The report led to speculation that Google was planning a retail experience to rival that of the Apple Store empire. Indeed, Google recently opened a store inside the London branches of Currys and PC World to trial the sale of laptop computers.

However, sources have described the report as speculative and said that as part of the planning application there's an idea that a small space in the building might be used to sell t-shirts and other Google merchandise.

In Google's headquarters in California there is a store that is for Google employees only selling merchandise. There's also an online store www.googlestore.com selling various merchandise.

In a statement Google said: "We already have an online store selling things like Google T-shirts and pens.

“We have the option of a small space doing the same in our Dublin office but we've not made any decisions, it's simply a planning application," Google said.

Last year Google confirmed that it bought the 15-storey Montevetro building - the tallest building in Dublin city - or €99.5m.

It also acquired the buildings that house its EMEA headquarters across the street on Barrow Street in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2.

Canpolet suggested that the exploits left a large number of modems in use by Eircom customers open to attack.

"ZyXEL would like to confirm that there is absolutely NO security issue with our P-660 router. The vast majority of the our routers throughout the UK run an operating system called ZyNOS, our proprietary Network Operating System. 

"Our team of technical consultants have run a series of tests* this morning using ZyNOS system and have shown that the claims made by Canpolet and 'The Insanity Pop' are not true and totally unfounded. All of ZyXEL's products have robust security solutions in place to prevent against any security breaches."

Siliconrepublic.com spoke to Alan Turner, a technical consultant for ZyXEL who performed a number of tests based on Canpolet's claims.

Turner said that the exploit is physically impossible. "You cannot do it from the internet side as he's describing it. The links in Canpolet's blog claim you can do it via the internet but you have to have access to the local area network in the first place. I would be surprised if any other vendor makes it possible to access the router's software via the internet."

Canpolet's blog claimed that he was able to test three different exploits on his own router that enabled prestige unauthorized reset, ZyNOS configuration disclosure and prestige privilege escalation.

"It is possible that Canpolet was able to change the settings on his own router because he had LAN access to it. But even after that you are still challenged for the password."

Details of ZyXEL's tests

ZyXEL submitted the following account of its tests:

The ZyXEL technical team this morning analysed how this supposed attack took place. In the first instance, the exploit attempts to access various web pages within the router's Graphical User Interface e.g.:

 -         Prestige Unauthorized Reset
·         ZyNOS Configuration Disclosure  
·         Prestige Privilege Escalation
·         Prestige Configuration Disclosure

 With ZyXEL routers, this isn't possible because all management interfaces are disabled from WAN (Internet) side access. If you attempt to access these pages from the WAN side then the router doesn't respond.

 An end user is able to lower the security of their router by making configuration changes:

-         set Remote MGMT to WAN & LAN / All
·         disable firewall or make a firewall rule to permit WAN to WAN/Router access 

If an end user does go ahead and alter the router settings then that does leave them more at risk to a potential hack. Even so, in this event, a hacker will still be directed to the login process where they have to input the correct admin password. The end user is advised on the Graphical User Interface page where these changes are made that this password should be changed before enabling any remote access.

The jobs announcement was one of a major raft of job creations announced this afternoon by IDA Ireland, including 325 at Abbot Laboratories in Sligo which is expanding its manufacturing facility and 30 new software engineering jobs at Big Fish Games in Cork.

The new roles will be ranged across a variety of projects where the new worker will build, test and deploy large scale systems using the latest and emerging technologies such as cloud-based infrastructures and multiple delivery channels such as mobile, video and social media.

HP Ireland managing director Martin Murphy explained that HP's operations in Kildare and Galway are considered centres of excellence within HP and Irish engineers are at the forefront of developing cutting edge technologies for the needs of HP customers in the US, Europe, China, India and Asia.
The new recruits, he explained will join teams developing these technologies.

Key factors in winning the investment, he explained were an improvement in Irish competitiveness and the crucial support of IDA Ireland.

“Ultimately the reason why we were successful in bringing these jobs to Ireland is because the teams in Ireland have a proven track-record of delivering quality. They have strong credentials in terms of delivering on projects.

“In addition we have been able to find the skills we were looking for to fill our previous announcements."

Murphy said that HP's Irish operations are cultivating a strong position as one of the core R&D centres for R&D. The Galway operation, for example, is a major cloud centre for HP.

HP generates 1,000 new jobs in last three years

In the last three years, despite the recession, HP in Ireland has been successful in attracting more than 1,000 new jobs to the country. The creation of the Global Services Desk in March 2009 generated 500 jobs, and the expansion of the company's Galway operation in 2010, with the creation of 50 jobs. In addition, the company announced 120 jobs at its Dublin operations in September 2010 and 105 jobs at its Galway operations in December 2010, which were followed by a further 50 new jobs.

"This is great news for Galway, Leixlip and Ireland, with the announcement of 150 high-end R&D jobs as well as approximately 130 related jobs in this world-leading company," the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD said.

"In the coming weeks the Government's Action Plan for Jobs will build on announcements like this to deepen the impact of multinational investment here, and target sectors like ICT where we have built substantial strengths in recent years. By setting ambitious targets and implementing reforms across the economy we can achieve the growth and jobs we so badly need," Minister Bruton added.

Barry O'Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland said that HP and IDA Ireland have enjoyed a long and successful business relationship and HP's decision to locate this R&D expansion in Ireland further solidifies the company's integral position in Ireland's  ICT portfolio.

‘'R&D investment is recognised by IDA as playing a key role in Ireland's return to economic growth; embedding existing employment and paving the way for further job growth in the future.

“HP's decision to locate up to 280 new jobs in Ireland over the next three years, 150 of which are supported by IDA Ireland, is most welcome news. I wish HP every success with this operation and offer the company the continued support of IDA Ireland as it continues to grow here.''

The HP recruitment drive will commence immediately.

The new jobs will include skilled roles in engineering, quality, pharmaceutical science and other science-based areas. The majority of jobs will be added during construction and the remainder will be recruited after the expansion is complete.

In addition to these 175 jobs, another 150 temporary jobs will be created in construction.

