Magnet Networks Agree Partnership with Easynet
May 19th 2010
Magnet Networks have announced that it has agreed a partnership with Easynet Global Services, a BSkyB-owned company. Using Magnet’s international and national fibre-optic broadband network, Easynet’s global customers with operations in Ireland can now integrate with their primary global Easynet network.
For Easynet business customers with operations in Ireland the deal is set to deliver cost efficiencies, improved network coverage and a reduced supply chain.
Koen Vanpraet, global sales and marketing director for Easynet Global Services said, “Our global customers have to stay ahead of the game in their markets, and that means running a future proof IT network which helps them deliver a fantastic, unfailing service to their customers. Partnering with Magnet removes the need for our customers to manage several network providers, and leaves them free to focus on running their businesses.”
Magnet Networks offers extensive nationwide voice and broadband services over copper reaching over 600,000 customers through its own fibre-based network. It also operates its own pure fibre network covering areas such as Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Portlaoise. Easynet manages the customer premise equipment, ensuring it maintains full management of the network and that customers are supported by the Easynet Customer Network Operations Centre.
Tom Larkin, Marketing Manager at Magnet Networks said, “The partnership means that we can help Easynet deliver their advanced product suite through our next generation network. By choosing Magnet it re-affirms the fact that we have the expertise and technologically advanced network capable of bringing Easynet’s high quality service to their many customers in Ireland.”
lastminute.com's Summertime Festival Frenzy
8 July 2010
Missed out on Oxegen? Looking for the next big festival where you can get your groove on? Check out lastminute.com’s festival deals in Ireland and abroad, and get on board this summer’s festival frenzy.
Benicassim Festival in Spain is a 4-day music extravaganza of 100 bands from July 15th, and a line-up akin to Glastonbury. Make a true holiday of it and get three days camping in before the festival and another 2 after, plus a four-day standard festival ticket, all for €194. Getting there is easy with Valencia Airport only 55 minutes away. Bands include Gorillaz (headliners), Kasabian, Prodigy, Lily Allen, and Goldfrapp.
Staycationing this summer? No problem. Castlepalooza Festival in Tullamore from the 31st July to 1st August, with camping and festival tickets €99pp for two days. The line-up includes Mercury Rev, Norman Jay and Fionn Regan. There is also a day spa, a magician and comedian, and workshops from dance to drumming.
2-for-1 tickets to the Berlin Festival 2010 for only €59.00. Camping’s not available, but you can package it up with flights for two from Dublin on September 9th and three nights hotel for just €528 in total (including ticket fee). The line-up announced so far includes Editors, LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, 2ManyDJs, Soulwax, Tricky, Wedding Present and Peaches.
All tickets are available from the entertainment/lifestyle section on Ireland’s lastminute.com website (lastminute.ie). Flights can be booked on the website separately.
Organised Criminals Behind 90% of Internet Security Threats
8th July 2010
The majority of attacks on computer systems around the world today are motivated by financial gain – with up to 90% being orchestrated by organised criminals, according to a report from security vendor Symantec. This statistic and others were this week revealed as Irish IT security specialists Threatscape announced a new partnership with Symantec at a customer briefing in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s country sales manager for Ireland, and Dermot Williams, MD, Threatscape
The results come as no surprise to Threatscape Managing Director Dermot Williams who predicted a rise in these kind of breaches almost five years ago.
Speaking of the trends unveiled by the most recent Symantec Intelligence quarterly Williams said: “Notoriety and bragging rights used to be behind the majority of activity. Now it’s cold hard cash – pure and simple.”
Williams was speaking to an audience of IT professionals responsible for the information security of many of Ireland’s largest commercial and public sector organisations. Threatscape assists clients in overseeing the security of hundreds of thousands of computer systems around Ireland. A global insight into developing threats is now available to them through the Global Intelligence Network operated by their new partner, Symantec.
“Analysing over 8 billion emails a day and monitoring activity at 240,000 different points and over 200 countries across the internet, Symantec have an unrivalled and real-time insight into developing IT security threats,” continued Williams. “This is why we have chosen to partner with them to help Irish organisations secure their business critical IT systems.”
Under the new partnership, Threatscape will be a strategic Symantec partner in Ireland for corporate IT security. Threatscape IT security consultants will deploy and support Symantec technology and solutions to provide enterprise-scale clients with a unique and compelling level of protection against digital threats.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s Country Sales Manager for Ireland, commented: “The growth in well organised and targeted computer attacks for financial reward is a phenomenon that can affect companies regardless of size, or of location. The very nature of how individuals and organisations make use of IT continues to evolve and it is important that they continually assess their systems to make sure they are well secured.”
Other statistics revealed by from the Symantec Intelligence Quarterly:
- 80% of security breaches are targeted at stealing confidential data
- Credit Card details are the most commonly advertised item on black market forums
- Attack toolkits and Bank Accounts follow these as the most popular black market items for sale. “Attack toolkits” debut at number 2 and allow novice attackers to launch sophisticated attacks.
- Prices for credit card information ranged from $0.33 to $100
- The number 1 vector by which criminals and malware gets into a company continues to be email.
- 90% of the world’s email traffic is spam
- Spam increased by 192% from 2007 to 2008.
- 285 million records were stolen in 2008, compared to 230 million between 2004 and 2007
- The United States was responsible for 30 percent of malicious activity; China ranked second globally with 6 percent of the total
- Top Web based attack IE and PDF readers
Williams added: “The ingenuity and deviousness of these guys can be astonishing – ranging from the myriad of bogus ‘donation websites’ that cropped up within hours of the Haitian earthquake to the way gangs trade details of new ways to compromise computer systems almost as a form of currency in the cyber underworld. Then there’s the recent grown in fake antivirus programs and even unsolicited phone calls from phony IT support lines offering to fix problems remotely – for a fee.”
One of the fastest growing areas of information security is DLP or ‘Data Loss Prevention’ – providing technologies that prevent valuable and confidential corporate data falling into the wrong hands, whether it is through the activities of malicious insiders or by accidental but potentially catastrophic incidents such as lost laptops or emails sent with unintended attachments – or to incorrect recipients. Understanding where confidential data is located, how it is being used, and what steps must be taken to prevent its potential loss is vital.
Kavanagh also added: “Symantec has a range of solutions second to none when it comes to helping organisations secure and manage their information-driven world. We are delighted to have a partner of the calibre of Threatscape to bring these solutions to the Irish market with us.”
250,000 iPhones in Ireland
March 2010
Digital Reach Group uncovers Smartphone Figures the first time in Ireland
For the first time in Ireland Irish mobile services company, Digital Reach Group (DRG) can reveal the true state of the Irish smartphone market. The research is being uncovered in advance of the launch of the iPhone this week from Vodafone.
With an advertising network that covers a range of the most popular websites in Ireland, DRG has produced statistical estimates on smartphone market share, usage patterns and the amount of iPhones in circulation. DRG’s ad network, known as Adforce, consists of RTE, Vodafone, Meteor and Bebo and served up a total of 80 million ads in seven months reaching over 500,000 people. “An analysis of the mobile web traffic to our network gives a valid representation of the market share of devices and the usage patterns of users,” said DRG’s Operations Director Gavan Drohan.
The key findings of DRG’s research are:
- Approximately 250,000 iPhones are currently active on Irish networks
- While O2 makes up the highest proportion of iPhone mobile traffic at 35%, 10% of iPhone traffic already comes from Vodafone iPhone devices ahead of the company launching the handset. The remainder of the traffic is made of Wifi access as users often have wifi access at home and in work
- The most popular individual smartphone handset is the Apple iPhone followed by handsets from Nokia’s E and N series and Blackberry’s 8000 series respectively
- iPhone traffic was static between September and November 2009 but increased by 50% in December 2009 versus November. This is possibly due to O2’s free iPhone offer in advance of the end of its exclusivity deal with Apple for the handset
- Apple traffic on the network is divided at 82% for the iPhone and 18% for the iPod Touch
- Google’s Android system is a new entrant into the Irish market but is making rapid inroads at 0.5% already since the launch of HTC’s Hero handset on Meteor last October
- Peaks and troughs in usage are less pronounced for iPhones than other devices, as people tend to use them far more regularly throughout the day. This reinforces the idea that there are benefits to combining excellent usability with an attractive data tariff.
