Enterprise Ireland Best Connected Blog (Soft Launch)

February 8, 2010 Leave a comment

It’s been about 18 months since I started my new job, and if you haven’t already noticed the update on my LinkedIn status, it may or may not surprise you that I’ve been working for Enterprise Ireland.

I’m pleased to announce the (soft) launch of Enterprise Ireland’s third blog – BestConnected. (For the record , the other two are the very successful EI Americas, and EI Research and Commercialisation blogs).

Best Connected is the overarching theme of Enterprise Ireland’s software strategy (pdf). It aims to take advantage of Ireland’s size (where everybody knows everybody elses cousin) and link together the tech community, EI Client Companies, Multinationals , 3rd Level Education and the Public Sector. The BestConnected Blog also features specific channels for Public Sector , Financial Software and Services, and Cloud / Software as a Service providers (with more to come).

In line with Enterprise Ireland’s mantra of promoting exports, export led jobs, there are specific sections for company profiles for software and solutions companies.

Company Profiles on EI Best Connected Blog

Filed under Business, enterprise ireland, Information Technology, jobs, public sector

iPhone as an Enterprise Platform Event – Dublin

December 2, 2009 3 Comments

Full notes and links below. Key Learning points

  1. User Experience. User Experience. User Experience
  2. iPhone currently the leader, revolutionized Mobile app sales, but market (and devices) evolving very quickly.
  3. Good case for usage in Enterprise (cost reduction, growing use of iPhone platform in Enterprise, New channel to customers) but be flexible, be ready for the evolution.

iphone

The iPhone as an Emerging Enterprise Platform

1.15pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009
Venue – The Alexander Hotel  Dublin .

The iPhone has captured significant mindshare since its launch in 2007, and in particular the application development model and the iTunes App Store, which has had over two billion downloads of over 100,000 applications.
There has been a move from games and other ‘fun’ applications to software companies looking to add mobile channels for their products. Enterprise focussed companies like Intuition are developing iPhone applications in order to add to the value of their core product or service.

As part of the Enterprise Europe Network, Enterprise Ireland are hosting an information and networking event on December 2nd in Dublin.

This is a chance for software companies to explore the opportunities presented by mobile applications and Apple’s iPhone in particular. Topics covered will include:

  • What is so special about the iPhone?
  • How does one develop applications – what are the skills required?
  • What are the costs?
  • How to deploy enterprise applications?

There will also be an opportunity to meet with the iPhone developer community in Ireland.

Enterprise Features iPhone – Dermot Daly, Tapadoo

What is an iPhone?

  • Basics ; phone, location/direction/tilt aware , quality web browser and multimedia,Document and pdf viewer)
  • And apps

Enterprise features

  • Originally consumer (02 contracts reflected this)
  • Latest iPhone 3GS had enterprise (not emphasised) e.g. Compass Video Cameria
  • Enterprise Mail (e.g. ActiveSync from MS, but also POP/IMAP/CALDAV/LDAP)
  • Centralised Config (e.g. App lockdown, can prevent changes)
  • Security Enhancements (e.g. FindmyIPhone, RemoteWipe)
  • VPN out of the box (all internet standards)

All stuff Nokia/ Blackberry do, but iPhone slicker

Apps

  • iPhone enhanced website
  • Website with iPhone specifc css
  • Similar to Mozilla Prism?
  • No deployment / easier to deploy
  • No access to underlying hardware.

Native Apps (code to phone)

  • Underlying hardware access
  • Objective C & SDK Libraries
  • Number of ways to deploy

iPhone SDK (4 layers 20+ frameworks each)

  • iPhone OS / based on MacOS/ derived from BSD Unix
  • Core Services (e.g. Core Data, backed by SQLLite on phone) , contact , addressbox, GPS, StoreKit (for upsell) within app e.g. eBooks)
  • Media (Quartz 2d animation, Open GL 3D in Hardware, iPod Library and Core Audio / Video)
  • Coco Touch – User Interface / controls ; Messaging UI; Map Kit (with Google Maps); Game Kit (P2P Games)

Sample Native Applications

  • iPhone version of existing e.g. RTE Breaking news
  • Own staff to allow

Challenges

  • Deployment to public via App store
  • To own own staff
  • Enterprise Deployment (more than 500 employeees – Limited e.g. University of Ulster)
  • Ad Hoc Deployment (Management Overhead – need to gather specific device ID’s – limit up to 100)