“Abbott has had a presence in Ireland for more than 65 years and began manufacturing in the country in 1974,” said Dr Azita Saleki-Gerhardt, president of Global Pharmaceutical Operations at Abbott.

“Sligo is an important part of Abbott's pharmaceutical manufacturing network and we are pleased to expand it to support future production needs. The success of our Sligo facility is due to the dedication of its staff and management.

“This state-of-the-art expansion will enable us to produce innovative therapies that we expect will represent significant advances in the treatment of cancer, chronic kidney disease and viral infections,” said Saleki-Gerhardt.

Barry O’Leary, CEO of Ireland, welcomed the announcement, saying that Abbott Ireland is of "key importance" to Ireland’s life sciences sector, which contributes substantially to Ireland’s export economy.

“(Abbott) is part of a strong cluster of life-sciences companies in the northwest region, which is hugely important to the local economy,” said O’Leary.

‘’Abbott, with 13 manufacturing, commercial and shared services sites across the country, continues to go from strength to strength and employs nearly 4,000 people. I wish Abbott Ireland every success with this new venture and offer the continued support of IDA Ireland as the company further develops its Irish operations,” he said.

The company plans to expand its cloud gaming research initiative, meaning it will recruit 30 software engineers for its Cork-based RD&I centre.

“Much like Netflix changed the way we view movies today, allowing film entertainment to be accessed on over 800 devices, Big Fish’s cloud gaming service will transform the marketplace for premium casual entertainment by bringing our millions of mainstream customers that much closer to the thousands of wonderful games created by our in-house studios and game development partners,” said Jeremy Lewis, Big Fish Games’ CEO.

“As the trusted leader in premium casual entertainment, Big Fish will be delighting consumers anywhere, anytime, on the platform of their choice," he said.

The games company, which has more than 2,500 titles and 1.5bn downloads, will also be a major contributor to the Games Ireland Gathering, where company representatives will discuss its upcoming opportunities and technologies.

The growth of cloud computing and gaming

“As part of the Government’s plan to address the employment crisis, we are determined to build on the sectors of strength we have built up over recent years, as well as selecting new sectors where Ireland can become a world leader,” said Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

“Over the past 20 years, we have build up a base of multinational companies in the IT sector which is the envy of many other countries; however, now we must target those areas where the growth of the future is going to spring, such as cloud computing and digital gaming,” he said.

The development is being supported by IDA Ireland. Barry O’Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland, said he was "delighted" that Big Fish Games had chosen Ireland as the location in which it will conduct this research.

“Ireland’s competencies in areas such as cloud computing and software engineering, together with its vibrant digital media portfolio, make it a perfect fit with innovative companies in this space,” said O’Leary.

“There are now more than 1,500 people employed in the computer games industry in Ireland, and today’s announcement reinforces Ireland’s reputation as a leading location for digital media companies. 

“Furthermore, the investment establishes Cork as a leading RD&I Centre of Excellence in cloud computing,” he said.

Only set up in 2010, the company analyses competitor pricing data, with the aim of offering retailers new levels of insight to help them maximise profits by adjusting pricing and merchandising strategies.

Today, Profitero has given a few samples of where it believes Tesco is not monitoring the pricing for its promotions effectively:

Tesco Crème Brulee2X96g
Claim: ONLY £1 Save 89p Was £1.86
Now: £1.97
Valid until 28/2/2012

Goodfella's Deep Pan Baked Loaded Cheese 417G
Claim: SAVE Save 68p Was £2.68
Now: £2.68
Valid until 13/2/2012
 

Profitero currently works with retailers and manufacturers across Europe to help them to grow sales and profit margins via its price monitoring technology. The company says it monitors 2,500 retail websites right now.

The company said it was working with its retailers to make the transition as smooth as possible and will honour all product warranties and provide technical support for the items. It hopes to make annual savings of more than US$100m in the process.

Last month, Kodak filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it would continue to operate as normal during this filing in a bid to restructure the company.

The 131-year-old company once sold 90pc of film across the globe, but struggled as the popularity of digital photography arose.

It hopes to make money by selling off some of its IP, resolving legacy liabilities and focusing on more valuable business lines. It aims to complete the filing by 2013 to become a leaner digital imaging and material science company.

Since 2003, it has closed 13 manufacturing plants, 130 processing labs and cut 47,000 jobs.

The research also revealed that contracting was spreading into other areas beyond the traditional IT and engineering sectors.

“We are seeing a steep rise in the level of contract work available in Ireland, particularly in manufacturing, light industrial and pharmaceutical sectors as many companies are not in a position to increase their permanent headcount but can offer contract work," said Anne Fanthom, managing director, Recruitment Plus. "These contracts are frequently extended. We are predicting a sharp growth in this trend in 2012.”

Roles that require high skill levels are seeing the largest growth in contingency workforces. Contract workers with viable skills in the pharmaceutical sector, for example, are able to demand premium rates and continually upgrade their skills.

Contract workers in the pharmaceutical sector have the opportunity to work in varied roles and diversify their skills, Fanthom said.

"As well as this, the nature of this work allows professionals to take time off to invest in further training, putting them ahead of their peers in permanent positions.”

Fergal Lennon, managing director of CXC, added that multinational companies are driving the contracting market.

"The flexibility and high quality of the contract workforce available in Ireland allow the Irish operations of multinational companies to compete effectively with other locations to bring projects to Ireland," said Lennon.

"It’s a good time to be a contractor in Ireland today. Contracting is a long-term lifestyle that allows a professional to have career control and flexibility as well as a premium salary.

"The reality today is that permanent workers can’t guarantee a future in a company. However, contract workers can exercise control over their careers," said Lennon.

Anotherfriend.com gets over 12.8 million page impressions and 290,000 unique visitors each month.

"We have known the team at MaybeFriends for many years and feel we share a like-minded approach in providing a quality customer experience with a broad community reach for consumers looking for a premium site experience," said Barry.

Maybefriends.com came on to the online business dating scene in 2004. Saongroup purchased the site back in 2008.

Cashing in on online dating

With more and more people flocking to online dating sites these days, online dating would appear to be big business. The Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) recently published a survey in its Consumer Choice magazine about internet dating and what people can expect to pay when joining such sites. While there is scope on some of these sites to scan for love interests for free, using more limited search mechanisms, the CAI found that dating websites in Ireland charge subscribers between €12 and €49.50 a month.

