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IIA CHAIRMAN`S WELCOME ADDRESS TO THE IIA CONGRESS
Good morning everybody and you are all very welcome indeed to the Irish Internet Association’s Internet Congress for 2004. My name is Colm Lyon and I am Chairman of the Irish Internet Association. I hope that today will be an informative and enjoyable day for each and every one of you.
The internet industry is the industry in which we work – for some of us it may be an alternative distribution channel or connectivity solution, however I realise that for many people here today the internet is their business – I certainly speak as one of those whose business is utterly bound to the internet.
Either way – as a business that uses the internet in an auxiliary fashion or a business that exists only because of the internet – it is good that you are here. Why?
For a number of reasons, firstly our industry is gaining steady and sustainable momentum – momentum is a word I like a lot in business as it implies a gradual growth that builds on itself. It also implies building on reality and not perceptions or valuations. We in the IIA have seen evidence of this, in terms of the number of members, enquiries and in particular the number of people turning up for our events – all are rising steadily – this is good.
The second reason is that like other industries the internet needs to have a professional and effective association linking its members together – in an open and facilitating role. That is what the IIA needs to be and must become. To be this we need to formulate a new strategy and work with our members in a deep and meaningful way. Before outlining our strategy for the coming year, I would like to thank some people.
Last month (August 2004) a new board was elected and I delighted to be working with them for the coming year. I would like to thank our former Chairman – John O’Shea – for his hard work, time and effort made over the last year. He has paved the way for many of the changes that are now about to happen. I want to welcome the new board members and thank all the board for their efforts – all of which is voluntary. I pay special thanks to the officers Vice Chairman – Barry Rhodes, Secretary – Patrick Tully, Treasurer, Fergus O’Hehir, who dedicate a lot of time to the Association. I also pay tribute to Irene Gahan, the CEO of the IIA, for bringing about not just today but many other outputs with a tireless enthusiasm for all things internet related.
However, we and certainly I as chairman want to plot a course beyond where we are today and I look ahead and see the changes and challenges that we as an association must address if we are to become the effective industry association that we can be. In addressing these issues I am also a realist and understand that at present we, as an association are constrained by limited resources. We, the board have now agreed our objectives for the year and these include:
1. Running six industry working groups, three existing groups in the area of Legal, Domain Registration and The User Experience and three new groups have now been established with Government support in the area of Spam, The Digital Market Media and The Mobile Internet. Each group has a Board Member acting as chair and your involvement in these is critical to their success – it you have a view, an opinion, a minor contribution to make in these areas – then please get involved – simply ask any board member or email the IIA.
2. Secondly we must continue to build on the success of the events run over the last year by seeking more sponsorship so that we can run more events in more locations over the next twelve months.
3. Another key objective for the board is to consider the position of the IIA within and alongside other industry associations. We need to establish if we could benefit from closer connections to other bodies and thus we will examine the options that exist for our long-term development, in the New Year.
4. Finally we must work the Irish Internet people and businesses to understand what the issues of today really are. So your feedback is essential to the successful development of the IIA. In November we will have the 2004 Net Visionary Awards and I look forward to that event with great excitement. This evening is designed to honour the individuals that make the Irish Internet Industry great and I ask you to get involved by nominating, voting and coming along on the night.
The IIA offers its members access to information, business development opportunities and profile and credibility.
Our members are the association and your involvement is important, particularly at this time. If you are not a member then I ask you to join, if you are a member then get involved by joining a working group, email us your comments, come along to the events, sponsor one, speak at one and share with us your experience.
The internet levels the playing field – the small can compete with the big. Irish businesses can grow and blossom on the internet just much as a multi national. The IIA is and needs to be the catalyst via which these businesses can get access to information, engage in business development opportunities and gain profile and credibility.
I am proud to be chairman of the IIA and I look forward to working with our members, the board and the CEO as we seek to implement these objectives.
Thank You and enjoy the day.
