Business Ireland Q1 2013 by Ashville Media Group

NEW Lexus RX Hybrid

Q1 2013

BUSINESS IRELAND CONNECTING | INFLUENCING

LUXURY. REFINEMENT.

THE GATHERING

AND ATTITUDE. H

What does it mean for the travel and tourism sector? BUSINESS IRELAND Q1 2013

Never before has a Lexus presented discerning drivers with such a thrilling dilemma. Because while the new RX represents an even further step forward in luxury motoring, the all new RX F-Sport is, quite simply, a different animal altogether.

NEW Lexus RX Hybrid F-Sport

Talk to your Lexus dealer about the exceptional fuel economy and low road tax that come with these hybrids, or go to www.lexus.ie

CREATING AMAZING

MADE IN HONG KONG Irish companies look East for investment

ACTIVATING DUBLIN

Dublin Chamber President, Liam Kavanagh, on the new initiative for the capital

AUTHORISED LEXUS DEALERS: Cork: Macroom Motors, Macroom, Co. Cork. Tel. (026) 20890. Lexus Blackrock: Rock Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Tel. (01) 288 5220. Lexus Kilbarrack: Kilbarrack Road, Dublin 5. Tel. (01) 832 2701. Lexus Galway: Ballybrit, Galway. Tel. (091) 480 123. Lexus Ireland is a 100% Irish owned company. Models shown are RX Hybrid FWD Dynamic; CO2 140g/km, fuel consumption (combined) 6.1l/100km (46.3mpg) & RX Hybrid AWD F-Sport; CO2 145g/km, fuel consumption (combined) 6.3 l/100km (44.8 mpg)

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BUSINESS IRELAND CONTENTS

619u Cool Grey 5u Cool Grey 11u

On The Cover:

ACTIVATING DUBLIN

The new President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Liam Kavanagh, speaks to Melissa Byrne about how the Chamber plans to ‘Activate Dublin’. 34 AHEAD IN THE CLOUD

Conor Forrest reports on how Ireland’s first cloud services brokerage firm can help Irish businesses get the inside track.

REGULARS 2

BRIEFCASE The latest business news.

CAREER PATH

36 GREEN ECONOMY FORUM

Emma Lane of Dublin Chamber of Commerce looks at the Green Economy Forum’s highlights in 2012 and its plans for the year ahead.

Recent job announcements.

40 IRISH HAVE IT MADE IN HONG KONG

Joseph O’Connor examines the aims of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum and how Hong Kong is more than just a gateway to mainland China.

10 MOVERS & SHAKERS is huManly possiblE. New appointments in the Dublin Movers & shakers inbusiness association with Manpower community.

05/09/2012 13:06:04

76 CHAMBER NEWS The latest news and events from the Chamber.

46 RIGHT ON TRACK

Since opening in 2004, the Luas has carried up to 80,000 passengers daily from south and west Dublin. Colm Gorey examines how the service was first established and its plans for the future.

FEATURES 15 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME Melissa Byrne and Conor Forrest report on The

51 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED IN BRAZIL

Gathering 2013 and how it will impact the travel and tourism sector in Ireland.

Joseph O’Connor reports on the outcome of Ireland’s trade mission to Brazil last year.

24 RAZOR SHARP MEDIA

Ian Cleary, CEO of RazorCoast, tells Business Ireland why his company should be the first port of call for your company’s social media needs.

THE ENGINE OF IRELAND’S DIGITAL FUTURE

Business Ireland looks at the opportunities available for companies seeking to do business online.

55 MOTORING

Motoring Editor Michael Sheridan test drives the new Dacia Sandero from Renault. UNHIDDEN GEM

THE NOT SO ROCKY ROAD…

Melissa Byrne writes about the development of Rockbrook Engineering and examines their recent success.

Conor Forrest looks at what makes the No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place family-run business so special.

EDITOR: Joseph O’Connor COMMERCIAL EDITOR: Conor Forrest MANAGING EDITOR: Ruairi Kavanagh CONTRIBUTORS: Conor Forrest, Colm Gorey, Ruairi Kavanagh, Melissa Byrne, Michael Sheridan, Emma Lane DESIGN: Edel Quinn ADVERT DESIGN: Alan McArthur PRODUCTION MANAGER: Leonard Wilson SALES DIRECTOR: Paul Clemenson PRINTING: W&G BAIRD BUSINESS IRELAND MAGAZINE is published by Ashville Media Group, on behalf of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce ASHVILLE MEDIA GROUP Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7. Tel: (01) 432 2200; Fax: (01) 672 7100 Email: info@ashville.com DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7 Clare Street. Tel: (01) 644 7200; Fax: (01) 676 6043; Email: info@dublinchamber.ie; Web: www.dublinchamber.ie Material printed in this journal is not necessarily endorsed by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce or by Ashville Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © 2013

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Briefcase The latest business news from Dublin.

u Dublin’s

cost falling, competitiveness rising

Dublin has dropped four places in the most expensive city rankings produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Dublin Chamber of Commerce said the move from 30th to 34th place was an important signal that Dublin was regaining its competitiveness which will benefit the city in the attraction of multinationals and tourists alike. Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber

Chief Executive said “Dublin’s latest ranking in the world cost of living survey is welcome news. In 2006, Dublin was ranked 16th most expensive city so this drop is important for us to communicate to international tourists and investors.” Quin added: “For the tourism sector, this demonstrates that Dublin is offering good value for money for tourists looking for ‘city breaks’ or long haul visits. Ireland has seen a rise in the number of overseas visitors to Ireland in the past year and this research coupled with the tourist VAT reduction should continue to help in the recovery of Ireland’s tourism sector.” The Worldwide Cost of Living is a bi-annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey that compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services. These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs. Tokyo regained the title of the world’s most expensive city, a ranking it first received in 1992 and has held on to for 17 of the past 23 years. Eight European cities were in the top 20 with the top ten containing Oslo, Norway (4th) and Zurich, Switzerland (7th). “We need to ensure that Dublin is offering a low cost and high quality of living in order to attract the most talented workers,” said Ms Quin. “By reducing the barriers of moving here for the people that make businesses grow, Dublin can help drive economic and jobs growth in Ireland,” concluded Ms Quin.

u Air

passenger growth highlights importance of connectivity

Dublin Chamber of Commerce has said that the two per cent rise in passenger numbers at Dublin Airport in 2012 is a positive sign for Ireland’s economy and highlights the importance of the region’s international connectivity. Dublin Chamber Chief Executive Gina Quin said: “Dublin Airport is in a strong position. It has more routes to North American cities than Gatwick Airport – the UK’s second busiest airport, so there is no reason why it can’t become an international hub for air travel. The passenger figures for 2012 are a very positive sign and it emphasises the importance of continued investment in Dublin Airport’s connectivity, particularly with emerging long distance markets. This is not only fundamental to the Irish tourism sector, but as an open economy with substantial inward foreign direct investment, it is also the means by which business travellers can access their international headquarters and customers with relative ease”. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) also announced that over the past two years, they have returned €3 million in airport charge rebates to its airline customers at Dublin Airport under the Growth Incentive Scheme. The scheme, which will continue to operate in 2013, is aimed at encouraging airlines to maintain and grow their business. Ms Quin said: “Dublin Chamber is strongly supportive of DAA’s Growth Investment Scheme which has contributed to significant improvements in the service offering at Dublin Airport. This is the second consecutive year that passenger numbers have grown and this can be attributed to the additional services being offered by the airlines.”

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Briefcase Business News

u eircom

launches eMobile for Business

Ireland’s largest telecommunications company, eircom Group, has announced the launch of eMobile for Business. eMobile is a comprehensive mobile service designed to fully address the requirements of Irish businesses, from SMEs to corporates and the public sector. Today’s launch of eMobile for business brings together, for the first time, a fully integrated fixed and mobile service for Irish businesses that not only provides greater value but will improve the overall service experience. eMobile has a range of highly competitive plans which helps businesses to manage their costs more effectively. Built on Ireland’s

largest telecommunications network, eMobile provides business customers with unrivalled performance. The proposition includes free access to over 1,800 eircom WiFiHub hotspots and will leverage its investment in fibre and 4G. Commenting on the launch, Ronan Kneafsey, Managing Director of eircom Business, said “What really stands out with eMobile is the unrivalled quality of service and support we provide to our business customers, in addition to the comprehensive suite of services we already offer businesses in Ireland. We’re offering cost control and flexibility, which is a major requirement for businesses regardless of whether they are an SME, a large corporate or a public sector body.”

(Pictured from left to right): Ronan Kneafsey, Managing Director, eircom Business with Fergal Kinane, IT Manager. uIrish sensor solution used on Discovery series

Technology developed by Enterprise Ireland client company Shimmer Research is being used in a TV series called ‘The Superhuman Showdown’ on the Discovery Channel. The TV series tracks down and investigates incredible people with abilities that extend far beyond that of ordinary humans. Established in 2008, Shimmer Research developed a bespoke analytics solution for the show to analyse data tracked from these superhumans. It is a small wireless sensor worn on the body of each superhuman to record and transmit physiological and kinematic

data in real-time to the bespoke analytics software application. Shimmer provided technology expert Dr. Karol O’Donovan to support the production of the show, and with his team they developed the analytics software that would be used to collect and analyse the scientific data resulting from each investigation. Dr. Karol O’Donovan said: “Involvement in a television production was a totally new environment for our engineers and presented them with challenges that we hadn’t previously encountered or foreseen. This work required us to develop highly adaptable solutions which could meet the fast changing demands of TV production.”

u Procurement

guide launched to support SMEs

A best practice guide designed to address the issues which inhibit SME procurement from the public sector has been launched by Minister Brian Hayes at an event in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. In Ireland and the UK alone, the public sector procures about €190 billion in goods and services every year. But although SMEs account for 99 per cent of total companies, they deliver less than half of the requirements of contracting authorities. Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive said: “Research has shown that, given the right conditions and assistance, SMEs can become more effective in winning and retaining supply contracts to Government and other authorities. This is a ‘win win’ for all; SMEs are the backbone of our economy and the primary generation source of employment and business taxes. When successful and facilitated, SMEs also have the potential to grow into large companies with an international reach”. Minister of State Brian Hayes said: “It is essential that we do everything in our power to remove barriers preventing SMEs from competing in the public service marketplace. This is an area that I have been personally involved with at both national and EU level but more progress is needed.” The best practice guide, which was developed by the Enterprise Europe Network at Dublin Chamber, is based on the findings and research unearthed through a series of targeted learning and networking workshops organised as part of the “Are tenders on your radar?” project. The aim of this EU-funded project was to improve SMEs’ access to public procurement, by bridging the gap between business and public buyers in both the UK and Ireland. 3

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Briefcase Business News

reports that Irish business ratings increased in 2012

New figures released by Experian, the global information services company, show that the stability and performance of Irish businesses has improved for the first time since 2008. A detailed analysis of over 50,000 of Ireland’s most actively trading businesses, predominantly SMEs, discovered that 2012 saw the number of positive credit events outweigh the number of negative events for the first time since 2008. A positive event is defined as at least a 25 per cent increase in the credit rating of a company. Experian credit ratings are used by a range of financial institutions, insurers and credit

departments to monitor for both warning and improvement signs in the business performance of customers and suppliers. Encouragingly, the analysis also found that the amount of credit recommended to clients has also increased by five per cent when compared with 2011 figures. Jim Kennedy, Head of Operations of Experian Ireland said, “SMEs rely on credit for their survival so it is heartening to see a positive credit trend emerging in 2012. In effect, the increases in credit recommendations and positive credit events show that Irish businesses are viewed as more stable both domestically and internationally, which will lead to more business confidence.” In 2012 Experian recorded 27,994 positive credit events compared with 2011 which saw 20,582 positive events. The ratio of positive to negative events increased from a low of 43 per cent in 2010 to 54.5 per cent in 2012. The total credit recommendations increased from €7.49 billion in 2011 to €7.85 billion in 2012.

u Initiative

aims to number of SMEs trading online increase number of by introducing an online trading SMEs trading online voucher to the value of €2,500.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2013 initiative for ‘Trading Online’ is an important contribution in making Ireland a digital retail leader in Europe, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The initiative aims to increase the

Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive said, “Dublin and Ireland will benefit if companies can link online commerce to their business plan. Each year, €4bn is spent by Irish consumers online, of which €3bn is being spent on overseas goods and services. It is vital that in retaining more of the €4bn expenditure that companies here focus less on getting ‘online’ as the goal and more on the commerce side of generating sales from being online.” Dublin Chamber of Commerce, as part of the ‘Activating Dublin’ project, will be piloting with leading international internet service firms in a similar initiative to support businesses to be ecommerce enabled. Initially twenty companies will be equipped with the tools they need to make the transition to online trading.

u Dublin

Chamber Welcomes Tierney Appointment

Dublin Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the appointment of Dublin City Manager John Tierney as Managing Director of Irish Water. Mr Tierney was appointed an ex officio member of the Council of Dublin Chamber in 2006 and works closely with business in supporting growth and employment in the region. Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive said, “Dublin Chamber has maintained a strong working relationship with John for over six years, and in that time he has played a pivotal role in promoting the Dublin brand both at home and abroad and in providing strong leadership to the largest local authority in the country. In addition, his involvement in the establishment of the annual ‘Innovation Dublin’ festival has helped showcase the City as a hub for innovation and creativity. I have no doubt that his vast experience and impressive track record in local government will be of great benefit to the establishment and running of Irish Water”. In his last three jobs as manager in Dublin City, Fingal and Galway City, Mr Tierney was heavily involved in the planning and delivery of major water services programmes. He has also prioritised water services under Dublin City Council’s smart city programme.

©thinkstock.com/stockbyte

u Experian

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Briefcase Business News

u Wi-Fi

Helps Promote Digital Dublin

Dublin’s evolution as a ‘digital city’ is right on track following the introduction of a free Wi-Fi service in the city centre, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive said, “Wi-Fi connectivity is something Dublin Chamber has continuously lobbied for and this latest instalment by Dublin City Council helps promote Digital Dublin. We continue to attract internet services companies to choose Dublin as their European headquarters and this has earned us the unofficial reputation as the ‘internet capital’ of Europe”. Over the past few months, free internet access has been extended to Dublin Airport, public parks and squares in the city centre and on many Dublin Bus routes. ‘Dublin Free Wi-Fi’, an initiative of Dublin City u Mount

Wolseley Awarded Best Golf Resort in Leinster

Council, has been launched in over twelve locations around the city. The first phase is available from the Civic Offices, Wood Quay to St. Patrick’s Park and Barnardos Square. The rest of the locations were rolled out over the city throughout the month of February and include areas such as O’Connell Street, Henry Street, Grafton Street and Smithfield. “The benefits outweigh the costs of installing and maintaining a public Wi-Fi network. It can provide internet access for people that could not otherwise afford it, help tourists avoid high data roaming charges, and drive shoppers into particular city centre areas.” concluded Ms Quin. The uptake of free Wi-Fi hotspots was highlighted recently by Dublin Airport. Since their free Wi-Fi service was launched, it has been availed of by more than one million passengers. Most European airports still charge for Wi-Fi. It costs £3 per hour at London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, and €4.50 for 90 minutes in Paris Charles de Gaulle after an initial free 15 minutes.

Wolseley, stated that the team is particularly honoured with the accolade as it is based on an allMount Wolseley Resort Hotel has been Ireland poll undertaken from awarded the Best Golf Resort in Leinster within the golf related industry. for 2013 by the Golfers Guide of Ireland. Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and The prestigious award recognises the Country Club offer the complete leadership role that luxury resort hotel experience for those wishing to take properties with golf courses are having a leisure or golfing break. The hotel on attracting tourists to our shores. also specialises in weddings and Lisa Morrissey, Director of Mount conferences.

u Cloud

services firm to create Dublin jobs

Cloud Compare, Ireland’s first Cloud Services Brokerage firm, has announced the creation of up to 12 technical and sales jobs in Dublin. The announcement comes as the company continues to grow, with plans to expand further in Ireland and move into the UK market. Cloud Compare will manage small, medium and large organisations’ transition to the Cloud. Cloud Compare offers businesses a refreshing and professional service to introduce Cloud through planning, research, independent expert advice, project management whilst filling the gap between the organisation and the Cloud Providers. They have developed a five stage framework called Cloud Adoption Framework for SMEs (CAFS) in conjunction with research carried out by University College Cork to assist businesses with moving their data, applications and business processes to the Cloud. Eamon Moore, CEO and Founder of Cloud Compare, explains how Cloud Compare will work: “Through the Cloud Compare brokerage service, businesses will be provided with independent advice regarding their individual Cloud Computing requirements. We will in turn recommend the most appropriate service through one of our Cloud Partners or through a tendering process based on our research of their requirements. Our aim is to provide businesses with the tools and techniques to evaluate and adopt Cloud technology within a quality controlled environment.”

Eamon Moore, CEO and Founder of Cloud Compare with Michael Dowling, Partner in Abacus Finance.

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A4 S

CArEEr PATH JOB CrEATION

into specialist telesales. The outsourced sales company is to provide dedicated outbound telesales services as an extension to its field sales service from the FMI respond call centre, which will be based in a new 2,000 sq-metre space at the firm’s head office in Dundrum. FMI Ltd was established in 1995 and its clients include Kraft Foods, Electric Ireland, Dog’s Trust, PepsiCo, Bulmers and Glanbia. The company currently employs 50 people at its head office.

Social networking giant Facebook is to create more than 100 new roles at its international HQ, Facebook Ireland, updating its status to 500 jobs in Dublin as it continues its current phase of expansion. Facebook’s Dublin office is its international headquarters and currently employs around 400 people in a broad range of roles including user operations, advertising, sales, policy and safety. The roles will have a significant economic impact and Facebook’s Dublin operation works closely with the Irish government, via the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and IDA Ireland. Minister Bruton has met senior executives from Facebook in their California headquarters as part of an intensive programme of IDA investment missions since taking office.

uecocem

u bnp

Business Ireland looks at companies expanding or starting operations in Dublin and the jobs that are coming on stream. uguiDewire

softwAre

Guidewire Software, a global provider of software solutions to the general insurance industry, is to create 75 new positions in 2013 to add to the existing 50 employees already employed at its Global Services’ and regional Development Centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Guidewire Software was founded in 2001 in Silicon Valley and has grown to become a market leader in the provision of core system software for the global general insurance industry. Guidewire established its Dublin location in July 2011. The significant expansion in Ireland will make Guidewire Ireland the largest office outside of the US and will bring to 125 the number of people the company expects to employ in Ireland. The extra staff will provide consultancy support and additional product development resources to support some of Guidewire’s customers which now span 16 countries and four continents. ufmi

ltD

Field sales management company FMI Ltd has announced the creation of 24 full-time permanent jobs for Dublin as a result of its expansion

ufAcebook

irelAnD

Ecocem Ireland is to create 61 jobs as part of a new three-year, €19m investment programme coinciding with the official opening of its new facility at Dublin Port. The plant will be used to bag Ecocem’s eco-friendly cement. It will be the highest quality, lowest carbon cement product produced in Ireland. The new plant, which was officially opened by Minister Brian Hayes, will lead to the creation of 25 direct jobs and 36 indirect jobs in other, directly-associated and Irishbased suppliers. On top of this, the programme will see investment reach €19m over the next three years, with

pAribAs securities services

BNP Paribas Securities Services, a global custodian with almost USD 7 trillion in assets under custody, has announced its move to new offices in Dublin, located at Trinity Point, South Leinster Street. The inauguration is supported by Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland. BNP Paribas Securities Services in Ireland has operated as a centre of excellence for the servicing of investment funds since 2001, offering a wide range of solutions including global custody and fund administration. g

©iStockphoto.com/studiovision

Career path

a €5m investment in machinery and infrastructure already made, and will lead to expanded development of export markets in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and the UK.

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A4 SBP ad:Layout 1

13/02/2013

22:38

Page 1

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MOVErS & SHAKErS APPOINTMENTS

Movers

Shakers

New appointments in the Dublin business community.

u eDel

o’connell, fuZion communicAtions

Edel O’Connell has joined Fuzion Communications as account director in the company’s Dublin office. O’Connell has a background in journalism and has earned numerous awards throughout her career, including Bord Gais regional Journalist of the year for a high-profile campaign on Cystic Fibrosis services, and Arromark Health Journalist of the year for her campaigning work on the dearth in stroke services in Irish hospitals. She will use her network of contacts and understanding of both traditional and new media to further Fuzion’s existing client’s interests as well as driving new business. O’Connell is the author of Little Fighters; ‘The Story of Ireland’s Conjoined Twins’, which was an Irish bestseller. She spent more than ten years working with

media publications including The Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Evening Echo and The Kingdom newspaper, across their print and digital formats. She has been a regular contributor on RTE, Newstalk, 4fm, Today FM and a variety of regional radio stations. She has a master’s of English from University College Cork and a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Editorial Centre in London.

and Aviva. He was director of underwriting and distribution in Hibernian from 2004 to 2009 and his most recent role was director of distribution and risk selection for Aviva Europe. He initially joined Norwich Union General in 1996 as director of claims. “We have ambitious plans for profitable premium growth in 2013 and beyond,” said Andrew Langford, chief executive of FBD. “Michael’s primary focus will be to work closely with our sales office network, financial solutions, support centre and marketing teams to ensure that we grow our business through our more established channels. He will also work with our broker and e-commerce teams to maximise the opportunity presented by these emerging channels.”

u michAel

gArvey, fbD insurAnce

FBD Insurance has appointed Michael Garvey as director of marketing and sales. Garvey, who succeeds Adrian Taheny, joins FBD Insurance from Aviva Europe. He has a wealth of insurance industry experience and has held senior executive roles in customer service, underwriting and sales in Norwich Union General, Hibernian

u fergus

gillen, mccAnn fitZgerAlD

Fergus Gillen has been named head of McCann FitzGerald’s banking and financial services group. Gillen

Expanding capabilitiEs 10

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MOVErS & SHAKErS APPOINTMENTS

succeeds Ambrose Loughlin who has led the group since 2000. Gillen joined McCann FitzGerald in 1997, working in the London office until 1999. Following a period in the structured finance group of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, London office, he rejoined the Dublin office of McCann FitzGerald in May 2002, and became a partner in 2004. Gillen focuses on a wide range of debt finance work, with a particular emphasis on debt capital markets (public and private), restructuring, securitisation, structured finance and bank lending transactions. He advises numerous financial institutions, both Irish and international, non-financial corporates and state-owned entities. Ambrose Loughlin has returned to full-time advisory work in the financial services, regulatory, insurance and asset management areas.