There are other sites such as Plentyoffish.com that offer a free service, instead using advertising to fund themselves.

Globally, in the migration to the mobile app space for online dating, Plentyoffish.com is emerging as a fast-moving player. Just today, Markus Frind, founder and CEO of the site, said that Plentyoffish.com surpassed 300m monthly visits to its free iPhone and Android apps in January 2012.

"With an increasingly tech-savvy public, the online dating world needs to step up to accommodate the advancement of the industry," said Frind. The site receives over 7bn page views per month. Plentyoffish.com is available in seven language and apparently has over 39.5m registered users around the world.

The report also suggests that the iPad 3 will offer a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution Retina Display, a “much faster chip” and an improved graphics processing unit.

Rumours have been circulating about the next iPad for some time now, with earlier reports suggesting it will offer a quad core processor, a high-resolution screen and LTE connectivity.

Earlier today, 9to5 Mac claimed it found images of the back case of the iPad 3 from China, which also added to the high-resolution screen rumours.

However, The Verge reports that, according to “people familiar with the product,” while the next iPad will have a faster A6 CPU, it won’t be a quad-core chip.

Apple is notoriously secretive about its upcoming products and normally sends out a press invite to its product launch events close to the date that they’re unveiled.

“In seeking to identify how best to bring about greater competitive advantage and a rise in employment, exports and growth, science has increasingly become a focal point. In my role within the EU Commission, I can see the compelling impact that research and its commercialisation can have and is having beyond the parameters of science. Science, therefore, forms and informs our path to economic recovery," she said.

As regards Horizon 2020, the European Commission's proposal for an €80bn EU funding programme to secure Europe's competitiveness through research and innovation for the period 2014 to 2020, Geoghegan-Quinn also spoke about Ireland's scientific research agenda and how it must adapt.

“With Ireland remaining on course to reach its target of over €600m funding from the existing EU 7th Framework Programme, the scientific community here must ensure that it adapts and responds to the evolving research agenda as set out in Horizon 2020."

_{Ireland's Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, TD, with St Patrick's Festival performers Rachel Lally, Vijaya Bateson and Grace Kelly at the official launch of Dublin City of Science 2012 on 26 January. In 2012, there will be more than 160 science-related events happening all over Ireland throughout the year. The highlight will be ESOF 2012 in July, when the world's scientific community will be descending upon Dublin. In addition, ESOF will host the Europe - US Symposium on the Atlantic Ocean as a shared resource}

Dublin City of Science 2012

As Dublin is European City of Science this year, hosting the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF2012) in July, Geoghegan-Quinn also pointed to how "science has perhaps never been so prominently placed in this country".

Along with ESOF 2012, Ireland is set to take over the presidency of the European Council in January 2013, so she said this "could not come at a better time, when research and innovation are among the building blocks for economic recovery and growth".

Ireland's scientific research climate

Prof Pat Fottrell, SFI chairperson, also spoke about Horizon 2020 today and the aim to position Ireland as a global influencer in the scientific research arena.

“SFI welcomes the opportunities provided by Horizon 2020 and will be working with Ireland's research community to identify the opportunities to ensure that the available funding will allow for continued research, innovation and economic benefit. SFI-supported researchers have been successful in leveraging further support and investment from Europe," said Fottrell.

Here's a sampling of some innovative SFI-supported researchers who are leading EU research projects. The Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at NUI Galway is leading a multimillion European project on improving citizens' access to EU policy. Via the Puzzled by Policy project, the researchers are using new web technologies with the aim of supporting democracy and making governments more cost effective and transparent.

Meanwhile, Prof Dan Bradley from the School of Genetics and Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin also recently received a European Research Council (ERC) advanced grant to enable him to continue his research into ancient DNA of domestic animals from archaeological samples. The 'Codex' project, 'Decoding domesticate DNA in archaeological bone and manuscripts', is using leading-edge genetic tools to build up a 'DNA data matrix' of domestic animals over the past 10,000 years.

Bradley believes the matrix could help identify key genetic changes that accompany domestication and subsequent animal management strategies. He also asserts that the research work should also give insights that could be of benefit to the farming sector, as well as disease control and animal productivity.

The National Procurement Service will oversee the project and the Institute of Technology in Sligo will provide research and technical co-ordination.

Earlier this year, the EU set a target for all invoices sent between businesses to be electronic by 2020 in a move that could speed up the payment process.

According to a report from National Irish Bank in 2010, Target 2013: Modernising Payments in Ireland, e-payments can save the Irish economy up to €1bn each year.

The departments trialling the various technologies include the OPW, the Department of Defence, the Department of Justice, the HSE, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Government Computer Services Board.

“The full rollout of e-invoicing could lead to multi-euro savings for the exchequer in terms of reduced administrative and transactional costs, as well as providing savings to suppliers to the public sector," Hayes said.

“In addition, Irish service providers in this area could become leaders in this technology across the EU member states.

IT Sligo says the pilot has the potential to save both Government and business up to €240m a year. It is expected that the project will lead to widespread adoption of electronic invoices by public bodies and businesses throughout the country for the first time.

The benefits of e-invoicing

The Institute of Technology said the potential benefits of e-invoicing for buyers and suppliers include:

• Reduced costs - no postage costs, low error rates and reduced staff time re-keying
• Less confusion - a single standard model for all structured invoices
• Real-time data delivery - more information delivered and processed more quickly
• VAT compliant - new EU directive
• Environmental benefits - less paper and lower carbon footprint
• Accurate management information about purchasing, supplier and line items detail, and better stock analysis
• International reach - acceptable across the EU (PEPPOL) and further

The end of the old excuse 'the cheque is in the post'

One of the companies taking part in the pilot is eBox, a provider of e-invoicing software. The company's managing director John Larkin told Siliconrepublic.com that e-invoicing reduces costs in terms of automating efficiencies in business, saving paper and postage, reducing error and provides a boost to the economy because firms get paid more quickly.

