When we asked those registered for the Applied Research Forum to indicate what workshop they wanted to join based on their experience, almost half wanted to join the spin-out group. As there are 250 people registered to attend, that’s a lot of people wanting to talk about spin-outs – hopefully we will get useful insights into how researchers link with business people to created new companies so that we can improve the process and create more of them. Only 3 days to go now till we find out!
It seems everyone wants to talk about spin-outs
Countdown to the Applied Research Forum – 18th June
Only a matter of days to go now until the biggest gathering of applied researchers in Ireland. Last count there were 223 researchers on the list. Setting up the discussion guides for the workshops has been interesting – we are going to organise the discussion in 4 different groups, each one focussing on a different means of transferring technology out into the marketplace. Anyone that has registered will receive an email from us this week explaining the process and inviting you to identify the group you want to participate in.
We have also just announced the names of the 7 nominees for the One to Watch Award 2009. To find out who has been nominated and get details on the event, parking, directions etc Click here
Twitter for business (part two): getting started
Irish businesspeople are using Twitter in increasing numbers. The micro-blogging website has slowly built up a dedicated following in Ireland despite initially being ignored by most businesses.
The ease of use and potential networking benefits have proven key factors in bringing Irish firms onto Twitter. (See Twitter for business (part one) for the rest of this feature.) (more…)
Software as a Service: rising star in tough times
Software as a Service (SaaS) is regarded as one of the key IT growth areas that is bucking the trend of the recession. Research released by Gartner at the end of last year predicted that nine out of ten companies hoped to increase their use of SaaS during 2009. And more recently market analysts at the IDC said they expect SaaS growth to exceed 40 percent in 2009.
Software as a Service allows users to access applications over the internet directly from their web browser, instead of installing purchased software onto their systems. The most common SaaS products that most people are familiar with are online email offerings like Google’s Gmail. There are a range of business SaaS applications available for the likes of word processing, human resource management, customer relationship management and accounting. (more…)
Find files on your desktop
One way to waste time at work is to spend half an hour searching for a misplaced email attachment on a cluttered hard drive. You know it’s there, but you don’t know where exactly. If only there was a way to avoid having to manually organise your files, emails and bookmarks or to remember exact filenames.
Enter desktop search tools: software applications that compile an index of the files on your computer, helping you to pinpoint and retrieve the right file – be it an email, an audio file or a picture – in a matter of seconds. (more…)
Best Connections in Action: Microsoft, Enterprise Ireland and InishTech
(left to right) Aidan Gallagher, CEO and founder of InishTech, Paul Rellis, managing director of Microsoft Ireland, and Feargal O Morain, Enterprise Ireland. |
Today, Ireland’s software economy scored another big coup. In the latest illustration of the country’s deeply connected global ecosystem, Microsoft IP Ventures launched Ireland’s newest tech start-up, InishTech. The new Dublin-based company will re-launch Microsoft Software Licensing and Protection (SLP) Services as its primary offering. The goal is to equip software developers with new tools to protect their code, license their software and track the performance and profitability of their products. The deal represents the fruits of yet another successful partnership between Microsoft’s noted IP Venture Team and Enterprise Ireland which brokered the connection between the software giant and the dynamic Ireland-based entrepreneurs that now comprise the InishTech team. Microsoft IP Ventures’ director, Sharieff Mansour described the launch of InishTech as “a tangible example of how IP licensing and collaboration can significantly benefit the entrepreneurial and small-business communities all around the world, as well as the overall IT ecosystem.” Mansour also noted that this is the first time the Microsoft IP Ventures program has spun out an existing Microsoft business. Read the full press release here http://www.inishtech.com/NewsDescription.aspx |
Welcome aboard!
If you have something to say about research commercialisation in Ireland, welcome to your blog. Also, we have reached full capacity for this year’s Applied Research Forum on the 18th of June in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8. If you haven’t already registered, check back here for updates on how it all goes.
Case study: Celtrak
Celtrak is a Galway-based operations management and vehicle-tracking solutions provider. The company emerged out of Irish automotive electronics company Connaught Electronics in the late 1990s and was incorporated as a separate company in 2000 by the current chairman and CEO, Dr Joe McBreen.
The company’s products and services are used by more than 200 organisations across Europe, North America, the UK and Ireland. Its clients include SMEs like Sweeney Oil, the City Bin Co and Callinan Coaches, and it also works with larger organisations such as Bulmers and the HSE National Ambulance Service. (more…)
Work away (part two): Stay safe overseas
Twitter for business (part one): Is it for you?
Micro-blogging website Twitter has become a phenomenon with consumer and business internet users alike in recent times. The site is used by subscribers to publish very short messages, or ‘tweets’, that are no more than 140 characters in length.
Part of the success of the website is down to its ease of use. Users can ‘follow’ other members’ tweets and add followers of their own, building an online community. The potential benefits for business are substantial. Twitter can enable fast interaction with an audience that is interested in what you have to say (because they’ve signed up to receive your tweets), and it can help you to network with other members who you find interesting. (more…)
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