Investing in the North West for a powerful digital future

Philip O’Meara, regional director Northern Ireland at eir evo UK, says digital connectivity and enhanced IT expertise holds the key to economic progress in the North West

With a growing population of a quarter of a million people flanked by Derry City, the fourth largest city on the island of Ireland and second in Northern Ireland, County Londonderry is already a major economic hub within the UK and Ireland and well-placed for future sustainable interconnected growth and investment.

Strategically positioned, and filled with ambition and demonstrable success, the city region has its roadmap marked out – and the future is focused on digital, tech, and innovation.

At eir evo UK, we have long recognised the benefits offered by the transformative power of digitisation. It’s why in the past few years we completed an additional investment of £10 million in the upgrade and expansion of our high-capacity next-generation communications network across the region.

Forming a unique partnership by merging with Evros Technology Group to offer complete solutions across telecoms and IT services, we have become a unique end-to-end solutions provider to support the economy’s digital ambitions.

Underpinning growth for the North West and Northern Ireland, eir evo UK is also the only company committed to delivering the region’s first and only allisland, next-generation communications and internet service provider (ISP) network dedicated to private and public sector needs.

Across pharma, education, hospitality, and manufacturing, eir evo UK is helping local businesses to realise their true potential, to seamlessly connect with clients, partners, and customers from the City of Derry, Strabane, and beyond, helping to harness investment, create new jobs, and drive economic potential.

The state-of-the-art wireless network we are putting in place across Ulster University provides an enriched digital student experience supporting education, innovation, and collaboration. Closer to the city, our partnership with Hastings Hotels is ensuring the Everglades Hotel is futureproofed to seamlessly accommodate staff and guest communication needs and its growth in business events through a managed digital infrastructure.

To support digital transformation in the public sector, eir evo UK is also working directly with Derry City and Strabane District Council – and nine other regional councils – to provide network services connecting 600 sites, including the latest in cybersecurity technologies and frameworks.

For local businesses, big and small, investing in digital transformation will become an increasing priority in the months and years ahead.

Demand for bandwidth will increase exponentially as reliance on data, video, cloud applications, and online collaboration increases. To this end, we are levelling the playing field so that all businesses can avail of costeffective internet at prices that are not prohibitive – from 1 Gigabit internet to 10 Gigabit high-capacity dedicated connections.

Migration to cloud and concerns around cyber security will also continue to dominate the IT agenda along with the adoption of hyper-automation and AI. With our locally based team supporting Northern Ireland for over 15 years, and as Partner of the Year with Microsoft, HPE, and Cisco, we are expertly placed to provide guidance and support to businesses in these areas, helping them to take the right steps, make the most of their technology investments, and embark on digital journeys that are as smooth as possible.

Northern Ireland’s North West, a beacon of warmth, vibrancy, and culture, has enormous potential and can stand proud of its achievements. eir evo UK is proud to be playing its part and is committed to supporting an ambitious future for the region.

For more information, please visit www.eirevo.co.uk.