“Receiving an invoice in electronic form means companies can take the information into the system and save on data-entry errors. A lot of companies have this capability on their ERP systems, but the key element is getting suppliers to send invoices in the right electronic format.

“The objective of the pilot is to create a standard format acceptable to all agencies in the State," Larkin said.

He acknowledged that Ireland is still behind a number of European countries when it comes to moving away from expensive and inefficient cheque-based payments.

“The Nordic countries, in particular, have been leading the way and it is envisaged the Government here may follow the Danish model which in the first instance mandates that all government agencies have to accept invoices electronically.

“For the public sector, the manual tasks associated with processing invoices and payments are reduced and they can focus on providing better frontline services.

“For businesses in an environment where transactions have fallen by 25pc, the speed and efficiencies enjoyed and being able to get paid on time help enormously," Larkin said.

Schools are given access to the licence manager to allow them to target specific resources at individual users or class groups.

“We’re delighted to be able to launch this initiative with Microsoft today,” said Brian Gilsenan, CEO of CJ Fallon Publishers.

“We’ve many of our books already available through the cloud and are set to bring all of them online by September 2012. As well as the distribution of schoolbooks to students through the cloud, we will be launching a new personalised ‘MyCJFallon’ service in coming months.

“Through this, teachers will be able to access and save all of their favourite CJ Fallon resources which are provided to support all of our major titles, from e-books, animations, audio, video and interactives, to their own profile via the CJ Fallon website. We hope this platform will be beneficial for teachers, students and parents alike,” he said.

Orla Sheridan, Consumer Channels Group director at Microsoft Ireland, believes the partnership between Microsoft Ireland and CJ Fallon shows how cloud applications can enable the ability of all sectors to transition to the cloud.

“Through this service, CJ Fallon are cuttings costs for parents, making lesson planning for teachers easier and supporting the move of the Irish education system to an online forum,” said Sheridan.

“This is a great initiative and a great use of Microsoft Windows Azure Programme,” she said.

The company says this new, flexible approach to working, involving a technology upgrade and complete revamp of Vodafone Ireland's offices at Leopardstown in Dublin has achieved a more efficient, modern environment where employees flexi-desk and are free to work anywhere in the building.

Across Vodafone Group, revenues were up 1.6pc to €11.6bn. The mobile giant spent €1.4bn on capital expenditure programmes during the quarter ended 31 December.

However, the performance was blighted economic conditions in Southern Europe, with revenues in Spain down 8.8pc and 4.9pc in Italy.

"We are continuing to make progress in the key strategic areas of data, enterprise and emerging markets," Vodafone CEO Vittorio Calao said.

“Despite the further deterioration of the southern European economic environment during the quarter, our broad geographic mix is delivering a resilient overall performance. Our improved value perception, strong cash generation and healthy balance sheet give us confidence that we can continue to execute well." 

Two-thirds of Vodafone Ireland billpay customers use smartphones

In Ireland, Vodafone added 22,700 customers during the quarter, bringing its total customer base to 2.47m, which includes 2.24m mobile users.

Smartphone sales increased by 50pc quarter on quarter and smartphone devices represent two-thirds of all billpay mobile sales, Vodafone said.

The company's drive into the fixed-line space is continuing apace, with 232,000 DSL and fixed-line customers.

Average blended monthly ARPU decreased to €32.20, down marginally by 1.1pc on the previous quarter, as customers continued to take advantage of the value offering in Vodafone's range of propositions.

The company said new customers are being attracted by value and greater data allowances.

The company said it recorded an 80pc rise in video traffic across its fixed customer base in the last 12 months.

Smartphone sales increased by 50pc quarter on quarter and smartphone devices represent two-thirds of all billpay mobile sales, Vodafone said.

Forests and carbon footprint

As regards forests and the race to reduce the planet's carbon footprint, UN statistics have revealed that 20pc of the world's carbon emissions come from forests.

The UN's REDD programme, which has been set up to help keep the developing world's forests intact, is estimated to be valued at US$50bn over the next few years.

Paul Harris, member of the Green IFSC Steering Group, pointed to how the new provision in Irish tax legislation will serve to help the UN reach its targets as he said it would assist investors operating through the UN programme in the monetisation of forest carbon credits.

"The change is an important contribution to the emergence of the forest carbon bond market as it provides, for the first time, a cost-efficient structure for the monetisation of forest carbon credits which should prompt issuers and investors to engage with this element of the developing global low carbon economy," explained Harris.

Dublin's potential to be a hub for green financial business to transact

He said that the changes should also help entice the financial markets to look "favourably" upon Dublin's credentials as a location for listing of green and environmental bonds. According to Harris, the Bill changes around clean tech also reflect the commitment and expertise of the various Green IFSC working groups who understand the regulatory changes that are needed to make Ireland a pivotal location for green financial business to transact.

_{A 3D photo scanner pioneered by Irish company Treemetrics. The scanner helps foresters determine width, height, volume of trees, as well as wood quality}

Irish clean-tech player Treemetrics

One Irish start-up that has been steadily channeling its energies in the forestry clean-tech space is Cork-based Treemetrics. The company was co-founded by agricultural science graduates Enda Keane and Garret Mullooly back in 2005. It is aiming to revolutionise the forestry industry via its cloud-based platform that also harnesses Google Earth. Keane and Mullooly say the aim is to bring foresters around the globe into the digital century using cloud computing.

An Enterprise Ireland HPSU, Treemetrics is fast making waves in the forestry industry. Recently, the company secured contracts with some of the planet's most prominent state forest owners, including the British Forestry Commission, Forestry South Australia and the state forest owner in Finland - Metsahallitus.

Treemetrics is also seeking to double its workforce to 20 this year.

Speaking about the changes to yesterday's Bill around forests, Treemetrics CEO Enda Keane said that this new tax change would give the company, as well as Ireland, a competitive advantage.

"If we can get our forests back on track and run more efficiently that would obviously go a long way to reducing the world's carbon footprint. Anything which validates forest carbon and helps encourage growth in investing in forests is very welcome," said Keane.

He said that the real benefit of such a move as that in the Finance Bill would be seen in the years to come, especially as Ireland had one of the lowest forestation levels in the world - up from 1pc at the foundation of the State in 1922 to 10pc today. Keane said it meant Ireland is in an ideal neutral position to be seen as a world authority in carbon validation and trading in the sector to help tackle deforestation globally.

