staff.

It is the second transnational technology player to arrive in Nova Scotia this year, after consultancy and professional services company Cognizant said in January it will hire as many as 1,250 people in the next seven years.

In a statement, Avanade said its expansion into Halifax has been facilitated by a deal with provincial business development agency Nova Scotia Business Inc. It did not elaborate further, but a January agreement that NSBI signed to attract Cognizant to Halifax involved payroll rebates.

“As a result of Avanade’s commitment to flexible and remote work, employment opportunities will not be limited to urban downtowns,” said NSBI CEO Laurel Broten. “Recent graduates, seasoned veterans, and incoming global talent can choose the best balance of professional aspirations and living the enviable quality of life found throughout Nova Scotia.”