Open Data in the Public Sector – Grab it as it goes mainstream, Feb 28th at the ISA

Posted by Deirdre O'Neill on 14 February, 2012 in Event | Mobile | Open source | Public | Public procurement - (Be the first to comment)

We’ve covered Open Data Development before, but with the next ISA workshop, Open Data is moving into the mainstream . It has the potential to spur the development of mobile apps, software products and services – not just for the Ireland, but designed for the European and global markets. It has the potential to drive efficiencies and cost-savings for central and local Government.

The Irish Software Association’s Public Procurement working group will hold its second workshop on Open Data  on Feb 28th in IBEC 84/86 Lower Baggot st, Dublin11am – 2pm.  If you are interested in attending, please register via www.software.ie/events or contact Patricia.Keogh@ibec.ie ,  01-6051582 .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/

Open Data is the second of six workshops set to take place over the coming months. The ISA Public Procurement working group has met with senior technology specialists at CMOD, Revenue, Agriculture, Social Protection and LMS (formerly LGCSB) to identify the key ICT requirements within the public sector and to investigate ways of improving pre-market engagement with local suppliers. The specialists  identified 6 areas of technology, which are of particular interest to them, which form the basis of the ISA’s planned Public Procurement workshop series taking place in Dublin over the coming months.

Time Item Speakers
11:00 Registration

 

 

  
11:00:11:05 Opening Address & Introductions Brendan O’Reilly,

Chairman of the ISA Public Procurement Working Group

 
11:10 – 11:35am Dublin Region’s DUBlinked initiative

How businesses can benefit from Dublinked’s

Open Data initiative.

 

 Dominic Byrne,

Assistant Head of IT,

Fingal County Council
11:40 – 12:00am Case Study: Nathean Technologies Maurice Lynch,

CEO,

Nathean Technologies

 
12:05-12:25pm Case Study: Placr, UK Jonathan Raper,

CEO,

Placr, UK

 
12:30 – 1:15pm Panel Discussion

Chaired by: Tim Willoughby, LGMA

Panellist: Jonathan Raper, Placr

Panellist: Ciaran Gilsenan, Mypp Media

Panellist: Maurice Lynch, Nathean Technologies

Panellist: Ronan Farrell, NUI Maynooth

Panellist: Dominic Byrne, Fingal County Council

 

All Speakers

 
1:30-2:00pm Networking & Tea/Coffee

 

 

  
     

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Games Masterclass Workshop on 15th feb with Phil Campbell – last places

Posted by Sarah Buckley on 10 February, 2012 in Animation | Conference | Developers | Digital Media | Dublin | Gaming | Software | startup | Training - (Be the first to comment)

We are hosting a game design workshop with Phil Campbell next Wednesday. His background is fantastic and he has worked on a number of really successful game franchises like Godfather, Tomb Raider & James Bond. It’s a nice prequel to the DIT Gaming event on Feb 25th, this workshop is part of  the Games Ireland gathering next week.

philcampbelldesign.com - bio

philcampbelldesign.com - bio

 

Due to cancellations, a few more places have become available. Worth noting that the workshop is open to games and animation companies. Signup here on the main EI site; Game Design MasterClass. It is scheduled to coincide with the Games Ireland Gathering on the 15th (also in the Gibson).

 

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Using The Internet To Compete In International Markets – March 2012

Posted by David Scanlon on in eMarketing | Event - (Be the first to comment)

An eMarketing event focusing on how companies can utilise the Internet to more successfully trade their products and services in international markets is taking place in the Radisson Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick, on Thursday 8th of March. Hosted by Enterprise Ireland’s Internet Marketing Unit, attendees will learn about the online strategies and processes needed to identify, reach and retain new customers.

The event is specifically targeted at those who work in international marketing and sales, or those responsible for their company’s online marketing strategy. Leading experts in their fields will cover topics such as:

  • Developing an Online Marketing Strategy;
  • Online Localisation for International Markets;
  • Search Engine Optimisation and Pay Per Click Marketing;
  • Managing your Digital Investment;
  • Branding & Getting the Web Site Content Right.