Just last week, Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited Treemetric's facility down in Cork when it was announced that serial games entrepreneur and tech investor Dylan Collins had become chairman of Treemetrics. Collins is currently also start-up ambassador for Enterprise Ireland.

Ireland's green economy push

But back to the Finance Bill and the Government's push to focus on propelling Ireland's green economy.

Here's what Taoiseach Enda Kenny had to say about the clean-tech element of the Bill changes yesterday: "This provision in the Finance Bill is the latest in a series of developments by the Irish Government to ensure Ireland is in the best possible position to capitalize on the financing needs of the future green economy - and attract new business and jobs to our shores as well as give a competitive advantage to indigenous companies operating in this space."

The IFSC Clearing House Group and the Department of an Taoiseach set up the Green IFSC initiative to capitalise on the growing area of green finance. Global investment in clean energy reached US$260bn in 2011, up 5pc on 2010 and almost five times the total of US$53.6bn in 2004, so it a strong focal point for investors right now.

In the past two years collaboratve efforts between the Green IFSC, the Irish Government and the private sector has resulted in a number of additional tax changes in the area of green finance in a bid to grow business and jobs in the sector.

Other recent tax changes assisted by the Green IFSC, include:

• The inclusion of carbon offsets within the existing structured finance regime (S110, TCA 1997)
• Relief from stamp duty on transfers of greenhouse gas emissions allowances (S90A SDCA 1999)
• Extension of corporation tax relief for investments made in renewable energy projects up to 31 December 2014 (S486B TCA 1997)
• Inclusion of companies involved in production of energy from renewable sources within Income Tax Relief Scheme for Investment in Corporate Trades - Employment and Investment Incentive (S488 TCA 1997).

The companies were selected following an extensive review of 100 companies at a series of pitch sessions at DCU and the University of Ulster in October and November.

"As a leading technology company and employer in Ireland and the US, whose commitment to innovation has made it one of Silicon Valley's founding fathers, HP is delighted to support the ITLG in fostering vital links for Irish start-ups and giving them a platform to grow," said managing director of HP Ireland Martin Murphy.

Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland have advised that supports are available to their eligible client companies who are travelling to Silicon Valley to attend and participate at the Innovation Summit.

“We are delighted that we have the support of such an excellent panel of individuals who are willing to devote their time to help our entrepreneurs scale their companies from start-up to success", said John Hartnett, president and founder, ITLG.

Biotech/Clean tech

• AER Sustainable Energy
• Elimbac
• Radisens Diagnostics
• Redt

Entertainment and gaming

• ClearTone Technologies
• Digital Jet
• OmniMotion Technology
• VenueOne

Hardware/Semiconductor

• IKON Semiconductor Ltd.
• Rapt Touch Limited
• Smyth Research

Mobile/Social media/Web

• Aepona
• Phlok
• RepKnight
• Storyful
• Betapond

Software and services/Cloud

• DataHug
• Foxframe
• SaveMe4LAter
• SensorMind

The service will reportedly launch in the next few weeks or months and will be free for most consumers and businesses, with a fee charged for those who want to store large amounts of files. Drive could be priced more competitively than Dropbox, helping it rival the popular service.

Dropbox lets users drag and drop documents into the cloud and synchronise their Dropbox folders across a number of web-connected devices. The company was founded in 2007 and in October 2011 it had more than 45m users who saved 1bn files every few days.

The firm also turned down an acquisition offer from Apple, according to its CEO Drew Houston. Apple then released its own cloud storage service, iCloud, in October, exclusively for Apple devices.

Hasbro and Activision Publishing Inc have joined forces to bring the classic seek-and-find naval game to video gamers, offering players strategic naval command and first-person action gameplay.

"We're geared up for an outrageous sea and land conflict with the all new BATTLESHIP video game," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. 

"Inspired by the film's exciting action and stunning backdrop, the game is next-gen naval warfare that thrusts players into the middle of humanity's last stand against an unfamiliar menace."

BATTLESHIP follows elite demolitions specialist Cole Mathis as he clashes with an aquatic-based extraterrestrial peril at a Hawaiian archipelago. Trapped in a communications dead zone, Mathis must command the U.S. Navy fleet in a "siege on the sea," while simultaneously rallying the troops on land for a terrifying "war on the shore."

The BATTLESHIP video game features carriers, frigates, cruisers, destroyers, submarines and the legendary USS Missouri Battleship in a battle to beat the enemy.

She will report to Susan Hauser, corporate vice-president of the Worldwide Enterprise & Partner Group.

Before joining Microsoft, Ipsen worked at Cisco Systems Inc, where she most recently served as senior vice-president and general manager of Connected Energy Networks. She also established and managed Cisco’s Global Policy and Government Affairs division.

Ipsen worked in government affairs and international trade for Hitachi Data Systems Corp, Acer Inc and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP before joining Cisco in 1995.

She is currently a board member of Monsanto and of the GridWise Alliance, and previously served as board chair of both the Information Technology Industry Council and the Organization of Women in International Trade.

Since then there has been uproar over the privacy implications and Path’s failure to ask for users’ permission.

“We are sorry,” Morin wrote on Path’s blog. “We made a mistake. Over the last couple of days, users brought to light an issue concerning how we handle your personal information on Path, specifically, the transmission and storage of your phone contacts."

He said Path’s mission is to build the world’s first personal network for close friends and family and admitted the way the company designed its ‘Add Friends’ feature was wrong.

“We are deeply sorry if you were uncomfortable with how our application used your phone contacts.

“In the interest of complete transparency, we want to clarify that the use of this information is limited to improving the quality of friend suggestions when you use the ‘Add Friends’ feature and to notify you when one of your contacts joins Path - nothing else. We always transmit this and any other information you share on Path to our servers over an encrypted connection. It is also stored securely on our servers using industry-standard firewall technology.”

Path deletes user contact info from its servers

Morin said that actions speak louder than words and to show his sincerity, Path has deleted the entire collection of user uploaded contact information from its servers.