The Market

  • Nobody will release figures on iPhone in Ireland (est 50k – 150k based on app downloads – guess)
  • 02 -> Vodafone Q1 next year (around Feb?)
  • Expects Market to double overnight
  • Expect Vodofone business plan
  • UK – 5% – 1m phones and pushing other platforms
  • Better than any other single handset (as opposed to single manufacturue) – one app works on all iPhone
    - e.g. no problem of testing like Java phones
    - Worldphone – 50m devices (inc iPod touch)

Developer

  • Need to develop on Mac
  • Object C, DSK and App store process (need to learn)
  • xCake Developer community / apps.ie
  • Cost (people expect it to cost less / yet usage pattern very differnt – little and often) similar to Senior Java
  • Base on Spec (like most software projects)

Intuition Keith O’Loughlin (CTO)
“Intuition’s experience with iPhone”
Scaling / eLearnging

  • Don’t repeat same mistkaes; think of user experience
  • Intuition provide professional learning applicaiton to corporates globally
  • Mobile started Blackberry, client demand led to iPhone – also on Windows Mobile
  • Mobile allows eLearning in users time / on their terms
  • Not a Laptop as that experience is more akin to desk based (e.g. phone always there, always ready unlike Laptop)
  • iPhone Experience (Emotional attachment)
  • Three modes of use (Bored Now / Repetitive Now e.g. stock or Football news/ Urgent Now ) – from Google
    - 6 Month old can use iPhone (but not Blackberry!)
  • iPhone has created market for mobile applicatoins (Blackberry, Orange, Vodafone all trying to copy idea)
  • Free apps; usage over time ; shelf life tails off sharply over 3 days ; What is user call to embed in their

Lifestyle (use again and again, evangilise) – doesn’t happen for PC’s.  All about the user experience

iPhone and Enterprise

  • Blackberry v Apple
  • 2 millon  Apple iPhones  in Corporate , growing hughely , 35m Blackberry, overtake in 3 years at current rate of growth
  • Beware of Google (space evolving very quickly – like 1980 in PC space)
  • More smartphones sold last year than Laptops
  • Enterprise benefits : rich apps / improve effecienct / workflows / reduce costs / grow revenues
  • Issues: Security (percieved issue) / difficult deployment / Early adoptor days

Developer: good that single screen size and form size (develop once) , only 3 OS v Java experinece

  • First app on apple platform in 6 weeks
  • Some API missing e.g. to turn off phone API not exposed

Apple; focus on qualiy and brand – control!!

  • Won’t allow apps with bugs (and Apple decide what bug is!)
  • Limited develop support
  • App store very easy to use
  • A lot of applications – easy to get lost
  • Low cost of entry / but slow process / very thoroought process

Repeat: Not about the technology, about the user
Average phone replaced every 2 years – very easy for market to change

Opportunites / Pitfalls

  • Scale
  • Devices Big Picture (be flexible; devices will change, Apps will not) – iPhone good place to start.
  • Style v Substance
  • Platform subsistence
  • 2 models
  • consulting / developer
  • existing product , new channel

MyHome.ie Keith Mahon
“Experiences with MyHome.ie on the iPhone”

Head of Technology , Irish Times digital group.

  • Phoneware created local based search engine, fitted with what MyHome where thinking of doing.
  • Involved since Dec 08 (12 months); 4 Months to develop while Irish Times learned
  • Apple is ‘blockage’ in systems – useful to get professional advice!

Lessons Learned

  • Reduce functionality to what users really want
  • Traffic with not reach mobile (yet) for iPhones – set expectations – more strategic move for future.
  • Estimates market at 15,000  users (note – estimate of user based  much less than Dermot Daly)
  • At least one month to get on Appstore, 1 week for each update; but no committment to dates from
  • Need to promote, like any other website

Success

  • Number 1 Irish app store 12 days / top 50 for 2 months- will change up and down over time.
  • Give credibility with other users, even if they don’t use iPhone themselves.
  • Strong commuter audience (morning and evening spikes).
  • Agents started getting calls / emails directly from iPhone – very visible change!
  • Writeup in Sunday Business Post – can lead to spike in Traffic.
  • 449,000  page views within 15 days; Tiny v Main web sites (15million  in same time) – but new and growing audience

App

  • Shows map with homes for sale (will include rental)
  • Virtual overlay (look through camera, see available houses around you)
  • Give app away free , but looking how to get people to subsribe

Strength and Weakness

  • Smaller , restriced audience – shortage of supply of devices, being kept expensive. Maybe wider when Vodafone sell iPhone Q1 2010.
  • Does not work on stardard iPhone – needs 3GS iPhone
  • No SMS integration like normal mobiles (maybe later versions)
  • A lot of strengths (Locaion aware, excellent delivery channel)

iPhone -  a new Frontier for payments
WorldNet TPS

Enterprise Ireland  HPSU ( Startup) – provide secure online payment (Payment Gateway) going 2 years, product 1 year.