- The top five handset manufacturers on the network are 1. Nokia 2. Sony Ericsson 3. Research In Motion (Blackberry) 4. Samsung 5. Apple
“There is a lot of hype about the mobile apps gold rush but these figures show that this is truly an exciting time for app developers and the mobile industry. There is something of a format war for developers that Apple are clearly winning but we note that Google’s Android system is making rapid inroads into the market too. As more Android handsets become available from different manufacturers this year, it may start to eat into the iPhone’s market share,” added Drohan.
The research also reveals that the iPhone Touch is a notable success as a home internet browser. DRG’s Managing Director Colm Grealy added “The proportion of users browsing over wifi at home and work explains why manufacturers are rushing out tablet devices. Mobile internet is now here and the public are increasingly more inclined to go online on these handheld devices. This means that businesses without a mobile web strategy must look at the medium now or risk being left behind.”
Bvisible in the Sunday Business Post
Cheating is becoming commonplace for PR Agencies & Marketing Creatives
7th June 2010
Bvisible was interviewed for the Sunday Business Post on 6th June 2010, on the current fashion for using cheating as a theme in marketing campaigns. With Dublin Bus and Burger King joining our client lastminute.com in campaigning around cheating, Bvisible’s Bernice Burnside told the paper:
‘With PR, where widespread and meaningful media coverage is a primary goal, you vastly improve the chances of getting your client’s news noticed – online and offline – by tying your story to something topical.”
ALTO calls for Eircom Separation as ECTA report shows Ireland’s failings
Ireland Scores Highly For Regulation But Falls on Market Outcomes
28th May 2010
The 2010 ECTA Regulatory Scorecard, which gauges telecom regulation in 22 European countries, has ranked Ireland in sixth position for its regulatory landscape. However, despite this positive assessment, Ireland is failing to create an open market with Eircom still remaining the dominant telco. The pro-competition body’s annual regulatory Scorecard reveals that that the government and ComReg have tried a range of remedies to make the market more open to other operators but these have failed.
In light of this, released 28th May, ALTO’s chairman Ronan Lupton calls on ComReg to separate Eircom into retail and wholesale businesses, effectively meaning that Eircom would deal with alternative operators on an even level: “We are urging that the new EU communications framework be transposed into law immediately and that ComReg uses the power it grants to functionally separate Eircom.” said Ronan Lupton chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators, Ireland’s member of ECTA.
The new EU communications reforms agreed last November by the Council of Telecoms ministers and the European Parliament will give greater powers and independence to regional regulators such as ComReg. The separation of BT in the UK resulted in a much more open market with the amount of unbundled lines growing from 100,000 to 5.5 million lines within three years.
Mobile Broadband usage in Ireland twice the European Average
The scorecard notes the high prevalence of mobile broadband in Ireland with the EU Commission revealing this week in its own report on the state of European telecoms markets that Ireland is using twice the European average of mobile broadband at 10.5% compared to the scorecard’s top performer, The Netherlands 1.5%. ALTO warns against allowing the Irish broadband market to become reliant on mobile as the technology offers internet speeds far lower than what is needed for business and even for next generation domestic use.
“Mobile is naturally cheaper as there is no incumbent monopoly in place but it is a poorer performing technology with ComReg revealing last week that the average user suffers speeds of only 607Kps to 1.69Mbps. By encouraging investment in faster fixed line technologies through better market conditions we can benefit from the network we need.” said Lupton
Investment in Infrastructure vital
The Scorecard found that the effectiveness of regulation still varies significantly across Europe and that the actions of the regulator have a strong influence on the development of high-speed broadband, a key objective of the EU 2020 Strategy.
The report also highlights how the competitiveness of multi-national European firms is being undermined by the variations in regulation, which push up the cost of building networks across Europe. “There is a direct correlation between creating an open telecoms market and investment in our communications infrastructure. If the government is serious about attracting FDI and encouraging indigenous technology enterprises they must move on Eircom’s monopoly.” added Lupton.
Keep the sun alive with lastminute.com
26th May 2010
Last weekend’s weather teased us with temperatures soaring to levels often only experienced on Summer trips abroad. As the tide is predicted to go out on Ireland’s heat wave as quickly as it came in, our client lastminute.com has some tempting holiday offers for sun seekers who have surf, sea and sand in their sights.
The prices below include seven nights accommodation and return flights from Dublin, based on two adults sharing, with deals to suit every type of holiday-maker. These have caused something of a rush to the office holiday calendar here.
The Procrastinator
A last minute deal travelling the June Bank holiday weekend includes a junior suite at the brand new four-star Luna Alvor Village in Alvor, Portugal for only €704 per person, breakfast included.
The Traditionalist
Who doesn’t love a trip to the Grand Canaries? You and a friend can get away, leaving on June 12th, to the three-star Puerto Plata Apartments overlooking the marina in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, for only €429 per person.
The Culture Craver
If you crave being close to the beach, but also want to experience the local culture, check out what Morocco has on offer. You can stay at the three-star Oasis Hotel in Agadir, Morocco, leaving on June 12th, for only €449 per person.
Digital Reach Group to expand Team with New Investment deal
26 May 2010
Our client, Digital Reach Group (DRG), has announced that it will double its team just nine months since its inception. DRG has completed an investment deal with Pageant Holdings, which will facilitate the expansion of its sales, technology and finance teams and is forecasted to fund the company to profitability. DRG currently employs 10 specialised staff based in Dublin, with a team of 20 planned by the end of the year.
Pageant Holdings has interests in a number of Irish and European businesses including Xtra-vision. With the €500,000 investment deal, Pageant Holdings will take a minority stake in DRG and Peter O’Grady Walshe will join the board of DRG as a non-executive director.
Digital Reach Group CEO Colm Grealy said of the deal: “This investment is further endorsement of our management team and business strategy and puts us in a great position to service and support our customers. To date, our success can be attributed to having a remarkably innovative and forward-thinking team. We are excited by new digital platforms and we look forward to hiring more like-minded employees. We aim to drive our business forward and further expand our services within the advertising and digital media industries in Ireland.”
Commenting on the investment O’Grady Walshe said: “DRG provides the services and tools that allow businesses to take advantage of the mobile internet’s potential, an increasingly critical media platform.” He adds: “The management team’s proven track record in the both internet and mobile sectors marks DRG out as a company with very significant promise for continued growth.”
DRG delivers mobile advertising, app and content publishing solutions for publishers, advertisers and ad agencies. Recent successes include:
- Winning deals to sell and manage mobile advertising on behalf of Meteor, RTE and a network of other popular smartphone applications through its mobile web advertising division, Adforce.
- Creating the highly successful RTE News Now iPhone app, which became Ireland’s number one news app on iTunes within two days of its release and remains at the top of the charts to this day.
- Launching Ireland’s first Quick Response (QR) codes service through ScanLife – a ‘point and scan’ mobile marketing service. By scanning a unique barcode displayed alongside a printed ad, editorial, on merchandise or displays smartphone owners can have instant access to extra information on their handsets.
Old Team Reunites to Form New IT Security Company
16th April 2010
Six years after selling Systemhouse Technology, IT security industry stalwart Dermot Williams is spearheading a brand new venture, Threatscape. Established and funded by Williams, the IT security company already employs seven people, with the core team comprising former colleagues who worked with him for many years in Systemhouse.
The new business is projecting turnover in its first year of over 3 million euros, and by the end of 2010 expects to have doubled its headcount. Threatscape will be focused on IT security solutions and has already won a substantial number of blue-chip clients in its first few weeks.
Williams set up Irish IT Security company Systemhouse Technology Group in 1988, and turned it into a highly successful company which he sold to Top Security Group in 2004. The firm had grown under his leadership to employ over two dozen staff- many of them highly trained IT security specialists. Annual profits exceeded a million euros before his departure in February 2008 as the firm approached its 20th anniversary.