Ireland. He had previously worked for three years in client risk advisory with Barclays Capital and, prior to that, with Bank of Ireland Global Markets. Originally from Ballina, Co Mayo, McHale has an honours degree in commerce from University College Galway and is a member of the IACT.

of sponsorships, customer communications and public relations. She is a member of the Marketing Institute and has a BBS in marketing from the University of Limerick. She previously held marketing roles in GE and National Irish Bank.

u Anne

u shAron

KBC Bank Ireland has appointed Anne Marie Collins as customer engagement manager. Collins will be responsible for the design and development of KBC Bank’s retail customer engagement plans. She will develop the bank’s strategy for dealing with customers as they engage with different channels for different product needs, the management of market research, customer experience and satisfaction metrics. A key element of this role will also be the management of customer insights and analytics. Collins has over 15 years’ experience in financial services marketing and has held a number of senior marketing positions in KBC Bank Ireland. These include the bank’s “Business to Business” and “Business to Customer” marketing strategies as well as the management

rSM Farrell Grant Sparks has appointed Sharon Barrett as director in the restructuring and insolvency department. Barrett has extensive experience in providing financial and advisory services to a large number of clients across the retail, construction, financial services, hotel and leisure sectors. Her areas of expertise include corporate restructuring, insolvency, negotiations, business advisory and strategic reviews. She has additional expertise across financial reviews, due diligence, interrogation of forecasts, investigations and reporting on internal systems and controls. Barrett joined rSM Farrell Grant Sparks in May 2011 and was promoted to director in December 2012. She previously spent 10 years in AIB.

mArie collins, kbc bAnk irelAnD

u seAn

mchAle, DAnske bAnk

Danske Bank has announced the appointment of Sean McHale as head of its financial institutions group, UK and Ireland. He will be responsible for managing clients engaged in regulated activities, such as banks, insurers, asset managers, investment firms or pension funds. McHale joins Danske Bank from HSBC, where he had worked since 2008 as head of global markets for

bArrett, rsm fArrell grAnt spArks

is huManly possiblE. Movers & shakers in association with Manpower

12/11/2012 16:17:38

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Getting Dublin Activated he moved to The Irish Times in 2000. Kavanagh has been on the Chamber council since 2004. “I’d be very familiar with the policy structure and the major projects that we’re involved in”, Kavanagh says. “My election as President is a great honour and as someone who grew up and worked in the city all my life, I am very pleased and privileged.” u New

Chamber Project

Liam Kavanagh, Dublin Chamber of Commerce President and Managing Director of The Irish Times, speaks to Melissa Byrne about how the Chamber plans to ‘Activate Dublin’ and what’s in store for the newspaper in 2013.

he year ahead is destined to be an exciting one for Liam Kavanagh, the new President of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Not only will Kavanagh embark upon the new agenda for The Irish Times, he will do so in a year that contains a full programme of events for him and the Chamber’s

team with opportunities to showcase the city and country. These include Ireland’s EU Presidency, The Gathering and the Heineken Cup final. The newly-elected President has been involved with the Chamber for many years. His association began when he joined the Smurfit Group in 1999 and continued to develop when

‘Short term wins and long term gains’. These are the aims set out in the Activating Dublin scheme. This project is the key focus of the Chamber in 2013 and is designed with the intention to drive growth in the economy out to 2030. It has a single vision for the city, to be a “smart, adaptable city that cares for its citizens and visitors”. The intention is to activate Dublin for Ireland. Activating Dublin is about the Chamber engaging with business and working as closely as possible with the city, local politicians, the government and their senior officials to drive an agenda that will grow employment, provide more opportunity in Dublin and make the city a better place to live in, work in and visit. The work undertaken as part of the development of Activating Dublin involved feedback and input from more than 100 diverse multi-sector stakeholders. The work of agenciesand individuals in driving initiatives to improve and develop the region is acknowledged. The Chamber believes however it can underpin these initiatives by engaging with the members and the city to support employment and growth. Such collaboration can accelerate execution and ensure more success. There is a ‘short term wins’ approach set out in the project that can help to bring us out of an

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Cover story DCC PRESIDENT

economic recession, according to Kavanagh. He says: “There is also a long term aspect to the plan and I think as a city and as a country there is a need nonetheless for more long term planning as we emerge from a time when people have been pretty much focused on survival, staying in business and operating of necessity with a short term focus.” Kavanagh is adamant that we should not lack ambition when we picture Ireland in 15-20 years’ time. He points to projects such as the Aviva Stadium, Croke Park, the National Convention Centre and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, which have all been completed in the last 12 years. He says that if you had told people back then we would deliver on such projects, they would have laughed at you. He stresses that Activating Dublin “is also about getting more short-term wins and visible action on the ground that will begin to get things happening and to make things happen for people in a more positive way.” uShowcasing

the city

Kavanagh’s presidency coincides with both Ireland’s EU Presidency and The Gathering, both of which afford opportunities to showcase the city. In fact, the programme created for the Irish EU Presidency, ‘For Stability. For Jobs. For Growth.’ resonates with that of the Activating Dublin initiative. “If you look back at 2012, the city gained very significant benefits from the Eucharistic Congress to the Notre Dame (American Football) game and from a host of other events that happened in Dublin. Local hotels and tourism benefitted greatly. The challenge I think is to maintain that level of momentum over the years ahead and The Gathering will certainly play a key part in that,” says Kavanagh. The Gathering is set to have a short

term impact on the tourism industry with long term prospects existing for Dublin as a major tourist venue and tourist centre. Activating Dublin and Destination Dublin, an ongoing project to attract visitors to the capital, endeavour to maintain and enhance the tourism industry and opportunities in the city. Kavanagh also believes this is an ideal time for Ireland to hold the EU Presidency. It is not only a chance for the government to showcase Ireland to our European colleagues, but also to showcase the country to the rest of the world. “It allows us to try and tell a better story than people have heard over the last number of years. It tells a story about Ireland moving on, about where we can be instead of where we came from. But I think the key thing will be that the Government can showcase Ireland in a much more positive way than they have been able to up until now. The deal over our promissory notes is also a major positive. It gives us certainty and from that confidence will grow.” uChanging

times

So will holding two such prestigious posts be a daunting task? Kavanagh appears unfazed. He is confident that 2013 will be a successful year with the support of his two teams. “There’s a great team in the Chamber and there’s a great team in The Irish Times so I’d be relying on both for support.” He adds: “The Chamber activities are hugely well supported by the team who work for the membership in the Chamber led by Gina Quin. The President is very well supported by that team and I have no doubt it will be the same in 2013.” Last year proved to be a good one for The Irish Times despite a difficult start. Kavanagh says people were still glad to see the back of it but believes the difference between going into

“Kavanagh’s presidency coincides with both Ireland’s EU Presidency and The Gathering, both of which afford opportunities to showcase the city.”

2013 compared with 2012 is that they are coming into this year with a bit of momentum behind them. “The domestic economic outlook is better. Advertising did pick up in the final quarter of the year. The Irish Times has benefitted from that and that’s been maintained into the early part of 2013.” “The big thing we did at the end of 2012 was our newspaper redesign to modernise The Irish Times and make it more user friendly. We also launched our marketing campaign ‘The Story of Why’. Its key message is that The Irish Times is your go-to source for news, analysis and insight that you won’t get anywhere else,” Kavanagh said. These significant developments, along with the launch of a new website will provide the platform for increasing The Irish Times audience and generating additional revenue and this will be the main focus for the coming year. Some of those plans are quite tentative but Kavanagh is confident we will see some significant online developments from The Irish Times over the next number of months. uOptimistic

outlook

While Activating Dublin will be the key policy objective for the new President and the Chamber this year, the group will continue to run its existing events, activities and programmes that are already popular, with a view to extending some of these as the year progresses. Kavanagh believes the Chamber will continue to grow and prosper this year and that things will improve for the country economically. He concludes on a positive note: “I think that not only in Ireland generally but also in Dublin there is a sense of things improving. We have to be very cautious about that as we’ve seen these straws in the wind before but I’d be hopeful that we’d see 2013 as the year that things began to change for The Irish Times, Dublin and Ireland, with a return to a more normal economic environment.” g 13

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BI Survey Total Experience

A Total Experience Activities company Total Experience offers a wide range of fun and effective team building activities, explains Brian Keogh.

mobile activities company operating out of the Wicklow region, Total Experience offers a broad range of activities for companies looking to build a team building spirit in a more unconventional setting. Brian Keogh, who has over 25 years experience in outdoor sports and events management, provides outdoor team building exercises, to go along with company training programmes. “Within the last few months, we would have worked with Google, Paddy Power, the Irish Medical Board and the Kerry Group. Those guys would be the

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kind of business we would work with,” Keogh explains. In some cases a typical day would see the team at Total Experience working in conjunction with independent trainers hired by those companies to run their training programmes, who would take advantage of Total Experience’s broad knowledge base to facilitate leadership skills and training. The activities company also works with companies who have taken on team building programmes in house, and seek Total Experience’s help on the next level of team building. Total Experience provide a vast range of activities

ranging from the fun – red team vs blue team challenges – to the more traditional like archery, 4x4 driving, fishing and raft building. Though Total Experience mostly operates from Wicklow, their work with businesses has seen them travel further afield. “There are a couple of companies and they would generally be linked to the big hotels such as Carton House. Here in Wicklow, Tulfarris would be our hotel of choice, because we have access to the lake for our kayaking and rafting, and its proximity to Dublin would be very good. g For more information, contact Brian on (087) 8307214 or email brian@totalexperience.ie

22/03/2013 14:56:24

Spotlight the gathering

There’s no place like home Taking a trip to the Emerald Isle is not as easy as clicking your heels together and chanting ‘there’s no place like home’, but the tourism industry is aiming to enhance the Irish experience for visitors to our shores with its action plan – The Gathering. There are hopes among those in the sector that its benefits will not be short-lived. Melissa Byrne and Conor Forrest report.

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SPOTLIGHT THE GATHErING

and the uniquely Irish custom of having the ‘craic’. Events range from the serious to the heart warming and even the downright nuts! recently, actor Daniel DayLewis organised a special premiere screening of his latest film, Lincoln, and a benefit auction consisting of film memorabilia for the Wicklow Hospice Foundation. Family gatherings are taking place in every county, from the smallest village to Dublin City and everyone named Clare, Clair or Claire is asked to go to Ennis on June 23rd in an attempt to break the world record of largest gathering of people with the same name. uno

Forget Dorothy’s slippers, Ireland is looking to the airports and travel agents to bring home those who can be enticed to visit the country and improve what has been a depleted tourism industry since the economic downturn. Developed from an idea that surfaced in 2009, is it any wonder we feel like the build up to The Gathering 2013 has been eternal? Discussion on the subject and a colossal amount of planning continued right up until rTÉ marked the launch of the event by broadcasting the New year’s Eve festival live around the globe. With so much effort afforded to The Gathering, it is a subject of debate, criticism and high expectations. uwhAt’s

the story?

The idea for the initiative was originally proposed at the first Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh in 2009. By now the entire country and many others from further afield, is aware that The Gathering is a tourism-led project. Fáilte Ireland,

the National Tourism Development Authority, and Tourism Ireland are driving the initiative with the support of the government and key partners. Nationally speaking, success will mean an additional 325,000 overseas visitors to Ireland which will generate both an additional €170 million in revenue for the Irish economy and lead to the creation of 2,720 jobs. Over 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry and in a tremendous effort to boost tourism, business and the overall popularity of the island, the event is calling these people home. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected during the year, which incidentally is the 50th anniversary of JFK’s visit to Ireland in 1963. Friends and family who have moved abroad with a yearning to come home, those with distant links to the country or simply an impulse to visit, are among the expected visitors. Villages, towns and cities have organised various activities to showcase and share the best of Irish culture, tradition, business, sport

plAin sAiling

The initiative has had its detractors, chief amongst these being actor Gabriel Byrne, who denounced The Gathering initiative as a ‘scam’ and maintained that the diaspora were more interested in developing a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Ireland rather than being on the end of a ‘shakedown.’ recently the chairman of the initiative, Tim O’Connor, congratulated Byrne for starting a conversation about that relationship between the Irish people and those currently living abroad who claim Irish descent, and stressed that if The Gathering 2013 was simply “a professional tourist initiative,” it would fail. The Irish Hotels Federation have mirrored O’Connor’s comments, stating that there are significant opportunities to grow visitor numbers from the US in particular, with The Gathering “acting as a catalyst for a better understanding of how Ireland can nurture real and meaningful relationships that go beyond tourism.” Doubts have also been raised on the commercial side of things, as to the viability of the enterprise in trying to not only increase the market for 2013 but far beyond. Budget airline ryanair last November claimed that rather than boosting tourism, The Gathering would have no positive effect at all,

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The launch of the Aer Lingus International Hurling Festival in Croke Park.

and predicted that visitors numbers this year would actually fall. “We don’t believe there’ll be any boost from The Gathering,” said Michael Cawley, Deputy Chief Executive of ryanair, speaking on Newstalk Breakfast at the time. “Tourism numbers are directly a function of the number of airline seats available. There’ll be less airline seats available into and out of Ireland next year, exclusively because of the disastrous pricing policy of the DAA, primarily at Dublin airport but also at Shannon and Cork. Despite the massive marketing campaign, you can’t push a quart into a pint bottle, there aren’t enough seats on airlines in this country to increase tourism next year, and it’s inevitably going to fall.” Economist Dr Geoff riddington previously undertook a costbenefit analysis of The Gathering’s older sibling – Scotland’s similarly minded ‘Homecoming Scotland’, held in 2009 and centred around the same idea of drawing back the diaspora. “I think, similar to Ireland, the package is fundamentally a marketing package. It enabled the advertising people from Edinburgh to sell Scotland in a new way, and I suppose really, that’s what the whole thing is,” explained

Dr riddington, speaking to rTE radio. “The minuses I think, will be equally true for Ireland – it’s going back to existing mature markets, and I very much doubt that you’ll get value for money from the marketing - that’s my own sort of feeling, that happened with Scotland - is that we didn’t get, really, that much from the event.” Instead of targeting Ireland’s diaspora, many of whom will come from North America, Ireland should be looking towards the emerging markets in China and Japan, he advises. However, Homecoming Scotland is planned to take place once more in 2014, so it must have been a partial success in meeting organisers’ objectives four years ago. upositive

hoteliers

In the region of 196,000 people are employed in the tourism industry in Ireland, an industry which accounts for one in every ten jobs in the country. Of these, 54,000 are employed in the hotel and guesthouse sectors, and this group in particular holds a positive outlook on The Gathering – not just its potential to increase tourism and profits in 2013, but to create a lasting effect on the lagging Irish tourism sector. According to a recent statement from

the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), in the region of 76 per cent of hoteliers are expecting a growth in business as a direct result of The Gathering. The Federation believes that local community involvement in particular is key to the future of regional tourism, with over 300 initiatives identified as having potential to create success far beyond 2013. IHF president, Michael Vaughan, has stated that the long term success story of The Gathering would be the result of a harnessing of the ‘momentum, energy and grass-root enthusiasm that has grown from the ground up.’ Vaughan believes that there is untold potential to create both a lasting and sustainable regional tourism platform that would lead to growth and employment in the industry. “The real benefit of The Gathering will be to harness the interest, application and energy that the local community groups have shown. We now have highly active and motivated groups right across our communities who are engaged within their local areas organising events of every scale,” said Vaughan. “In effect, these community groups in their regions are creating reasons for people to come to their area. This is bringing tourism product

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SPOTLIGHT THE GATHErING

development right back into the regions. We need to help these groups continue their efforts into the future through creating a support framework going forward,” he added. “Active, engaged communities bring the Irish welcome to life and that will be the lasting effect of The Gathering that can be built upon into the future.” ucustomiseD

irelAnD

While it is too early in the year to calculate the exact increase in figures, businesses throughout Ireland will feel the impact of The Gathering if the anticipated hundreds of thousands of tourists arrive at our ports and airports over the coming months. Custom Ireland is one company that expects to see results from the year long festival. The company provides customised travel experiences to overseas visitors to Ireland offering business and leisure packages. “I think The Gathering initiative is an excellent idea. The marketing has been, in particular, from our point of view, successful in the States. I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of agents making reference to it though it is still too early to quantify. But anything that can focus the mind of

people on Ireland as a destination is a positive,” said Fiona O’Sullivan, Director and Founder of Custom Ireland. According to O’Sullivan, the success of the year will be measured by the experience of the visitor, how welcome they feel, what collectives, groups and communities offer to the visitors – the benefit of The Gathering may be felt for a few years, she believes. The team knows their product – Ireland – and they in particular will notice the results. Through strong relationships with clients, trade partners and suppliers, they will be able to examine the changes in tourism from last year and judge how effective The Gathering proved for themselves and those they work with. “Ideally I would really like to see The Gathering become a countrywide event every few years. For any initiative like The Gathering there is a huge learning curve and it would be a terrible pity if it was a one-off event,” said O’Sullivan. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, O’Sullivan also advises caution when it comes to predicting the outcome: “I also feel that we should have realistic expectations for the year.” realistic expectations are essential as the country requires more than The Gathering to aid an economic recovery. uAer

lingus

As a key partner to The Gathering initiative and a major aspect of the Irish tourist industry, Aer Lingus has quite a lot invested in the tourist project. Promotions have been kicking into high gear, with summer season capacity on transatlantic routes increased by 15 per cent. Across European routes, Aer Lingus has been dropping prices to attract growth and ‘Gathering’ travel. EU and UK flights will see a 25 per cent price drop during the summer months with continuous sales promotions running all year long. “When we heard of The Gathering initiative about 18 months ago we immediately saw it as an opportunity for Aer Lingus to contribute to the resurgent tourism sector,” explains

Declan Kearney, Director of Communications. “We’re the largest carrier in the Ireland market so when we heard of The Gathering, the question for us was never whether we play a part, but rather ‘how?’ We’re fully committed to making it a big success for the sake of Aer Lingus and the Irish tourism industry in general. The Gathering will, in my view, give a welcome lift to the 2013 visitor numbers. There appears to be a strong awareness of 2013 as a special year to visit Ireland in all the main markets, particularly in the US. There is certainly the potential for Irish tourism to see a long-term benefit through re-establishing links between the Irish overseas and their home country. The Homecoming project in Scotland is probably the only relevant reference point available and in that case, the lift in numbers has lasted beyond 2009.” The flagship airline – which has seen January and February traffic slightly ahead of this time last year, with a new daily revenue record reached during the January sale – clearly believes in the possibility of success for The Gathering 2013 and has been both directly and indirectly involved in a number of events thus far this year, and has many more planned throughout 2013. Former staff members organised two events – an engineering apprentice reunion which saw a gathering of 450 former apprentices from a total population of 900 spread across the globe, and the 28th Aer Lingus Airline Tenpin Bowling Tournament. Later this year, the Aer Lingus International Hurling Festival will take place in Galway between the 18th and 21st September. “Together with our partner airline, Etihad Airways, we’ll bring teams from New york, San Francisco, Canada, Asia, the UK, Continental Europe, the Gulf and Australia. Aer Lingus and the GAA are also using the tournament as an opportunity to promote the game of hurling in developing regions by including teams such as Buenos Aires, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and a Europe team made up of Irish non19

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BUSINESS IRELAND SPRInG 2013 Spotlight ARTICLE the gathering

“There’s a great energy and a great initiative here, to sell Ireland in a really big way…to remind people of what we have, because some people forget.” nationals,” says Kearney. “It is our key Gathering event. We believe that a visit to the festival and exposure to the beauty of our national game will make a positive addition to the overall Ireland experience for overseas visitors.” u Dublin

Airport Authority

As with Aer Lingus, the enthusiasm with which the Dublin Airport Authority is involving themselves in The Gathering initiative highlights their expectance of success. “We’re looking at over 250,000…additional tourists coming in…80 per cent of those would be expected to come through Dublin and Cork airports,” said Siobhan Moore, speaking recently to TV3’s Ireland AM. “As you can imagine, we will certainly be rolling out the welcome mat. We’re working very close with all these agencies to make sure that this works. There’s a great energy and a great initiative here, to sell Ireland in a really big way…to remind people of what we have, because some people forget.” This year will see a number of activities and competitions the DAA will be involved in – the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of Aer Rianta and DAA football club, a coming together of past and present members of the club to recall its formation in 1972/73. In addition, the DAA launched ‘The Big Welcome’ competition in early March, offering winners the chance to fly friends or family home to Ireland, spending the week in an Irish heritage site. “We are very pleased to provide this opportunity for people to invite friends and family home to enjoy The Gathering,” said Maurice Hennessy, Director, Commercial, DAA. “Dublin and Cork airports are two of the key gateways for all visitors to Ireland and the airport websites offer a broad range of useful information about the airports and the customers

services on offer.” Jim Miley, Project Director with The Gathering, has also put his stamp of approval on the DAA activity. “The Gathering is not only about the excitement and fun of visiting Ireland but the richness of the heritage we have to offer here and ‘The Big Welcome’ is a great way of bringing all this to life.” Meanwhile, the Airlines in Transition event will be held this year in Ireland, at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt resort in Co Wicklow. The summit, which will see airline chief executives and senior executives from all continents attend, is being hosted by the DAA. While the event’s main aim is to examine the issues which shape the direction in which the world’s airlines are heading, DAA Strategy Director Vincent Harrison is confident about the impact hosting such an important aviation conference will have beyond the borders of 2013. “We are delighted to be hosting this year’s Airlines in Transition event,” he said. “DAA looks forward to welcoming representatives of some of the world’s leading airlines to Dublin and to Wicklow in the year of The Gathering, and to showcasing the opportunities for growing their business at Dublin and Cork airports.” uFCM

Travel

Equally positive concerning The Gathering and its possibilities is FCm Travel Solutions. In addition to being a full service Travel Management Company, the business also incorporates a dedicated MICE department (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) and so has plenty to gain from should The Gathering not only become a success this year, but lay the foundations for lasting benefits. “We have seen the impact already with clients and industry associations who are having meetings in Dublin to support The Gathering,” says Clodagh Flanagan, Business Development Manager with FCm Travel Solutions. In anticipation

of increased service demand during 2013, FCm made changes within their company, consolidating their Groups and Events team and merging that team with their leisure groups division to offer more resources in order to cope with increased demand. The company has also been promoting The Gathering to their corporate database, highlighting the services available from the Groups and Events team, and how FCm can help with Gathering events of all shapes and sizes. Despite only being three months into the yearlong event, FCm have already begun to spot a positive trend in their sector. “We have seen an increase in enquiries specifically relating to meetings, incentives, conferences and events which we would attribute to corporates capitalising on The Gathering and the benefits it offers their businesses,” Flanagan explains. “There has been an increase in bookings particularly for incentive style trips, for example rewarding staff or thanking clients.” Although it is still early in the year, Flanagan and FCm see The Gathering 2013 as an opportunity to showcase Ireland to the world, and highlight the tourism potential of the country. “We believe that this opportunity to showcase what Ireland has to offer will result in future incoming groups. Many of our industry colleagues will be visiting and who better to showcase to than travel companies who can directly promote Ireland as a destination?” Thus far, 2013 is still in its infancy, and any solid figures regarding an uptake in people coming into the country – and whether this is a direct result of efforts on behalf of The Gathering – are not yet available. While some may be skeptical as to whether any benefits to the country and the tourism industry in particular will hold out beyond this December, what is clear is that those involved in promoting the initiative are doing so whole-heartedly, with the belief that the result from their actions and activities will not only be felt over the course of the next few months, but also in the years to come. Only time will tell. g 21

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PLATFORM GOOGLE

Shane Nolan, Country Manager, Google Ireland.