See Opportunity as enabling business – promote iPhone as payment terminal
Complements existing business / other virtual access points such as laptop / PC

For business this means  e.g. Tour Operator / Sell items on Tour Buses while promoter is still on road

Competitor to iPhone in payments space is Desktop – very different proposition (good and bad)

PCI Compliance (part of Visa contract) means storing credit card info on PC / or paper means fines up to 25,000 Euro  for each infringement

Moving to (all ideas that have been tried before , with various success, mainly due to societal factors

  • Cardholder present transation
  • Pay by mobile instead of credit card
  • P2P payment applications

A lot of the leading payment players behind these ideas – will market take off?

OS3 – Damian O’Suilleabháin
“Approaches to iPhone development & the Irish iPhone Developer community”

OS3 develop iPhone apps (3 public , more on way)

Can’t activate iPhone without giving Credit Card details – very low friction sell through AppStore – like DoCoMo model.

Why iPhone?

  • Trip to future; demographics – about 25% Western world only know internet on mobile / social network natives . Don’t like ads,  but friends think it’s cool.
  • Growing rapidly.
  • 2 Billon n apps downloaded in last 18 months – last month 500m
  • Major brands have apps available
  • Opportunity; Extra revenue / new customers through new channel / association with coolness

Web Apps v Native Apps

  • Web development use existing web technologies (Simple) Apple Browser the best mobile browser – compares well to many desktop browsers. Doesn’t do flash.
  • Web App +: Write in (web) langugae teha you’re familar with) Easier upload – no dealings with Apple. Dynamic. Reused web application for other mobiles / from Desktop.
  • Native Apps gives (almost)  full power of API.  Mac Based Operating System – very powerful. e.g. Gesture Capture, Compass.
  • Native App can be used offline. Easier to Monetize app (sell through appstore).

InHouse v Outsourced Development

  • Same as traditional software development pro’s and con’s.

iPhone Developer Community in Ireland

  • xCake - loose developer community / act as group when talking to Enterprise Ireland , O2
  • Apps.ie – evolved from XCake – showcase for Irish iPhone apps, evangilize mobile applications in Ireland.
  • Members; available on site include 21 developers from companies to individuals

Filed under Business, Dublin, enterprise web 2.0, EnterpriseWeb2.0, iPhone, Ireland, IT, jobs Tagged with

Irish Economy – Can us rats save the sinking ship?

January 6, 2009 Leave a comment

On the recent twelve pubs of Christmas event I had a discussion with the distinguished ex-president of the chamber of commerce (you know who you are – Graham!). Given this event involves 12 pubs , in one night, the following has been translated back into English. The main thread of the conversation is that only us rats can save the sinking ship. Calling every person in Ireland a ‘rat’ perhaps isn’t good PR on my part, but it’s a good analogy for the current state of the Irish economy.

Ship Sinking

Now, I’ve been known to follow previous Government advice and ‘shop around’ for the best value (including at the Quays in Newry). However, if everybody follows this ‘me first’ approach we’ll be quickly in a race to be first to leave the sinking ship. But what if, instead of cutting and running, we stayed to plug the leaks in the Irish economy and kept it afloat?

The trouble in staying to plug the leaks is that this requires consensus that everybody helps out– and consensus is in short supply at the moment. All groups in Irish society are fighting to shift the inevitable pain of the recession on to somebody else. The lack of consensus is worsened by the fact that those who did well in the boom, and those seen to be responsible for the bust, are not necessarily those that are feeling the most pain right now. Without consensus, you’ll be left alone with your bailer as the water closes over your head.

Consensus is not necessarily the same as partnership – it’s a broad understanding within Irish society of the way forward, accepting the pain that the steps to recovery will take. The cause for gloom is that in the 1980’s it took 7 years (until 1987) to get a similar understanding , and even then the pain wasn’t evenly felt. Some cause for optimism is that because Ireland is a small country, once consensus is reached, it can very effective (Exhibit B is the Celtic tiger years that followed before it morphed into a bubble around 2002-3).

