SMEs win €10k worth of software from Microsoft


29 Mar 2004

A number of Irish companies have between them won around €10,000 worth of business software from Microsoft after successfully competing in the Enterprise Ireland-backed Openup to E-business competition.

The overall winner of the software was Clare-based Clive Matthews of Western Avionics. Runners up included Dublin accountant John Murray and Dorian Marks of Athy Community Enterprise.

Supported by the Information Society Fund and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the online Openup to E-business campaign was delivered through Enterprise Ireland’s website.

The online E-test was designed to help define IT and related terms and help SMEs to understand the context of the use and importance of IT in business.

The aim of the campaign was to help Irish managers determine how best to deploy e-business and IT within their organisations, grow their businesses and gain competitive advantage.

The campaign is one of three e-business and IT advice modules being managed by Enterprise Ireland and supported by the Information Society Fund with an investment of just over €1m. The other schemes include visits by professional IT consultants and e-business strategy consultants to SMEs and grant aid toward the cost of longer IT audit and strategy consultancy.

By John Kennedy