Last month all staff at Systemhouse (which since November 2004 had been trading as “Topsec Technology” to reflect the branding of its new owners’ IT security division) were made redundant after the High Court in Dublin appointed David Van Dessel of Kavanagh Fennell as liquidator to the company.
Commenting on how his new venture came about Williams says: “It came as a very big surprise to see this great company fold after so many successful years. Having built up the business I knew its greatest asset and main factor in its prior success was the expertise and experience of its team. I sounded out a number of them and six calls and six acceptances later, I realised I had a compelling opportunity not only to re-enter the market but to work with a group of people I know and trust and who’s futures looked uncertain only a few weeks ago.”
Williams continues: “Security is a trust business and trust takes a very long time to win, build and maintain. For the 20 years running Systemhouse, the team and I forged strong relationships with customers and vendors alike. This was key to Systemhouse’s success and will also be what makes Threatscape a success going forward.”
Joining Williams at Threatscape are a core management team who, between them, have collective experience of over fifty years in IT security. They are Colin Reid as Commercial Director, Eddie Lyons as Sales Director, Alan Roche as Technical Director and Wendy Williams as Finance Director. All own stakes in the new enterprise.
After forming Threatscape, Williams then took the logical step of submitting a bid to the liquidator who had announced his intention to sell all the assets of Systemhouse (including stocks, fixed assets, customer base, business and goodwill) in a single transaction. His bid was successful, and a contract for sale is being finalised.
Offering a range of services including anti-virus, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Network Access Control (NAC), Threatscape has already signed up numerous large customers. Williams puts this down to the people behind the company and their established customer relationships, strong track records and reputations.
Threatscape also operates in the data communications market, supplying communications hardware and logistics services to carriers and ISPs – and Williams reports that that part of the business has likewise “hit the ground running”.
Threatscape has moved into new offices in the Apex Building in Sandyford, and Williams believes he can make it a bigger success than his first company, in part by maximising contacts built up during two years of consultancy work for clients outside Ireland since leaving Systemhouse. “The broadened horizons this has brought makes me confident not only that Threatscape has bright prosepects – but that much of its future success will lie in growth outside Ireland, exporting Irish IT security expertise to markets in the UK and further afield,” says Williams.
He concludes: “I see considerable opportunity for Threatscape to grow bigger than Systemhouse ever was, and look forward to working with many of the new contacts I’ve dealt with over the past few years. The future is very bright and I very much relish this opportunity.”
ICAD Awards Winners Announced
16th April 2010
The winners of the annual Institute of Creative Advertising and Design (ICAD) Awards were announced last night at an awards ceremony in the Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin. The oldest creative organisation of its kind in Europe, ICAD presented a total of 55 awards across six main categories including radio, TV, print, digital, integrated and an overall design category.
The ICAD awards, known as ‘Bells’, are renowned as the penultimate honour to be bestowed for outstanding creativity in advertising and design in Ireland. 93 creative pieces were shortlisted out of 500 entries. 3 Gold, 11 Silver and 41 Bronze Bells were awarded on the night in front of an audience 300 members and guests. A full list of award winners can be downloaded here.
The awards also offer a unique insight into the state of the advertising industry as they act as a barometer for how the industry is evolving as media changes. There was a slight drop in overall entries but a doubling of entries for radio advertising showing the medium continues to thrive in difficult industry conditions. Furthermore Digital and Integrated campaigns had their own dedicated juries for the first time.
“With so many different advertising media now competing for the public’s attention imaginative creativity has become even more important. The level of inventiveness we have seen this year has never been higher,” said ICAD president David Joyce.
Some of the highlights from the 55 bells awarded included:
- A gold award for Bloom in the Ambient Media category for their Irish Tatler Cover Girl creative.
- Atelier David Smith won two gold awards in the design category for the design of Firestation Artists Studio’s Workshops and Master Classes Ten Year Retrospective and the Glen Park Project poster design
- Publicis QMP won 8 awards, the highest number of bells overall
- The information graphics / signage for Fr Collins Park by Detail. Design Studio won a bronze award, highlighting the importance of good graphic design in public spaces
- The Bulmers Pear TV Campaign won awards both for the creative by Young Euro RSCG and also for performance (Russell Curran Productions)
- Irish International BBDO won 2 silver awards for their work for Guinness, 1 for Guinness Hurling The Rise outdoor poster and the other for the Guinness Fridge Magnet TV ad
The jury members for the awards included a number of international judges of note including:
- Dave Birss, Digital Creative Head, OgilvyOne London
- Stephanie Green of Rocket.ie, director of the Academy Award nominated short film “New Boy” in 2009
- Paul Belford, founding partner at This is Real Art
A range of work, including the winning entries, will be published in the annual ICAD book and exhibited to the public later in the year in Dublin then Cork and Belfast. All ICAD award winners since 2003 are archived on the ICAD website www.icad.ie.
“This body of work represents the high quality of creative design produced in Ireland and so the exhibition is an important event not only for ICAD members but also to the general public. It’s an excellent opportunity for those familiar with the campaigns to appreciate the work for the art it is,” added Joyce.
Pictured left to right: ICAD board members Elaine McDevitt, Chris Gore, David Joyce, Carol Soutar, Iain Slater, Dara Ní Bheacáin and Eoghan Ryan.
Magnet Networks Agree Partnership with Easynet
May 19th 2010
Magnet Networks have announced that it has agreed a partnership with Easynet Global Services, a BSkyB-owned company. Using Magnet’s international and national fibre-optic broadband network, Easynet’s global customers with operations in Ireland can now integrate with their primary global Easynet network.
For Easynet business customers with operations in Ireland the deal is set to deliver cost efficiencies, improved network coverage and a reduced supply chain.
Koen Vanpraet, global sales and marketing director for Easynet Global Services said, “Our global customers have to stay ahead of the game in their markets, and that means running a future proof IT network which helps them deliver a fantastic, unfailing service to their customers. Partnering with Magnet removes the need for our customers to manage several network providers, and leaves them free to focus on running their businesses.”
Magnet Networks offers extensive nationwide voice and broadband services over copper reaching over 600,000 customers through its own fibre-based network. It also operates its own pure fibre network covering areas such as Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Portlaoise. Easynet manages the customer premise equipment, ensuring it maintains full management of the network and that customers are supported by the Easynet Customer Network Operations Centre.
Tom Larkin, Marketing Manager at Magnet Networks said, “The partnership means that we can help Easynet deliver their advanced product suite through our next generation network. By choosing Magnet it re-affirms the fact that we have the expertise and technologically advanced network capable of bringing Easynet’s high quality service to their many customers in Ireland.”
lastminute.com's Summertime Festival Frenzy
8 July 2010
Missed out on Oxegen? Looking for the next big festival where you can get your groove on? Check out lastminute.com’s festival deals in Ireland and abroad, and get on board this summer’s festival frenzy.
Benicassim Festival in Spain is a 4-day music extravaganza of 100 bands from July 15th, and a line-up akin to Glastonbury. Make a true holiday of it and get three days camping in before the festival and another 2 after, plus a four-day standard festival ticket, all for €194. Getting there is easy with Valencia Airport only 55 minutes away. Bands include Gorillaz (headliners), Kasabian, Prodigy, Lily Allen, and Goldfrapp.
Staycationing this summer? No problem. Castlepalooza Festival in Tullamore from the 31st July to 1st August, with camping and festival tickets €99pp for two days. The line-up includes Mercury Rev, Norman Jay and Fionn Regan. There is also a day spa, a magician and comedian, and workshops from dance to drumming.
2-for-1 tickets to the Berlin Festival 2010 for only €59.00. Camping’s not available, but you can package it up with flights for two from Dublin on September 9th and three nights hotel for just €528 in total (including ticket fee). The line-up announced so far includes Editors, LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, 2ManyDJs, Soulwax, Tricky, Wedding Present and Peaches.