The Engine Of Ireland’s Digital Future Shane Nolan, Country Manager of Google Ireland, tells Business Ireland that while the country is well behind the European curve in terms of doing business online, this is not a time for trepidation, it is a time of great opportunity.

hane Nolan speaks frequently of the need for a heightened level of ‘digital sophistication’ in Ireland when it comes to businesses creating effective business spaces for themselves in the online world. It is very clear that a great many Irish businesses are not very sophisticated at all when it comes to the opportunities which the digital world presents. In fact, according to Google, somewhere in the region of

23,000 businesses, which it surveyed as part of its Getting Ireland Online programme, have no website at all. “Our role here is to invest time, effort and resources so we can assist Irish businesses in getting the most from the massive possibilities which the digital marketplace holds,” explains Nolan. Stacking up against our European counterparts, there are two scorecards to consider. One is the Irish consumer market, which

compares very favourably, and even ahead of the average when it comes to digital interaction. “The Irish consumer is very digital savvy so the challenges now are to expand this into the business sector, which is some distance behind the EU average and a significant distance behind the UK market, which is very mature in terms of embracing digital. Our work is all about how we grow our business culture. We see huge opportunities for Irish business to address this deficit and we’re here to help businesses adapt, innovate and expand into the digital world,” he adds. It’s one thing having a website, but it’s something else entirely to 23

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PLATFORM GOOGLE

“We are very much engaged in ‘evangelising’ to senior executives at major Irish companies about the benefits of a cohesive digital strategy. We show the power of online analytics in understanding consumer behaviour, and we feel it’s having a demonstrable impact on how businesses view the digital landscape.” actually do business online – to use digital transactions as a core of how an Irish business functions. Again, the duality in this area between the consumer and business communities is evident in the statistics. “As a nation we spend over €4 billion online every year. However, €3 billion of that goes to overseas companies. It’s a fairly demining statistic. But, while it’s frustrating that the Irish business community is losing out on such a massive percentage of a lucrative market, these statistics also show the massive potential for profit which digital holds. This is a massive opportunity, but it will require a mind-shift amongst a large proportion of the Irish business community in order to properly exploit it.” Nolan believes that the severity of the economic downturn and the longevity of it, which has impacted on the mood of the business community, has also had an impact on the rate of digital take-up amongst the businesses here. “The digital world has been seen as a threat to more established methods of doing business, rather than a unique opportunity. One of the most frequent mistakes we encounter is that digital is still seen by many businesses as ‘someone else’s job’, whether that be someone in IT or someone in marketing. It’s treated as an afterthought to a company’s overall marketing strategy. For instance, a company might carry out an extensive and expensive promotional campaign and then, with whatever budget is left over, is spent on digital, in a very unstructured way. Again, when you consider how digital media is so ingrained in the daily life of so many Irish consumers, it doesn’t make sense to approach it in this

way. Businesses need to understand how important the digital process is in the decisions that people make and to become part of that process, so that digital is a key part of your business’s engagement and marketing strategy,” adding, “it’s no longer enough just to have a website, we often ask the question of companies; what does your website do? The response to that question is the driver to realising where they want their website to go.” The weight of a global digital icon such as Google being involved in promoting the benefits of digital to business means that the influencing is being done at boardroom level. “We are very much engaged in ‘evangelising’ to senior executives at major Irish companies about the benefits of a cohesive digital strategy. We show the power of online analytics in understanding consumer behaviour, and we feel it’s having a demonstrable impact on how businesses view the ‘Unhidden Gem’ digital landscape.” There is still some way to go though. Dublin Chamber of Commerce has set a target of getting 40 per cent of the capital’s businesses selling online by the end of 2013, which gives some indication as to the low saturation rates that digital still has within the business community. In addition, approximately 95 per cent of Irish sites are not optimised for use on mobile devices. Latest figures show that smartphone penetration level in Ireland will pass the 75 per cent barrier in 2013. “So you have three quarters of the population possessing devices on which 95 per cent of the nation’s websites are not optimised to run on. The growth of mobile is phenomenal, far faster than anticipated,” Nolan explains.

“Our own research shows that users with smartphones access Google services a massive 50 times more than they would do on a desktop computer. Tablets are at 20 per cent saturation in the market, so this shows that people are opting to change the way they engage with services and products and businesses need to be ready to take advantage of it. If sites aren’t optimised for mobile, your business will lose out. Three seconds is the average amount of time a user will wait for a site to react, then they move on to the next one. Tolerance levels have become a lot lower and brand loyalty is diluted by poorly performing websites,” he adds. Working alongside fellow giants of the digital world, such as Facebook and PayPal, Google are partnered with organisations such as Dublin Chamber of Commerce to promote the benefits of digital. “We find Dublin Chamber to be a very proactive Chamber in this regard and does provide access and influence to key decision makers in some of the city’s most important firms. We use our own platform, Google Adwords, to show businesses how they can optimise their web presence and make themselves more visible in a very crowded marketplace,” says Nolan. He is optimistic about the future though, saying that Irish businesses do have the dynamism to embrace and succeed in the digital world. He says: “I think there could be a better education focus on digital, but we do produce excellent workers and we have the backdrop of many of the world’s digital powerhouses operating in our own backyard. We have seen real results in terms of companies realising what is needed to be done in terms of their digital strategy and hiring extra people as a result. From our own engagement, we know of at least 19 people who have been hired in 2012 at different companies as a result of working with the Google Ireland team and we’re very proud of that, and hopefully a lot more will follow.” 

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The Not so Rocky Road… Photo: Lucy Mulvihill

Jon Hughes, Managing Director of Rockbrook Engineering, tells Melissa Byrne about the development of the company and why the last three years have been their most successful.

Jon Hughes, Managing Director, Rockbrook Engineering.

rom humble beginnings in 2003, Rockbrook Engineering has gone on to become one of Ireland’s largest system integrators. With its ten year anniversary looming, the company is set to open its first international office in the UK. Rockbrook began its tenure by providing specialist process control & industrial automation systems to the food and beverage industry. Having successfully delivered projects for key sites such as St James Gate Brewery, Baileys Global Supply and Tetra Pak, the company became industry synonymous for providing reliable, integrated solutions; on time and in budget. As Rockbrook grew, it diversified into new market segments by forming three additional specialist divisions, namely Audio Visual Solutions, Building Technologies and Service and Support, each with their

own dedicated engineering teams and project managers. uCompany

formation

Five senior project engineers with Siemens Ireland - Paul Byrne, Juan Carlos Gil Raffo, Neill Connolly, Brian Franzoni and Jon Hughes decided to risk it all and build their own business right when economic momentum was at its height. The directors of Rockbrook seized the opportunity to develop a company based on their own extensive experience in the field of engineering. “We’d finished a big automation upgrade project in Guinness Brewery at the time, so we had a good relationship with our one big client, Diageo. For the first year or so we just acted in providing automation engineering services for Diageo,” said Jon Hughes, Managing

Director and one of the five creators of the company. “By the end of the first four years we had taken on two people and we managed some very high profile jobs. It gave customers a lot of confidence in us when we started to expand our business,” Hughes continued. uIntegrating

divisions

three

While process control was the primary service of the company in its early years, today Rockbrook also provides facilities in other areas; audio visual (AV), building technologies and service and support. The AV division was created in 2005 when the group constructed an exhibition for The Guinness Storehouse. “We grabbed this opportunity and integrated an AV system into the design. In the same year we were awarded the AV service contract for the entire building which was, and still is, the largest AV site in Ireland,” said Hughes. The team attributed their growth at this point to providing high technology and IT-driven AV solutions in a market that was much more traditional in its approach to AV systems design. The Convention Centre Dublin is now home to a “State-of-the-art” digital signage system completed on time and within budget in 2010 by the experienced Rockbrook team. The venue incorporates the latest technology throughout the building including 150 LCD Screens, nine live video feed relays and 19 meeting room signs with integrated LCD displays. Since its inception, Rockbrook’s AV division has become a centre of excellence in the delivery of ultra-high resolution video walls for exhibition, retail and control

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spotlight Rockbrook

room applications. The team ranges from hardware designers, creative architects and software development engineers to experienced installation teams. The building technologies division was formed in 2007. Investing heavily in this sector Rockbrook began the integration of typically standalone systems. “In the building technology sector we found that a lot of standalone contractors would do different jobs. We saw that if we were able to integrate all these things together it would make a much more cost effective option and you would have common user interfaces across everything. This is what we called our IFMS system (Integrated Facility Management System),” Hughes explained. They have completed numerous high profile building automation projects including Aviva Stadium Power Management, Aviva Stadium lighting and CCD lighting systems. But it is only in the last year that customers have started to look favourably on the single highly integrated approach to this sector. “The challenge was that customers were very wary about giving complete building control to one company. The last two years has seen a swing in this trend as customers are demanding a higher degree of integration from consulting engineers. People were afraid to put all their eggs in one basket,” said Hughes. Great Northern Haven, a purpose-built development of 16 apartments for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) applications, is one of the latest projects completed by the company. The system provides energy efficiency, lighting control, temperature control, presence detection and central and remote monitoring. This system is designed to enable the remote monitoring of an illness so that a resident can live independently, knowing they are connected to friends, family and carers. This is the essence of the innovative new care model AAL, and the design and installation of an age-

friendly, environmentally-friendly and integrated building management system (IBMS). These were created by Rockbrook through research and collaboration to meet the changing needs of the residents. uExpanding

business

The last three years have proved to be the most successful for the company to date. “People have started to think that they’d like to link up all the systems. We’ve increased our staff to 28 employees with a view to increase to 40 in the next two years and in 2013 we are setting up our first overseas office in the UK.” Hughes believes their success is due to a focus on innovation and a crosstrained engineering team. All of the sales and customer focus people are experts in their engineering fields themselves as opposed to being sales people who learn the field. The company’s most recent award nominations are for the KNX awards, which set the global industry standard for this trade. Rockbrook are currently working on a development for the Irish Pharmaceutical Society which incorporates a taste of all the division services the team offer. Integrated Systems include: energy monitoring, lighting control, HVAC heating, access control, CCTV, disabled toilet call systems, nurse call systems, audiovisual and digital signage. While the company still believes there is room to consolidate their position on the Irish market, they recognise that they are reaching the limit of big projects available to them. “The actual room to expand in Ireland is going to be our biggest problem on the high end integrated systems side, so overseas is one thing that needs to be targeted,” explained Hughes. “We’ve built some strong relationships with companies overseas who have us doing project work for them here in Ireland, so we’ve got some good stepping stones to take that into the UK, other parts of Europe and the Middle East over the next year. We’ll also work with Enterprise Ireland on that too.” g

Ca s e s t ud y: T h e g u i n n e s s s t o r e h o u s e

engineering

The Guinness Storehouse is a key client of Rockbrook Enginering. Solutions delivered include: • High Definition Upgrade for the entire building •Interactive PODs in flash animation • KNX Lighting Control System Upgrade • Mechanical Design & Construction of Pods • IP-based live streaming to mobile devices • Design & installation of touch-screen walls All components assembled by Rockbrook. Most recently Rockbrook’s AV division carried out works as part of the 4th floor upgrade. These include: • 21 screen full HD interactive video wall • Real time display of Guinness social media posts around the world • Custom made 3.1 million pixel video server • Wireless IT network installed throughout the building • Virtualised backend servers handling all data • Ipad integration & control •Infographic wall The cameras installed in the Academy Bar to capture the customer learning ‘how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness’ are designed so that once an image is taken the rendering is displayed and distributed to the infographic wall on the fourth floor and is also distributed to the ipads around the atrium railing. Here people can get photos & upload them directly to their Facebook account.

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UNBEATABLE REWARDS IN ANY LANGUAGE

We’re hiring. Apply at:

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sme feature n o . 25 fitzwilliam place

Unhidden Gem No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place Director, Fiona Kelly, explains to Conor Forrest what makes the family-run business so special.

ublin is synonymous with Georgian architecture, erected during the 18th and 19th centuries as the city grew in size, population and wealth. It was characterised by slate roofs, stylised window guards, arches and lampposts and a variety of coloured brick, from red and brown to orange and grey. Alongside St. Stephen’s Green and Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Place sits at the heart of Georgian Dublin, and No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place is a fine example of the elegant houses that were home to the city’s most fashionable residents from the 18th Century until about fifty years ago. These days, many of Dublin’s Georgian houses are in office use and No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place is no different, housing a family-run private dining and events business bearing the same name as its

prestigious address. No. 25 is the sister business to Brasserie Le Pont, which lies on the courtyard level of No.25/26 Fitzwilliam Place. The restaurant, which serves classic French/European cuisine opened its doors to the public in April 2011, and has gone from strength to strength since then, managed and run by a team which includes head chef James Doyle, who previously worked at Gordon Ramsey at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt. With the restaurant’s private dining room proving quite popular, management decided to expand upwards, and following a little redecoration and a lot of careful thought and consideration, No. 25 was born. Fiona Kelly, with her sisters Clare and Rebecca and her brother Alexander, are the family behind No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place, and

together they bring over a decade of experience in the provision of high quality services. “Being a family business makes it all the more exciting, I think,” says Fiona Kelly. “We all have such a vested interest in the venue and love it like it is our home in many ways. It has been lovingly redecorated and exudes warmth from the moment you enter. We are all very involved in the dayto-day running of the business, with all of my siblings working within one capacity or another. We are absolutely committed to delivering not only a beautiful venue, but an excellent, professional and personable service along with it. This is so important to all of us.” On the courtyard level lies Brasserie Le Pont, the sister business to No. 25, and which impressed Irish Independent restaurant reviewer and resident critic on RTE’s The Restaurant, Paolo Tullio, when he visited last summer. “I have been managing Brasserie Le Pont since it 29

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sme feature n o . 25 fitzwilliam place

“No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place offers an unusual and glamorous venue for both private and corporate events.”

Fiona Kelly, Director, No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place.

began along with my excellent team led by James Doyle, executive head chef in the kitchen and Siegfried Pouillain in front of house,” says Kelly. I am thankful to say that over the last few years, the Brasserie has gone from strength to strength, and while we were once described as a ‘hidden gem,’ we are now getting our good name out there. As a family, we have talked about opening a restaurant for years and it’s a wonderful feeling to see this dream become a reality. Having holidayed in France as a child, a French brasserie was the obvious choice. The French know their food and wine and, having worked in a number of French restaurants myself, I’ve learnt that they also know service and how to create an ambience. Today’s diner wants high quality food as well as value for money and we believe we’ve got the balance just right.” Heading back upstairs, with a number of beautifully furnished

private rooms named for some of the most celebrated architects and craftsmen working during Dublin’s Georgian era, No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place can hold a maximum of 60 people for a sit down dinner or 100 for a canapé reception. “I think it’s fair to say that people fall in love with the venue the moment they enter,” says Kelly. “Georgian houses are just so beautiful anyway, and this beauty is accentuated further with the right furnishing and décor. No. 25 combines old with new beautifully. Suites are available individually or the entire venue can be taken as a whole.” Kelly explains. “All of [our rooms] have beautiful working fireplaces, dimmable chandeliers, ornate Georgian coving and cornicing as well as impressively large floor to ceiling sash windows. No. 25 can be used for private dinners, corporate events or meetings, product launches, photo shoots, civil ceremonies, wedding receptions as well as birthday and anniversary celebrations. We have a dedicated No. 25 team which includes event coordinators on hand to look after every need. No request is too large!” While customers may come for the unique venue – located at the entrance to what is known as the Georgian mile, at the top of Fitzwilliam Place where it meets

Leeson Street – they will surely stay when they get a taste of the varied and exciting menu No. 25 has to offer. “Our food can be described as elegantly simple in style and deliciously tasting, using only the best of in season Irish ingredients,” says Kelly. “We use the best cuts of meat and the freshest seafood. Our menus are full of variety and change regularly to ensure seasonality.” The quality is hardly surprising, as the role of executive head chef is filled by James Doyle, who also holds the same role at Brasserie Le Pont, and who has previously worked with Gordon Ramsey and Gary Rhodes. Appealing to both the eye and the palate, Doyle’s creations are colourful, varied, and always tasty and he has been on the receiving end of many glowing reviews from some of Ireland’s top critics. “We have had an incredible reaction from the corporate sector, which is now dining out more and more, although looking for somewhere discreet and private in which to do so. Likewise, we have also had a wonderful response from couples on either first or second time round marriages, and [are] considering a smaller, more intimate, wedding venue in which to celebrate,” says Kelly. Situated in beautiful Georgian surroundings which combine a unique blend of modern and historical, complemented by a close-knit staff who work hard to ensure the best possible customer experience, No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place offers an unusual and glamorous venue for both private and corporate events. “We are so excited about its setup, and really believe that there is a need for something like this in Dublin,” Kelly adds. “It has been set up with careful thought and a lot of love, from the décor to the brilliant team we have in place to take care of it. We really hope people like it as much as we do!” g

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BI Survey ByrneWallace

A Centre of Excellence for Employment Law Employment law specialists look forward to another successful year.

he name ByrneWallace is synonymous with employment law in Ireland and their employment team enjoyed major successes last year. The longestestablished dedicated employment practice group in Ireland, the team at ByrneWallace have been to the fore in the development of Irish employment law since the 1980s. Back then, they were the only practitioners in Ireland who were dedicated exclusively to employment law. During the intervening years, a large, dedicated, employment unit was developed and early last year, the team received yet another number one ranking from Legal 500. In May, Head of

Employment at ByrneWallace, Michael Kennedy, received the Employment Law Team/Lawyer of the Year award at the inaugural National Irish Bank Irish Law Awards. These awards, which were launched by Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence Alan Shatter, commend excellence within Ireland’s legal sector. Less than one week later, when Chambers Europe released their 2012 Awards for Excellence, the ByrneWallace team received yet another Chambers number one ranking. Chambers’ sources described ByrneWallace as “a centre of excellence for employment law”. While the National Irish Bank Irish Law Awards are new to the Irish

legal scene, Chambers and Legal 500 have been naming the world’s leading lawyers for more than 20 years and the Employment Law team at ByrneWallace has consistently secured number one rankings from both. “We strive to go that extra yard for our clients”, says Kennedy. “We are lucky in that we have built up a vast bank of experience going right back to the 1980s when we were among a very small group who were practising exclusively in the area of employment law. We are able to draw on that experience now to the benefit of our clients and hopefully our efforts will continue to be recognised through 2013 and beyond”. g

“We are able to draw on that experience now to the benefit of our clients and hopefully our efforts will continue to be recognised through 2013 and beyond”

Business choice Whether you’re looking to secure an opportunity, manage risk, find a new way forward, or resolve a dispute, choose ByrneWallace as your legal business partners. As one of Ireland’s leading business law firms, we deliver the expertise and resources to meet your legal business needs. We look for ways of adding business insights as well as legal excellence.We understand your business context and shape our service to your specific requirements.

It is this award-winning approach to client service and comprehensive service offering that makes us the choice of leading, innovative and growing private and public enterprises in all key industry sectors.

88 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel: +353 1 691 5000 Email: Info@byrnewallace.com www.byrnewallace.com

Contact Catherine Guy, Managing Partner, cguy@byrnewallace.com Michael Kennedy, Partner, mkennedy@byrnewallace.com

Let us talk to you about your business...