In Path 2.0.6, released to the App Store today, users are prompted to opt in or out of sharing their phone’s contacts with Path’s servers in order to find their friends and family on Path. Users can accept or decide later to revoke this.

“We care deeply about your privacy and about creating a trusted place for you to share life with your close friends and family. As we continue to expand and grow, we will make some mistakes along the way. We commit to you that we will continue to be transparent and always serve you, our users, first,” Morin said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Justice is poised to OK the deal.

Considering the drama caused by the patent battles between Apple and Samsung, it is not surprising the EU is cautious about approving the deal.

Europe has been the battlefield for most of the high-profile clashes between Apple and Samsung. Last week, Apple had to temporarily remove certain iPhone and iPad models from its online store in Germany following a court decision in December.

Since beginning the acquisition process, Google has been clear that it does not intend to become a clone of Apple in controlling the hardware and software ecosystem of new devices like smartphones and tablet computers end to end, but would rather seek licensing agreements.

To convince Europe of its sincerity, perhaps Google – which has significant operations in various European countries – would be wise to show how it intends for this structure to work.

Following a pilot of 78 schools, 200 more will get this infrastructure this year, followed by 200 in 2013 and 250 in 2014.

What's missing however, Mortell warns, is a syllabus that integrates with this investment and empowers teachers and students together.

"This investment will only be as good as the syllabus we put in place to integrate with this. My hope is the new Junior Cert that is coming will result in changes to the syllabus. I know for a fact that Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is a genuine believer in education and really understands what needs to be done to get it to the next level."

Mortell is an avid believer in the power of education and skills to propel the Irish economy forward, and by making the right infrastructure and education decisions in tandem he is certain Ireland will lead rather than follow the next industrial wave.

He is adamant that we must provide students with the skills to attain the jobs digital industries will bring, and to do that we must eradicate the digital divide that exists between schools with the infrastructure and knowledge and those schools that lack sufficient connectivity.

Dublin data centres

Last year, Mortell's previous company Data Electronics was acquired by European data centre player TelecityGroup for close to €100m and the company operates a number of large data centres in Dublin.

The data centre where we are having our conversation looks out on what is probably one of the most vibrant digital clusters in Europe. In front of us, construction is advancing on Google's €75m data centre. Down the road is Microsoft's €1bn data centre that serves its cloud businesses across Europe and the Middle East, while US data centre empire Digital Reach Group is preparing to build a state-of-art operation across the road.

These data centres - the engine rooms of the digital economy - will serve everything from social networks to cloud computing, online banking, e-commerce and a host of global financial services that will represent the beating heart of commerce in the 21st century.

At TelecityGroup in Ireland, plans are in progress to add an additional 7.5MW of incremental customer power, which will take its total customer capability across its sites to 12.5MW.

TelecityGroup Ireland operates three carrier-neutral data centres in Dublin, with a combined capacity of more than 5,000 sq metres and 5MW of customer available power. These data centres are key international internet hubs and offer access to more than 40 carrier networks and access to INEX, the Dublin internet exchange.

Ireland and digital infrastructure

Mortell says that in terms of digital infrastructure, Ireland is currently in fourth place in Europe because of a myriad of factors, chiefly fibre connectivity and electricity.

"What Ireland needs to attract is some of the large Asian fibre carriers into the country. We are seeing major investments by Hibernia-Atlantic bear fruit and Emerald Networks intends to bring fibre ashore at Belmullet in 2013. We are well served in terms of transatlantic projects but an Asian carrier would bring extra opportunities."

The kind of opportunities that Mortell is talking about are operations like video game firms EA Games and BioWare, which have generated hundreds of new jobs in the west of Ireland, or pharmaceutical firms like Allergan, which before Christmas announced 200 new jobs as part of a major R&D-led investment.

"But unless we take a more national view on rolling out infrastructure to the SMEs and homes we're going to be behind the curve."

Mortell is in the driving seat to capture a lot of the industries that could create future jobs in Ireland and is aware of the areas in which the country is missing a trick.

One of the major opportunities he warns could be missed is the creation of legislation to support the arrival of online gaming and gambling businesses in Ireland.

A study by DKM Consultants estimates that as many as 8,000 new jobs for e-commerce professionals, accountants and business analysts could be created with average salaries of €40k per annum if the Irish Government moves on amending the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act.

DKM says that if Ireland were to capture just 5pc of the global online casino business it would represent a local sector worth €2.2bn.

"Failure to amend this legislation has meant we've already lost opportunities to Gibraltar and Malta, where legislation has been specifically set up and designed for companies of this nature.

"You've also got to bear in mind that the US are going to soon start softening their view on hosting online gaming and gambling platforms in the US and this could create further competition for Europe," Mortell stresses.

"So we're probably missing a trick at the moment. The longer we wait the more likely we'll miss out."

In terms of power infrastructure to support major data centres and manufacturing operations such as Intel or EMC, Mortell says Ireland is just about competitive at the moment.

"Paris is using nuclear energy and it is costing 4 cent per kilowatt per hour - Ireland is double that.

"In general terms, the grid is viewed here positively. The grid is considered to be robust and resilient and rarely goes down.

"Our pricing is just about competitive at the minute and we need to be careful not to make ourselves too uncompetitive, especially in a European environment where we're trying to attract business in."

Irish weather as an asset

Believe it or not one of Ireland's assets in this regard is its weather.

"For 50pc of the year, the temperature in Ireland is less than six degrees, which means free cooling for data centres that can take the ambient temperature from outside and cool the facilities.

"This is crucial when you consider the megawatts of power that need to be cooled in your typical data centre. For Ireland with its aspirations to be the 'Internet Capital of Europe' our climate is an invaluable asset."

Returning to skills and employment, Mortell notes that the skills shortage in technology is bittersweet at a time of high unemployment. There are currently 5,000 tech roles that need to be filled and despite high unemployment in the domestic economy the jobs are being filled by tech professionals from all over the world, attracted by Ireland's cities and lifestyle.

"We've never had difficulty getting people, it's just the process can take a long time. Finding professionals in areas like networking, operating system management, database administration and security is key.

"My concern would be that the next wave of people coming out of universities - if we ever have enough of them - tend to emigrate and don't have the right skills.