So , what’s it going to be – stay and float, or all sink on our own?

Filed under economics, economy, Government, jobs, newry, public sector

Start your own business – DKIT – North East

September 16, 2008 Leave a comment

Apologies for not gettting this posted by the closing date. But the ‘closing’ date on these things tend to be flexible, so if you’re interested if worth checking out the NEPP site. Mulley has already blogged about similar programmes at hothouse (docklands), sepp (south east) and m50 (Tallaght IT)  if you’re located outside of the North-East.

Our claim to fame is that FirstPartners.net went through this program in 2003. And failed. But failed quickly – we realised within months that the mad business idea (selling open source technology to accountants) wasn’t going anywhere. We were able to bring the lessons learned back into the main consulting business. Far better than a lingering , drawn out half-life.

More information is here (pdf format)

Enterprise Platform Programme
Enterprise Support for Innovative Knowledge based, High Tech and Information Technology Startups

Introduction
The Novation Enterprise Platform Programme (NEPP) is a programme of  support for graduate entrepreneurs with an innovative business idea in the Knowledge Based, High Tech or IT sectors.

The main objective of the programme is to develop the commercial and job creation potential of the participant businesses. The programme delivers comprehensive training in business and management to equip participants to successfully start up and manage a new business. The
programme assists participants in the achievement of personal and business development goals in relation to the project. It also assists participants in the completion of market or technical feasibility studies and/or the preparation of a business plan.

Past Participants
Since its conception in 2001, over 70 entrepreneurs have participated on the Programme. A survey conducted recently confirmed that over 54 businesses have been established by NEPP participants resulting in total employment of 311 people and sales of €27million per annum.
Participants have also raised over €39 million in VC funds.

 The programme will be managed by the Regional Development Centre, on the campus of Dundalk Institute of Technology. Participants may choose to be based in the professional, entrepreneurial environment of the Regional Development Centre, and will have access to the laboratories, equipment and resources of Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Eligible participants receive a consultancy / travel allowance of approximately €1150. Eligible participants may also apply for funding through Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation of Research and Development (CORD) grants, whereby they can receive up to 50% of their previous year’s verifiable income (the grant in total will be capped at a maximum of €38,000).

 

The Novation EPP is a comprehensive package of business development
support including:

  • Project management and on-going monitoring of progress
  • Travel / consultancy allowance
  • Structured business and enterprise training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to start-up your own business.
  • Networking with entrepreneurs, industry practitioners, researchers and trainers. 
  • Access to office space and specialist facilities, equipment and resources.
  • Mentoring system which provides one-to-one advice and guidance
  • Business Coaching which aims to optimise participants’ business performance
  • The programme will commence in Sept. 2008 and there will be regular formal reviews of participants’ progress.
  • Prize Fund. The 2008/09 programme introduces a prize fund for participants. Eligible businesses will be judged on a variety of criteria including best improvement, degree of innovation, presentation before a panel and performance at end of year tradeshow.

Filed under Accounts, Company, Dundalk, jobs

And now for something completely different

July 8, 2008 7 Comments

I’ve been very lucky in the 9 years that I’ve been working for myself. Lucky in the opportunities to travel and the people that I’ve met. Lucky in I’m doing something I love – playing with and building the latest technologies.  Lucky on the financial side of things that it’s given me a wide range of choices.

So, it’s surprised the people I’ve told that I’m now going to be doing something completely different.

Why?
No it’s not the economy. I can see the effects of the slowdown but I’m one of the most ‘low maintenance’ people I know (anybody who lives in Drogheda and drives a ’98 Toyota isn’t exactly into bling!) I’d be ok. And the uptick (in 18months – 2 years time) is the most profitable bit of the economic cycle.

No , it’s not through lack of clients. One of the most painful parts of the decision have been the 3 prospective projects that I’ve had to turn down. The sort of ideal projects that I’d working to land for the previous 2 years.

No, it’s not through lack of choices. Two other ‘life changing’ choices I had to turn down were to scale inside a well known consultancy, or specialise in one tool and go international (you know who you are guys, thanks for making the final decision so hard :-)

So why then?
The basic reason is that I’m enjoying this now (as in big smile on Monday mornings), but can see that I might not be enjoying it in 3 years time. And chances like this one don’t come along every day. That, and I’m fascinated by the new area and people that these guys are working with.