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sme feature razorcoast

Razor Sharp Media Ian Cleary, CEO of RazorCoast, tells Business Ireland why his company should be the first port of call for your business’ social media needs.

Ian Cleary, CEO, RazorCoast.

ounded by Ian Cleary and Colette Mullen in 2009, RazorCoast offers current and potential clients the opportunity to take full advantage of social media, including Facebook, in addition to the delivery of digital marketing courses ensuring that companies can access the broad range of tools which exist to maximise their reach to as many consumers as possible. The possibilities associated with social and digital media should be clear to all of those involved in business. Since the advent of social networking sites such as Facebook, Google + and those in the broader spectrum including YouTube, the possibility of reaching an exponential client base through the internet has presented itself. Perhaps one of RazorCoast’s strongest qualities is their clear understanding of both the power of social networking for the business world, alongside an aptitude for using

this medium to both their own advantage, and that of their clients. Ian Cleary is the cofounder of RazorCoast, alongside Colette Mullen, and also serves as CEO of the company. He has been involved in the technology industry for the past 25 years – mainly in the delivery of technology including email, banking and mobile. Previous customers have included the likes of Accenture, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the Digital Marketing Institute and Fáilte Ireland, and the feedback from such clients has been overwhelmingly positive. In recent times the company has set their sights on a much bigger goal and a little further afield – the USA. Recognising the need to first establish a strong network before going on to sell a product or service, the plan was to use a combination of blogging, Twitter, LinkedIn and visits to US conferences every couple of months. With a background in both technology and social media, Cleary recognised that any successful product or service would incorporate both areas. Cleary quickly established the RazorSocial.com blog, and combined with building a relationship with consumers on

Twitter and networking at events in the US, he convinced the largest social media blog in the world, Social Media Examiner, to allow him guest blog on their site. As one of the largest social media sites in the world, this was a big step forward for the Irish company looking to broaden its business horizons. Cleary’s first post was delivered to over 200,000 people across the world and shared over 3,000 times across social media platforms. The big question is this – where is the revenue? From broadcasting quality content to a large audience, opportunities are already flooding in to help US companies develop in the area of social media technology. Nevertheless, Cleary is happy to continue in the same vein and build relationships and his company’s profile before introducing products and services to sell. Meanwhile, the RazorSocial blog is continually growing in influence and starting to drive significant traffic. Most recently, from 750 entrants, the RazorSocial blog was selected as one of the top run social media blogs globally in a competition run by Social Media Examiner, showing that it is competing with some of the key influencers in the industry, despite being less than six months old. Building on strong foundations and accumulated expertise, the future for RazorCoast is bright. As RazorCoast have continually demonstrated, particularly during their foray into the US market, to build influence in social media you need a good content marketing strategy, good engagement strategy for social media as well as providing the personal human touch. Social media is a great channel for finding relevant people and starting a relationship, but it’s also at the conferences, meetings and networking events where things will take off and your business can not only grow but flourish. g

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Business IRELAND

mobile TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

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Something to smile about In February, we announced that our rollout of fibre broadband will extend beyond 1 million homes and businesses to reach a total of 1.2 million by June 2015. It’s a commitment that no one else can rival and illustrates our determination to keep delivering more breadth, more scope and more reach for our customers. But that’s not all. Our 4G mobile network will enable customers to enjoy superior data and performance possibilities. Our television service will launch later this year and our WiFi network is the country’s biggest, covering over 1,800 locations with more hotspots arriving every day. Because eircom owns, builds, maintains and develops Ireland’s largest telecommunications infrastructure we connect more communities in more ways, in more places, than anyone else. It’s the only network to stretch from one end of the island to the other. That’s something that makes lives easier and business better all over the country. It’s the network for the nation.

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MOBILE TECHNOLOGY eircom

Network for a Nation eircom’s Elaine Robinson explains how soon consumers can avail of exciting new 4G technology, and the benefits they can expect to see.

ollowing the awarding of 4G spectrum licenses to Ireland’s telecommunication giants late last year, operators have begun building the Long Term Evolution (LTE), otherwise known as 4G, services in 2013. 4G is the next step up from existing 3G technology and basically involves faster broadband speeds using newly freed radio frequencies, covering roughly 70 per cent of the country. eircom views the spectrum as a significant part of a €1.5 billion investment in its network infrastructure.

 From

Trial to Launch

“The construction and launch of our 4G services, under the eMobile and Meteor brands, is a key priority for eircom in 2013,” explains Elaine Robinson, Director of Next Generation Voice and Data. “Network investment both in mobile and fixed solutions is critical to support the national agenda for economic recovery and eircom has committed to an extensive investment programme of €1.5 billion over the next six years to build what we call the ‘Network for a Nation.’ We will be trialing services this spring and intend to launch our commercial services later in 2013.” eircom’s vision for its valued customer base is to provide ‘always on’ seamless connectivity – a major aspect of eircom’s decision to take part in last year’s 4G spectrum auction. Demand

Elaine Robinson, Director of Next Generation Voice and Data, eircom.

has risen over the course of the past few years – data traffic has doubled since 2011. “Together with our fibre broadband footprint that will reach 1.2 million homes and businesses, eircom’s network will have the capacity to deal with the anticipated continued growth in data volumes across our fixed and mobile services, ensuring customers throughout the country will be able to access high bandwidth broadband in a convenient way,” says Robinson.  Promise

The advent of 4G technology capabilities promise faster broadband speeds and open the gates for services dependent on high speed data – video and online gaming for example – to be used in mobile services; enjoying high speed broadband wherever you go. For users who want to download large files to their mobiles on the road, this will now become a reality, as will high quality audio and video streaming. “With 4G we will start to see the blurring between the lines between traditional fixed and mobile services,” says Robinson. “The distinction between fixed versus mobile is going to

become less relevant as the solutions converge. It’s all about continuing to provide real value for our customers. 4G will be able to provide DSL broadband-like services where you can have greater speeds, faster download and improved response times. 4G will especially benefit business users who use the service as they travel. Business users require increasingly converged fixed and mobile solutions. This means remote access to large files, applications and video conferencing when you are out of the office. We believe eircom is best placed to provide those solutions to businesses.” At present, eircom is focusing its full attention on launching its pilot 4G service as quickly as possible, to allow customers in defined areas to begin using the service themselves, to see the benefit of the new spectrum. “Access to high speed broadband is going to fundamentally change in the next twelve months and eircom is going to be at the heart of that transformation, delivering new and exciting services for business customers that will facilitate real business benefits,” Robinson adds. g 3

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Gadgets on the go samsunG GalaXY s4 Samsung Electronics has unleashed its fourth generation Galaxy S smartphone, the Galaxy S4. Packed full of innovative features and with a super sleek design, the Galaxy S4 is set to rival Apple’s iPhone. The real beauty of the phone is its highly crafted design, encompassing a large screen size and battery, and a minimised bezel, all housed in a light (130g) and slim (7.9mm) shape. Slimmer than its predecessors, there’s less to hold yet more to see. Available in two colours - Black Mist and White Frost - a variety of additional colour options will be available later this year. New features include the ‘dual camera’ function, allowing you to take simultaneous photos and videos using both the rear and front cameras, then blend the pictures together; and the ‘air gesture’ function, giving you the ability to change a music track, scroll up and down a web page, or accept a call with a wave of your hand.

sonY XPeria Z Sony Mobile has introduced its new flagship Android smartphone, Xperia Z. With a 5” Full HD 1080p reality Display, 13 megapixel fast-capture camera and 4G LTE, Xperia Z has all the specifications expected from a

premium smartphone. On top of this, it brings the best of Sony’s unique technology, content, design and connectivity to deliver rich user experiences. The Xperia Z is a powerhouse of a smartphone with an impressive display and long-lasting battery. There are features of its predecessor the Xperia T that it could have done with holding on to – such as the curved design – but the Xperia Z is a fine premium model for anyone on the market for a largescale Android device. You also have the additional benefit of knowing your device won’t be damaged by a sudden downpour, as it claims to possess the highest levels of dust and water resistance of any premium smartphone. Cost: From €590 unlocked.

amaZon KinDle Fire hD 8.9 Amazon has announced that Kindle Fire HD 8.9” – the large-screen version of its best-selling tablet – is now available in Europe. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9” is the highestresolution, largest-display Kindle Fire. Designed for entertainment, it is perfect for web, apps, movies, games and magazines. If you are looking for a focused and joined-up

multimedia experience on the go, this might just be your ideal partner. Amazon has neatly integrated its own offerings into this product, combining free cloud storage with its digital music and book stores, along with its own LoveFilm subsidiary for on-demand films and TV shows. To invest in one of these, you are making a commitment to the whole Amazon ethos, much in line with the Apple experience, rather than the standard Android free-for-all.

Dell XPs 18 Dell has raised the bar on computing with the announcement of the XPS 18, a design breakthrough that achieves an impressive blend of weight, large display size and performance in a thin, elegant and highly-mobile design. With a huge 18.4-inch Full HD

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BUSINESS IrELAND SPrING 2013 GADGETS

capacitive touch display, the XPS 18 opens up new possibilities in multimedia and casual gaming for families, yet is still easy to use thanks to its surprisingly light weight. Launching in the US in mid-April, the XPS 18 AiO will feature an 18.4� capacitive touch 1080p display. It weighs in at approximately 4.85 pounds; a heavy tablet but a mobile desktop PC. It’s early to make confident predictions, but the sturdy detachable tablet may be the new direction of traditional consumer desktop PCs, while giving consumers the benefit of taking it on the go.

BlacKBerrY Z10 BlackBerry has released its longawaited touchscreen handset, the 4.2-inch Z10. After falling out of favour with the majority of smartphone users, this latest offering could not come quick enough. The BlackBerry Z10 (all touch) is the first smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10, the re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented BlackBerry platform that creates a new and unique mobile computing experience. Available in two colours, Black and White, the new smartphone is elegant and distinctive, and the fastest, most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet. It includes the latest enhancements in high density pixel and screen technology to display clear and sharp images. It features a micro HDMI out port for presentations, and advanced sensors such as NFC (near field communications) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone. Blackberry has a lot of work to do in repairing its brand. This release is a good start in doing

just that. Cost: €230 post-paid on O2.

asus FonePaD Asus has announced its release of Fonepad, a competitively priced handheld with 3G voice and mobile data for all the features of a smartphone, with the versatility of a 7-inch tablet. Powered by a new Intel Atom Z2420 processor with Android 4.1, Fonepad features a vibrant HD display with IPS technology for wide viewing angles and outstanding clarity. This product is perfect for people who value both the voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet, but prefer the convenience of carrying just one device. Fonepad is a sleek and compact tablet which can be held comfortably in one hand, thanks to its light 340g weight and slim 10.4mm profile. The Fonepad’s battery is said to get up to nine hours of runtime, which would put it in the same league as other Atom tablets. It is available in Europe for €219.

erGo GoTaB i8 The GoTab i8 is the newest Android Jelly Bean Tablet by Ergo. With Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), the touchscreen operating system has taken a huge leap forward and is straightforward and intuitive to use, easy to navigate, and you can be set up and surfing in minutes. It features an 8-inch 1024 x 768 pixel resolution (160 ppi) LED backlit display (4:3 aspect) which supports playback of

Full HD movies. There’s an HDMI 1.4 output port for display of content on a big-screen TV or monitor, a micro-USB port and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity. There’s a frontfacing 2-megapixel camera for video conferencing or web chat, and another 2MP camera module to the rear. There’s no Bluetooth, no GPS and no 3G connectivity, but it carries an impressive retail price of €169.

microsoFT surFace rT Microsoft has released its Surface rT – a device representative of a tablet with some laptop capabilities that weaves productivity and mobility into one product. Surface rT is great for people looking for all-day battery life (up to 8 hours) and an entertainment-first experience with the ability to still get some work done. The Surface Windows rT is Microsoft’s first foray into actually making a personal computer and it fulfils many of the things you would expect from a high quality tablet at its first attempt. The Surface rT went on sale in Ireland in February. It went on sale in the US in October, so we’re still awaiting the launch of the Surface Pro here. The Surface rT provides users with the best of both worlds: personal computing and tablet computing. It is the perfect device for work and play. Cost: Prices start at €479.

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BUSINESS IRELAND SPRInG 2013 MOBILE TECHNOLOGY ARTICLE o2 / Telefónica

The next generation O2 is planning major upgrades to its network this year, which will benefit business customers through greater data mobility, as Fergal McCann, Head of Networks at Telefónica, tells Business Ireland.

ast November, Ireland’s communications regulator ComReg announced the results of an auction for spectrum licenses to operate communications services between 2013 and 2030 – including new 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Telefónica Ireland, which operates the O2 brand, invested €125 million to secure new licenses, including a maximum allocation of the most valuable 800Mhz spectrum, which is essential to provide nationwide 4G/ LTE coverage. Not every operator secured this allocation. There will be a further investment of €200m over the next three years to upgrade Telefónica’s network to 4G capability. This builds on the €1 billion which the company has invested in its network over the past ten years. Commenting on the development, Fergal McCann, Head of Networks at Telefónica Ireland, said: “Telefónica is committing significant investment to the introduction and rollout of next generation 4G technology in Ireland. 4G will significantly change the way Irish people use their mobile devices. It will transform Telefónica’s ability to deliver rich data services as customers move to adopt smartphones, mobile modems and tablets in ever greater numbers. Our plans for 4G will ensure that Ireland remains at the leading edge of communications, providing

customers with significantly faster data transfer speeds and much faster connections to the internet.” Work is already well underway in readying Telefónica’s network for 4G rollout and the company plans to host a number Fergal McCann, Head of Networks at Telefónica. of different customer trials throughout the year. of 4G will involve a full network The spectrum auction and network upgrade. “In terms of scale and upgrade work underway will not capability, wherever you’ve got just facilitate the rollout of new voice today, you’ll get a great data 4G services, but it will also benefit experience,” he said. “Using our customers using voice or data services extensive site infrastructure in Ireland, on their existing devices. As the new our investment will enable us to 4G network is built and rolled out offer enhanced 3G services alongside across the country, the existing 2G and next generation 4G mobile data 3G networks will also be substantially services.” That is important to many transformed and enhanced as a result small businesses, he said, which have of the new blocks of spectrum being become dependent on the mobile freed up. As a result, over the coming data capabilities of 3G for important months customers accessing the O2 business processes. “The richer data network will see big improvements capability of 3G, as well as the even in coverage and data speeds in urban higher speed option of 4G, will in many and rural locations throughout the cases prove an alternative to traditional country. This allows for richer data fixed services,” McCann added. capability, better network coverage “For today’s businesses, big and indoor and outdoor, and a consistent small, mobility is a key requirement. and improved data experience for And with the widespread adoption customers on the move. of smartphones and tablets, ‘data “With new 3G Technology mobility’ – the ability to access email, UMTS900, we will now significantly cloud services, or corporate networks extend O2’s 3G network in terms of while out of the office and on the both in-building and outdoor coverage move – has become a prerequisite for for our customers while on the move,” getting work done,” McCann added. Telefónica’s McCann explained. Our “The enhancements that Telefónica customers will see the benefit of this 3G is applying to its network will bring service improvement from early May. major benefits to all of our customers According to McCann, the arrival this year.” g

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MOBILE TECHNOLOGY ICAN

On the web, one size does not fit all ICAN’s Business Development Director Ciarán Farrell explains why if your site isn’t optimised for mobile, you are way behind the curve.

he long heralded mobile web has finally come of age. No longer relegated to a second screen experience, mobile devices are commonly the first option for consumers around the world. In Ireland, smartphone penetration is currently approaching 50 per cent of the population and consumers are becoming increasingly reliant on their phones with 61 per cent accessing the Internet every day, and most never leaving home without it. If your website still isn’t optimised to provide a mobile

experience you’re missing out on the huge opportunity that this presents. In fact, according to a recent study by Google, 67 per cent of users said that a mobile–friendly site makes them more likely to buy a product or use a service, with 52 per cent declaring that a bad mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company. Whether your website is focussed on marketing, e–commerce or customer service it’s vital that there is a consistently good experience across all devices from desktop to tablets

to the myriad of smartphone screen sizes available. Our solution, for many clients, has been to take a mobile–first approach to producing a responsive design (using HTML5) that gives a fluid experience on any device a consumer is using. These days if a site is not designed for mobile it will leave users feeling frustrated – they will transfer this negative emotion to your brand and will find your competitors who have put mobile first. g Ciarán Farrell is Business Development Director with ICAN, a leading web and integrated agency based in Dublin. To find out what ICAN can do for your business call +353 1 7756500. WC: 271

Example of a scam email.

.ie 7

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013 2 S D R A W A IA D E M SAMSUNG DIGITAL

D E C N U O N N A S R E N N I W

BEST WEBSITE/ MICROSITE SPONSORED BY IE DOMAIN REGISTRY: Company: Dara Creative Entry Title: Sam’s Potatoes

BEST IN E-LEARNING:

Company: Folens Publishers Entry Title: Planet Maths: New frontiers in curriculum-centric digital resources

GOVERNMENT:

Company: Blue Cube Entry Title: Invest Northern Ireland

BEST USE OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY/ DEVELOPMENT AWARD: Company: ZOO Entry Title: Talktoeu#TweetsinSpace

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Company: Funky Christmas Jumpers Entry Title: funkychristmasjumpers.com

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CHARITY:

Company: Mindshare and MSN Entry Title: drinkaware.ie – Reclaim your Weekend

BEST DESIGN/ ART DIRECTION:

Company: RMG Entry Title: eircom Experience More- Maximising a GAA Football Championship Sponsorship

#DMA2013 DMA winners 1 BI Spring 2013advert.indd supplement.indd 8

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SPONSORED BY FUZION COMMUNICATIONS:

THE TRAILBLAZER AWARD:

Entry Title: Jameson

BEST APP:

FINANCIAL SERVICES SPONSORED BY IFG:

Entry Title: INOA Colour Capture

Company: ICAN

Company: Bonkers Money Ltd. Entry Title: bonkers.ie

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Entry Title: Dacia

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Company: Giant Animation Studios Entry Title: Curly Hare

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www.digitalmedia.ie 21/03/2013 14:22:37 15:37:50 22/03/2013

BI Survey PayPal

PayPal expresses confidence in Ireland’s people Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for PayPal, tells Business Ireland about the employment opportunities available at PayPal’s new centre of excellence in Dundalk.

ayPal has been in Ireland for the past 10 years operating from its state-of-the-art facility in Ballycoolin Business Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The company recently opened a second facility in Dundalk, County Louth and is currently hiring to fill 1,050 positions at this ‘centre of excellence’, in addition to the 1,450 people the company already employs in Dublin. In both Dublin and Dundalk, PayPal operates customer service, risk, merchant and financial operations. Founded in 1998, PayPal is the leading global online payments company. PayPal has 23 million active registered accounts, is available in 190 markets and supports payments in 25 currencies. PayPal is creating a better shopping experience, regardless of what a person is shopping for, where it is being bought or how it is being paid for. The company is working to transform the way people think about ecommerce. Louise Phelan is Vice President of Global Operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for PayPal. She said, “We are creating the future of money, delivering new technology, new thinking and new markets for

new customers.This makes PayPal a very exciting place to work and we are enthusiastic to be part of it. The founding principles of the company include innovation and inspiration. We put a lot of effort into empowering teams to do the right thing for the customer while delivering a world class customer service and it shows in our customer interactions.” “We are currently hiring teammates to be part of our exciting and dynamic team. We are looking for people who are interested in careers with responsibility, complexity and scope. We believe that our recruitment target is a testament to our confidence in Ireland’s people - their talent, skills and work ethic,” she added. eBay Marketplaces, a sister company of PayPal and another eBay Inc. business is also hiring to fill 400 jobs at the Dundalk facility. Phelan said, “The past year has been a very positive one for eBay Inc. in Ireland. Our Dundalk site was operational within 11 weeks of the contracts being signed. We currently have over 230 people employed on site there and we look forward to continuing to expand this number in 2013.” PayPal were awarded the Employer

“We are creating the future of money, delivering new technology, new thinking and new markets for new customers.This makes PayPal a very exciting place to work and we are enthusiastic to be part of it. The founding principles of the company include innovation and inspiration.”

Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, PayPal.

of the Year Award at the 2012 Fingal Business Excellence Awards in recognition of how highly PayPal values and treats its employees. The company was also honoured at the Contact Centre Management Association (CCMA) industry awards in 2012. Most recently eBay Inc. Ireland was listed as one of the Best Workplaces 2013 and presented with a special award for listening to employees. “While times are tough for business it is within everyone’s grasp to create a workplace that really brings the best out in people and ultimately contributes to a better bottom line. We are looking forward to welcoming new teammates to our facility in Dundalk throughout this year,” concluded Ms. Phelan. g 33

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Eamon Moore, Founder and CEO, Cloud Compare with Michael Dowling, Partner in Abacus Finance.