All tickets are available from the entertainment/lifestyle section on Ireland’s lastminute.com website (lastminute.ie). Flights can be booked on the website separately.
Organised Criminals Behind 90% of Internet Security Threats
8th July 2010
The majority of attacks on computer systems around the world today are motivated by financial gain – with up to 90% being orchestrated by organised criminals, according to a report from security vendor Symantec. This statistic and others were this week revealed as Irish IT security specialists Threatscape announced a new partnership with Symantec at a customer briefing in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s country sales manager for Ireland, and Dermot Williams, MD, Threatscape
The results come as no surprise to Threatscape Managing Director Dermot Williams who predicted a rise in these kind of breaches almost five years ago.
Speaking of the trends unveiled by the most recent Symantec Intelligence quarterly Williams said: “Notoriety and bragging rights used to be behind the majority of activity. Now it’s cold hard cash – pure and simple.”
Williams was speaking to an audience of IT professionals responsible for the information security of many of Ireland’s largest commercial and public sector organisations. Threatscape assists clients in overseeing the security of hundreds of thousands of computer systems around Ireland. A global insight into developing threats is now available to them through the Global Intelligence Network operated by their new partner, Symantec.
“Analysing over 8 billion emails a day and monitoring activity at 240,000 different points and over 200 countries across the internet, Symantec have an unrivalled and real-time insight into developing IT security threats,” continued Williams. “This is why we have chosen to partner with them to help Irish organisations secure their business critical IT systems.”
Under the new partnership, Threatscape will be a strategic Symantec partner in Ireland for corporate IT security. Threatscape IT security consultants will deploy and support Symantec technology and solutions to provide enterprise-scale clients with a unique and compelling level of protection against digital threats.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s Country Sales Manager for Ireland, commented: “The growth in well organised and targeted computer attacks for financial reward is a phenomenon that can affect companies regardless of size, or of location. The very nature of how individuals and organisations make use of IT continues to evolve and it is important that they continually assess their systems to make sure they are well secured.”
Other statistics revealed by from the Symantec Intelligence Quarterly:
- 80% of security breaches are targeted at stealing confidential data
- Credit Card details are the most commonly advertised item on black market forums
- Attack toolkits and Bank Accounts follow these as the most popular black market items for sale. “Attack toolkits” debut at number 2 and allow novice attackers to launch sophisticated attacks.
- Prices for credit card information ranged from $0.33 to $100
- The number 1 vector by which criminals and malware gets into a company continues to be email.
- 90% of the world’s email traffic is spam
- Spam increased by 192% from 2007 to 2008.
- 285 million records were stolen in 2008, compared to 230 million between 2004 and 2007
- The United States was responsible for 30 percent of malicious activity; China ranked second globally with 6 percent of the total
- Top Web based attack IE and PDF readers
Williams added: “The ingenuity and deviousness of these guys can be astonishing – ranging from the myriad of bogus ‘donation websites’ that cropped up within hours of the Haitian earthquake to the way gangs trade details of new ways to compromise computer systems almost as a form of currency in the cyber underworld. Then there’s the recent grown in fake antivirus programs and even unsolicited phone calls from phony IT support lines offering to fix problems remotely – for a fee.”
One of the fastest growing areas of information security is DLP or ‘Data Loss Prevention’ – providing technologies that prevent valuable and confidential corporate data falling into the wrong hands, whether it is through the activities of malicious insiders or by accidental but potentially catastrophic incidents such as lost laptops or emails sent with unintended attachments – or to incorrect recipients. Understanding where confidential data is located, how it is being used, and what steps must be taken to prevent its potential loss is vital.
Kavanagh also added: “Symantec has a range of solutions second to none when it comes to helping organisations secure and manage their information-driven world. We are delighted to have a partner of the calibre of Threatscape to bring these solutions to the Irish market with us.”
250,000 iPhones in Ireland
March 2010
Digital Reach Group uncovers Smartphone Figures the first time in Ireland
For the first time in Ireland Irish mobile services company, Digital Reach Group (DRG) can reveal the true state of the Irish smartphone market. The research is being uncovered in advance of the launch of the iPhone this week from Vodafone.
With an advertising network that covers a range of the most popular websites in Ireland, DRG has produced statistical estimates on smartphone market share, usage patterns and the amount of iPhones in circulation. DRG’s ad network, known as Adforce, consists of RTE, Vodafone, Meteor and Bebo and served up a total of 80 million ads in seven months reaching over 500,000 people. “An analysis of the mobile web traffic to our network gives a valid representation of the market share of devices and the usage patterns of users,” said DRG’s Operations Director Gavan Drohan.
The key findings of DRG’s research are:
- Approximately 250,000 iPhones are currently active on Irish networks
- While O2 makes up the highest proportion of iPhone mobile traffic at 35%, 10% of iPhone traffic already comes from Vodafone iPhone devices ahead of the company launching the handset. The remainder of the traffic is made of Wifi access as users often have wifi access at home and in work
- The most popular individual smartphone handset is the Apple iPhone followed by handsets from Nokia’s E and N series and Blackberry’s 8000 series respectively
- iPhone traffic was static between September and November 2009 but increased by 50% in December 2009 versus November. This is possibly due to O2’s free iPhone offer in advance of the end of its exclusivity deal with Apple for the handset
- Apple traffic on the network is divided at 82% for the iPhone and 18% for the iPod Touch
- Google’s Android system is a new entrant into the Irish market but is making rapid inroads at 0.5% already since the launch of HTC’s Hero handset on Meteor last October
- Peaks and troughs in usage are less pronounced for iPhones than other devices, as people tend to use them far more regularly throughout the day. This reinforces the idea that there are benefits to combining excellent usability with an attractive data tariff.
- The top five handset manufacturers on the network are 1. Nokia 2. Sony Ericsson 3. Research In Motion (Blackberry) 4. Samsung 5. Apple
“There is a lot of hype about the mobile apps gold rush but these figures show that this is truly an exciting time for app developers and the mobile industry. There is something of a format war for developers that Apple are clearly winning but we note that Google’s Android system is making rapid inroads into the market too. As more Android handsets become available from different manufacturers this year, it may start to eat into the iPhone’s market share,” added Drohan.
The research also reveals that the iPhone Touch is a notable success as a home internet browser. DRG’s Managing Director Colm Grealy added “The proportion of users browsing over wifi at home and work explains why manufacturers are rushing out tablet devices. Mobile internet is now here and the public are increasingly more inclined to go online on these handheld devices. This means that businesses without a mobile web strategy must look at the medium now or risk being left behind.”
Bvisible in the Sunday Business Post
Cheating is becoming commonplace for PR Agencies & Marketing Creatives
7th June 2010
Bvisible was interviewed for the Sunday Business Post on 6th June 2010, on the current fashion for using cheating as a theme in marketing campaigns. With Dublin Bus and Burger King joining our client lastminute.com in campaigning around cheating, Bvisible’s Bernice Burnside told the paper:
‘With PR, where widespread and meaningful media coverage is a primary goal, you vastly improve the chances of getting your client’s news noticed – online and offline – by tying your story to something topical.”
ALTO calls for Eircom Separation as ECTA report shows Ireland’s failings
Ireland Scores Highly For Regulation But Falls on Market Outcomes
28th May 2010
The 2010 ECTA Regulatory Scorecard, which gauges telecom regulation in 22 European countries, has ranked Ireland in sixth position for its regulatory landscape. However, despite this positive assessment, Ireland is failing to create an open market with Eircom still remaining the dominant telco. The pro-competition body’s annual regulatory Scorecard reveals that that the government and ComReg have tried a range of remedies to make the market more open to other operators but these have failed.
In light of this, released 28th May, ALTO’s chairman Ronan Lupton calls on ComReg to separate Eircom into retail and wholesale businesses, effectively meaning that Eircom would deal with alternative operators on an even level: “We are urging that the new EU communications framework be transposed into law immediately and that ComReg uses the power it grants to functionally separate Eircom.” said Ronan Lupton chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators, Ireland’s member of ECTA.