Speakers attending the event include Fiachra Ó Marcaigh, Director, AMAS, a consultancy specialising in online channels; Niall McKeown, MD, iON, a digital consultancy and online marketing business; John Coburn, MD, PraxisNow, a specialist SEO and search marketing service provider; Ed Field, MD, Digino, one of Ireland’s longest established, largest and most respected digital marketing services companies; and Anton Mannering, Partner at Primary Position, an Internet marketing and SEO consultancy.

The cost of this half-day event is €65 per person, and further details can be obtained from the event website. Please note that this event is strictly for existing clients of Enterprise Ireland.

In order to book and confirm your participation, register and make payment online here.

Visas for the Best and the Brightest to start innovative business in Ireland

Posted by Lorcan O'Sullivan on 9 February, 2012 in entrepreneur | Entrepreneurship | Investment | startup - (Be the first to comment)

Dylan Collins beat us to it with the news about Ireland’s new visa programme for startups,

Ireland has long been destination of choice for the biggest and the most ambitious companies in Information Technology and Software  to set up major subsidiaries. Ireland has quietly made significant improvements in the startup environment and supports for its own growing number of locally originating high tech start ups. It now has some of the best soft supports along with probably the greatest amount of early stage funding, per capita, in Europe and one of the best in the world.

We in Ireland are now working to attract entrepreneurs with software and other innovative start ups to relocate here to benefit from the start up supports that have been put in place-  the same advantages that have attracted the big companies. This new visa scheme is yet another building block in making Irealnd Europe’s go to location of choice for innovative start ups.

Click here to watch the Start a Business in Ireland Video.

I am delighted that the Department of Justice has introduced this new visa programme. It shows the full commitment there is right across the different parts of government to making Ireland a destination of choice for innovative entrepreneurs.

The main criteria are:

  • Have access to funding of €75k  through business angels, venture capital providers or a financial institution regulated by the Financial Regulator. Personal funding transferred to the State or a grant from a relevant State agency would also be acceptable.
  • The business must have a strong innovation component. Projects will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee based on those who demonstrate a good idea or the potential to be a winner.

More details at http://www.justice.ie and at www.startinireland.com

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Zombies, Students and Professional Games Developers welcome in DIT on Feb 25th

Posted by Paul Browne on 8 February, 2012 in Apps | Conference | Developers | Digital Media | Dublin | Gaming | Software | startup - (1 Comments)

This is a guest post from Andrea of BatCat Games, who is also involved in putting together the Dublin GameCraft event. For more news follow Andrea on Twitter @RoundCrisis. More on what EI is doing in Ireland with the Games and Software Companies is here.

On Febraury 25th 2012, a collection of hobbyist, student, independent and professional game developers will be placed together in a room in DIT and gently coaxed into a game development frenzy. There will be sweat, there will be tears, there will most likely be zombies, and after eight hours of intensely profound game development acrobatics, there will be games.

http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/d1ac1b8d

Dublin Gamecraft is a single-day game jam event that has been put together to encourage Irish game developers to gather in one place in order to create a game from scratch in just eight hours. Choice of platform, development tools, and team size is completely unrestricted. Use whatever you’re most comfortable with. Teams are allowed and encouraged, and can even be created on the day, although this will cut into your game development time. This is a bring-your-own-hardware event.

After exactly eight hours, you can submit your masterpiece to our panel of industry experts, who will come up with a list of their favourite entries. We hope to have some fantastic prizes for the best games, including, but not limited to, the respect and admiration of your peers. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided courtesy of our generous sponsors, Open Emotion Studios, JetBrains and Swrve.

If you don’t want to create a game on the day, come along just for the networking. You might gain some new contacts, or learn a new trick or two.

We’re really excited about this event. There’s a real buzz around the game development scene in Ireland recently, which is evident in the large number of registrations we’ve received already. We hope that game jams like this one can help our burgeoning local industry into the global limelight. Hope to see you all there.

 

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Retailer Solutions Online Launch

Posted by Aislinn Mahon on 7 February, 2012 in Retail Solutions - (Be the first to comment)

This is a post from Aislinn Mahon, a member of the Retail Team in Enterprise Ireland’s London Office. Together with her colleagues across Europe she recently launched an online platform for ‘Retailer Solutions’ @ www.retailer-solutions.com.