And what you’re doing is?
This is a big change for me, so a bit nervous about it and will blog about the new job (and it is very much a job, rather than being self-employed) in due course. It will either be the very best, or very worst thing that I’ve done.

Luckily it’s still dealing with People and Technology so no need to change the blog title … and I’m still a techie at heart (in that I’ll play with the stuff even if I’m not paid to) so expect more in that area!

Filed under blogging, Company, economy, enterprise, jobs

CV as TagCloud

July 2, 2008 4 Comments

Idea from Elly and Robin.

From Wordle (a beautiful Java Applet)

Filed under CV, jobs

Joel Spolsky is the reason I am a Java Techie. See him in Dublin IJTC Wednesday

November 2, 2007 3 Comments

Joel Spolsky is flying in to Dublin next Wednesday to give the keynote speech at the Irish Java Technologies Conference. Mark 7.45pm on Nov 7th in your Diaries folks – Jake has the offical announcement and ask him in person for the full story. In case you don’t know who he is, Joel was one of the early Microsoft employees, one of the first bloggers (since 2000) and is an expert on management and Java software development projects based in New York (possibly due to his stock of stories from Israeli Military Service).
Joel Spolsky Image

So how did Joel make me a Java Techie? You know Excel, that Spreadsheet thing you use everyday. Part of the reason it’s so flexible is because of Joel’s work back in the early days at Microsoft- he was program manager for the team at that created Excel Macros, which eventually morphed into Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). A long time ago when I was still a business person I got involved in automating manual tasks using these Microsoft Office tools. From there, every job got more and more techie until it reached the stage where I must blog about Java every day. It’s all Joel’s fault.

Tickets at the door cost €245.Booking here costs €189. Joining the DubJug (Dublin Java Users Group) for free before booking gets you a further discount.

Filed under Events, Excel, Information Technology, IT, jobs, network, Office, People, Training

Sugar CRM lands in Dublin (Irish Times Jobs)

September 3, 2007 Leave a comment

We’re big fans of Sugar CRM, and have recommended it to clients in the past. It does Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – basically the numbers you have in your mobile, but at a corporate rather than an individual level. We proposed integrating it with a (Java Based) billing system – we didn’t want to have to build (yet another) contact management system, as the value add was integration. Getting PHP (the web scripting language that Sugar is written in) to work with Java is getting easier but not straightforward. But hey, that’s what we do.

Sugar CRM Logo

So it in Friday’s Irish Times Business section (main part), I was surprised to see Sugar advertising for people for their Dublin European HQ (I obviously missed this press release back in March announcing the opening). The ad in the main part says ‘look at page 19 of the jobs section’. Page 19 exists, but no Sugar CRM ad. Strange.

Michele (him of Blacknight) talks a lot about Sugar CRM, from the hosting point of view.

Update: Link to the Sugar CRM Careers page (includes CRM Jobs in Dublin)

Filed under CRM, Dublin, enterprise java, Ireland, jobs, Open Source, PHP, php5, SAP

Wexford Programmer needed – Enviromental Protection Agency

May 3, 2007 2 Comments

If you’re not interested in the Database Admin job with OSi, maybe you’d fancy a programming job with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This one is from the Irish Government e-tenders site, but doesn’t say what language they need , without applying for more information.

epa-logo

Filed under Government, jobs

PublicJobs.ie – Database Administrator for Ordnance Survey Ireland

April 27, 2007 Leave a comment

We’ve written before about how PublicJobs.ie isn’t the easiest to use to find technical jobs.

Public Jobs Logo

So , you may have missed this job advert if you’re in the database end of things. Just give us 10% commission when you get the job.

OSi has developed new spatial databases running on a Windows 2000 platform with Oracle9i / 10g Enterprise Spatial edition. This gives OSi a single integrated data source, holding record set information and spatial data. The spatially integrated data store allows for the abstraction of data for spatial viewing and manipulation tools.

OSi is also running additional corporate databases on Oracle 9.2, Oracle 10g and Microsoft SQL platforms. As a result, OSi has a requirement for a Database Administrator to join the DB team.

This post is at Senior Technical Officer level in OSi’s structure. Reporting directly to a Team Leader in the Database Administration/Web/Backups area within IT, you will be responsible for the management and support of databases, primarily Oracle databases.

Application Information:
For further information please see Database Administrator (3 year contract) for Candidates Information booklet and Official Application form. Please note that only applications made on the official application form will be accepted.

Send completed application forms only to hrvacancies@osi.ie

Filed under Government, jobs, public, public sector, publicjobs

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