"We've talked a lot about retraining and taking people from other sectors such as construction and reskilling them to work in the technology industry, and institutions like IT Tallaght are doing great work in this regard, but it just takes time.

"It is my hope that the next wave of school leavers and graduates are equipped with the skills and know-how to work in the exciting industries of the 21st century.

"I believe Ruairi Quinn is genuine about this - the key will be integrating a digital syllabus with the new Junior Cert and boosting maths and science performance to ensure the skills needs of the future are there."

It's estimated that 55pc of high-level ICT skills are being met through inward migration, meaning that more needs to be done to boost ICT skills in the domestic market.

"One of the key competitive advantages for Irish technology companies, be it multinational or indigenous, is the high quality of skills that are available in Ireland for workers in the technology sector," says Paul Sweetman, director of the Irish Software Association.

"Over time, with the growth in the sector, employment has increased rapidly in it so that has created a new demand for more workers for the technology sector and employees in that area. We brought this to the Government some time ago and expressed that in order to keep the competitive advantage, we'd have to up our game."

Addressing the IT skills gap

It resulted in last week's launch of a major joint industry and Irish Government action plan to address the gap in high-level IT skills in order to ensure Ireland is at the forefront of the technology industry worldwide.

It aims to double its annual output of honours degree ICT undergraduate programmes to 2,000 graduates by 2018 through numerous educational initiatives.

"They range from short-term measures, such as conversion courses which were launched on the day itself, through to long-term policy measures such as reform of particular curriculums in second-level," explains Sweetman.

"It's trying to improve the image of the sector through things like our Smart Futures campaign and also trying to encourage closer co-operation between third-level and industry in terms of what industry would require and what universities or institutes of technology are able to deliver for the tech sector."

Sweetman points out the demand for skills in a wide range of technological fields, such as computer science and engineering.

He also says there is a need for people with skills in communications and languages.

"Certainly there's a large demand for people with skills in computer science, software engineering and electronic engineering.

"When you look at the high-tech manufacturing facilities that we have here, they're all looking for people with degrees within life sciences, within other disciplines of engineering, and then outside of those specific areas there's certainly a demand for people with strong project management skills.

"On the other side of the coin, you look at some of the companies that are developing here putting investments in place that are serving European customers, so there's a strong languages demand here, too, that may not have been here before and certainly something that you would not traditionally associate with the technology sector.

"Underpinning all of that are the companies requiring people with good communications skills and the ability to work in diverse teams with people with diverse backgrounds."

Conversion courses

One of the short-term plans from the ICT action plan was the announcement of new conversion courses. These one-year, full-time HDip courses would cater to people with degrees in other fields in order to intensively train them up in core computing and programming skills.

Sweetman hopes the courses will be successful and he has already seen strong interest in them.

"I think that the message getting out there is that there are good career opportunities (in IT) that people mightn't have looked at before and there's also impetus on the other side in particular sectors where people are qualified for are not performing as well as the technology sector," he says.

He notes, too, that ICT Ireland and the ISA have already been involved in their own conversion courses through their Skillnets programmes, which have been heavily over-subscribed.

Encouraging young people to enter the sector will be key to ensuring a greater increase on talent for the IT sector.

Sweetman believes IT could be integrated into the everyday teaching and learning process.

"It should be used as heavily in a technology subject as in a subject where you wouldn't think technology would be traditionally used, such as geography, English or any of the languages.

"Certainly there is scope, as well, for having core programming subjects in technology areas and we should expand that.

"We should also continue to really push hard on encouraging students to take on the subjects that we have already which will lead to strong careers in the technology sector, such as higher-level maths and science," he adds.

Siliconrepublic.com is hosting Skills February, a month dedicated to news, reports, interviews and videos covering a range of topics on the digital skills debate.

At present, there are as many as 5,000 job vacancies in the IT industry in Ireland.

The Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) was originally set at €100,000 a year and breaks were provided on the basis that the workers coming from overseas would hire other people to work on their teams.

However, according to Irish Internet Association (IIA) chief executive Joan Mulvihill, uptake tended to be low because the threshold of €100,000 was above the salaries some senior workers could be expected to be earning.

The IIA during the last summer issued a policy document recommending tax breaks to encourage overseas workers to come and work with indigenous and multinational companies.

“We hoped they would reduce the threshold to €55,000 but feel they met us halfway. There's great logic in what they've done. They have struck the right balance because under the scheme anyone earning over €75,000 which would be the range of salaries for senior executives are entitled to a tax break.

“This also leaves room for graduates of conversion courses and members of the teams that can be brought here by the senior executives and who will typically be earning in excess of €55,000."

Mulvihill said that local firms such as Paddy Power, Hostel World and SkillPages, who have to compete aggressively against well-known multinationals for experienced and talented software professionals, will find the new Finance Bill will help make life easier.

“This gives these firms an incentive to encourage senior, experienced technical people to come and work for them in Ireland.

“It is also good for multinationals if they have teams that they are trying to bring over because they can do so with better tax incentives than before," Mulvihill said.

The company's vice-president of worldwide sales Justin Endres says the Dublin operation wasted little time in making itself strategically crucial to the global business.

“The city of Dublin offers a highly talented workforce, an extraordinary culture, and a diverse array of thriving industries.

"The opening of our new downtown office is exciting for a number of reasons; not only is it a world-class facility designed to accommodate our ongoing growth, but the location is geographically ideal for servicing our partners and customers across EMEA.

“I look forward to engaging some of Ireland's top talent as Webroot continues to revolutionise the internet security industry," Endres said.

Endres said the company plans to further expand its Dublin operations in the areas of threat research, sales, inventory and fulfilment, marketing and localisation.

Congratulating the company on the opening of its new international HQ, IDA Ireland CEO Barry O'Leary said, "Since first announcing the decision to establish in Dublin in 2010, the Irish operation has quickly become a strategically important centre for Webroot. 

"We look forward to working closely with the company as it continues to grow and strengthen its international business operations."

The Wave Hub, an electrical "socket" for testing wave-energy machines, was put on the seabed off Hayle, Cornwall, in 2010.