The new EU communications reforms agreed last November by the Council of Telecoms ministers and the European Parliament will give greater powers and independence to regional regulators such as ComReg. The separation of BT in the UK resulted in a much more open market with the amount of unbundled lines growing from 100,000 to 5.5 million lines within three years.
Mobile Broadband usage in Ireland twice the European Average
The scorecard notes the high prevalence of mobile broadband in Ireland with the EU Commission revealing this week in its own report on the state of European telecoms markets that Ireland is using twice the European average of mobile broadband at 10.5% compared to the scorecard’s top performer, The Netherlands 1.5%. ALTO warns against allowing the Irish broadband market to become reliant on mobile as the technology offers internet speeds far lower than what is needed for business and even for next generation domestic use.
“Mobile is naturally cheaper as there is no incumbent monopoly in place but it is a poorer performing technology with ComReg revealing last week that the average user suffers speeds of only 607Kps to 1.69Mbps. By encouraging investment in faster fixed line technologies through better market conditions we can benefit from the network we need.” said Lupton
Investment in Infrastructure vital
The Scorecard found that the effectiveness of regulation still varies significantly across Europe and that the actions of the regulator have a strong influence on the development of high-speed broadband, a key objective of the EU 2020 Strategy.
The report also highlights how the competitiveness of multi-national European firms is being undermined by the variations in regulation, which push up the cost of building networks across Europe. “There is a direct correlation between creating an open telecoms market and investment in our communications infrastructure. If the government is serious about attracting FDI and encouraging indigenous technology enterprises they must move on Eircom’s monopoly.” added Lupton.
Keep the sun alive with lastminute.com
26th May 2010
Last weekend’s weather teased us with temperatures soaring to levels often only experienced on Summer trips abroad. As the tide is predicted to go out on Ireland’s heat wave as quickly as it came in, our client lastminute.com has some tempting holiday offers for sun seekers who have surf, sea and sand in their sights.
The prices below include seven nights accommodation and return flights from Dublin, based on two adults sharing, with deals to suit every type of holiday-maker. These have caused something of a rush to the office holiday calendar here.
The Procrastinator
A last minute deal travelling the June Bank holiday weekend includes a junior suite at the brand new four-star Luna Alvor Village in Alvor, Portugal for only €704 per person, breakfast included.
The Traditionalist
Who doesn’t love a trip to the Grand Canaries? You and a friend can get away, leaving on June 12th, to the three-star Puerto Plata Apartments overlooking the marina in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, for only €429 per person.
The Culture Craver
If you crave being close to the beach, but also want to experience the local culture, check out what Morocco has on offer. You can stay at the three-star Oasis Hotel in Agadir, Morocco, leaving on June 12th, for only €449 per person.
Digital Reach Group to expand Team with New Investment deal
26 May 2010
Our client, Digital Reach Group (DRG), has announced that it will double its team just nine months since its inception. DRG has completed an investment deal with Pageant Holdings, which will facilitate the expansion of its sales, technology and finance teams and is forecasted to fund the company to profitability. DRG currently employs 10 specialised staff based in Dublin, with a team of 20 planned by the end of the year.
Pageant Holdings has interests in a number of Irish and European businesses including Xtra-vision. With the €500,000 investment deal, Pageant Holdings will take a minority stake in DRG and Peter O’Grady Walshe will join the board of DRG as a non-executive director.
Digital Reach Group CEO Colm Grealy said of the deal: “This investment is further endorsement of our management team and business strategy and puts us in a great position to service and support our customers. To date, our success can be attributed to having a remarkably innovative and forward-thinking team. We are excited by new digital platforms and we look forward to hiring more like-minded employees. We aim to drive our business forward and further expand our services within the advertising and digital media industries in Ireland.”
Commenting on the investment O’Grady Walshe said: “DRG provides the services and tools that allow businesses to take advantage of the mobile internet’s potential, an increasingly critical media platform.” He adds: “The management team’s proven track record in the both internet and mobile sectors marks DRG out as a company with very significant promise for continued growth.”
DRG delivers mobile advertising, app and content publishing solutions for publishers, advertisers and ad agencies. Recent successes include:
- Winning deals to sell and manage mobile advertising on behalf of Meteor, RTE and a network of other popular smartphone applications through its mobile web advertising division, Adforce.
- Creating the highly successful RTE News Now iPhone app, which became Ireland’s number one news app on iTunes within two days of its release and remains at the top of the charts to this day.
- Launching Ireland’s first Quick Response (QR) codes service through ScanLife – a ‘point and scan’ mobile marketing service. By scanning a unique barcode displayed alongside a printed ad, editorial, on merchandise or displays smartphone owners can have instant access to extra information on their handsets.
Old Team Reunites to Form New IT Security Company
16th April 2010
Six years after selling Systemhouse Technology, IT security industry stalwart Dermot Williams is spearheading a brand new venture, Threatscape. Established and funded by Williams, the IT security company already employs seven people, with the core team comprising former colleagues who worked with him for many years in Systemhouse.
The new business is projecting turnover in its first year of over 3 million euros, and by the end of 2010 expects to have doubled its headcount. Threatscape will be focused on IT security solutions and has already won a substantial number of blue-chip clients in its first few weeks.
Williams set up Irish IT Security company Systemhouse Technology Group in 1988, and turned it into a highly successful company which he sold to Top Security Group in 2004. The firm had grown under his leadership to employ over two dozen staff- many of them highly trained IT security specialists. Annual profits exceeded a million euros before his departure in February 2008 as the firm approached its 20th anniversary.
Last month all staff at Systemhouse (which since November 2004 had been trading as “Topsec Technology” to reflect the branding of its new owners’ IT security division) were made redundant after the High Court in Dublin appointed David Van Dessel of Kavanagh Fennell as liquidator to the company.
Commenting on how his new venture came about Williams says: “It came as a very big surprise to see this great company fold after so many successful years. Having built up the business I knew its greatest asset and main factor in its prior success was the expertise and experience of its team. I sounded out a number of them and six calls and six acceptances later, I realised I had a compelling opportunity not only to re-enter the market but to work with a group of people I know and trust and who’s futures looked uncertain only a few weeks ago.”
Williams continues: “Security is a trust business and trust takes a very long time to win, build and maintain. For the 20 years running Systemhouse, the team and I forged strong relationships with customers and vendors alike. This was key to Systemhouse’s success and will also be what makes Threatscape a success going forward.”
Joining Williams at Threatscape are a core management team who, between them, have collective experience of over fifty years in IT security. They are Colin Reid as Commercial Director, Eddie Lyons as Sales Director, Alan Roche as Technical Director and Wendy Williams as Finance Director. All own stakes in the new enterprise.
After forming Threatscape, Williams then took the logical step of submitting a bid to the liquidator who had announced his intention to sell all the assets of Systemhouse (including stocks, fixed assets, customer base, business and goodwill) in a single transaction. His bid was successful, and a contract for sale is being finalised.
Offering a range of services including anti-virus, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Network Access Control (NAC), Threatscape has already signed up numerous large customers. Williams puts this down to the people behind the company and their established customer relationships, strong track records and reputations.
Threatscape also operates in the data communications market, supplying communications hardware and logistics services to carriers and ISPs – and Williams reports that that part of the business has likewise “hit the ground running”.
Threatscape has moved into new offices in the Apex Building in Sandyford, and Williams believes he can make it a bigger success than his first company, in part by maximising contacts built up during two years of consultancy work for clients outside Ireland since leaving Systemhouse. “The broadened horizons this has brought makes me confident not only that Threatscape has bright prosepects – but that much of its future success will lie in growth outside Ireland, exporting Irish IT security expertise to markets in the UK and further afield,” says Williams.
He concludes: “I see considerable opportunity for Threatscape to grow bigger than Systemhouse ever was, and look forward to working with many of the new contacts I’ve dealt with over the past few years. The future is very bright and I very much relish this opportunity.”
ICAD Awards Winners Announced
16th April 2010
The winners of the annual Institute of Creative Advertising and Design (ICAD) Awards were announced last night at an awards ceremony in the Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin. The oldest creative organisation of its kind in Europe, ICAD presented a total of 55 awards across six main categories including radio, TV, print, digital, integrated and an overall design category.