Ahead In The Cloud

Cloud Compare founder and CEO Eamon Moore explains the advantages behind cloud technology to Conor Forrest, and outlines how Ireland’s first cloud services brokerage firm can help Irish businesses get the inside track.

loud computing has become something of a hot topic recently in Ireland, and indeed, across the world. Western Europe remains the second largest cloud region, behind North America, and will account for 24 per cent of all new spending on cloud services between 2013 and 2016, according to technology research firm Gartner. However, despite all the positive press concerning this exciting new technology, the tech sector has come under fire for over-selling and over-promoting cloud services. A survey conducted in the UK by Vanson Bourne on behalf of data service provider, Six Degrees Group, found that 83 per

cent of respondents wanted their cloud service providers to do more to demystify the cloud, while a large majority felt that too much jargon was being employed by tech companies. “Cloud computing has the potential to be one of the biggest technology revolutions in the business world since the Internet. Everyone’s talking about it and it is such a shame that businesses have to work so hard to figure it out,” said Campbell Williams, group strategy and director at Six Degrees Group.

between filled with confusion and misunderstanding. A year and a half ago, Eamon Moore, CEO and founder of Ireland’s first cloud services brokerage firm, spotted a niche in the market while at a cloud conference at which a number of speakers were explaining their vision for the technology’s future. “That got me thinking about who is going to be in the middle, to manage all of these services,” says Moore. “If there were going to be a number of cloud providers onboard, they would all have to be managed. So a year and a half ago, I wrote on a piece of paper: ‘cloud broker’. It is becoming quite complex and what we’re trying to do is ultimately shield the business from the complexity of running multiple cloud services.”

uConfusion

u Simple

Clearly a gap exists between the cloud service providers and their users; the space in-

on the Surface

The idea behind cloud technology appears quite simple – availing

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feature cloud compare

of services provided by specialist cloud providers, replacing those key components or services typically got from an IT provider or through an IT server or hardware. Essentially it concerns the ability to use the power of the internet, through which the services are typically provided, and the use of high end data centres which have been heavily invested in by cloud services providers. Proponents of cloud computing technology have argued that a major positive involves the potential to reduce costs by outsourcing hardware and software maintenance, instead directing a business’s IT budget towards other concerns. “The big thing for me,” says Moore, “is that cloud providers invest huge amounts of money into data centres, especially at the SME level. You could never invest that level of money into your own systems, so you are able to avail of their investment.” uMiddlemen

As a cloud service brokerage, Cloud Compare sits right in the middle, between businesses and cloud providers, acting as an independent source of information and knowledge. “Our research has shown there to be confusion and a lack of trust with regard to cloud services in the Irish market,” Moore explains. “IT companies are not truly independent and are pushing the cloud solutions they themselves provide, which might not necessarily be a good fit for every business. More often than not, the client doesn’t have the knowledge in this space to question if what is being provided is the best fit for their organisational needs.” To ensure that businesses get the most out of cloud technology, using the services most suited for their particular fields, the brokerage delves deep into client businesses armed with their Cloud Adoption Framework for SME’s (CAFS), developed over the last year in conjunction with research carried out by University College Cork,

and which maps out a business’s cloud journey from start to finish through five stages – assess, review, procure, implement and manage. Moore says: “We help the client decide what is ultimately the best solution to meet their requirements. That gets them ‘cloud ready’. ‘Cloud enable’ then is when we actually physically help them to move onto the cloud. Finally, we have Cloud Plus, an after-cloud service whereby we provide a cloud management consultancy – we [provide] monthly reports on analysis and usage of cloud.” Moore’s business partner for this venture is Michael Dowling, Partner in Abacus Finance, a recognised expert in the brokerage area. Bringing together Moore’s expertise in IT and management with Dowling’s experience in brokerage makes for a perfect fit. uProviders

On the other hand, cloud service providers will find their own job eased by the presence of Cloud Compare. For independent cloud providers, the cloud brokerage offers a new route to the market, and ease of implementation of their services. In addition, dealing with Cloud Compare ensures that the service provider is only dealing with one party in relation to invoices and contract negotiations, ensuring a far more hassle-free process. And with Cloud Compare’s monthly management offering, when combined with pre-sales analysis, cloud providers can anticipate a dip in the use of their resources. uUnique

Framework

“We believe what we have is unique – the framework we have developed is exclusive to Cloud Compare,” Moore adds. “I’ve had businesses coming to me, saying it’s a fantastic idea. I’ve had cloud providers coming to me as well, saying that this is really needed in the market, because there is a huge disconnect between cloud providers and their users. There’s nobody in the middle to translate the information for

“Our research has shown there to be confusion and a lack of trust with regard to cloud services in the Irish market.” businesses.” Related associations have also expressed enthusiasm for the concept they have described as ‘fantastic’ – having dealt with members searching for advice, with nowhere or nobody to send them to. “Nobody was doing this in the market, nobody was truly independent. That’s the big thing for people, this is independent advice. They’re looking for somebody independent to rate providers and match their requirements to them, and that’s something we believe we have unique to the market,” says Moore. Though Cloud Compare is creating the trail here in Ireland, clearly they are doing it right. Alongside such positive feedback, plans for expansion are developing. As Cloud Compare continues to grow, the company is seeking to create 12 technical, accounts and sales jobs over the course of the next 12-18 months in Dublin. Moore has also had enquiries concerning doing business in the UK, and the possibility of establishing a franchise in Canada. “Cloud is here to stay,” Moore states emphatically, “it’s just about people adopting the cloud in the correct manner. Simply just trying to move into the cloud with a click of the fingers, or without much research, is not the way to move. To truly benefit from everything the cloud can give, you have to go through the process. Your cloud provider, or your cloud brokerage in our case, has to understand your business. It’s really more about benefiting the business, streamlining the business and making it more efficient, powered by technology. You can up your game for your clients – a technology-driven business not only impresses clients, but will differentiate you from your competitors.” g 35

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The Green Economy Forum

Eoin O’Lideadha, KPMG, Paul Hallam, Chairman, Green Energy Forum and Mary Dunne, Partner, Maples and Calder.

The Green Economy Forum is bringing together businesses across all sectors of the green economy, from waste to wind energy to green financing, as Emma Lane, International Projects Assisant at Dublin Chamber of Commerce writes. uBackground

The Dublin Chamber’s Green Economy Forum was established in late 2009 in response to demand from members and in light of the growing awareness around climate change and the environment. The objectives of the forum are to provide a B2B network for all companies operating in the green economy; to update Dublin Chamber members on the legislative and political impact of climate change on their organisations; and to present company case studies to explain the strategy and business case underlying the decision to ‘go green’ and those operating in the green space. uLast

Year

As this year’s forum begins, it is a good time to cast an eye back on what was a very successful green year for the Dublin Chamber and its

members. The 2012 Forum was made up of a series of breakfast briefings, an annual conference, an international B2B brokerage event, a Sustainable Business Challenge Event and a series of practical workshops. These all contributed to a host of highlights throughout 2012 and towards the drive to organise the next Forum. To date the Forum has covered a wide range of topics such as green innovation and future technologies, green infrastructure, sustainability and carbon reporting. It has boasted an impressive line-up of guest speakers including representatives from Glen Dimplex, Dublin City Council, IBM, Siemens and Greenstar. The Forum has also benefited from very strong chairs in the past including Peter Brennan, Chairman of Bid Management Services, Gerry Killen, CEO of Global

Green Composites Limited, and the current chair Paul Hallam, Associate Director of PM Group. The Sustainable Business Challenge Event rounded off the 2012 Forum at the end of November. This competition provides the winner with the opportunity to showcase its green credentials in front of some of Ireland’s largest businesses, significantly enhancing the company’s position as a green business among stakeholders. Through the event, the Dublin Chamber gave companies in the capital the opportunity to submit an application detailing what they have done to maintain a green business. On 29 November, six finalists gave a five minute pitch on their company and the efforts they have made to be a sustainable business and operate effectively in the green ‘space’. Croke Park Stadium were announced as the competition winners. They had impressed the judges with their overview of the stadium’s commitment to reducing energy consumption and maximising workplace recycling. Coupled with the Green Economy Forum is the Dublin Chamber’s

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feature Green Economy forum

uWhat’s

Ahead?

The Green Economy Forum has gone from strength to strength and is gaining momentum every year. The year ahead is packed full of feature events including the Green Economy Forum Annual Conference, Creating a Smart Green City – Green Growth Opportunities, which will take place on 23 April 2013. Keynote speakers at the conference will include Dr Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment. Other events include the Sustainable Business Challenge Event and the Energy Show Seminar. The Dublin Chamber’s Sustainable Business Challenge Event 2013 will be the Forum’s third competition of its kind. It was the culminating event of the 2012 Forum. This competition will again showcase businesses’ green initiatives across all industries as the foundation of Dublin’s emerging green economy. The Energy Show Seminar will include a briefing on Sustainable Energy in Homes and Buildings, along with a workshop on Bringing Retrofit to Market with guest speaker Josephine Maguire, Programme Manager, National Retrofit Programme, SEAI. The briefing series, Ireland’s Transition to a Low-carbon Future, the Future for Business, will begin in February and will also run in June, September and October. Other topics will include Driving Business Excellence through use of Sustainability followed by Water Infrastructure - the Cost of Water: Who Pays?, while Security of Supply in Ireland will round off the briefing series in October.

uDates

for your diary

Event

Date

Time

Sustainable Energy in Homes and Buildings -Renovation of Building Stock, Renovation with Purpose?

10 April 2013

7.30am-12pm

Annual Conference- ‘Creating a Smart Green City- Green Growth Opportunities

23 April 2013

2pm-7pm

Business Briefing – Business Excellence 19 June 2013 through Sustainability Business Briefing – Water Infrastructures - The Cost of Water who Pays?’

18 September 2013

7.30am-9.30am

Business Briefing – Security of Supply in Ireland?

29 October 2013

7.30am-9.30am

S ponso r : M A P L E A N D C A L D E R G R E E N C R E D E N T I A L S

Sustainable Buildings Programme which aims to help companies in the Building and Construction sector turn environmental challenges they are facing into economic benefits. So far, two half-day seminars on Energy Management and Cost Savings for the Construction Sector have been organised. This provides companies with an insight into how to reduce clients’ energy costs while still maintaining a competitive edge.

Maples and Calder has recognised the growing importance of the green economy and cleantech sectors in Ireland and the EU and has responded to the growing needs of clients in this area by forming a multi-disciplinary green economy group. This includes corporate, tax, investment funds, projects, regulatory and environmental lawyers who work together to ensure that clients in this sector receive expert advice in all aspects of their projects and business. We advise on renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon emissions and trading. We provide expert legal advice to investors, financial institutions, project developers and public sector bodies on renewables in all sectors, with particular expertise in wind and hydro energy. As a leading international full service Irish law firm we have the benefit of global experience and access to investors with particular interest in the green and cleantech sectors. Whether changing REFIT tariffs or gate fees on landfill sites, new regulations can have a fundamental impact on the viability of a renewable energy project and we ensure that our clients and investors are prepared in advance for what is coming down the line. Our lawyers in the green economy group advise on both EU and Irish law as much of the legislation in this area is initiated in Brussels. We keep clients up to date on new regulations emerging from Europe and the likely impact on their business and projects. Maples and Calder is a leading international corporate and finance law firm. Since establishing in Ireland in 2006, our Dublin office has grown to over 200 people and has advised on many high profile and complex transactions in Ireland. The firm’s affiliated organisation, MaplesFS, provides specialised fiduciary, accounting and administration services to corporate, finance and investment funds entities. The Maples group comprises more than 800 staff in 11 offices worldwide. To find out more about the firm visit: www.maplesandcalder.com/www.maplesfs.com.

The Green Economy Forum 2013 is kindly sponsored by KPMG and Maples and Calder. 37

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uTopics

and Themes

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce’s Green Economy Forum aims to keep up with EU standards on sustainable energy and carbon use by creating an underlying green business mantra throughout the capital, thus causing a knock-on effect around Ireland. The range of topics explored in this forum is broad and the themes selected are to the forefront of green policy across Ireland and Europe. They are as follows: 1. Transitioning from a carbonintensive economy to a low-carbon future presents challenges and opportunities for Irish businesses. The Green Economy Forum aims to stimulate debate about Ireland’s low-carbon strategy, while exploring business

opportunities that will arise domestically and in export markets. 2. Despite the fact that Ireland will never be short of rainfall, water infrastructure in the country is undergoing seismic change from an environmental and financial perspective. The Forum will look at water infrastructure investment and explore the most costeffective funding solutions for developing infrastructure in this critical sector. 3. The issue of security of energy supply has received increasing attention in Ireland as a more subtle threat to Ireland’s economic sustainability. There is a need to diversify our energy mix to avoid

becoming over-dependent on oil and gas and the Forum will explore opportunities for businesses in this capacity.In light of movement into the new electricity age, Ireland has an opportunity to achieve energy savings in its buildings through a retrofitting strategy. The Green Economy Forum will focus on increased consumer demand for renovations and construction in the retrofit market and how businesses can utilise this opportunity in order to get Ireland’s construction sector back on its feet. 4. The role of smart cities is integral to Ireland’s economic recovery. The Forum will heighten awareness of the importance of the development

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of smart cities as key drivers in economic development and living standards. Infrastructure, transports and opportunities will be among the topics explored with the hope that businesses can utilise opportunities within smart city development. This can help place Ireland on the international stage when it comes to attracting tourism and foreign investment. 5. Securing investors is pivotal to Ireland’s recovery and it is fundamental that international investors begin to see Ireland as a ‘safe bet’. The Chamber’s Enterprise Europe Network helps Irish businesses advance in the European market and the Green Economy Forum will explore opportunities for the Irish market to become an attractive investment option for foreign companies. uA

time for change

Climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era. The coming years will prove to be a period of change as society moves away from energy-intense, fossil-fuelbased practices and lifestyles. The concept of sustainable energy is not solely focused on climate change abatement. Ways must be found to address the carbon challenge without sacrificing international competitiveness or compromising security of energy supply. Recognition of emerging economic opportunities has prompted many countries across Europe to develop their business sectors towards sustainable energy and low carbon, which in turn helps the economy by fostering innovation and enterprise. It is crucial that Ireland keeps up with its European peers and strives to become a leader in the field. The Dublin Chamber’s Green Economy Forum will provide an arena to encourage debate and help build a framework for the capital and country to drive business excellence through use of sustainability. g

S ponso r : K P M G E X P E C T T H E U N E X P E C T E D

feature Green Economy forum

Expect the Unexpected: Building business value in a changing world. KPMG has identified ten sustainability megaforces that will impact each and every business over the next 20 years. The resources on which business relies are becoming more difficult to access and more costly. Increasing strain on infrastructure and natural systems is likely as patterns of economic growth and wealth change. Physical assets and supply chains will be affected by the unpredictable results of a changing climate. And businesses can expect an ever more complex web of sustainability legislation and fiscal instruments. The central challenge of our age – decoupling human progress from resource use and environmental decline – can also be one of the biggest sources of future success for business. There is a set of ten global sustainability megaforces that we believe will impact every business over the next two decades. They are: 1. Climate Change: The one global megaforce that directly impacts all others. Predictions of annual output losses from climate change range between one per cent per year, if strong and early action is taken, to at least five per cent a year if policymakers fail to act. 2. Energy & Fuel: Fossil fuel markets are likely to become more volatile and unpredictable because of higher global energy demand; changes in the geographical pattern of consumption and supply and production uncertainties. 3. Material Resource Scarcity: As developing countries industrialise rapidly, global demand for material resources is predicted to increase dramatically. Business is likely to face increasing trade restrictions and intense global competition for a wide range of material resources that become less easily available. 4. Water Scarcity: It is predicted that by 2030, the global demand for freshwater will exceed supply by 40 per cent. Businesses may be vulnerable to water shortages, declines in water quality and water price volatility. 5. Population Growth: Global population is predicted to be 8.4 billion by 2032. This growth will place intense pressures on ecosystems and the supply of natural resources such as food, water, energy and materials. Businesses can expect supply challenges and price volatility as a result. This is a threat, but there are also opportunities to grow commerce and to create jobs. 6. Wealth: The global middle class is predicted to grow 172 per cent between 2010 and 2030. The challenge for businesses is to serve this new middle class market at a time when resources are likely to be scarcer and more price-volatile. The advantages many companies experienced in the last two decades from “cheap labour” in developing nations are likely to be eroded by the growth and power of the global middle class. 7. Urbanisation: In 2009, for the first time ever, more people lived in cities than in the countryside. By 2030 all developing regions including Asia and Africa are expected to have the majority of their inhabitants living in urban areas. These cities will require extensive improvements in infrastructure including construction, water and sanitation, electricity, waste, transport, health and public safety. The Green Economy Forum 2013 is kindly sponsored by KPMG and Maples and Calder.

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Irish Have It Made In

ÂŠthinkstock.com/stockbyte

Hong Kong

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BUSINESS Feature IRELAND SPRInG Hong 2013 Ireland Kong Business ARTICLE Forum

Ronan King, President of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum speaks to Joseph O’Connor about the aims of the Forum and how Hong Kong is more than just a gateway to mainland China.

iven the extensive coverage of China’s emergence as a global economic power over the past number of years, one would be forgiven for thinking that the tiny special administrative region of Hong Kong had fallen completely off the radar. Despite the recent focus on opportunities for Irish companies in mainland China, some of the old reliable markets remain – one of those being Hong Kong. The existence and work of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum is testament to that. uBackground

Hong Kong is situated at the southeastern tip of China. It is ideally positioned at the centre of East Asia and serves as a gateway to China and other burgeoning Asian economies. Starting out as a trading port, Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 until 1997, when it became a ‘special administrative region’ of the People’s Republic of China. Today, Hong Kong is a leading international trading and services hub. It practices free trade, has very competitive taxation, no foreign exchange control, and a well-established rule of law and transparent regulations. It also boasts world class infrastructure and a well-educated workforce. Established in November 2002, the aims of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum are to identify and promote opportunities for bilateral trade between Hong Kong and Ireland, and through Hong Kong into the wider Chinese market. It provides a forum for companies and individuals interested in Hong Kong, giving members an opportunity to network, exchange views, explore opportunities and keep in touch with developments in Hong Kong and China.

common bond

According to the Forum’s current president Ronan King, there is huge potential for a special strategic relationship between Ireland and Hong Kong. King, who is currently chairman at private equity company Amethyst Investments Ltd., took up presidency of the Forum in 2008 and has seen numerous ways in which Ireland and Hong Kong share a common bond. “Hong Kong is an island of seven million people. Ireland, as an island, is six million people. Both of those exist in a situation where we have ‘big brother’ neighbours looking over our shoulder. Our respective approaches to tax rates offer special incentives for foreign investment, so we have a common interest to maintain those because we have to both carve our way in an ever more global and competitive world,” King says. While Hong Kong is seen as a major global financial hub, interest from Irish companies is not just restricted to the financial services sector. The Forum’s members include successful Irish companies representing all facets of the business community including consultants, distributors, exporters, high-tech

Ronan King, President of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum

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STRONGER TOGETHER

600 PEOPLE WORKING ACROSS 16 COUNTRIES

www.graftonrecruitment.com business ireland ad final.indd 1 BI Spring 2013 1_45.indd 42

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01:29

Feature Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum

©thinkstock.com/istockphoto

companies, life science firms, legal advisors, manufacturers, marketing firms, trade specialists, and various other sectors. Hong Kong has also moved away from being a major player in the global manufacturing sector. The Hong Kong brand has climbed up a ‘value chain’ in recent times, and cheap goods sporting the ‘Made in Hong Kong’ stamp, which we became so familiar with, have become a thing of the past. “Obviously finance pervades everything and it is a major financial centre, and because there is the same British law base, European companies, Irish and British in particular, find it very familiar”, says King. He points to a number of growth sectors within Hong Kong, including the arts (particularly film production and animation), tourism and food. He says: “Tourism is a big sector and the Irish have done very well in terms of people who are running major aspects of tourism. Hong Kong is a huge visitor centre and a huge entry point for the Chinese mainland. Food is also a growth area. There is a huge need for dairy products and the like. Irish companies such as Kerry Group and Greencore are active out there”. Meanwhile, other Irish companies are making strategic use of Hong Kong’s location. “Companies like Glen Dimplex have been very active in mainland China and would utilise Hong Kong as an entry point. A lot of companies like PCH International, which is a highly successful Irish company in Cork, have their corporate headquarters in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. That basically bridges the border. It is basically a sister city to Hong Kong, so it’s a safe and attractive starting point and central point for Irish and European countries,” according to King. uOpportunity

Hong Kong has proved to be a business-friendly environment. Setting up a business there is simple and straightforward. According to Enterprise Europe Network, you can now set up a new company in as few

“He points to a number of growth sectors within Hong Kong, including the arts (particularly film production and animation), tourism and food.” as six days and at a cost of only a few hundred euros. On the other hand, entering the Chinese market appears to pose a much greater challenge to businesses. King says: “There has been a trend for companies to want to go directly but there has also been a trend of people who have come back to Hong Kong. There is no denying that China can be a difficult, challenging market to trade in, both in terms of language and cultural differences. It is a developing country. It is building its infrastructure and is building the hotels and the eating places that I suppose are expected by expatriates”. So does China’s emergence as a global economic power pose any threat to Hong Kong? King doesn’t believe so. “It has been difficult to attract Irish expatriates, amongst others, to mainland China, certainly away from the main cities. That’s not to take away from Shanghai as a burgeoning city. It certainly has its focus on developing certain sectors that are competitive to Hong Kong, but I don’t think that Hong Kong is unduly worried.” He again outlines the benefits exclusive to Hong Kong.