Colm Lyon
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IRISH IT BUDGET OUTLOOK MOST POSITIVE FOR THREE YEARS
The outlook for IT budgets for 2004 is the most positive it has been for three years, according to the findings of the latest edition of IDC’s annual user survey, IT Trends and Expenditure in Ireland. One of the key metrics that IDC has used over the years to assess the dynamics of the Irish IT market is to check on increases and decreases in end-user spending. This year, a total of 43% of organisations claim their IT budgets will be higher than last year, with only 23% expecting a decrease. www.idc.com
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4TH ANNUAL IT&T CONFERENCE CALL FOR DEMOS
The theme for this years conference is the ‘Telecommunications and Information Technology Convergence- addressing the challenges of an Open Communications environment,’ which is intended to reflect the huge interest and work being carried out in this area by leading academic and industrial researchers nationally and internationally. The conference is structured into technical presentation sessions, technology demonstrations along with a number of special sessions. We expect up to 200 delegates to attend from Academic Institutions, the Public Service and Industry. Technology demonstrations: the call for demos is a new element to this year’s programme. It encourages participation from Industry representatives and 3rd Level researchers seeking to profile their research or demonstrate leading edge/latest technologies to a wide audience. The call can be accessed at www.ittconference.com
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IRELANDOFFLINE TO CONTINUE BROADBAND LOBBY EFFORTS
Broadband lobby group IrelandOffline has voted to remain in existence following an extraordinary general meeting recently. The organisation also plans to publish the results of an extensive survey into the state of broadband adoption in Ireland soon. The group’s future had been in doubt over the summer following the resignation of former chairman Christian Cooke, who believed that IrelandOffline was no longer an effective means of securing affordable broadband for consumers through its lobbying efforts. In a statement, however, the group maintained there was “an overwhelming view that IrelandOffline is now needed more than ever”. In the course of compiling its survey data the group claimed to have discovered that major obstacles still dog the widespread introduction and adoption of broadband across the country. Damien Mulley was appointed chairman of IrelandOffline at Saturday’s meeting. He said: “Whilst there has been an impression of significant progress in broadband provision in Ireland, most of it is little more than papering over the cracks… the fact that less than 2pc of the population are broadband enabled is not something to boast about – in our opinion, it is a national disgrace.” The group plans to release details of its survey, which polls the opinions of 1,300 consumers and small businesses, shortly and will also issue a proposal on solving some of the issues likely to be raised. Source: www.siliconrepublic.com
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Industry Events – September – November 2004
IDC SECURITY CONFERENCE
Date: September 23,
Location: Guinness Storehouse
Register online here using special promotional code `ITEXPR`
IDC`S 14TH ANNUAL EUROPEAN IT FORUM
Date: 27, 28 September 2004
Venue: Le Meridian Montparnasse, Paris
Despite a general acknowledgement that the global economy is improving, the rewards have yet to be realized in Europe, where economic growth lags that in other regions. With this trend set to continue in 2004, a number of challenges are raised for European companies caught between the requirements of increasing efficiencies while competing on a global basis through innovation and growth. These themes will be explored in detail at IDC`s 14th annual European IT Forum, which takes place on September 27 and 28 at Le Meridian Montparnasse in Paris. The European IT Forum will also feature IDC`s Research Pavilion, where attendees can network with IDC analysts, and the Guru Labs, interactive workshops where a limited number of participants can brainstorm on critical issues with keynote speakers. Further information and a full list of speakers can be found at www.idc.com/emea/itforum04
SECURITY+ COURSE
Dates: 27 to 30 September
Location: Sureskills, 14 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
This course represents the first global standard for training and certifying the frontline troops of computer security – the people that protect that operational capability. Only one exam is required to obtain the certification. To register: phone Alison Murphy on 01 6636326 or mail training@espion.ie
CONQUERING EMERGING SECURITY RISKS SEMINAR
Date: Tuesday 28 September. Location: Waterfront Hall in Belfast,
Date: Wednesday 29 September. Location: Red Cow Moran`s Hotel in Dublin
Date: Thursday 30 September. Location: Maryborough House Hotel in Cork.