For three years now, Ocean Energy has been testing a quarter scale prototype of its buoy in Galway Bay.

Ocean Energy's buoy uses the oscillating water column principle. As waves enter a subsea chamber they force air through a turbine on the surface, generating electricity. As the waves recede they cause a vacuum, drawing air back through the turbine.

Together with its technology partner Dresser-Rand, with which it has signed an MOU, Ocean Energy was one of a number of companies competing for the opportunity to win the Wave Hub contract. The full-scale unit, when installed, will have the capacity to generate sustainable energy to power up to 1,200 homes.

Wave Hub said it will fund Ocean Energy's deployment costs up to a maximum of £1m (€1.2m). This will include the cost of securing a marine licence and installation of moorings and deployment, it confirmed today.

Speaking this afternoon, John McCarthy, chief executive and co-founder of Ocean Energy, said the contract win was a major achievement for Irish technology that has been developed with the assistance of Irish Government funding and expertise at the UCC Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre.

"It is also an endorsement of the technology development path adopted by Ocean Energy," he said.

McCarthy said the "rigorous testing" and "proven survivability" of Ocean Energy's technology was a key driver in winning the contract for its device.

"Ireland, with its resources and technical capabilities, has the potential to become the world leader in wave energy and Ocean Energy plans to play its part in making this a reality," he said.

"Ocean Energy has completed three years of prototype testing in energetic sea conditions and is ready to make the next step to Wave Hub with a full-scale device. If the testing goes well we expect to see Ocean Energy deploy an array of devices," said Wave Hub's general manager Claire Gibson.

Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland recently released statistics, which pointed to how the Irish wave-energy industry has the potential to employ 50,000 people by 2030 and could generate more than four times Ireland's current installed capacity or 30,000MW of power.

The investment will enable Viddy to expand its app to new platforms, including iPads and Android phones and tablets.

Viddy reported 40m app views for January alone and is one of the fastest-growing video platforms on iOS.

It allows users to overlay custom video and audio effects from favourite musicians, movies and celebrities.

Viddyographers can capture, beautify and share 15-second video clips using one-click actions to apply audio and visual effects.

Notable Viddy users include musicians like Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, and Incubus, as well as celebrities like TV personality Giuliana Rancic, NFL greats Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan, and digital influencers like iJustine.

"We continue to be excited by the growth and engagement of the Viddy community, and by the visually entertaining quality of videos created and shared around the world every day," said Viddy CEO and co-founder Brett O'Brien.

“Given the incredible growth numbers that we have seen, we're looking forward to making Viddy available on more platforms and to more users globally." 

The new organisation - the Association of Data Protection Commissioners - will be established at the Irish Computer Society's annual Data Protection Conference in Croke Park tomorrow.

The Association will speak to the requirements of anyone who is striving to define a data-management strategy, establishing practical processes and structures for their organisation to achieve and maintain compliance with the Irish data protection legislation.  

Senior data protection officers from a broad range of Irish public-sector and commercial organisations will form the inaugural Steering Committee of the association.

“Ireland is facing into a period of considerable change in the area of DP with new European Regulations announced on January 25th, which are expected to take effect by early 2014.

"If recent drafts of the legislation can be trusted, there will be significant challenges for any organisation which manages personal data as part of its sales, marketing or deployment strategy," said Jim Friars, CEO of the Irish Computer Society.

“The Association of Data Protection Officers will support its members with the implementation of these new regulations," Friars added.

In line with the European Commission's plan to create an 'Innovation Union' as part of its Europe 2020 strategy, the proposal to transform the ITs into more regional hotbeds of technological innovation – engaging with industry, spinning out companies based on applied research and sharing knowledge capital – appears to be on the cards.

Hunt report

The high-level strategy group chaired by Dr Colin Hunt brought out the Hunt Report early last year, looking at a national strategy for higher education for Ireland up to 2030. Part of the report evaluated the future evolution of the ITs and the universities.

It looked at the benefits of a regional cluster approach for such institutions. The Hunt Report pointed to how "consolidation should be promoted to create amalgamated institutes of technology" that would participate in "regional clusters with partner universities of a similar scale".

“However, there may be a case for facilitating the evolution of some existing institutes following a process of consolidation, into a form of university that is different in mission from the existing Irish universities," indicated the Hunt report at the time.

Munster and BMW regions - technological university plans

In the past few weeks, ITs in two regions have unleashed their plans to create technological universities. At the end of January, the presidents of the ITs in Limerick, Tralee and Cork announced their plans to create a Munster Technological University (MTU), with the aim of strengthening the region's educational prowess and enhancing links with local industry.

The IT heads said the MTU would have campuses in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary and an initial enrolment of more than 24,000 students.

At the time, Dr Maria Hinfelaar, president, LIT, said that since the Hunt report came out last year, the ITs have been forced to rethink how they would view themselves in the new landscape and to reposition themselves.

For the Munster region, the three presidents sought out international advice before proceeding with their MTU plans.

"Prof Simon Marginson, an Australian expert on higher education, played a major role, while Prof Robin Smyth from the UK also gave advice. He had experience of when the polytechnics in the UK were converted into universities," said Hinfelaar, who is also chair of Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI) this year.

"When you think of the 14 institutes of technology in Ireland, including DIT, and the aim to consolidate them down to four, it's about increasing the pathways for students to receive higher education and to manage and use resources better," she said.

In terms of the border, midlands and west (BMW) region, in January the five ITs located there also set out their plans to create a technological university in the region. The ITs involved in the BMW Technological University plan are Athlone Institute of Technology, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology, Sligo.

The steering group said in January that such a university would be the largest higher-education institution of its kind in the State, with the capacity to take in up to 27,000 students.

For a long time, Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology had been campaigning to pursue a technological university for the southeast.

This has been followed up by Sage CRM, Coretime and PeopleLink, which is a hybrid cloud solution using Micropay on premises and PeopleLink in the cloud.

Sage also plans to launch Sage 50 in the coming months, aimed at large businesses.

“When it comes to cloud software, Sage is well ahead of the game," said Liam Mullaney, chief executive at Sage Ireland.

“For us, we see it as the next step and today is all about Sage helping businesses understand the cloud and what it means for them."