“I have heard of companies that have bypassed Hong Kong but have come back. It is about networking, it is about the support services, the legal services, the accounting which are difficult to obtain in mainland China. It is a safe environment and is attractive to certain scales of company.” uTaxation

Agreement

One significant measure in strengthening trade between Ireland and Hong Kong was the signing of the Double Taxation Agreement in 2010. The purpose of a double taxation agreement is, as its title implies, to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion. Double taxation arises when the same income or capital gain is taxed by two jurisdictions. This normally occurs where income arises in one country and is paid to a resident of another country. The Agreement aims to reduce tax impediments that might otherwise deter the development of bilateral trading and investment activities. In 2009, Ireland was Hong Kong’s eighth largest trading partner among the European Union (EU) member states. Reciprocally, Hong 43

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Feature Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum

Kong was Ireland’s eighth largest trading partner outside the EU. The agreement can only serve to build on these figures and enhance diplomatic and political relations between the two governments. King believes that Ireland should be utilising this tax treaty to our advantage, and highlights the opportunities that need to be exploited. “I heard a statistic that there is four trillion dollars of private wealth in China about to come out. That needs to come out of mainland China. Much of that is going to come through Hong Kong and needs to be transparent in where it goes, and how it is routed. For that reason, tax treaties and the like are extremely important.” uNetworking

One of the major offerings of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum is a chance to network with those businesses that have succeeded in expanding their operations into the Hong Kong market and beyond. The most recent event, which took place in September 2012 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Forum, proved to be a major success. One of the speakers addressing the gathering

good Irish entrepreneurs and Irish entrepreneurial companies that have spotted the opportunity and are availing of it. And that’s why we exist – to try to promote that.” uLooking

ahead

Hong Kong has been ranked as the world’s freest economy in the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, an annual guide published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation. Its latest placing keeps it atop the Index rankings for the 19th consecutive year. Such accolades make it clear that Hong Kong is an excellent place to do business. In terms of the work of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum, King says it will be much of the same over the next year. “Between the Asia-Ireland Pacific Forum, of which Hong Kong is a constituent member, and bodies like the Irish Chamber in Hong Kong working with us, we have a powerful network that we hope to develop and I think that will be our main focus over the next twelve months.” He says the Forum is continuing to seek active members, which can be anything from one person designers to large financial services companies such as Fexco, who have just signed up with the group. While King appears passionate about the opportunity for Ireland in the Far East, the country’s pursuit of the ‘Chinese Dream’ comes with a caveat. He offers an old proverb. “There is a saying: ‘None of us is as strong as all of us’. If we pull together we have much better penetration in places like the Far East. What I fear is that Ireland, in trying to capitalise on the China opportunity, will find it extremely difficult and extremely expensive. Irish companies working through Hong Kong relate at a much more similar scale and I think that’s where the opportunity lies. The Forum’s ask is that we recognise and develop that special relationship between an island that lives in the shadow of China and an island that lives in the shadow of Europe. If we relate to that, there is a huge opportunity politically because of common purpose, but also economically.” g

©thinkstock.com/stockbyte

“One of the major offerings of the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum is a chance to network with those businesses that have succeeded in expanding their operations into the Hong Kong market and beyond.”

of business people in Dublin was Mick McCarthy, chief executive of Electronic Product Services (EPS). McCarthy started out as an electrician. His company now employs more than 200 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia and the US. The company performs as a value added reseller of components, software and logistics for some of the world’s largest original equipment manufacturers. McCarthy spent three years living in China and used Hong Kong as his base. King speaks highly of McCarthy’s success: “He is somebody I had known from the early days and have great admiration for because he has achieved what so many people aspire to. He has become a global entrepreneur from having had an electrician’s trade here, and continues to expand and continues to develop across the world. I think people really related to that. Not everyone is going to be able to do it but I think this is the future for Ireland – the people who have the get up and go.” Another exciting prospect for Ireland’s future in expanding into the Asian markets is the graduates of the Farmleigh Fellowship Programme. The programme, which was introduced in 2009, aims to develop 1,000 Irish based professionals with experience of doing international business across Asia over a fiveyear period and gradually build a critical mass of professionals who will spearhead a greater business, political and cultural engagement between Ireland and the Asia region. King says: “I was hugely impressed by these young people. I met ten or twelve of them at an event that the Irish Chamber in Hong Kong ran and invited me to – their energy, their positivity, and their willingness to support back home. One Galway girl I met who lives in Hong Kong acts for two entrepreneurs in Galway who supply cleaning products across the world. She has them manufactured in China, routed through Hong Kong. There are wonderful examples, small in number, you’re talking dozens rather than thousands, of

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Right on track Since opening in 2004, the Luas has carried up to 80,000 passengers daily from south and west Dublin. In 2017 the red and green lines are to be linked together to provide an inter-connected tram service for the capital. Colm Gorey examines the success of the service.

s one of the most used forms of public transport in Dublin today, the Luas can now be considered one of Dublin’s arteries that keeps the city moving. As of 2013, the Luas consists of two tram lines. The green line services the south side of the city from the outer reaches of the suburbs at Bride’s Glen with its terminus in the heart of St. Stephen’s Green. The red line extends to western Dublin where outward expansion began during the 1970s to service Saggart out to Connolly Station, the IFSC and The O2. Now, nearly ten years after the first Luas ran in June 2004, the tram system is firmly established as a focal point of the city. Not only is it now being referenced in literature, but it has also hosted film crews for major

international films such as the recent Ek Tha Tiger Bollywood film that featured the tram line in an explosive chase sequence. The opening of the Luas in 2004 was welcome news to a city which has had a long-standing tradition of trams dating from the middle of the 19th century. If you travel through Dublin today you can still see reminders of the city’s original tram system, beginning in 1872 with the Dublin Tramways Company. Originally starting with horsedrawn carriages, the different tram companies merged into the Dublin United Tramways Company in the 1890s and began electrifying the tracks that had spread to the outer reaches of the city. Despite their initial popularity and widespread-

use, by 1925 the first regular bus routes began to run. With their ability to travel greater distances at a lower cost, the idea of a tram system was considered antiquated. The final tramline in operation, the Hill of Howth Tramway, was finally shut on 31 May 1959 and with it 87 years of servicing the city’s public transport system. Unfortunately at the time, the government did not have the foresight to see the traffic problem that would come with the growing numbers of cars clogging the roads. Attempts were made with increasing bus services and the introduction of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART), which largely serviced areas along Dublin Bay, but this did not tackle the problem head-on. When the plans were being drawn up for the routes the Luas would take after Dublin’s 45-year tram hiatus, the engineers planned to utilise some of the previously existing railway lines which were still in existence, but had since been overgrown or

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FEATURE LUAS

“Meaning speed in Irish, Luas has provided a fast route of access for a city that cried out for a traffic-free solution to Dublin’s growing traffic problems during the height of the Celtic Tiger era and yet it was a slow process to get it off the ground.” unused. However, the old tracks that had been ripped up as part of the decommissioning of the old tram system were not around for the state agency, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), who had the task of laying new tracks, particularly for the large section running on the red line along Abbey Street. Now in the 21st century with a flourishing tram system, Luas is looking to take the next major step in its development. Veolia Ireland’s Managing Director, Brian Brennan, believes that the extension of the line in 2017 will be the next major step in having an integrated public transport system for Dublin: “I think [the Luas Cross City] is going to bring a massive change, people will be able to cross the city by tram. Also, Grangegorman which will be the new university campus stop out there and, when it is fully operational, will have 21,000 people using it. It will also provide people on the Maynooth train line with the ability to go into the city centre on the Luas. There are great opportunities and advantages in linking up the two lines.” u Record-breaking

year

However, when not taking part in multi-million dollar movie productions, Luas has had its busiest year to date in 2012 with provisional figures putting the number of passenger journeys at 29.4 million; an increase of over 300,000 on 2011 figures. Meaning speed in Irish, Luas has provided a fast route of access for a city that cried out for a traffic-free solution to Dublin’s growing traffic problems during the height of the Celtic Tiger era and yet it was a slow process to get it off the ground. Ten years previous to the first tram leaving Sandyford station in 2004, a

Dublin Transport Initiative went to the government to strongly recommend that a light urban transport system was needed to support major suburban centres which had, up until that point, relied almost solely on Dublin Bus to provide public transport into the city. It was only after four years of public enquiries that the decision to have a light transit system in Dublin was given the go ahead in 1998 with construction starting in October of 2000. Ironically, the first of the two lines, the green line, was built on one of Dublin’s historic tram lines. u Expanding

service, growing remit

With tram stops in a number of the city’s key locations like the IFSC, St Stephen’s Green, and O’Connell Street, Luas contributes significantly to local and multi-national businesses through increased traffic and smaller indirect sales through shops and convenience. Brennan explains that RPA and Veolia have always placed a significant amount of effort in keeping this relationship going: “we’re very heavily involved with business in the community. We’re one of only eight companies in the country with a Business Working Responsibly mark. This is a mark awarded by businesses in the community but is also accredited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and we’re very pleased to have achieved the mark in October of 2012. In terms of other ways we contribute to business it is with people using it as a mode to get to work, for social interaction and

indeed to keep the city moving. If you look at the flexibility of the city now and before it came into existence, there is less stress on people; people can leave the car at home. I believe we are seen as a safe and efficient mode of transport that people can rely on.” Veolia Transdev, the company that operate the Luas, is part of a huge international organisation that runs public transport, environmental, energy and waste management services across the world. With this international knowledge comes international experience, which Veolia Transdev and Brennan brought into the development of the Luas and its operation: “Even before we started we would have sent our first drivers to Stockholm to be trained and we sent our control room staff to be trained in Rouen, France,” says Brennan. “They then came back and filtered that knowledge through. We also brought Swedish drivers to train Irish drivers and they stayed for six months prior to launch in 2004. The mobilisation manager was 47

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FEATURE LUAS

from Sweden. He came to launch the system and indeed another senior manager came from Rouen before the launch. This brought a huge amount of experience and expertise.” Veolia Transdev also piloted the ‘Going for Green’ initiative, along with their Las Vegas partners, which aims to bring the best standards in customer care. Brennan explains: “It’s about how passengers feel. In green they are comfortable, safe, relaxed etc. If they’re in red they’re obviously feeling the opposite of that. With Going for Green we look at making sure that we always move them back towards green. It’s all about that personal interface and opportunity to have a personal interaction with a passenger.” uPrioritising

safety

In 2012, a number of news articles reported that there was a rise in crime on the Luas, particularly on the red line. One article from the Evening Herald dated 19th December 2012 had the headline ‘Luas must be patrolled in drug war’. According to its managing director, Brennan’s position is that any criminal or anti-social elements

on board their Luas are dealt with in the most serious and swiftest manner: “We’re very committed to providing a Luas service that is as free as possible from anti-social behaviour. In reality though, antisocial behaviour is rife in society and we’re part of that society. Fear of crime is also an issue which Luas faces and sometimes it is a perception and sometimes that fear is real. Overall, people have a very safe experience and we take a pro-active and multi-faceted approach to it. In 2009 we had no private security but now we spend well in excess of €1 million on it and security teams act as a deterrent. They operate on the red Line from 10am to last tram and fewer hours on the green line. Furthermore, where patterns of anti-social behaviour begin to emerge, we adapt to meet the customer’s needs.” Another safety initiative undertaken by Luas, in conjunction with the local communities, is Tramwatch. This involves Veolia staff, security staff and members of An Garda Síochána. There could be up to 12-14 people on one tram checking the whole tram and stops

for people misbehaving, loitering and checking for invalid tickets. It’s had a very positive impact on the service and is welcomed by customers, RPA and staff.” With passenger numbers increasing year-on-year, Luas has now firmly established itself as one of Dublin’s most familiar sights throughout the city and the chime of its bell will no doubt be heard for years to come. g

Veolia Ireland’s Managing Director, Brian Brennan

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HUMAN RESOURCES CA COMPLIANCE

Risky People Mean

Risky Business Assessing human resource risk in any company is paramount to its success, as Carol Ann Casey, HR Risk Specialist at CA Compliance Limited writes.

ne of the latest business buzz words is ‘risk’. It can be driven by risk appetite statements (RAS) and risk registers which lead from the boardroom, cascading into all segments of the organisation. Usually people think about risk based on financial risk and internal controls. This association stems from UK corporate governance, specifically the Turnbull Report, which was published in 1999 and set out best practice on internal control for UK listed companies. Despite this general association, my own view is that the biggest risk, above all, is your human resource (HR) risk, or your human capital risk. Risks are inevitable and organisations have a moral and legal obligation to attend to the safety and well-being of those they serve, those who work for them and other stakeholders who come into contact with their operations. This is known as their duty of care. However, organisations also need to examine all the risks throughout their entire operation (not just financial and legal) and incorporate risk management strategies throughout their planning and decision-making processes. The following lists some examples of specific HR risks that organisations should consider: •

Regular monitoring and development of your succession planning model, particularly identifying future gaps and managing the knowledge

•

transfer of your key leadership and technical talent. Diarising on the board agenda the regular re-assessment of your vision, mission, values and culture. This will help reaffirm who you are and your unique proposition and strategy, particularly in an ever-changing economic climate. Risk assessment where regulatory bodies’ requirements (eg. Central Bank of Ireland’s Fitness and Probity Standards criteria) are not appropriately complied with and your jobholder is not deemed to be fit and proper, competent and capable, honest, ethical and acting with integrity. Ongoing assessment of the CEO’s performance. Many would say that the CEO is their biggest HR risk. Lucy Kellaway wrote in The Financial Times and The Irish Times (September 2012) about why chief executives should take an annual hubris test. She advocated putting a CEO through an NCT test of sorts to ensure they are fit for purpose. I wholly concur. Every possible risk facing every business – not just concerning health and safety but in everything else too – has to be documented, checked, subjected to numerical stress tests, and then reassessed with mitigating factors considered. One risk missing here relates to the CEO. What if he or she is considered the biggest risk of all? What if he or she gets so high on power

Carol Ann Casey, CA Compliance Limited.

that they are a specific danger to a business? Is this an oversight when we consider the CEO risk is the common denominator in nearly every corporate catastrophe we have ever heard of? So, risk assessment should be an ongoing working document of the board. I believe a basic risk assessment will identify, assess, analyse and evaluate each risk in question, specifically for their organisation. This will help decide and document the treatment of that risk, whether to tolerate, terminate, treat or transfer it. I believe that to adequately assess the sources and handling of risk, organisations must risk assess their aggregate internal capability, such as their resources, systems, structure and culture. All of these risk areas require people. People are a source of risk. People handle risk. With the right people in the right place, taking ethicallycorrect measures, organisations can identify aggregate risks, areas for improvement, which leads to increased productivity and ultimately the big P – Profit! g For more information see www.cacompliance.ie. 49

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BI SURVEY DUBLIN INStItUtE oF tEcHNoLogY

DIT building its global competitiveness Dublin Institute of Technology continues to promote Ireland as a destination for international students.

ublin Institute of technology specialises in developing graduates for productive leadership roles and undertakes use-inspired, goal-oriented research which is nationally relevant and globally competitive. DIt joined education delegations to São paulo and Brasília to promote Ireland as a destination for Brazilian students which resulted in an agreement for up to 1,500 postgraduate Brazilian students to study in Ireland. The Institute also participated in Ireland’s 2012 trade mission to Brazil and the signing of another landmark agreement which will see a further 4,000 undergraduate students study in Ireland under Brazil’s Science

without Borders programme. Brazil is a key market for DIt. It has strong automotive, Ict, telecommunications and electronics sectors and is a leading food producer. many of DIt’s phD programmes are a perfect match to priority areas identified by the Brazilian government. In addition, DIt is designated as a World tourism organisation centre for tourism Education and Research, and the 2016 olympics and 2014 World cup in Brazil provide excellent opportunities to work with industry partners to develop Brazil’s hospitality, tourism and event management sectors. DIt researchers cultivate an entrepreneurial approach to relationships with industry and

business. DIt has been shown to be more efficient at converting research results into products and services. With this strong industry engagement, DIt researchers break down boundaries between researchers and industry by developing dynamic research programmes enabling collective identification of research problems and solutions. We collaborate with industry to translate research into innovative technologies and help in capturing technology-driven new export businesses for Ireland. g For further information contact: Professor Mary McNamara, Head of the DIT Graduate Research School at Mary.McNamara@dit.ie.

INVEST

Research & PhDs IN YOUR Taught FUTURE Researchers at DIT undertake research which is nationally relevant, internationally competitive and strategically important. It is strongly focused on problem-solving, and on social and technological development and innovation that advances human knowledge and makes a real impact on people’s life experience. Key PhD areas are: • Environment, Energy and Health • Information, Communications & Media Technologies • Materials and Devices • Societal, Cultural and Enterprise

For information on PhD opportunities go to www.dit.ie/researchandenterprise/ graduateresearchschool

postgraduate programmes

Recognised for practice-based learning that is underpinned by research, DIT offers opportunities for professional qualifications at Masters level across a wide range of disciplines. Programmes are offered in the areas of Arts and Tourism, Business, Engineering, Built Environment and Science. For a full list of taught postgraduate opportunities at DIT, including full time and part-time programmes, go to www.dit.ie/postgrad

DIT - it’s a step closer to the real world

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Changing direction If you feel now is the time to change career direction, take a look at the range of ‘Conversion’ postgraduate programmes offered at DIT. These programmes are open to applicants who can be graduates of any discipline: For a full list of Conversion postrgraduate programmes at DIT go to www.dit.ie/ postgrad/conversionprogrammes

www.dit.ie

22/03/2013 12:44:12

FEATURE Brazil

Mission accomplished in Brazil, but more to follow... Ireland’s trade mission to Brazil last year was deemed a major success for Irish companies and education institutions, but investment in the Latin American country remains a work in progress, writes Joseph O’Connor.

nterprise Ireland’s trade mission to Brazil last October was seen as a big success for the 42 Irish companies and education institutions which participated. During the trade mission, which was led by Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello, two Irish companies opened new facilities, six Memoranda of Understandings were signed between leading Irish and Brazilian Universities and Institutes of Technology, and a landmark education and research agreement with Brazil was signed that will see 4,000 undergraduate Brazilian students study in Ireland over the next four years. Substantial new export contracts were also secured by a number of the participating companies. These announcements and contracts secured during the trade mission underpin the ongoing success and export growth of Irish companies as they continue to win new business and increase their export footprint in Brazil, - the sixth largest economy in the world. As part of the State visit to Latin America, President Michael D Higgins joined the trade mission in Sao Paulo and Brasília. The presence of both President Higgins and Minister Costello demonstrated the importance the Irish Government places on Brazil as a future trading partner. The President and Minister met with Irish companies and their Brazilian partners and witnessed significant signings of contracts in the commercial and education sectors.

All events on the trade mission were aimed at opening doors for Irish companies and paving the way for more Irish exports into Brazil. Reflecting on the importance of trade links with Brazil almost six months after the mission, Kevin Sherry, Head of International Sales and Partnering with Enterprise Ireland says: “Brazil as you know is one of the much-termed ‘BRICS’, so it’s a high growth market. It is the most populous market in Latin America with over 190 million people and it is also a fast-growing market, forecast to grow by about three per cent – a little over three per cent this year and three-and-a-half per cent next year. It is also currently ranked the sixth largest global economy, so it isn’t a market that can be ignored. It’s a very important market. Also, as you know, it is hosting the World Cup next year and the Olympics in 2016.” uOpportunity

The opportunities available to Irish companies in Brazil have also been highlighted by the Irish Exporters Association. At a recent roundtable discussion, entitled ‘Growing Sales in South America’, top executives from 14 Irish ICT and software companies shared their experiences of entering these markets at S3 Group’s headquarters in Dublin. The key message to come from the meeting was that South America’s rapidly growing middle class – now 47 per cent of the population in Brazil – presents wide ranging

Kevin Sherry, Head of International Sales and Partnering with Enterprise Ireland

opportunities for Irish ICT & software companies, but import duties and local tariffs especially in Brazil need careful planning. Focusing on their recent growth in exports to Brazil, John O’Brien, CEO of S3 Group, said at the event that “S3 Group first went into Brazil with our TV Technology Business in November 2010. Brazil is a market with its differences and challenges, but we have been very successful in making initial sales to our target Brazilian customers”. O’Brien went on to add “Brazil is a huge market, and represents a great opportunity for Irish companies. With the help of organisations like the Irish Exporters Association, Enterprise Ireland, The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Irish Embassy in Brazil, there is a lot of practical help available.” On this point, John Whelan, CEO of Irish Exporters Association stated “the S3 Group is a classic example of how to enter a large €2.2 trillion market in a structured and profitable way, with a niche 51

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

product, and manage the service requirements of a distant market.’’ uEducation

A significant deal reached at the trade mission was the signing of a landmark education and research agreement with Brazil. The agreement will see a further 4,000 undergraduate Brazilian students study in Ireland over the next four years under Brazil’s ‘Science without Borders’ scholarship programme. This is on top of the previous agreement between Ireland and Brazil announced in June 2012 for up to 1,500 postgraduate Brazilian students to study in Ireland and is a major boost for the international third-level education sector here. The initiative is a large-scale, nationwide scholarship programme that is primarily funded by the Brazilian federal government. The programme seeks to strengthen and expand Brazilian education in the areas of science, technology, innovation and competitiveness by providing opportunities for international studying to undergraduate and graduate students and researchers. Sherry comments on the significance of the education

agreement: “Building links between students and on the education side leads to longer term links in trade. It facilitates people getting to know the economy. It facilitates Brazilian students coming to Ireland and they get an understanding of Ireland and those people tend to go back and end up in key positions in industry.” He added: “It’s a very important element and as part of the trade mission last year it was agreed that Ireland was awarded up to 4,000 undergraduate student placements and 1,500 postgrad places. That’s where Irish universities and institutes of technology are educating those Brazilian students and it is all government funded. So that was a hugely significant initiative and a hugely significant milestone for us.” uSporting

Events

Brazil is to host the 2014 World Cup, followed by the Olympic Games in 2016 which will prove to be huge drivers of infrastructure spending. These present several significant investment opportunities for foreign companies. The Financial Times reports that Brazil will spend $13.3bn on preparations in 12 cities for the World Cup. The budget

for running the Olympics will be $2.8bn, with a further $11.6bn to be invested in infrastructure projects, although there may be an overlap between spending on the World Cup and continuing infrastructure projects. Despite these figures, Sherry is cautious to get carried away about how Irish companies can benefit from these events. He says: “We don’t see huge construction opportunities in that area. A lot of that will actually be done by companies locally. So therefore, it is unlike the London Olympics where we would have had Irish construction companies heavily involved. We don’t see that type of opportunity, but where we do see opportunity is in the area of the payments and telecommunications market. It is one of the fastest growing telecommunications markets in the globe and it forecasts to be over the next five years, and we have very strong Irish telecommunications companies and financial services payments companies that will get a lot of business from that activity. So therefore, while not directly, indirectly we will see a significant gain from the events.” While the outcome of Enterprise Ireland’s trade mission was undoubtedly a success, Ireland must not be complacent in its ongoing efforts to strengthen trade ties with Brazil, given the competition from other European countries and beyond. Sherry offers an insight into the work going on behind the scenes: “In reality for Enterprise Ireland, our efforts in Brazil are not a ‘once-off ’ associated with a trade mission in Brazil. It’s a 365-day-a-year effort and so therefore we continue to drive forward in terms of the links and the efforts in working with Irish companies to gain traction there.” It is now hoped that the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries will continue in the years ahead, and the education links now in place will cement personal connections in Brazil for generations to come. g

FEATURE Brazil

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BI Survey IT Blanchardstown

Blanchardstown in Brazil Mairead Murphy, Marketing and Development Manager with the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown, describes the outcome of last year’s trade mission to Brazil.

ocated in Northwest Dublin, the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) was founded in 1999 with an initial investment of €75m. ITB has grown significantly in recent years, and currently has over 3,000 full time students studying in a variety of disciplines including engineering, computing, creative digital media, international business, accounting and finance, as well as humanities programmes. Since 2009 ITB has been working closely with Enterprise Ireland (EI) and is now recruiting in international markets. ITB participated in Ireland’s trade mission to Brazil last October.

