Aislinn Mahon explains how The New Market Entrants Team is currently supporting some of Enterprise Ireland’s most exciting and forward thinking music technology start-ups.
The New Market Entrants Team in the UK office is running an exciting event to highlight the level of innovation present amongst the strong cluster of fast growth music technology start up companies in Ireland.
The Global Digital Music Industry
The global music industry is adapting to the digital age at an accelerated rate, and new models for creating, consuming and accessing music are constantly being introduced into new markets. This digital landscape provides both opportunities and challenges for record labels, producers and artists. The Internet makes the distribution of music faster and easier to access, but issues of piracy have risen here. There is a strong feeling in the industry that artists should be rewarded financially for their work in the digital environment, just as they have always been in the physical world.
Ones to Watch
We know that Ireland is home to some of the most exciting and forward thinking music technology start-ups that are focused on driving opportunity and addressing the challenges faced by the music industry. Thought leading companies such as 45sound, Seevl, Whole World Band, Soundwave Analytics, Mobanode, Huggity, Riffstation and Ticketfriend are but a few of our shining stars.
 Kevin Godley, Founder and John Holland, CEO of Whole World Band The Innovation in Music Technology Showcase is being run by The New Market Entrants Team at the end of May in Dublin. Leading UK music technology representatives from companies such as Mobile Roadie, MINT Digital and Music Ally will hear about the impact of digital technology on the future of the music industry and learn about new ways of driving revenue in their business in the surroundings of The Sugar Club, one of Dublin’s most creative music venues. Topics on the day will range from digital fan engagement strategies to collaborative content creation and music discovery to mobile festivals.
 Cathal Furey, CEO of 45sound, pictured in the company’s brand new office on South William St, Dublin Watch this Space!
In the UK, digital revenues stand at one third of music industry income – an important statistic when one considers that this surpasses those of other creative industries (e.g. film, books and newspapers). There is a mood of optimism in the UK music industry, and Enterprise Ireland sees this as an end market opportunity for our client companies to capitalise on.
Contribute to the conversation #IrishMusicTech.
For more information on Enterprise Ireland’s activity in the UK music industry, contact Aislinn Mahon @ Aislinn.Mahon@Enterprise-Ireland.com or connect with her @ Aislinn_Mahon.
Digital Music, Enterprise Ireland UK, Music Technology, New Market Entrants Team, start up
Product Camp Dublin is a free un-conference for Product Managers and Product Marketers.
In the spirit of BarCamp, Product Camp Dublin is a collaborative, user organized unconference, focused on Product Management and Marketing topics.
At Product Camp Dublin there are no “attendees,” since everyone participates in some manner: This means you get to present, lead a roundtable discussion, share your experiences, help with logistics, help secure sponsorships, or volunteer.
Product Camp Dublin is a great opportunity for you to learn from, teach to, and network with professionals involved in the Product Management, Marketing, and Development process!
This year Product Camp Dublin will be held on 13th June 2013 in DIT Aungier Street.
You can register here to attend and to keep up to date with progress on our plans.
Follow us @ProductCampDub on Twitter
www.ProductCampDublin.com
 
The Second National Conference on Cloud Computing and Commerce (NC4) is a free national conference on cloud computing and commerce taking place on Tuesday, 16th April at Dublin City University. The conference comprises three sessions, 8 tracks and a plenary featuring presentations and panel discussions from over 30 business leaders and experts on cloud computing. Attendees are welcome to register for individual tracks and/or the plenary.
The conference is organised by Techspectations and the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce both located at DCU Business School. The event brings together industry and academic experts to discuss how cloud technologies can address business problems and drive value. NC4 is designed to raise further awareness of the role that cloud computing can play in helping to drive economic growth, support job creation and to deliver savings and efficiencies in the public and private sector in Ireland.
For more information and to register, please go to: http://www.nc4.ie/conference/nc4-conference/
Session 1 (0930 – 1050)
Track 1: Scaling the Cloud
Track 2: Towards a Dependable Cloud
Session 2 (1115 – 1245)
Track 3: Interoperability in Cloud Computing
Track 4: Data Security and Authentication in the Cloud
Session 3 (1400 – 1530)
Track 5: Getting Started in the Cloud
Track 6: Enterprise Mobility
Track 7: Selling the Cloud
Track 8: Cloud as a Competitive Advantage
Plenary (1600 – 1800, Mahony Hall, The Helix)
This is a guest post from Denise Fay of AchieveMarketing, one of the organisers of Dojo Conf 2013. Dojo Conf is a meetup aimed at new and existing Coder Dojo Mentors.
