Google Picks Ariz. University For Engineering, IT Support ShopGoogle Picks Ariz. University For Engineering, IT Support Shop

Google will open an office for engineering and IT support on the of Arizona State University (ASU) campus in Tempe, a city whose municipal fathers had lobbied hard for the facility.

While Google cited the attraction of ASU's engineering, operations and IT support functions, the fact that Tempe was in the vanguard of citywide Wi-Fi deployments was considered a factor in the choice, too, Google said Friday.

Google said it will provide its "outstanding healthcare benefits, free lunches and competitive compensation packages" in its Tempe office. The search firm said the office is part of its continued efforts to build out a Phoenix-area operation. Published reports have stated that Google plans to hire 600 in the area to fill a 100,000-plus square foot facility.

"We are looking forward to a long relationship with ASU and hope to make a positive contribution to their educational mission," said Douglas Merrill, Google's senior director of information systems, in a statement.

Merrill has joined the Ira Fulton School of Engineering's Department of Computer Science and Engineering Advisory Board and the company said it was exploring additional faculty collaborations for Google employees as well as internship opportunities for ASU students.

Google had created a stir among Phoenix-area communities after it announced last year that it wanted to locate a new engineering and back-office center in the region. In addition to the ASU strengths, the easy availability of Wi-Fi was considered to be a factor, because Google has championed the wireless broadband capability.