Complete Network Technology are hosting complimentary seminars on Conquering Emerging Security Risks. Seminar attendees will learn how to conquer emerging security risks from independent experts gathered by the Complete team in Ireland. Key speakers from leading IT Security companies will present at the seminars including Sean Reynolds from RITS Ireland, Jamie Cowper from Mirapoint and Didier LeBret Renault from Enterasys. Registration is at 8:30am and the seminar finishes at 11.00am. To register, please call Therese Nevin on 01 885 5400.
ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT IN ICT
Dates: 19 October 2004 – 21 October 2004
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Public procurement policy and practice for accessible ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) has the potential to play a vital role in removing barriers to participation in the Information Society by disabled or older people. This workshop will adress the harmonisation of eAccessibility requirements to be used in the public procurement of ICT products and services and the requirements for policy implementation in this field. Email: infso-publicprocurement-eaccessibility@cec.eu.int, or see here
IDC MOBILITY CONFERENCE
Date: October 19,
Location: Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
Register online here using special promotional code `ITEXPR`
FLASH MX 2004 APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT – 10% discount for IIA members
Date: 20 October 2004
This course is for developers wishing use built-in components, their behaviors, and ActionScript to quickly become proficient in building applications. Students build an application that contains elements of data binding, components, navigation, programming elements, and using ActionScript with MovieClips. Students also begin to explore the object-oriented nature of ActionScript. This is a daytime program.
Enquiries to ICT Ireland on 01 4069595 or e-mail admin@ict-ireland.com/www.ict-ireland.com
4TH ANNUAL IT&T CONFERENCE
Date: 20 – 21 October
Location: Limerick
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONVERGENCE- addressing the challenges of an Open Communications environment.
TecNet is convening the 4th Annual IT&T (Information Technology & Telecommuncations) conference on 20th and 21st October in Limerick. The theme for this years conference is the ‘Telecommunications and Information Technology Convergence- addressing the challenges of an Open Communications environment,’ which is intended to reflect the huge interest and work being carried out in this area by leading academic and industrial researchers nationally and internationally. The conference is structured into technical presentation sessions, technology demonstrations along with a number of special sessions. We expect up to 200 delegates to attend from Academic Institutions, the Public Service and Industry. www.ittconference.com
IQ BOOT CAMP – OPTIMISE YOUR WEBSITE – **10% Discount before October 15**
Date: 1-12 November
Locations: Dublin / London
Essential training for web, information and marketing professionals. Choose from 10, 1-day workshops including web accessibility, usability, webwriting, email newsletters, intranet strategy, information architecture,bXHTML & CSS. Workshops feature expert instruction, small numbers, extensive take-home resources and post-training support. Better user experience, better results.
Register now: www.iqcontent.com. Email: annmarie@iqcontent.com or Phone: 00353(0)1 8170768
IST 2004- PARTICIPATE IN YOUR FUTURE: PEOPLE AND ECONOMY
Date(s): 15-17 November 2004
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Description: IST is the annual `networking` event for research and development in information society technologies (IST). It is organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Dutch Presidency of the European Union and will take place in The Hague (The Netherlands) from 15-17 November. Attendance is `a must` for researchers and industrialists planning to propose projects for the IST priority within the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. The title of IST 2004 is: “Participate in your future”, with “People” and “Economy” as the main themes. IST 2004 will include a conference, networking facilities, an exhibition of research results and the IST Prize Village. Calls for conference and exhibition ideas are closed since 4 June. For details on these calls and full information about IST 2004, consult the newly-launched IST 2004 website. See Here
ONLINE INFORMATION
Date: 30 November – 2 December
Location: Olympia Grand Hall, London, UK
Online Information attracts an international audience of over 11,000 visitors and 250 exhibitors making it the focal point for the global information industry. For anyone who uses, manages or sources information for business or research purposes. Visitors will be able to source and compare hundreds of the latest information content sources and content management solutions at Online Information and co-located events and forums.