Enterprise Ireland proud to have sponsored James Whelton as he started CoderDojo , and is proud to support the Mentor meetup as part of ItsHappeningHere, highlighting the thousands of available jobs in the tech industry.
People at client companies who want to share their tech skills and mentor at CoderDojo are enouraged to drop a line to conference@coderdojo.com
Founded as a volunteer-led club for providing free and open learning in programming technology to young people, the global CoderDojo movement now has over 180 CoderDojos in 23 countries where kids can have fun learning to code in a safe environment. Mentors have taught over 16,000 children the joy of programming and coding.
The CoderDojo phenomenon relies on the voluntary work of mentors. DojoCon is the only international conference aimed at mentors and potential mentors. Now, in its second year DojoCon 2013 will provide mentors from across the globe the opportunity to exchange new ideas, explore cutting-edge technologies and share ideas on sustaining and strengthening the CoderDojo movement when the conference runs on April 12th.
 James Whelton gets some practice in for DojoConf 2013 Slane Bringing mentors together in one place is the aim of the conference organising team. As CoderDojo has come through an amazing growth phase , to make it sustainable, we need to share what works, while keeping the buzz that has made it so successful.
Diverse Keynote Speakers
This year, the conference has a number of distinguished keynote speakers. These include Ireland’s own Jerry Kennelly, an award-winning entrepreneur who started as a photojournalist in Co. Kerry and sold his company (Stockbyte) when it had grown to over 10 per cent of the market for Royalty free photo’s worldwide. Jerry will share his passion for IT in education and the work he is doing with schools country-wide.
Another keynote will be Bill Liao, co-founder of CoderDojo and an early investor in the social networking site XING. As Bill recently told the EU Parliament “The World has a shortage of Coders”. Bill will be speaking on how CoderDojo can help fix this, in the process inspiring a new generation of programmers to create apps and websites limited only by their imaginations.
A capstone talk will come from Kimberly Bryant of Black Girls Code. Flying in from the US, she will be sharing her experiences about gender balance in coding and discuss the sensation that is a complementary club to CoderDojo.
The Informative Schedule
This year’s schedule will feature more than 12 formal and 10 informal sessions with talks covering three main streams. The first stream is Education which will discus new techniques and how CoderDojo differs from the school approach. The second is Technology where mentors will learn about Advanced Scratch, robotics, gaming, audio and more. The third stream is Running a Dojo with tips and ideas on starting and sustaining a Dojo. In addition, there will be a number of panel discussions on mentoring and collaborating both locally and globally.
Ignite on Friday Night
New for 2013, DojoCon is kickstarting the conference on Friday night with a series of ‘Ignite talks’. These fast paced talks in an informal setting will set the scene for the weekend. Over a dozen thinkers, coders and educators will have 5 minutes to inspire fellow mentors.
Drogheda on the Boyne offers the perfect opening location for DojoCo. The river Boyne, where once the Salmon of Knowledge swam, provides the ideal backdrop of the venue for the Friday night Ignite talks. Inspiration and shared experienced will feature heavily in Bru Bar Bistro.
The conference is organised by a core group of volunteers from CoderDojo in Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan, and the Science Gallery, Dublin. The whole team of organisers are really excited about having Dojos from California to Belgium and New York City to Sweden in Drogheda for the weekend. We hope it will attract more software professionals in this area and in all towns around the country to volunteer or start a Dojo and help more kids learn how to code.
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or finding out more, visit the DojoCon2013 website for more information – http://conference.coderdojo.com/
The Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce is a government funded research centre based in DCU Business School, in collaboration with AIT & UCC, the centre has been established to support Irish companies operating or intending to operate in the cloud domain.
As part of the centre’s work we are conducting a short survey around Cloud Readiness of Irish companies.
A summary of the survey outputs & analysis will be made available to all participants, against which you may be able to benchmark your organisation. We would greatly welcome your participation in the survey using the following link.
https://www.research.net/s/cloud_readiness
For further information on the survey please contact noel.carroll@dcu.ie
Starting a new company based on technology research is one clear success we can all relate to. However, as with the creation of any new company, this is a challenge to achieve successful.