We established Retailer Solutions in late 2011 to connect our portfolio of highly innovative suppliers with multi-channel retailers across Europe, with a particular focus on the UK. In the current retail environment, opportunities lie for those offering innovative solutions and product developments designed to improve competitiveness. Factors such as efficiency, customer experience and interaction will define the winners in 2012.

The group of over 100 companies includes technology providers from across the retail and ecommerce value chain, as well as professional services and a range of consumer product companies.

This week we are launching our online platform for Retailer Solutions, which will feature engaging and up to date content covering the entire breadth of the retail sector. With retailer interviews and guest posts from a host of innovative suppliers we welcome retailers, suppliers and analysts to share ideas, innovations and information to ensure that we all stay ahead of the game in these challenging times.

Keep a look out for us at http://www.retailer-solutions.com and https://twitter.com/#!/retailer_sol.

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7 Ways To Improve Your Internet Marketing – EPS Group and SEO

Posted by David Scanlon on 3 February, 2012 in eMarketing | Ireland | Marketing | Sales - (Be the first to comment)

This is the third in a series of posts focused on how Irish SMEs are delivering real results using Internet marketing. This case study features an interview with Patrick Buckley, Sales & Marketing Director at EPS Group, a client of Enterprise Ireland. EPS Group received support from the Enterprise Ireland Internet Marketing Unit to assist with the development of their Internet marketing strategy.

EPS gets website traffic flowing with SEO

A solid SEO strategy has seen EPS Group drive new business and raise brand awareness as it looks to expand into overseas markets.

Sustainable water solutions provider EPS Group has transformed its website into a key marketing tool with an SEO strategy that puts the focus firmly on content and clever use of keywords.

Operation ‘website transformation’

Following a marketing review in 2010, EPS Group realised that its website was not being used to its full potential. “We weren’t really focused on our site as much as we should have been,” explains Patrick Buckley, sales and marketing director with EPS Group. “As a result, we noticed that our site was quite poor; there was too much content and we were saying all the wrong things.”

With less than 150 website hits per month, it became apparent that EPS Group was pretty much “invisible” online. “Basically, if someone wanted to find us online, they couldn’t; we didn’t exist as far as online was concerned.”

EPS made a start by employing a full-time person to deal exclusively with its online presence, and dedicating more time to improving the performance of the site. It also worked with a web development firm, Webtrade, as well as a marketing company, AMAS, to develop a content and marketing strategy.

Identifying keywords boosts visibility

In the sustainable water solutions market, the majority of Google searches feature the word ‘water’ e.g. ‘ water harvesting solutions’, ‘waste water treatment’, ‘rain water pumps’, ‘water purification systems’, ‘waste water pumps’. Armed with this information, Patrick decided to include the word water in the group’s URL – www.epswater.ie, as well as snapping up epswater.co.uk, epswater.fr and epswater.com.

Using keyword research tools and analytics, EPS also identified a selection of the most relevant and popular industry search terms, and decided to scatter these words throughout its website content. “We consistently track these keywords each month to see what page we show up on in Google search results. Previously, with some of the keywords we were appearing at page 6 or 7, but now we are on the first page every time, which is a significant improvement.”

Regular tweaking keeps content relevant

Continuously adding content and making amendments to existing content helps keep the EPS site fresh and relevant, says Patrick. “We regularly add news items to the site and constantly tweak metadata words in the background. By keeping a close eye on Google Analytics we can see what pages people are coming to and what they are looking for. If there’s a page that’s not as active as we want it to be, we will tweak it to make it more relevant. If we want to direct people to a certain page we’ll add content to the homepage that highlights particular sub-pages and try to funnel traffic through that way too,” he explains.

How it presents itself online has become a critical factor for EPS. With such a diverse range of products and services, confusion was a common element with customers who weren’t aware of EPS’s full range. “Our website had to address that issue and raise awareness of all our products and services. With our previous site, there was too much content, and this was confusing visitors, who struggled to find what they were looking for,” Patrick explains. “With the new site we’ve improved the navigation and the content, making it easier for people to get to the relevant pages. Also, by focusing on key search terms, we are seeing more traffic coming through to sub-pages of the site, and getting the information they’re looking for, quicker.”