www.online-information.co.uk/
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NEW ONLINE SEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR NHS CLINICIANS
The NHS has started a project that will deliver a single search environment, integrating local and national information resources of NHS library services across England. This new information service will provide clinicians, including doctors, consultants and nurses, with a single place to go to search popular resources such as BMJ’s Clinical Evidence and The Cochrane Library, through a national website. It’ll be able to pinpoint their whereabouts in the UK and then display local resources that are relevant them, delivering ‘intelligent’ information to the clinicians. This is one of the first projects from the emerging National Library of Health, with the first phase to be launched in November 2004 as part of the Health Libraries Week. Further developments will be made from April 2005 onwards. www.helpisathand.gov.uk/news/e-gov/nhs/
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UK GOVERNMENT TO WARN OF INTERNET DANGERS
The UK Government is planning to launch a major new campaign to raise the publics’ awareness of computer security and internet safety. Home Office officials and other government departments are currently in talks with the computer and internet industry and law enforcement agencies to discuss a possible joint information initiative. Key areas of concern are to be; improving child safety and limit child abuse online. The campaign will form a long line of government efforts to educate the public about online safety and guarding against internet-related crime. www.egovmonitor.com/features/esecurity.html
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PROPOSALS SOUGHT ON 3G PHONE SAFEGUARDS
Proposals are being sought on what measures mobile phone companies intend implementing to protect children when the next generation of mobile phones come on stream later this year. Dermot Ahern, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources said he still believed the introduction of a national register of the next generation 3G phones was necessary but he would await proposals being put together by the mobile phone companies. The new generation phones are capable of carrying video clips and will be the most advanced technologically available. Minister Ahern said that there is potential for abuse of mobile phone technology and that even the use of current generation technology has caused concern to the Gardaí. In late spring, a survey of the Irish communications market showed that there are now 3.4 million mobile phones in Ireland, and the average user sends 82 text messages per month. The mobile penetration rate in Ireland reached 87% at the end of 2003, an increase of 4% on the previous quarter. www.dcmnr.gov.ie
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MIDLAND BROADBAND LAUNCHED
Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, has opened the new €12 million broadband network in the Midlands which is expected to go live within four weeks. The Midlands project involved the laying of high speed networks in Tullamore, Portlaoise, Athlone, Mullingar and Roscommon. Work on rolling out the 77 km of network began last Summer and is now completed. The network will be managed and sold on by a Limerick company E-Net to telecommunication companies who will sell on services to business, industry and consumers at competitive prices. The network is part of the €65 million national broadband initiative, which is 90% funded by the Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, is co-funded by the EU under the European Regional Development Fund. Over the 15-year term of the contract, E-Net will operate as a wholesaler of access to the networks, and will offer a full suite of broadband products from ducting to high-level managed capacity. The company expects to employ up to 120 people both directly and indirectly on this project. www.dcmnr.gov.ie
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NEW INTERACTIVE SHIPPING ROUTE PLANNER FOR IRISH EXPORTERS
Mr. John Browne T.D., Minister for State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, has announced the launch of a new interactive shipping route planner for Irish industry. The planner, which was designed and is hosted by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) on its information portal www.imdo.ie, is the first single platform to provide this information for Irish industry on-line. The portal will provide a full free database of shipping services, ports, routes, operators and freqency of services available from all Irish ports. ‘The new shipping planner will assist all Irish companies involved in international trade find details of scheduled unitised services connecting Irish ports to our trading partners,’ the Minister stated. Short Sea Shipping is a successful and growing mode of transport in Europe and is the only mode that has been able to keep pace with the growth of road transport. www.dcmnr.gov.ie