Enterprise Ireland is the Irish Stage Agency with responsibility for maximising the commercial outputs from publicly funded research.
The successful creation of any new company depends on its team and the health of its entrepreneurial heartbeat. Frequently, in the case of new companies striving to emerge from this publicly funded research system, it can be a challenge to marry the company’s technology talent with commercial experience in a way that supercharges the opportunity.
Enterprise Ireland recognises this as a challenge and has created the Business Partners Programme to identify, engage and support experienced entrepreneurs’ to partner with talented technical teams from Irish 3rd level ecosystem in creating new business.
A Business Partner has excellent business credentials, a stuffed contacts book, a good nose for commercial potential and the vision to translate new technologies into excellent businesses.
The Business Partner Programme has a track record of successful partnerships that have led to new start up companies and have benefited all participants while also adding to the Irish state’s confidence in research commercialisation.
View the Business Partner Programme video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyQpkF8jKnk
Aislinn Mahon explains how Enterprise Ireland can provide retailers in the UK, and across global markets, with access to emerging technologies from Irish companies with world class solutions for retail. Aislinn is a member of the New Market Entrants Team in Enterprise Ireland UK, and supports the Retailer Solutions Initiative. For more on Retailer Solutions, check out this short video.  eTail, the practise of selling products to consumers over the Internet, is a key area for focus for retailers in the UK and across global markets. The UK is Europe’s leading eTail economy and, at £68.2bn in 2011, now accounts for 17% of all UK retail sales. According to IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), eTail sales are expected to reach £77bn in 2012, and there are now 37m online shoppers in the UK.
Not so long ago, many of the most successful retailers across the UK had little more than transactional websites to offer customers. Nowadays with the prominence of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, customers expect personalised and interactive experiences across all channels, buying when, what, where and how they like.
Bricks and mortar retailing has evolved, and serving this multichannel customer is at the top of retailers priorities. The concept is relatively new in the retail industry, and investment is essential as retailers compete with each other to offer the best multichannel experience for customers. Irish suppliers offer a plenitude of innovative solutions to help retailers in their quest to stand out from the crowd.
Strength of Irish Companies
Every multichannel strategy is underpinned by an ecommerce solution, which enables retailers to optimise the online experience for consumers. Established Irish company Buy4Now, led by CEO Michael Veale, has been assisting major retailers to build this foundation since 2000, and is behind some of the fastest-growing and most successful eCommerce websites.
The 24/7 consumer is always switched on, with touch screen devices such as smart phones and tablets transforming the way consumers interact with brands and retailers. According to KPMG’s latest annual survey, willingness to compare prices and complete transactions on mobile devices has rocketed. Bricks-and-mortar retailers need to respond to this rapidly changing consumer behaviour by directly engaging with their customers using the mobile channel. Tony Burke of Actus Mobile, who have just launched an App for Dundrum Town Centre, Ireland’s largest premier retail location, agrees: “Branded mobile applications built on Actus Mobile’s “Mobishop” platform assist retailers in building customer engagement before, during and after their shopping experience, thus driving footfall and increasing revenue”.
The rate of adoption of tablet usage is on the rise, with retailers striving to optimise this new consumer buying experience, referred to as “couch commerce”. According to Amplience, who has developed a platform for creating and managing multi-channel retail experiences “The rise of tablets is placing demands on retailers and brand owners to create super-rich merchandising experiences in yet another medium, one that constitutes an entirely new channel, with new technology, customer journeys and content and production demands”.
In a world filled with choices, consumers look to their peers for guidance on what to buy online. Customer reviews play an important role in persuading consumers to part with their money. Conor O’Neill, CEO of LouderVoice, the customer reviews solution provider, points to the benefits of investing in this technology: “Reviews grow sales through confidence, feedback, search engine optimization and social media referrals”.
‘eTail at the Embassy’, one of the many activities run by Enterprise Ireland under the Retailer Solutions Initiative
While online sales are on the rise, retailers are still committed to the value they can derive from the traditional, bricks and mortar experience. Indeed the worlds of online and offline are constantly converging, with many stores now offering consumers experiences that are traditionally found online. Eoghan O’Sullivan, CEO of Von Bismark, confirms this; ‘We have developed The Von Bismark Wardrobe platform which allows consumers to physically try on digital clothing, create biometrics profiles and share their experiences via social networks. It allows retailers to lower costs and returns while increasing customer retention and ultimately sales’.