This strategy is reflected in EPS’s analytics, which show that as site page views have decreased, length of time spent on the EPS site has increased. “Typically, people spend between 3.5 minutes and 4 minutes on our site, and with the page views down it leads us to believe that visitors are finding what they are looking for a lot quicker.”

Focused approach pays off

In just over a year traffic to the EPS website has rocketed, 150 hits per month to a consistent 3,500-4,000 monthly hits. And all this new traffic is translating to new business for the firm, according to Patrick. “With this increase in visitors, we’ve seen a huge boost in the number of enquiries through our site. The majority of these are sound enquiries which have led to new business.”

But EPS isn’t resting there. The company plans to use some of what it’s learned on the Irish site to enhance its newly launched UK site, with the aim of hitting 1,000 visitors per month by June 2012. Also on the cards is a global site, which Patrick says will be used to drive more traffic back to the Irish website.

Patrick credits advice given by Enterprise Ireland  as the impetus EPS needed to make changes to its website. “The Enterprise Ireland support and guidance  was of great benefit to us at the beginning of this project. That investment in time and resources is now paying off for EPS in both our domestic and export sales.”

“We’ve learned so much about the importance of our website over the past couple of years. We now see our site as a very important part of our overall strategy in growing our business,” Patrick concludes.

This article was written by ENNclick for the Enterprise Ireland Internet Marketing Unit.

Partnering – Are you willing to sacrifice control for sales coverage? TechBrew Feb 9th

Posted by Paul Browne on 31 January, 2012 in Conference | Dublin | Software - (Be the first to comment)

This is a guest post from John Caulfield, Solutions Director Oracle Ireland  and member of the Irish Software Association (ISA) Executive Council. This is the latest in the series of Irish Software Association and Techbrew events that EI is proud to be associated with.

As a compliment to the work that EI and the ISA have done in helping software companies use partners to win export sales, we’re focusing the next TechBrew (Thurs 9th February @ 7.00pm) on the area.  Held at 4 Dame Lane Dublin 2, TechBrew is an informal gathering of software company management and technology leaders, getting together to chat over a bite and a beer.

http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-1472104052

In between the networking and beers we’ll cover “Partnering—Is it the fastest and cheapest entry to new markets or does it ultimately cost more?”. Talk to your peers to talk about the best route to market. Find out if you are willing to sacrifice control for coverage. See how you can expand your existing markets, what models work best and identify the best partners options for different markets, and how to managing the channel. Hear practical advice, successes and pitfalls, from those who have gone before you, shared in an informal learning environment.

Confirmed to speak:

  • Donagh Kiernan, Founder and CEO, Tenego Partnering, driving international sales for high growth technology companies, through partnering. Donagh helps high growth technology companies drive international sales, through partnering. He focuisses on making current partners effective and securing new partners that are ‘best-fit’ to sell products or services in identified target markets.

If you have some practical experience to offer yourself, why not take ten minutes to share your experiences on the night.

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7 Ways To Improve Your Internet Marketing – Celtrino and Content

Posted by David Scanlon on 27 January, 2012 in eMarketing | Internet | Marketing | Sales | Social Media - (1 Comments)

This is the second in a series of posts focused on how Irish SMEs are delivering real results using Internet marketing. This case study features an interview with Michael O’Brien, Head of Marketing at Celtrino, a client of Enterprise Ireland.

Quality content on its website is helping supply chain management specialist Celtrino develop its brand and differentiate itself from competitors.

A veteran in the supply chain management world in Ireland, Celtrino’s recent re-vamp of its website is allowing the company to showcase its expertise through a successful blog, as well as boosting brand recognition as it aims to expand into new markets.

Content strategy begins with research

After joining Celtrino in 2009, marketing director Michael O’Brien’s first port of call was to do a full marketing audit. With online becoming more and more important, Michael set about focusing on the Celtrino website and online presence.

“For me, the relevance of the website and being found online was of paramount importance.” Michael said his plan started with in-depth research. “I can’t underestimate how vital it is to understand the words being used online by your competitors, analysts and customers. Once you understand the ecosystem within which you are operating you can then set down a content strategy both for your own website and how you are going to engage with other online tools, like social media.”

