Red Hat, Inc., a North Carolina-based software company, is considering moving the company's headquarters to Austin - a move that would bring hundreds of high-tech jobs to the city. Austin is being considered because of its strong technology environment and highly-educated workforce.

The company also is considering Dallas, Boston and Atlanta as potential locations for a new headquarters. According to an article by the Austin Business Journal, Red Hat also may choose to keep its headquarters in Raleigh, as the company has a strong relationship with North Carolina State University.

"We're examining our options for growth and expansion," Red Hat Spokeswoman Leigh Day said. "Healthy companies typically look at what's available out there."

Red Hat is looking for anywhere between 300,00 square feet and 600,000 square feet of space for its new headquarters. The company is considering either moving into an existing space or developing a new building to meet its needs and will begin sending requests for proposals to developers and building owners next month.

As of 2009, Red Hat owned almost 60 percent of the Linux software market share, according to the Gartner Group. The company earned $87 million on revenues of $748 this year, as revenues grew by 15 percent and net income increased by 11 percent when compared to last year.

That growth, which can be attributed to demand for inexpensive and customizable software, could make Red Hat a target for acquisition. Some experts have stated that IBM Corporation or Oracle Corporation could eventually take over the company.

Unisys Corporation recently announced that it will close the company's Austin location and lay off 229 employees beginning in June. According to information the company filed with the Texas Workforce Commission, Unisys intends to shut down its Austin operations in phases, starting in June and ending in September.

"We have a managed service center in Austin that does IT support," Unisys Spokesman Jim Kerr told the Austin American-Statesman. "We are going to close that effective Sept. 30 and move that work to our other centers in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Rochester, N.Y."

Pennsylvania-based Unisys provides technology and information technology services. The company's job cuts will account for one of the biggest layoffs in Central Texas this year, and some of the affected employees - which will include tech support and help desk positions - will have the chance to transfer to other locations.

According to the Statesman, the last big layoff announcement in Central Texas came in January when BBVA Compass announced it would cut 279 jobs at the company's former headquarters. Even though the area continues to lose jobs as a whole, the rate of decline has slowed, and hiring has increased in some categories.

In addition, many new companies have already announced plans to move to Austin this year, and fast-growing tech companies like BazaarVoice have been hiring more aggressively this year.