Mairead Murphy is responsible for marketing and recruitment activities in India, China, Brazil and Canada. Murphy says the institute decided to get involved in the trade mission upon the announcement that the Brazilian Government and the scholarship authorities would participate in the ‘Science without Borders’ scheme which provides government scholarships to Brazilian students who wish to spend a year studying abroad or who wish to pursue studies at PhD level. Murphy says: “Many of the Institutes of Technology and universities participated to increase Ireland’s profile amongst third level institutions and students in Brazil and to promote the Education

Ireland brand which is managed by EI.” The key outcome of the trade mission was a greater understanding of the higher education sector in Brazil, the needs of Brazilian students and most importantly establishing links with universities and private colleges. Commenting on the ITB’s future plans in the South American country, Murphy says: “To date two of our academic staff have been invited back to Brazil to present at conferences and to visit some of the universities and colleges that we made contact with during the trade mission. They have taken this opportunity to highlight the Science without Borders scheme and to showcase the research and study abroad opportunities for Brazilian students in Ireland. We will continue to work closely with Enterprise Ireland which has been very supportive in all our international markets.” g

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BI SURVEY Dataconversion Direct

Big data not only for big players Alan Fagan of DataConversion Direct tells Business Ireland how effective data management is not solely the preserve of global giants.

ound data management isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for giant, global tech companies or massive online retailers. Any business, regardless of size, can benefit greatly from robust data processes. Irrespective of scale, if you treat your customer data with the respect it deserves, it will reward you many times over. You collect information about your customers every day. Unfortunately, most businesses fail to use that data effectively, which can be deemed a wasted resource. By developing a comprehensive data management strategy you can

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make your existing data work for you. We see organisations in every sector of the economy using their customer information to create real competitive advantage. Take Peter Mark for example. By leveraging the customer information that their stylists gather on a daily basis, this nationwide hairdressing group has been able to grow their Karma programme into the envy of the industry; a centralised direct marketing database of over 500,000 customers. With some planning and a few simple improvements to the way your business manages its customer data, you can achieve huge

commercial gains. From local independent newsagents to major retail chains, all businesses can use customer data to build stronger and more profitable relationships with their customers. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with small lists of competition entrants or mountains of transactional data collected from your global e-commerce platform, the principles of sound data management are the same. By treating your data with the respect it deserves, your business will get more insight, more intelligence, more loyalty, more customers and ultimately, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get more revenue. g

22/03/2013 12:44:25

Test drive motoring

Renault budget brand

shaking up the market

Business Ireland Motoring Editor Michael Sheridan test drives the new Dacia Sandero from Renault and finds it more than competent for its price tag.

acia is a new budget brand that is shaking up the car market in Ireland. ‘Shockingly Affordable’ is the brand’s catchphrase and it is. With prices starting well below the competition at just €10,000 for a five-seat supermini sized car, Sandero is a seriously affordable machine. It sounds great, but where has Dacia come from? When Renault bought Dacia from the Romanian state in 1999 the little known brand was making just 5,000 cars. By 2012 that figure had risen to 350,000. In 2009, the Dacia Duster concept was revealed at the Geneva show and it pointed to more mainstream machinery that could perhaps hold its head up against Western European cars. Prior to Duster, Dacias were truly loathsome machines that, despite poor crash protection, sold like hot cakes in Eastern Europe. If you have ever seen movies set in the

old Soviet Union and wondered where all the Renault 8 & 12 clones came from - you can thank Dacia who bought the old production line tooling from the French firm. Times have changed though, and so too has Dacia, thanks in the main to lower labour costs and access to modern Renault technology. Dacia is now delivering very affordable new cars to Europe. At the moment just two Dacia models are on sale in Ireland (the Duster SUV and Sandero) with more cars to follow. The Sandero is built on a Renault Clio platform. It is a five-door, front-wheel drive hatchback with contemporary looks. The exterior is very smart and in no way cheap looking. There is clearly homage paid to the shape of VW’s Polo and a few other far more costly rivals from mainstream manufacturers. The front end is business-like and if you took the

Dacia badge away, you’d be hard pressed to identify the maker. Inside you can see where money has been saved but surprisingly there are very few rough edges or surfaces. The Renault switches are placed in the usual Renault way, in other words in odd locations but once found – not forgotten. On the road Sandero is comfortable and the ride is soft. When cornering there is a fair bit of bodyroll but otherwise the car is predictable and at €10,000 remarkably competent. Three engines are available: a threecylinder diesel with 90bhp that is great fun and very nippy, a 898cc petrol powered three-cylinder TCe with 90bhp, and a four-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol completes the range. Dacia gives a three-year warranty as standard but you can get a fiveyear for a premium of €369. Dacia (Renault) Finance is available too which could see you in a Sandero from just €99 per month. Volkswagen’s budget brand Skoda has become a huge success and Renault now hopes it can do the same with Dacia. 55

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22/03/2013 12:44:28

Good looking without the edge The SEAT Leon has plenty of components to offer.

EAT has launched the Leon in Ireland and it proves to be a very good offering. The Volkswagen-owned Spanish carmaker is set to benefit massively from gaining access to virtually every component that is used in the

latest VW Golf – the newly crowned European Car of the Year 2013. Leon’s engines, platform and countless other components are shared. Twelve models make up the Leon range with the entry engine being a 1.2-litre TSi petrol. Leon’s exterior styling sits somewhere between Golf and Audi’s A3 (both use the same MQB platform). There are smart sharp lines on the flanks and overall Leon is good looking, but not overly exciting. Inside the five-seat cabin is spacious. Familiar quality materials and switches are used. The driving position is decent too. The entry level 90bhp, 1.6-litre diesel Leon will

be the big seller at €20,995. If you want slightly more power, a 105bhp version costs €21,675. Sportier FR branded Leons will attract enthusiasts as they use more powerful engines and get sporty suspension tweaks. The entry FR Leon uses a 2-litre diesel with 154bhp. Retail prices start at €18,995, so clearly SEAT has priced Leon to undercut Golf. So what is the catch? The only thing to stop anyone from choosing a Leon before a new VW Golf is the SEAT badge. In Ireland VW is a highly regarded brand and sales back this up as the German brand is top of the sales charts. SEAT is going to be aggressive with pricing and finance offers to get people to think beyond the obvious.

Global car restyled The KIA Sorento offers a spacious solution.

he latest 7-seat €38,000 full size SUV from Korean carmaker KIA is a global car at an attractive price. The restyled sports activity vehicle is powered by just one engine. The 197bhp 2.2 diesel is carried over from the last generation Sorento with a few tweaks. Emissions are down and fuel consumption is reduced too, plus there have been improvements to the big machine’s aerodynamic performance. Access is improved too with a lower floor. Four–wheel drive is standard, which means that the Sorento, unlike many so-called SUVs, can actualy go off road if required. On the road the ride is on the soft side, but comfortable. Despite European influences to the exterior design, the Sorento has been clearly designed with American driving in mind. Cornering is not an exciting

activity as there is too much body roll to allow you drive enthusiactically. On motorway the Sorento has no trouble keeping up with the flow. Two trim levels are available: EX and Platinum. Standard specification is very good with Platinum (€41,790), adding such luxuries as a big sunroof and leather seats (powered for the driver and heated up front). With

prices starting at €37,990 the Sorento is an interesting proposition. The strong engine with 436nm of pulling power and all-wheel drive makes it ideal for towing. The seven seat cabin and decent boot means that the Sorento is capable of doing most things a family could ask of it. The Sorento is well built and of course benefits from KIA’s seven-year warranty.

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22/03/2013 12:44:36

TEST DRIVE MOTORING

Strange attraction The new MINI Paceman takes a gamble on its new look.

Japanese makeover The new Toyota Auris has benefitted from some smarter features.

ake a MINI Countryman and give it the coupe treatment and the result is the new MINI Paceman. Usually to make a coupe you take an ordinary 4-door saloon car, lower it and ditch two-doors. MINI has taken a gamble by using an SUV/crossover as the starting point. Two-door coupes should be first and foremost sexy and the Paceman isn’t and this is probably why it is not called the Countryman Coupe! That said, the Paceman’s exterior is chunky and strangely attractive. Inside, the Paceman has seating for four - in individual seats. The cabin is spacious and the driving position commanding - very un-coupelike! We tested the top of the range MINI Paceman John Cooper Works (JCW) recently and never stopped grinning. The JCW has 218bhp and fourwheel drive. Acceleration is both rapid and sure footed. The Paceman JCW handles beautifully and is deceptively quick.

In most MINI JCWs (there are seven) progress can be frantic but as Paceman JCW uniquely has four-wheel drive, the experience is less so. Fourwheel drift can be induced instead of front-wheel drive understeer and this is very controlable. Paceman JCW uses a clever electronic system to deliver and distribute variable amounts of power to the front and rear wheels as conditions and driving style demand. Paceman JCW is a massively capable car on tarmac, yet completely reassuring on poor roads too. Paceman is available with more sensible engines and front-wheel drive but the €50,540 ‘All4’ JCW has to be the one drivers go for. The market will decide whether there is a demand - we hope it does.

lways a big seller but never a great looking machine, Toyota has given Auris a welcome make-over. Despite the critics, the compact family hatchback has sold very well in Ireland and now with its smarter looks, Auris will do even better. The exterior has been restyled and is now slightly longer, lower and lighter too. The front end is smarter with revisions to the headlights bumper and grille, while the rear end looks much more interesting thanks to sharper lines. Inside, revisions have freshened up the five-seater. The driver and front passenger get a very wide and spacious area thanks to a flat dashboard. They also benefit from better materials and trim. Under the skin the mechanicals are tried and tested. Petrol, diesel and hybrid power is available. The hybrid uses the same running gear as the larger Toyota Prius. Despite the interesting green hybrid technology, the Auris ‘HSD’ (hybrid synergy drive) is over priced for most motorists. The diesel will be the big seller and is very frugal, while for low mileage users the petrol version makes sense too. An Auris Tourer (estate) is available this year if you need a load carrier. On the road Auris is competent, but not exciting. The handling and ride are good but average for the sector that includes the Golf, Focus, Mazda 3 and many more. Toyota has plans to regain top spot in the Irish sales charts from Volkswagen this year with a host of new and revised machines. The revisions to Auris have made the Japanese machine a more attractive proposition.

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22/03/2013 12:44:46

TEST DRIVE MOTORING

Eco Driving Tips T

he cost of filling-up is a major concern for motorists, so what can drivers do to increase fuel economy? Knowing the basics about fuel consumption will help. Fuel is burned most efficiently when a serviced engine is warm and driven with a light right foot in the highest gear, e.g. 5th (or 6th if fitted). Driving from cold, driving in the wrong gear (i.e. using too manys revs), hard accleration, heavy braking, underinflated tyres and carrying excess weight in the boot are just a few gas-guzzling issues that need to be addressed to reduce consumption. Let’s break down a typical trip. Firstly, always park your car so that it is facing the direction you wish to travel off in – so reverse into parking

spaces. Do not warm up the engine before moving off – this wastes fuel. Only start the car to immediately move off. Think of that right pedal as a fuel tap, so treat it prudently. Gentle acceleration, especially when merging onto faster flowing roads will save you money. Use the full length of any slip road to accelerate up to the flow of traffic. Shift up through the gears as early as possible - the engine will travel further and burn less fuel with each up shift. When decelerating, simply lift off the accelerator fully. This cuts off fuel

Motor show whets appetite of car fans

he Geneva Motor Show gave car fans some stunning new machinary and concept designs to whet their appitite for the coming months. At the higher end of things Rolls Royce launched the ‘Wraith’, while Ferrari and Lambourghinni showed off stunning new models too. For mere mortals

there were many cars to aspire to. KIA caused a bit of a stir with the poorly named but fantastic looking ‘Provo’. The MINI rival hybrid fourwheel drive uses a 1.6 litre petrol engine to turn the front wheels and an electric motor for the rear wheels. Nissan revealed the new Note, which is a very interesting proposition for

flow to the engine. Try to reduce the amount of braking you do, as braking is a waste of precious kinetic engergy. By observing and anticipating the traffic flow around, you can become a smoother driver and smoother means better fuel economy.

those seeking compact, affordable and versatile motoring. BMW showed the almost production ready electric ‘i3’, which is due to be launched later this year. Honda revealed its Civic Tourer concept, which with the new 1.6 diesel should tempt a lot of family car buyers. Ford displayed the EcoSport compact SUV that will sit below the Kuga. At the lower end of things, Dacia showed off the new Logan that should be here in the second half of this year. On a different scale, Ferrari caused hearts to flutter with the stunning ‘LaFerrari’. The Enzo replacment was one of the few cars the circa 10,000 attending journalists had not seen in some shape or form before the show. The V12 hybrid machine has a 6.3 litre petrol engine and electric motor, which combined produce almost 1,000bhp – 0-100kph takes just 3 seconds! Sadly only 499 LaFerraris will be made and the FIAT owned company says it has firm orders already for most of the hypercars.

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22/03/2013 12:44:51

Advertorial O2

Total Communications Solution O2 adds fizz to the Gleeson Group O2 provides enterprise class email and resilient inter-site communications.

leeson Group is one of the largest distributors of beverage products in Ireland, from Tipperary Natural Mineral Water and Finches soft drinks to Bavaria beer and Merry’s whiskey and cream liqueur. It was recently acquired by drinks group C&C at a valuation of €58m. With 11 fully owned distribution hubs, a manufacturing centre in Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary and a headquarters in Dublin, a reliable and secure communications network between sites and for over 60 sales agents on the road was essential. “We had creaking on-premise email servers running in our Dublin and Borrisoleigh sites,” comments Conor Kinane, IT Manager with Gleeson Group. With about 650 employees, Gleeson has a small internal IT team of just two people. “A lot of our time was spent on fire fighting, administration and upgrading in order to keep the email servers up and running twenty-four-seven.” The second big challenge was the cost and reliability of the network

that connected the company’s hubs and sites around the country. “With the incumbent provider, the cost of the MPLS connection was very high, the reliability was not great and getting back up if a line went down was a nightmare,” says Kinane.  Solution

Gleeson Group was already using O2 mobile and fixed lines. “O2 suggested we could add Microsoft Office 365 at low cost to our existing plan,” says Kinane. Office 365 is Microsoft’s cloud solution which provides secure, anywhere access to email and calendars, Office web apps, instant messaging, conferencing and file sharing. Of particular interest to Gleeson Group was access to Exchange Online. This provides business class email, calendar and contacts on PC, phone and web. Users can retrieve email, calendars and contacts from almost anywhere using their computer, laptop, tablet or phone. O2’s ICT team also came up with a solution to the inter-site communications issue. O2’s Managed WAN is a purpose-built, resilient MPLS infrastructure which allows customers to connect head office and remote sites

Lisa Corcoran, Head of Business Sales, O2.

over a fully managed IP network. This was provided at lower cost, greater support and increased redundancy than the incumbent provider could offer.  Results/Benefits

“We can now do business any time, from any location,” says Kinane. “All our reps are supplied with netbooks and they can securely access the email server and send Gleeson Group emails from home, a hotel, a customer site or on the road.” The monthly cost includes support from O2’s dedicated business team, “which is terrific,” says Kinane. “We have saved a day a week, or almost a week a month in terms of IT time leaving us to focus on more strategic and business critical issues.” “An increasing number of Irish businesses, like Gleeson Group, are discovering that O2 is a trusted partner that can provide total communications services, in addition to mobile services,” added Lisa Corcoran, Head of Business Sales at O2. g Doing business with O2 is easy. Call O2’s dedicated business team on 1800 200 016. www.o2.ie/business. 59

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22/03/2013 12:45:00

THOUGHT Leadership ESRI Ireland

GIS:

A new working language for Irish business

Paul Synnott, Country Manager with Esri Ireland, tells Business Ireland how the adoption of Geographic Information Systems can help stimulate the economy.

t a time when Government is under increasing pressure to stimulate the economy, it is now more important than ever that we make effective and efficient use of the scarce and valuable resources that are available to us all. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one such resource that will help create jobs, attract inward investment, identify opportunities for revenue growth and reduce costs across many businesses and industry sectors in Ireland. By using GIS and associated digital mapping techniques to make better sense of complex business problems, decision makers in businesses now have the ability to stand over any proposed investments. Consequently, business owners, shareholders and employees can see clear evidence of more prudent use of company resources and cash reserves. These benefits have led to a shift in the discipline from a world where many simply saw digital mapping and what we now call ‘location analytics’

as a discipline at the heart of IT practices, to one where GIS now sits firmly at the heart of decision making and delivering positive results for both public and private sector entities. However, in the last ten years it has predominantly been the public sector that is making the most use of geographic information in relation to the efficient and effective delivery of public services. This was further emphasised when the use of geographic information for the delivery of public services underpinned the new Programme for Government back in 2011. More recently, GIS was specifically referenced in four government actions contained within the Public Service Reform Programme of 2012. I now put it to you, members of the Dublin Chamber; business owners & professionals, that if our public sector can come to terms with the value proposition of GIS for public service delivery, then so too can the private sector in terms of its value in helping to address complex business problems. The signs are certainly encouraging as there has been a significant increase in the uptake of GIS in private sector businesses in the last 18 months. Within that

period, of 36 new customers we have been working with, 23 were private organisations coming from a wide range of sectors. A positive outcome from public sector’s early engagement and uptake of GIS is that there are now many location-based information sources available to private sector businesses. These wide-ranging public resources are all available for Ireland through various online resources. Much of this valuable information can now feed directly into business intelligence (BI) and provide powerful and deeper insights into business activities and market behaviour. Furthermore, access to this information is now getting easier and cheaper. This year, in Ireland, we will see the discipline of “location analytics” extend to the Microsoft Office platform, enabling a business user to combine many different types of location based information with their own business data. These recent advances in the use and application of GIS are driving innovation across both public and private sector organisations. Location analytics is taking advantage of this, fast becoming ubiquitous, and helping to bridge the gap between the boardroom executive and the business analyst. Collaboration based on location is now commonplace and maps have become the working language for sharing business plans and discussing corporate strategy. By understanding the value proposition that location-based information can bring, decision making processes can only be enhanced for those public and private sector organisations who harness it. As a result, both sectors can together help stimulate our economy back to life. g

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22/03/2013 12:45:13

BI Survey ESET

Job Scammers Will Take Anyone’s Money

Individuals and businesses alike should be wary of cybercriminals looking to make a quick profit, writes Urban Schrott of ESET Ireland.

SET Ireland has observed in recent months that cybercriminals are working particularly hard on exploiting the misfortune of those worst hit by the economic situation, with the same immoral cynicism they apply when promoting fake charities or fraudulent donations during natural disasters. Official–looking emails equipped with company logotypes and addresses are circulating, offering everything from easy and affordable loans, offers to work from home for an online enterprise, to completing financial transactions and taking a cut for yourself. All topics specifically aimed at those that are having trouble with regular income, whether they are unemployed individuals or struggling businesses.  The

Catch

Even if they sound promising enough and will claim to provide the receiver with something – either a loan, a job or a transaction fee, most of these offers will sooner or later require the victim to pay some advance fee or provide some delicate personal data, such as bank account or credit card numbers. It’s all too common for such offers to turn out to be some form of Advance Fee Fraud or a poorly paid work-from-home job. However, sometimes the job offered actually involves participating in money laundering as a money mule, though oddly enough, that’s never the job title – that’s more

likely to be something like ‘financial assistant’ or even ‘financial director’. Unfortunately, it’s possible for a naive victim to believe they’re working for a legitimate company and not realise that they’re breaking the law until the police come a-knocking.  Money

Mules

Money mule solicitation is the sort of ‘job offer’ by which someone out of work might be particularly vulnerable to being conned. And in fact, the victim may actually make some money out of the deal. But it’s still bad news for someone who takes up the offer, who is likely to find that sooner or later he’ll attract the attention of the police and be left holding the bag, with his bank account closed and his assets frozen, at least until it can be sorted out as to what proportion of those assets have been acquired through involvement in money laundering. The sad thing is that the victim may honestly believe they are doing legitimate work for a legitimate company. Of course that doesn’t mean the scammer won’t demand some sort of advance fee in order to get a little extra profit, and in fact we see Advance Fee Fraud versions that are probably more interested in scamming the recipient than in real money laundering.  Untraceable

How does the scam part usually work then? The victim receives an uncovered cheque or other counterfeit proof of payment to themselves, while they are expected to forward on their actual funds immediately. By the time they get confirmation they didn’t actually receive anything from the scammers

Example of a scam email.