The ICAD awards, known as ‘Bells’, are renowned as the penultimate honour to be bestowed for outstanding creativity in advertising and design in Ireland. 93 creative pieces were shortlisted out of 500 entries. 3 Gold, 11 Silver and 41 Bronze Bells were awarded on the night in front of an audience 300 members and guests. A full list of award winners can be downloaded here.
The awards also offer a unique insight into the state of the advertising industry as they act as a barometer for how the industry is evolving as media changes. There was a slight drop in overall entries but a doubling of entries for radio advertising showing the medium continues to thrive in difficult industry conditions. Furthermore Digital and Integrated campaigns had their own dedicated juries for the first time.
“With so many different advertising media now competing for the public’s attention imaginative creativity has become even more important. The level of inventiveness we have seen this year has never been higher,” said ICAD president David Joyce.
Some of the highlights from the 55 bells awarded included:
- A gold award for Bloom in the Ambient Media category for their Irish Tatler Cover Girl creative.
- Atelier David Smith won two gold awards in the design category for the design of Firestation Artists Studio’s Workshops and Master Classes Ten Year Retrospective and the Glen Park Project poster design
- Publicis QMP won 8 awards, the highest number of bells overall
- The information graphics / signage for Fr Collins Park by Detail. Design Studio won a bronze award, highlighting the importance of good graphic design in public spaces
- The Bulmers Pear TV Campaign won awards both for the creative by Young Euro RSCG and also for performance (Russell Curran Productions)
- Irish International BBDO won 2 silver awards for their work for Guinness, 1 for Guinness Hurling The Rise outdoor poster and the other for the Guinness Fridge Magnet TV ad
The jury members for the awards included a number of international judges of note including:
- Dave Birss, Digital Creative Head, OgilvyOne London
- Stephanie Green of Rocket.ie, director of the Academy Award nominated short film “New Boy” in 2009
- Paul Belford, founding partner at This is Real Art
A range of work, including the winning entries, will be published in the annual ICAD book and exhibited to the public later in the year in Dublin then Cork and Belfast. All ICAD award winners since 2003 are archived on the ICAD website www.icad.ie.
“This body of work represents the high quality of creative design produced in Ireland and so the exhibition is an important event not only for ICAD members but also to the general public. It’s an excellent opportunity for those familiar with the campaigns to appreciate the work for the art it is,” added Joyce.
Pictured left to right: ICAD board members Elaine McDevitt, Chris Gore, David Joyce, Carol Soutar, Iain Slater, Dara Ní Bheacáin and Eoghan Ryan.
Magnet Networks Agree Partnership with Easynet
May 19th 2010
Magnet Networks have announced that it has agreed a partnership with Easynet Global Services, a BSkyB-owned company. Using Magnet’s international and national fibre-optic broadband network, Easynet’s global customers with operations in Ireland can now integrate with their primary global Easynet network.
For Easynet business customers with operations in Ireland the deal is set to deliver cost efficiencies, improved network coverage and a reduced supply chain.
Koen Vanpraet, global sales and marketing director for Easynet Global Services said, “Our global customers have to stay ahead of the game in their markets, and that means running a future proof IT network which helps them deliver a fantastic, unfailing service to their customers. Partnering with Magnet removes the need for our customers to manage several network providers, and leaves them free to focus on running their businesses.”
Magnet Networks offers extensive nationwide voice and broadband services over copper reaching over 600,000 customers through its own fibre-based network. It also operates its own pure fibre network covering areas such as Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Portlaoise. Easynet manages the customer premise equipment, ensuring it maintains full management of the network and that customers are supported by the Easynet Customer Network Operations Centre.
Tom Larkin, Marketing Manager at Magnet Networks said, “The partnership means that we can help Easynet deliver their advanced product suite through our next generation network. By choosing Magnet it re-affirms the fact that we have the expertise and technologically advanced network capable of bringing Easynet’s high quality service to their many customers in Ireland.”
lastminute.com's Summertime Festival Frenzy
8 July 2010
Missed out on Oxegen? Looking for the next big festival where you can get your groove on? Check out lastminute.com’s festival deals in Ireland and abroad, and get on board this summer’s festival frenzy.
Benicassim Festival in Spain is a 4-day music extravaganza of 100 bands from July 15th, and a line-up akin to Glastonbury. Make a true holiday of it and get three days camping in before the festival and another 2 after, plus a four-day standard festival ticket, all for €194. Getting there is easy with Valencia Airport only 55 minutes away. Bands include Gorillaz (headliners), Kasabian, Prodigy, Lily Allen, and Goldfrapp.
Staycationing this summer? No problem. Castlepalooza Festival in Tullamore from the 31st July to 1st August, with camping and festival tickets €99pp for two days. The line-up includes Mercury Rev, Norman Jay and Fionn Regan. There is also a day spa, a magician and comedian, and workshops from dance to drumming.
2-for-1 tickets to the Berlin Festival 2010 for only €59.00. Camping’s not available, but you can package it up with flights for two from Dublin on September 9th and three nights hotel for just €528 in total (including ticket fee). The line-up announced so far includes Editors, LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, 2ManyDJs, Soulwax, Tricky, Wedding Present and Peaches.
All tickets are available from the entertainment/lifestyle section on Ireland’s lastminute.com website (lastminute.ie). Flights can be booked on the website separately.
Organised Criminals Behind 90% of Internet Security Threats
8th July 2010
The majority of attacks on computer systems around the world today are motivated by financial gain – with up to 90% being orchestrated by organised criminals, according to a report from security vendor Symantec. This statistic and others were this week revealed as Irish IT security specialists Threatscape announced a new partnership with Symantec at a customer briefing in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s country sales manager for Ireland, and Dermot Williams, MD, Threatscape
The results come as no surprise to Threatscape Managing Director Dermot Williams who predicted a rise in these kind of breaches almost five years ago.
Speaking of the trends unveiled by the most recent Symantec Intelligence quarterly Williams said: “Notoriety and bragging rights used to be behind the majority of activity. Now it’s cold hard cash – pure and simple.”
Williams was speaking to an audience of IT professionals responsible for the information security of many of Ireland’s largest commercial and public sector organisations. Threatscape assists clients in overseeing the security of hundreds of thousands of computer systems around Ireland. A global insight into developing threats is now available to them through the Global Intelligence Network operated by their new partner, Symantec.
“Analysing over 8 billion emails a day and monitoring activity at 240,000 different points and over 200 countries across the internet, Symantec have an unrivalled and real-time insight into developing IT security threats,” continued Williams. “This is why we have chosen to partner with them to help Irish organisations secure their business critical IT systems.”
Under the new partnership, Threatscape will be a strategic Symantec partner in Ireland for corporate IT security. Threatscape IT security consultants will deploy and support Symantec technology and solutions to provide enterprise-scale clients with a unique and compelling level of protection against digital threats.
Lorcan Kavanagh, Symantec’s Country Sales Manager for Ireland, commented: “The growth in well organised and targeted computer attacks for financial reward is a phenomenon that can affect companies regardless of size, or of location. The very nature of how individuals and organisations make use of IT continues to evolve and it is important that they continually assess their systems to make sure they are well secured.”
Other statistics revealed by from the Symantec Intelligence Quarterly:
- 80% of security breaches are targeted at stealing confidential data
- Credit Card details are the most commonly advertised item on black market forums
- Attack toolkits and Bank Accounts follow these as the most popular black market items for sale. “Attack toolkits” debut at number 2 and allow novice attackers to launch sophisticated attacks.
- Prices for credit card information ranged from $0.33 to $100
- The number 1 vector by which criminals and malware gets into a company continues to be email.
- 90% of the world’s email traffic is spam
- Spam increased by 192% from 2007 to 2008.