When it comes to paying, customers expect that their experience is fast, secure and convenient, paying how, when and where they like. Realex Payments, who process payments for some of the largest names in retail, help retailers manage international transactions across multiple channels. Consumer payment habits are fast evolving, and managing multiple sales channels is a key challenge area for any retailer.
Not only are consumers becoming more mobile, retailers are too. Worldnet TPS, a provider of multi-channel online payment solutions, has recently developed Payjack, a mobile solution that enables mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets to accept payments. According to Will Byrne, CEO of Worldnet TPS: “This means that now all merchants no matter how big or small can accept credit card payments”.
Retail is a fast paced world, with customers dictating the pace of change. Enterprise Ireland client companies can assist retailers in staying ahead of the game, with a host of innovative solutions that can enhance customer experience and raise the level of innovation.
Retailer Solutions is an initiative driven by Enterprise Ireland UK. Get in touch @ info@retailer-solutions.com, or check out www.retailer-solutions.com for more information.
Enterprise Ireland UK, Innovation, Retail, Retailer Solutions
 Carole Brenan, EI, and Minister John Perry Launching the Fund Do you know someone who wants to set up a new business in Donegal, Sligo or Leitrim? If you do, we would be grateful if you could please advise them of the following:
Enterprise Ireland has launched a new feasibility fund to help entrepreneurs research their business ideas. Funding of up to €25,000 per project will be considered on a competitive basis (up to 50% of eligible expenditure).
But…..please hurry as the closing date is this Friday, the 22nd of June .
This fund is open to applications from the ICT, Industrial and Food sectors including the following sub-sectors: Internet, Games SaaS, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Software, Telecoms, Lifesciences, Cleantech and Industrial Products. Full details of the fund including the application form can be found at http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/nwf
Update: More information on the event and the speakers.
We all need to consider smarter ways of developing our business. R&D collaborations with universities are an innovative way for companies to save money on their R&D projects while at the same time tapping into expertise that they do not have. This may be the breakthrough your company needs. Find out how
- DCU can help you to save up to 80% of the cost of your next R&D project.
- DCU can provide access to university expertise that you don’t currently have in-house.
DCU Invent invites you to a free showcase event at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin on June 21st at 4pm. The event is to explain to companies how they can avail of generous grants and work closely with DCU to bring new products to market.
- “Collaborate to Innovate”
- How to Leverage Generous R&D Grants to Tap into University Research to Grow Your Business at this FREE event
- Location: Guinness Storehouse Dublin
- Date: 21st June 2012 at 4pm
To find out more about Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Partnership Programme and how DCU’s research expertise can help your business, click the link below to register.
http://www4.dcu.ie/invent/Registration/ICT_Event.shtml . The event is free but places will be limited and will be on a first come first served basis. For more information please contact maria.johnston@invent.dcu.ie
DCU’s “Collaborate to Invent” Event Schedule:
Information Session
An explanation of how companies can collaborate with universities, with speakers from DCU and Enterprise Ireland.
Case Studies
A number of leading companies will give an overview of how they worked with DCU to take advantage of research funding and grow their business
- Disney Research the elite invention-&-discovery arm of The Walt Disney Company
- Certivox an award winning start-up bringing security to cloud computing
- Ericsson the world leading telecoms equipment provider who have a major presence in Ireland
- Netwatch a fast growing Irish company who are using the latest communications technologies to revolutionise the security monitoring industry
Research Showcase and Networking Opportunity
Leading researchers will be on hand to explain their research expertise and explore how it can benefit your business. This covers a number of key areas: Image Analysis; Sensors; Cloud Computing; Language Technologies; Information Systems; Networks and Communications Engineering; Computer Modelling,; Health and Human Performance; and Manufacturing Engineering.
Enterprise Ireland is helping software companies to embed best practice in Product Management in 2012. We’re delighted to provide support to our colleagues in the ISA and DIT.
The ISA Software Skillnet in association with Dublin Institute of Technology and the Irish Software Association would like to invite you to the launch and information evening on
Enhancing Talent in Software Product Management
 
The evening will announce new opportunities for Software Professionals to develop high level product management qualifications and practice
The special guest speaker for the evening will be
Sean O’Sullivan CEO Avego & Dragons Den Judge
6.30 pm, Wednesday 2nd May, 2012
Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8
RSVP: susan@isa-skillnet.com, 086-806-7200
Product Management
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