Web content critical to search results

Celtrino’s new website went live on 27 May 2010 and within six months Celtrino dominated search engine results for all of its relevant key terms. “If I’m on the phone talking to somebody, chances are they are online typing our name into Google. Being found easily online is important for our continued success in the Irish market, but is also vital as we look to break into the UK market,” said Michael.

Developing relevant, quality content is key to Celtrino’s search engine success, according to Michael: “We need to keep producing quality content or we will lose people and cease to be relevant, and Google will pick up on that too.”

Continually refreshing the site’s content is also an important factor in Celtrino’s content strategy. “Our market is constantly changing and so our web content needs to be regularly updated to reflect that. Of course, regular content updates improve search engine visibility too.”

Content directs customers to next steps

While the homepage is the way most people will enter a website, Michael explains that because the Celtrino site is so optimised for search engines, there is a high chance people are coming to internal pages on the site through targeted search results.

Bearing that in mind, Celtrino developed dedicated content pages for each of its solutions, as well as identifying a list of ‘business needs’ that lead the visitor to relevant product pages. Clear action points were also added to each page, which makes sure that any visitor can see at a glance how they can contact Celtrino or get more information on certain products.

“It was imperative to us that someone coming to the site through a Google search for, say, ‘accounts payable solutions’ would have a clear call to action on the page they land on. This call to action could be a number of things, such as ‘email us’, ‘call us’, or ‘download a whitepaper’. Essentially, the key for us is understanding what the visitor is trying to achieve and giving them every opportunity to do so.”

Blog content gives Celtrino a voice

Keen to provide regular, fresh content on its site, Celtrino launched a blog in September 2011 and typically push out a new blog post three times a week. Michael says the blog has been a great success to date and has broadened the company’s reputation online. “The blog gives us a voice and the opportunity to engage with our audiences that we wouldn’t always have with the website. It also helps us to stand out in the market. For any companies considering a blog I would advise them to look around their sector and see what they can take ownership of in terms of content: ask themselves, ‘what can I write about that makes us stand out?’”

And when you do write a blog that gets noticed, that’s when you can really make an impact, according to Michael. “If your blog post is picked up by another blogger or commentator and shared, then all of a sudden you move up to a different level. Having your content reused around the web ensures that you are seen as a relevant and trusted source of content; the net result is that you will be favoured by Google and other search engines as they focus on delivering relevant and trusted content to their customers.”

Celtrino’s focus on developing quality content for its website has helped it create a strong online presence, which Michael said it is keen to take advantage of. “In February we plan on doing a major refresh of our website content to reflect changes within the sector and changes to our customers’ requirements. And within the next year or so, Celtrino aims to launch an e-commerce function on its site.”

This article was written by ENNclick for the Enterprise Ireland Internet Marketing Unit.

Thinking of Upgrading or Replacing your ERP System this Year?

Posted by Eoin O'Siochru on 26 January, 2012 in Conference | eMarketing | Event - (Be the first to comment)

An ideal opportunity to find the best ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for you takes place at an event where nine top ERP products will be pitted against one another.

If you are in the market for an ERP system this is an event not to be missed. It is a unique opportunity to see and compare the leading ERP systems based on a defined script, not a series of generic sales presentations, allowing for a true like-for-like comparison. The event will also provide opportunities to network and compare experiences with other organisations also planning to implement ERP.

The ERP HEADtoHEAD™ event is taking place on February 22nd-23rd, 2012, in the Carlton Hotel,DublinAirport where 9 leading ERP products will be pitted against each other over the two days. Products from Epicor, IFS, Infor Lawson, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, QAD, Sage, SAP and SYSPRO will be demonstrated.

This event will be facilitated by BSM – leading independent ERP consultants. BSM has managed over 100 ERP projects and will share project experiences and ERP selection and implementation knowledge during the event. For more information and to register, phone Linda Davey at 091-746900 or e-mail info@erpheadtohead.com or check out http://www.erpheadtohead.com for further information.

And if those 9 ERP providers aren’t here , here are some more EI Clients specialising in ERP solutions.

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