- 285 million records were stolen in 2008, compared to 230 million between 2004 and 2007
- The United States was responsible for 30 percent of malicious activity; China ranked second globally with 6 percent of the total
- Top Web based attack IE and PDF readers
Williams added: “The ingenuity and deviousness of these guys can be astonishing – ranging from the myriad of bogus ‘donation websites’ that cropped up within hours of the Haitian earthquake to the way gangs trade details of new ways to compromise computer systems almost as a form of currency in the cyber underworld. Then there’s the recent grown in fake antivirus programs and even unsolicited phone calls from phony IT support lines offering to fix problems remotely – for a fee.”
One of the fastest growing areas of information security is DLP or ‘Data Loss Prevention’ – providing technologies that prevent valuable and confidential corporate data falling into the wrong hands, whether it is through the activities of malicious insiders or by accidental but potentially catastrophic incidents such as lost laptops or emails sent with unintended attachments – or to incorrect recipients. Understanding where confidential data is located, how it is being used, and what steps must be taken to prevent its potential loss is vital.
Kavanagh also added: “Symantec has a range of solutions second to none when it comes to helping organisations secure and manage their information-driven world. We are delighted to have a partner of the calibre of Threatscape to bring these solutions to the Irish market with us.”
250,000 iPhones in Ireland
March 2010
Digital Reach Group uncovers Smartphone Figures the first time in Ireland
For the first time in Ireland Irish mobile services company, Digital Reach Group (DRG) can reveal the true state of the Irish smartphone market. The research is being uncovered in advance of the launch of the iPhone this week from Vodafone.
With an advertising network that covers a range of the most popular websites in Ireland, DRG has produced statistical estimates on smartphone market share, usage patterns and the amount of iPhones in circulation. DRG’s ad network, known as Adforce, consists of RTE, Vodafone, Meteor and Bebo and served up a total of 80 million ads in seven months reaching over 500,000 people. “An analysis of the mobile web traffic to our network gives a valid representation of the market share of devices and the usage patterns of users,” said DRG’s Operations Director Gavan Drohan.
The key findings of DRG’s research are:
- Approximately 250,000 iPhones are currently active on Irish networks
- While O2 makes up the highest proportion of iPhone mobile traffic at 35%, 10% of iPhone traffic already comes from Vodafone iPhone devices ahead of the company launching the handset. The remainder of the traffic is made of Wifi access as users often have wifi access at home and in work
- The most popular individual smartphone handset is the Apple iPhone followed by handsets from Nokia’s E and N series and Blackberry’s 8000 series respectively
- iPhone traffic was static between September and November 2009 but increased by 50% in December 2009 versus November. This is possibly due to O2’s free iPhone offer in advance of the end of its exclusivity deal with Apple for the handset
- Apple traffic on the network is divided at 82% for the iPhone and 18% for the iPod Touch
- Google’s Android system is a new entrant into the Irish market but is making rapid inroads at 0.5% already since the launch of HTC’s Hero handset on Meteor last October
- Peaks and troughs in usage are less pronounced for iPhones than other devices, as people tend to use them far more regularly throughout the day. This reinforces the idea that there are benefits to combining excellent usability with an attractive data tariff.
- The top five handset manufacturers on the network are 1. Nokia 2. Sony Ericsson 3. Research In Motion (Blackberry) 4. Samsung 5. Apple
“There is a lot of hype about the mobile apps gold rush but these figures show that this is truly an exciting time for app developers and the mobile industry. There is something of a format war for developers that Apple are clearly winning but we note that Google’s Android system is making rapid inroads into the market too. As more Android handsets become available from different manufacturers this year, it may start to eat into the iPhone’s market share,” added Drohan.
The research also reveals that the iPhone Touch is a notable success as a home internet browser. DRG’s Managing Director Colm Grealy added “The proportion of users browsing over wifi at home and work explains why manufacturers are rushing out tablet devices. Mobile internet is now here and the public are increasingly more inclined to go online on these handheld devices. This means that businesses without a mobile web strategy must look at the medium now or risk being left behind.”
Bvisible in the Sunday Business Post
Cheating is becoming commonplace for PR Agencies & Marketing Creatives
7th June 2010
Bvisible was interviewed for the Sunday Business Post on 6th June 2010, on the current fashion for using cheating as a theme in marketing campaigns. With Dublin Bus and Burger King joining our client lastminute.com in campaigning around cheating, Bvisible’s Bernice Burnside told the paper:
‘With PR, where widespread and meaningful media coverage is a primary goal, you vastly improve the chances of getting your client’s news noticed – online and offline – by tying your story to something topical.”
ALTO calls for Eircom Separation as ECTA report shows Ireland’s failings
Ireland Scores Highly For Regulation But Falls on Market Outcomes
28th May 2010
The 2010 ECTA Regulatory Scorecard, which gauges telecom regulation in 22 European countries, has ranked Ireland in sixth position for its regulatory landscape. However, despite this positive assessment, Ireland is failing to create an open market with Eircom still remaining the dominant telco. The pro-competition body’s annual regulatory Scorecard reveals that that the government and ComReg have tried a range of remedies to make the market more open to other operators but these have failed.
In light of this, released 28th May, ALTO’s chairman Ronan Lupton calls on ComReg to separate Eircom into retail and wholesale businesses, effectively meaning that Eircom would deal with alternative operators on an even level: “We are urging that the new EU communications framework be transposed into law immediately and that ComReg uses the power it grants to functionally separate Eircom.” said Ronan Lupton chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators, Ireland’s member of ECTA.
The new EU communications reforms agreed last November by the Council of Telecoms ministers and the European Parliament will give greater powers and independence to regional regulators such as ComReg. The separation of BT in the UK resulted in a much more open market with the amount of unbundled lines growing from 100,000 to 5.5 million lines within three years.
Mobile Broadband usage in Ireland twice the European Average
The scorecard notes the high prevalence of mobile broadband in Ireland with the EU Commission revealing this week in its own report on the state of European telecoms markets that Ireland is using twice the European average of mobile broadband at 10.5% compared to the scorecard’s top performer, The Netherlands 1.5%. ALTO warns against allowing the Irish broadband market to become reliant on mobile as the technology offers internet speeds far lower than what is needed for business and even for next generation domestic use.
“Mobile is naturally cheaper as there is no incumbent monopoly in place but it is a poorer performing technology with ComReg revealing last week that the average user suffers speeds of only 607Kps to 1.69Mbps. By encouraging investment in faster fixed line technologies through better market conditions we can benefit from the network we need.” said Lupton
Investment in Infrastructure vital
The Scorecard found that the effectiveness of regulation still varies significantly across Europe and that the actions of the regulator have a strong influence on the development of high-speed broadband, a key objective of the EU 2020 Strategy.
The report also highlights how the competitiveness of multi-national European firms is being undermined by the variations in regulation, which push up the cost of building networks across Europe. “There is a direct correlation between creating an open telecoms market and investment in our communications infrastructure. If the government is serious about attracting FDI and encouraging indigenous technology enterprises they must move on Eircom’s monopoly.” added Lupton.
Keep the sun alive with lastminute.com
26th May 2010
Last weekend’s weather teased us with temperatures soaring to levels often only experienced on Summer trips abroad. As the tide is predicted to go out on Ireland’s heat wave as quickly as it came in, our client lastminute.com has some tempting holiday offers for sun seekers who have surf, sea and sand in their sights.
The prices below include seven nights accommodation and return flights from Dublin, based on two adults sharing, with deals to suit every type of holiday-maker. These have caused something of a rush to the office holiday calendar here.
The Procrastinator
A last minute deal travelling the June Bank holiday weekend includes a junior suite at the brand new four-star Luna Alvor Village in Alvor, Portugal for only €704 per person, breakfast included.
The Traditionalist
Who doesn’t love a trip to the Grand Canaries? You and a friend can get away, leaving on June 12th, to the three-star Puerto Plata Apartments overlooking the marina in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, for only €429 per person.
The Culture Craver
If you crave being close to the beach, but also want to experience the local culture, check out what Morocco has on offer. You can stay at the three-star Oasis Hotel in Agadir, Morocco, leaving on June 12th, for only €449 per person.