“Needless to say, the golden rule ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ should be applied rather vigorously to most, if not all, such emails. The only goal of the cybercriminal is to make money.” and that the cheque or other proof of payment is worthless, they have already parted with their own money via the untraceable Western Union and the scammers walk away with a hefty profit. Needless to say, the golden rule ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ should be applied rather vigorously to most, if not all, such emails. The only goal of the cybercriminal is to make money. Any offers they make, any promises or good deals they offer, all serve their main purpose – to get to some of your money and make it theirs. g Please see www.eset.ie for more info.

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22/03/2013 12:45:15

BI Survey Safetica Ireland

IT Misuse A quarter of Irish employees browse for other employment on their current job computers.

ecause Safetica Ireland – the provider of employee monitoring software – is ever curious about the work habits of Irish employees, it has commissioned a survey from Amárach Research which asked over 500 Irish employees if they have done any of the following:

 Worrying

Results

The results are rather surprising and they do not show Irish employees as the most dependable in this respect – particularly the nearly one in four people who browse for other employment while they should be actually doing work for the company currently paying their wages and reveals a certain trend which many employers might consider quite concerning. An additional telling detail is that while 29 per cent of males

engage in this behaviour, only 14 per cent of females do so. A demographic breakdown highlights other interesting things too. In the tough employment market it is often a lot more difficult for those over 40 years old to get a job, while those under 30 seem to enjoy a certain advantage with employers. But

per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, acknowledged their use social media such as Facebook and Twitter during work hours, while only 14 per cent of those above 45 years old admitted such behaviour. Similar results are also to be found in the categories of mailing or taking company files home – younger male employees do so up to three times more often than their female and older colleagues.  Stolen

Property

“Responsible companies would be wise to take steps to implement security policies which would prevent excessive abuse of company computers by employees as well as adequately protect company data.”

Lastly, while the figure of one per cent of people who have lost or seen their company laptops, mobiles and other devices stolen may seem small –1 in 100 employees having experienced this – that figure still corresponds to thousands of lost or stolen company laptops, mobiles and other devices in total. And with the possibility of these devices being used to store sensitive company data, the possibility of criminal abuse of such data is greatly increased. In light of these findings, responsible companies would be wise to take steps to implement security policies which would prevent excessive abuse of company computers by employees, as well as adequately protect company data so that, in case their devices get lost or stolen, the company doesn’t suffer the possibly serious consequences of sensitive data loss. Sometimes even a set of clearly communicated rules within a company can make all the difference; many of the issues revealed by our survey are most likely not the result of malicious intent, but by lack of clear guidelines and the company’s insufficient approach to their integrity and data security. g

the study shows that it is in the age groups of 15-24 and 25-34 where 62

For more information, visit www.safetica.ie 63

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22/03/2013 12:45:16

BI SURVEY Johnson & Perrot t Fleet

The fleet to beat

Johnson & Perrott Fleet has been driven by you for over 200 years.

ohnson & Perrott Fleet, Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing and most successful fleet management business has a strong and trusted heritage in the motor industry. A family owned business established in 1810, the company was originally established in Cork as a manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. Through past generations, the company has been at the forefront of Irish transport and has continuously adapted to changes within the industry, embraced new technologies and continues to outperform its nearest competitors. A lot has changed since 1810, but one thing that has remained constant is the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on delivering

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exceptional levels of customer care to their 2,000 drivers. Through very challenging times for the motor industry, Johnson & Perrott Fleet has continued to invest heavily in its fleet business. Under the stewardship of one of the most respected names in the industry, General Manager, Gerry Madden, Johnson & Perrott Fleet works tirelessly at providing customer focused solutions that meet individual customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; transport requirements. In an ever more challenging environment, SME customers as well as large national and international blue chip customers are offered a fully funded solution for their contract hire requirements without recourse to bank lending.

Owner and Johnson & Perrott Motor Group CEO Mark Whitaker is another leading figure in the industry. Mark is a sixth generation direct descendant of Mr James Johnson who started the original business at the turn of the last century, making the company one of the oldest surviving family companies in Ireland. A strong pedigree, a tradition of integrity, and a commitment to delivering exceptional customer care make Johnson & Perrott Fleet the company of choice for any Irish business with a fleet transport requirement. g For further information on working with a fleet management company that will be driven by you, visit www.jpfleet.ie.

22/03/2013 12:45:18

BI Survey KPMG

REITs

worth talking about A tax regime for Real Estate Investment Trusts is expected to reinvigorate the commercial property market in Ireland, as Jim Clery, Tax Partner with KPMG writes.

s announced in Budget 2013, the Finance Bill contains provisions for the introduction of a tax regime for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) with immediate effect. This is a welcome development which provides a significant, collective investment ownership structure at a time when Irish real estate is attracting considerable investor interest. Provided the REIT meets the various conditions of the legislation, the REIT will not be liable to corporate tax on income and capital gains arising from its property rental business. However, the tax exemption at REIT level is lost for profits on the sale of property which have been redeveloped and sold within three years. Profits from the non property rental business, if any, are subject to normal taxes.  Qualification

In order to qualify for the REIT tax regime, a REIT must be resident solely in Ireland and be incorporated under the Irish Companies Acts. It must also be a listed quoted company which is traded on an EU Stock Exchange, and have only one class of Ordinary shares. It must also not be a close company. A REIT must derive at least 75 per cent of its profits from the carrying on of a property rental business. Such businesses must consist of at least three properties, no one of which must be more than 40 per cent of the total. It is also required to maintain a 1.25:1 ratio of income

“In the case of a company converting into a REIT, it will be deemed for capital gains tax purposes to have sold its assets on the day of conversion and will be liable to Irish capital gains tax on any inherent gains up to that point.” to financing costs and distribute at least 85 per cent of its income for each accounting period by way of dividend to its shareholders (income does not include capital gains). As well as maintaining a Loan to Value ratio below 50 per cent, it must operate a 75 per cent minimum ‘good assets’ ratio.  Legislation

The legislation is loosely based on the UK REIT legislation. However, many of the difficulties experienced in the UK have been recognised in the Irish version. The legislation is also written from the perspective of a new company becoming a REIT although it is possible for an existing company to convert into a REIT. In the case of a company converting into a REIT, it will be deemed for capital gains tax purposes to have sold its assets on the day of conversion and will be liable to Irish capital gains tax on any inherent gains up to that point. This means that a REIT cannot be used to eliminate inherent capital gains but, other than

Jim Clery, Tax Partner with KPMG.

that, there is no specific conversion charge on becoming a REIT. The transfer of shares will be liable to normal stamp duty at one per cent. Irish individual resident shareholders in a REIT will be liable to income tax on income distributions from the REIT at marginal rates plus USC and PRSI as though the dividend was Case IV income. Such investors will be liable to capital gains tax at a rate of 33 per cent on a disposal of shares in the REIT. Non resident investors will not be liable to Irish capital gains tax in Ireland because the REIT is a public listed company. In relation to dividends, it is intended that the REIT will apply dividend withholding tax at the rate of 20 per cent from income distributions to non residents. This is progressive legislation which could satisfy investor interest in playing the Irish recovery story without having to commit to a single asset purchase. It certainly has the potential to breathe more life into the Irish commercial property market. g 65

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22/03/2013 12:45:18

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22/03/2013 12:45:24

BI SURVEY DoNEDEAL

DOneDeal GOinG

fROM STRenGTh TO STRenGTh DoneDeal Co-Founder Fred Karlsson explains the success behind DoneDeal.ie and mentions what 2013 might hold for one of Ireland’s most successful online businesses.

oneDeal was born in 2005, when Swedish native Fred karlsson and his Irish wife moved to Ireland. karlsson had placed all of his belongings on a Swedish website with a similar focus – it was so easy to sell that some of his belongings had been sold within 15 minutes of putting them up. But when he arrived in Ireland, he realised no such classifieds website existed. Establishing a website to take advantage of this gap in the market, DoneDeal has gone on to become Ireland’s largest and most successful online classified adverts website; today it claims a market leadership position twice as big as its nearest competitor and attracts up to 400,000 visitors to the site each day. u awaRd

winning

on average, 130,000 items are advertised on DoneDeal each month, with products ranging from art and antiques right through to video games and vehicles. At the end of 2012, company turnover reached €3 million and by January 2013, the site was hosting over 200,000 active adverts. Last year, DoneDeal was named as Ireland’s most searched and fastest rising Irish company in the google zeitgeist report and won the Best mobile Service or App Award at the Dot.ie Net Visionary Awards 2012, in addition to three Appy Awards for DoneDeal’s mobile app. u Road

to success

karlsson attributes DoneDeal’s success to a combination of factors, including a high quality user

experience, excellent customer support, and never being complacent. Fred says: “I think it is important to always strive to be better. our original website wasn’t bad but the lesson we’ve learned is that ‘not bad’ is definitely not good enough. A website has to be great; it has to be brilliant. You have to evolve and look for a way to do new things, especially as we are involved in the online business where things are changing very fast – we always need to update the site, how we work and the technologies we use.” u futuRe

And the people behind DoneDeal are certainly taking their own advice, and aren’t resting on their laurels. 2013 is prepped to be a year of further change and evolution for the company, with innovations and new ideas lined up both for this year and beyond. Alongside a growing online classified market and with increasing broadband penetration across the country, the market is expected to continue to show growth. to support this expected growth, DoneDeal has been investing in additional staff since 2010, with a plan to continue this recruitment drive to attract further specialist talent into the business. So far, this year has already seen the launch of DoneDealJobs – aiming at a much more affordable method of recruiting for companies of all shapes and sizes. “If you have all of this ‘eyeball’ time on the website, people spending time on it, then there’s a lot of potential,” says karlsson. “That’s part of why we launched the jobsite a few weeks

Fred Karlsson, Co-Founder of DoneDeal.

ago – if you have 400,000 people on the site, a lot of them are interested in looking at jobs. It’s going very strong. We now have over 150 jobs. We have oracle signed up, we have Flogas and we have cpm. There are loads of big companies but we are also getting the small companies – that’s important to us. We don’t want to be just for the big companies – we want to cater to both the big and the small.” climbing revenues, record traffic volumes, a fast-growing customer base – all these are indicators of a business that has found its audience and knows what it’s about. If the past few years have been about putting the business on the map, the next few years will be about ensuring it stays there. How will it do this? By continuing to listen to customers, by continuing to innovate and by continuing to offer people a great, easy and safe place where they can buy and sell second-hand stuff. g 67

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22/03/2013 12:45:37

Adjudication Construction Industry Federation

Time to Act

on construction disputes Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation explains the process of adjudication and how its use in dispute resolution could benefit the construction sector.

hile we await the details of the Construction Contracts Bill, legal professionals and industry experts are assessing how adjudication can be used to their advantage.

Can you explain how the adjudication process would work in resolving disputes within construction? Although not currently a feature in dispute resolution in the Republic of Ireland, it is expected that when the much awaited Construction Contracts Bill is introduced, adjudication will be at the heart of dispute resolution in construction contracts, both public and private. Adjudication is an alternative to arbitration, conciliation and mediation which are currently the most common forms of dispute resolution. The process itself has been well established over a number of years in many jurisdictions including the United Kingdom where it has significantly reduced dispute resolution costs and increased the speed at which awards can be made. In general terms the process consists of a number of stages with a strict timeline so as to achieve its primary aim of ‘rapid dispute resolution’ which is binding in the interim to allow the project to continue and

at the same time to ensure that cash flow throughout the project is maintained. Should either party to such a dispute remain dissatisfied with an adjudicator’s award they may seek further remedy through arbitration in most cases following the completion of the project. In relation to the adjudicator’s powers, it is important to bear in mind that while the process is designed to be rapid and awards made quickly, natural justice and fairness should always be part of the procedure. The adjudicator must consider the terms and conditions of the contract between the parties when making his/her award. In the Republic of Ireland the actual procedures to be adopted will not be known until the details of the Construction Contracts Act are published. However, it is likely that the practice developed in the UK will inform the basis of any legislation or statutory provisions. How important would it be to obtain professional assistance for adjudication? Whenever the Construction Act is introduced professional assistance will undoubtedly be required until such time as the provisions and adjudication procedures and practices become part of the contracting and dispute resolution landscape in Ireland. In time however, disputes in relation to payments should reduce significantly as the payments culture within the sector adapts to the new environment which will emerge following the Act’s introduction.

“The Act has the potential to help resolve the issue of unacceptable cash flow problems within the construction industry at every level.”

The sector will of course require significant education and training programmes in this area in the initial stages to ensure that all parties involved in the payments chain acquire the knowledge infrastructure necessary for the successful adoption of the provisions of the Act. How can the practice of adjudication help the construction sector considering its current plight? Cash flow is the essential element to any commercial activity and this is significantly improved when payment terms and conditions include for the rapid resolution of disputes. All parties to the contract derive more confidence and comfort where disputes, particularly in relation to payments, may be resolved quickly, in most cases avoiding the necessity of long drawn out and expensive dispute resolution procedures. What provisions in the Construction Contracts Bill would impact the area? Firstly the Act will give parties a statutory entitlement, amongst other rights, to adjudication. Until the Construction Contracts Bill is enacted the actual details or amendments are unknown. The Act has the potential to help resolve the issue of unacceptable cash flow problems within the construction industry at every level. These disputes result in serious difficulties for both main contractors and subcontractors, particularly in the current economic environment. We would again call for its immediate introduction to enable all parties to a construction contract to deliver the best possible outcomes for all concerned. g

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Adjudication Maples and Calder

Adjudication: An alternative resolution Adjudication would offer a quick and affordable process in a dispute arising under a construction contract. In order for the practice to flourish in Ireland, statutory adjudication must be introduced, writes Conor Owens, Partner and Head of Construction in Maples and Calder’s Dublin office. “quick fix” and was introduced in the construction industry to improve cashflow and speed up the dispute resolution process. Adjudication is a much quicker process when compared with arbitration or Conor Owens, Partner and Head of Construction, Maples and Calder. conciliation. It allows the dispute on any issue arising parties to obtain an independent and under a construction enforceable decision on any dispute contract could be referred to within a very short period of time. adjudication if and when the relevant The legislation envisages a decision legislation is introduced. When a being made within 28 days of a dispute dispute is referred, an adjudicator being referred with the possibility of is appointed and a referral notice is extending this period (i) to 42 days provided detailing the dispute. The with the consent of the referring party adjudicator will decide the procedure or (ii) indefinitely with the consent of from that point with the caveat that a both parties. In our experience most decision must be reached within disputes will be resolved within the 28 days of the date of referral 42 day period. The circumstances in (unless the referring party agrees which we would sometimes see the 42 otherwise). The Adjudicator has day period being exceeded are those general discretion on procedural where there is a complex final account matters, save that the process must dispute. Adjudication is also a much be conducted in accordance with the cheaper process, although there are rules of natural justice. signs it is becoming more expensive, In the UK the decision of the for example through use of witness Adjudicator is final and binding on statements and numerous submissions. the parties and must be complied with unless and until the decision  Professional Advice is changed by a Court or Arbitrator. It is important to obtain professional Adjudication is generally seen as a advice as jurisdictional challenges are

routine in the adjudication process in an attempt to avoid enforcement of adjudicator’s decisions. The substantial amount of case-law generated in relation to issues of enforcement is evidence of the need for professional assistance. To ensure that a party obtains an enforceable award (or to avoid an unfair and enforceable award) it is important to navigate through the jurisdictional challenges with professional assistance. Even simple and innocuous mistakes can lead to an award being unenforceable. Maples and Calder has a number of solicitors with substantial experience of conducting all aspects of adjudication proceedings, including: advising on the availability of adjudication, drafting the Notice to Refer, drafting the Referral Notice, advising on jurisdictional challenges, presentation of evidence, advocating at oral hearings, defending adjudications and taking enforcement proceedings. The team hopes to have at least one fully qualified adjudicator within the next 12 months.  Prospects

If the Construction Contracts Bill is not enacted then there will be no statutory adjudication in Ireland. Without statutory adjudication there is little prospect of adjudication flourishing here. Assuming that the Bill is enacted, the key question is whether an adjudicator’s decision will be final and binding. If an adjudicator’s decision is not final and binding then the impact of adjudication on the construction industry will be greatly diminished. As currently drafted, the Bill provides that an Adjudicator’s Award is not final and binding. In our view this is a serious mistake as it will undermine the effectiveness of the process. This is something which needs to be changed. g 69

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BI Survey LHM Casey McGrath

Insourcing vs Outsourcing For most businesses operating in the current economic climate cost-cutting is very much an economic necessity, which raises the question of whether or not to outsource non-core services, explains John Hamilton, LHM Casey McGrath.

hich is best for your business — insourcing or outsourcing? The issue has long been a source of debate. In times of economic downturn every company must try to take advantage of any strategy that might give them a competitive or financial edge. The question is this – can outsourcing deliver the edge for your business, and allow you to concentrate on more important elements? Outsourcing is clearly a smart way to get your organisation moving forward quickly and to make quick savings. It’s also clear that the management effort required to operate business processes internally can distract an organisation from focusing on growth and flexibility, and can result in new business opportunities being missed. What’s not clear, however, is why many business owners or managers are reluctant to create positive changes through new outsource partnerships and whether this reluctance can in fact have a damaging effect on their business. The general consensus from business owners would seem to suggest that more organisations should be outsourcing in the current climate in an effort to engineer cost out of their processes.

 The

burning question

In theory the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing are simple: Advantages: • Focus on core business — investment of management attention on back-office tasks can detract from core business functions. • Cost and efficiency savings: the experience and structures of an outsource provider should deliver cost benefits and efficiencies through their ability to specialise. • Staffing flexibility: an outsourced contract can provide flexibility in applying the right level and skill mix of resources quickly and at less cost. • Reduced overheads: spreading the overheads of an internal operation over several accounts can enable the outsource supplier to provide service at lower costs. • Continuity and risk management: outsourcing should aid continuity while reducing risk that a substandard level of service would bring. Disadvantages: • Loss of management control: client and provider business objectives are different and this may lead to different management control objectives. • Hidden costs: there may be costs incurred in procurement and selection of outsourcing suppliers. • Threat to security and confidentiality: make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs. • Being tied to financial strength of another company — providers operate in different marketplaces to your core business. Your services are in their hands and this risk needs to be carefully evaluated.

• Bad publicity — outsourcing if not managed by internal management can lead to ill will and poor morale in the rest of your organisation. With businesses continuing to face the pressure of the recession, some have made the decision to employ insourcing – a business decides to develop a project or manage a function using resources already available. This decision is usually taken based on short term gains but as a business proposition, it raises questions around the recruitment of specialists, the need for additional computing resources, physical space and the very real costs associated with employing new staff members. In considering this decision, we have to at least concede that there is always a cost to change, and constantly moving from insource to outsource is not productive. Fundamentally, however, the decision as to where a service sits and how it is delivered must be a strategic one designed to support your business and should not be solely linked to economic cycles. In summary, the most important issue in any service delivery decision must have regard for the best way of sourcing and sustaining those services. If the answer involves the use of in-house resources and skills, then outsourcing may not be the best solution for your business. The premise of outsourcing assumes your organisation may be carrying some ‘fat’, has systems which are not fit for purpose and lacks specialist expertise. The decision to insource or outsource must therefore consider a range of issues, only one of which is cost. We would be delighted to assist you in considering your options and are available to discuss any aspect of the above if you wish to contact us. g 71

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BI Survey Manpower

Anticipating the

labour market Being able to anticipate what’s coming next gives anyone a competitive advantage. Deborah O’Leary, Head of Operations with Manpower Ireland, explains why it matters in recruitment and where to obtain the information. survey, in which all participants are asked a single question: “How do you anticipate changes to total employment at your workplace in the next three months as compared to the current quarter?” Importantly, the survey is Deborah O’Leary, Head of Operations, Manpower Ireland. independent as the participants are not derived t Manpower we believe from Manpower‘s customer base. that hiring requires labour It is robust because it is based on market expertise. Be it interviews with over 66,000 public candidates or employers, the health and private employers across 42 of the employment market impacts countries and territories. behaviours, focus and potentially expectations. This is why for The survey serves as an indicator more than 50 years we have been of labour market trends and activities carrying out research on a quarterly and is regularly used for the Bank basis to provide HR professionals of England’s Inflation Reports, as and recruiters with unbiased and well as being a data source for the forward-looking insights into the European Commission’s monthly labour market. The Manpower employment reports. The survey data Employment Outlook Survey is a is also sourced by financial analysts resource providing an insight into and economists around the world to what is happening in your sector, in help determine the health of labour your region and globally, so that you markets. can anticipate changes and make even The implications of the results more informed business decisions. are varied. When the Outlook is The Manpower Employment positive in a particular sector it means Outlook Survey is conducted that hiring intentions overtake the quarterly to measure employers’ negative growth forecasts. Thus, intentions to increase or decrease it is likely that the market is more the number of employees in their or less candidate-led. This impacts workplaces during the next quarter. applicants’ expectations and should It is a forward-looking employment affect you as an employer too.

You’ll prepare differently to engage with strong candidates and put an emphasis on your company culture and the benefits on offer. On the other end, it is important not to be overwhelmed by the talent shortage; you might invest in training new recruits and thus wish that they are inspired to work in your organisation for some time and not leave after a year or so. If the Net Employment Outlook is negative, it means that more organisations are anticipating a downbeat hiring pace and are not planning to increase their workforce. In this instance, you can expect to receive an increased number of candidates applying for fewer roles and many candidates are likely to apply for jobs that they might not be suitable for. Others could have appropriate profiles, join the company and when the market upturns, look to move on to the profession they are actually passionate about. Essentially, you’ll be required to spend a lot more time selecting the right fit and will require a strong recruitment process in place in order to identify the best and genuinely motivated talent. The bottom line is that the market fluctuates and every professional is faced with challenges and opportunities. Knowing what is happening from an industry sector and regional perspective can really give you a competitive advantage as you’ll be fully prepared in advance. The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey was released on the 12 March to report hiring expectations for the second quarter of 2013. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public and can be downloaded from www.manpower.ie. g

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