Digital Reach Group to expand Team with New Investment deal
26 May 2010
Our client, Digital Reach Group (DRG), has announced that it will double its team just nine months since its inception. DRG has completed an investment deal with Pageant Holdings, which will facilitate the expansion of its sales, technology and finance teams and is forecasted to fund the company to profitability. DRG currently employs 10 specialised staff based in Dublin, with a team of 20 planned by the end of the year.
Pageant Holdings has interests in a number of Irish and European businesses including Xtra-vision. With the €500,000 investment deal, Pageant Holdings will take a minority stake in DRG and Peter O’Grady Walshe will join the board of DRG as a non-executive director.
Digital Reach Group CEO Colm Grealy said of the deal: “This investment is further endorsement of our management team and business strategy and puts us in a great position to service and support our customers. To date, our success can be attributed to having a remarkably innovative and forward-thinking team. We are excited by new digital platforms and we look forward to hiring more like-minded employees. We aim to drive our business forward and further expand our services within the advertising and digital media industries in Ireland.”
Commenting on the investment O’Grady Walshe said: “DRG provides the services and tools that allow businesses to take advantage of the mobile internet’s potential, an increasingly critical media platform.” He adds: “The management team’s proven track record in the both internet and mobile sectors marks DRG out as a company with very significant promise for continued growth.”
DRG delivers mobile advertising, app and content publishing solutions for publishers, advertisers and ad agencies. Recent successes include:
- Winning deals to sell and manage mobile advertising on behalf of Meteor, RTE and a network of other popular smartphone applications through its mobile web advertising division, Adforce.
- Creating the highly successful RTE News Now iPhone app, which became Ireland’s number one news app on iTunes within two days of its release and remains at the top of the charts to this day.
- Launching Ireland’s first Quick Response (QR) codes service through ScanLife – a ‘point and scan’ mobile marketing service. By scanning a unique barcode displayed alongside a printed ad, editorial, on merchandise or displays smartphone owners can have instant access to extra information on their handsets.
Old Team Reunites to Form New IT Security Company
16th April 2010
Six years after selling Systemhouse Technology, IT security industry stalwart Dermot Williams is spearheading a brand new venture, Threatscape. Established and funded by Williams, the IT security company already employs seven people, with the core team comprising former colleagues who worked with him for many years in Systemhouse.
The new business is projecting turnover in its first year of over 3 million euros, and by the end of 2010 expects to have doubled its headcount. Threatscape will be focused on IT security solutions and has already won a substantial number of blue-chip clients in its first few weeks.
Williams set up Irish IT Security company Systemhouse Technology Group in 1988, and turned it into a highly successful company which he sold to Top Security Group in 2004. The firm had grown under his leadership to employ over two dozen staff- many of them highly trained IT security specialists. Annual profits exceeded a million euros before his departure in February 2008 as the firm approached its 20th anniversary.
Last month all staff at Systemhouse (which since November 2004 had been trading as “Topsec Technology” to reflect the branding of its new owners’ IT security division) were made redundant after the High Court in Dublin appointed David Van Dessel of Kavanagh Fennell as liquidator to the company.
Commenting on how his new venture came about Williams says: “It came as a very big surprise to see this great company fold after so many successful years. Having built up the business I knew its greatest asset and main factor in its prior success was the expertise and experience of its team. I sounded out a number of them and six calls and six acceptances later, I realised I had a compelling opportunity not only to re-enter the market but to work with a group of people I know and trust and who’s futures looked uncertain only a few weeks ago.”
Williams continues: “Security is a trust business and trust takes a very long time to win, build and maintain. For the 20 years running Systemhouse, the team and I forged strong relationships with customers and vendors alike. This was key to Systemhouse’s success and will also be what makes Threatscape a success going forward.”
Joining Williams at Threatscape are a core management team who, between them, have collective experience of over fifty years in IT security. They are Colin Reid as Commercial Director, Eddie Lyons as Sales Director, Alan Roche as Technical Director and Wendy Williams as Finance Director. All own stakes in the new enterprise.
After forming Threatscape, Williams then took the logical step of submitting a bid to the liquidator who had announced his intention to sell all the assets of Systemhouse (including stocks, fixed assets, customer base, business and goodwill) in a single transaction. His bid was successful, and a contract for sale is being finalised.
Offering a range of services including anti-virus, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Network Access Control (NAC), Threatscape has already signed up numerous large customers. Williams puts this down to the people behind the company and their established customer relationships, strong track records and reputations.
Threatscape also operates in the data communications market, supplying communications hardware and logistics services to carriers and ISPs – and Williams reports that that part of the business has likewise “hit the ground running”.
Threatscape has moved into new offices in the Apex Building in Sandyford, and Williams believes he can make it a bigger success than his first company, in part by maximising contacts built up during two years of consultancy work for clients outside Ireland since leaving Systemhouse. “The broadened horizons this has brought makes me confident not only that Threatscape has bright prosepects – but that much of its future success will lie in growth outside Ireland, exporting Irish IT security expertise to markets in the UK and further afield,” says Williams.
He concludes: “I see considerable opportunity for Threatscape to grow bigger than Systemhouse ever was, and look forward to working with many of the new contacts I’ve dealt with over the past few years. The future is very bright and I very much relish this opportunity.”
ICAD Awards Winners Announced
16th April 2010
The winners of the annual Institute of Creative Advertising and Design (ICAD) Awards were announced last night at an awards ceremony in the Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin. The oldest creative organisation of its kind in Europe, ICAD presented a total of 55 awards across six main categories including radio, TV, print, digital, integrated and an overall design category.
The ICAD awards, known as ‘Bells’, are renowned as the penultimate honour to be bestowed for outstanding creativity in advertising and design in Ireland. 93 creative pieces were shortlisted out of 500 entries. 3 Gold, 11 Silver and 41 Bronze Bells were awarded on the night in front of an audience 300 members and guests. A full list of award winners can be downloaded here.
The awards also offer a unique insight into the state of the advertising industry as they act as a barometer for how the industry is evolving as media changes. There was a slight drop in overall entries but a doubling of entries for radio advertising showing the medium continues to thrive in difficult industry conditions. Furthermore Digital and Integrated campaigns had their own dedicated juries for the first time.
“With so many different advertising media now competing for the public’s attention imaginative creativity has become even more important. The level of inventiveness we have seen this year has never been higher,” said ICAD president David Joyce.
Some of the highlights from the 55 bells awarded included:
- A gold award for Bloom in the Ambient Media category for their Irish Tatler Cover Girl creative.
- Atelier David Smith won two gold awards in the design category for the design of Firestation Artists Studio’s Workshops and Master Classes Ten Year Retrospective and the Glen Park Project poster design
- Publicis QMP won 8 awards, the highest number of bells overall
- The information graphics / signage for Fr Collins Park by Detail. Design Studio won a bronze award, highlighting the importance of good graphic design in public spaces
- The Bulmers Pear TV Campaign won awards both for the creative by Young Euro RSCG and also for performance (Russell Curran Productions)
- Irish International BBDO won 2 silver awards for their work for Guinness, 1 for Guinness Hurling The Rise outdoor poster and the other for the Guinness Fridge Magnet TV ad
The jury members for the awards included a number of international judges of note including:
- Dave Birss, Digital Creative Head, OgilvyOne London
- Stephanie Green of Rocket.ie, director of the Academy Award nominated short film “New Boy” in 2009
- Paul Belford, founding partner at This is Real Art
A range of work, including the winning entries, will be published in the annual ICAD book and exhibited to the public later in the year in Dublin then Cork and Belfast. All ICAD award winners since 2003 are archived on the ICAD website www.icad.ie.
“This body of work represents the high quality of creative design produced in Ireland and so the exhibition is an important event not only for ICAD members but also to the general public. It’s an excellent opportunity for those familiar with the campaigns to appreciate the work for the art it is,” added Joyce.
Pictured left to right: ICAD board members Elaine McDevitt, Chris Gore, David Joyce, Carol Soutar, Iain Slater, Dara Ní Bheacáin and Eoghan Ryan.