The tech business week: Irish SMEs using online technologies, Radisens wins new ESA contract


19 May 2014

72pc of Irish SMEs use online technologies to promote their businesses

A digest of the top business technology news stories from the past week, beginning with the news nearly three-quarters of Irish SMEs use online technologies to promote their businesses.

72pc of Irish SMEs use online technologies to promote their businesses

Some 72pc of Irish SMEs are using online technologies to market their businesses, according to the latest Bank of Ireland MRBI survey of Irish businesses.

Of that 72pc, 68pc cite Facebook as a tool they use, making it the most popular technology for marketing a business, ahead of search engine marketing (48pc), LinkedIn (40pc) and Twitter (30pc).

The study also found 82pc of SMEs in the Irish economy believe their businesses have stabilised or are growing again.

Radisens wins second €1m contract with European Space Agency

Irish space tech company Radisens Diagnostics has been awarded a second €1m contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop an innovative blood-testing device for use by astronauts.

Having previously been awarded a contract by the ESA in 2011, Radisens Diagnostics will now be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the health of those on board the International Space Station (ISS) and other space operations through its point-of-care device developed in the Rubicon Centre in Co Cork.

This forerunner device could be used on board the ISS and on various human spaceflight missions, where it is essential to get high-performance, laboratory-grade results for a myriad of health conditions, without fear of biological contamination.

Yahoo! acquires self-destruct messaging app Blink

Yahoo! has entered the self-destruct messaging app business dominated by Snapchat by acquiring Blink, another app that offers a similar service, for an undisclosed sum.

According to the BBC, as part of the deal, all seven members of the start-up will become official Yahoo! employees and the app itself will cease to exist once the deal is completed.

Launched more than a year ago on iOS, Blink is one of many small app start-ups that have attempted to emulate the success of Snapchat, which allows users to set the automatic deletion of messages after a period of time. Blink launched an Android version early this year.

Samsung to rebrand Heathrow’s Terminal 5 after S5 smartphone

London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 will be officially named the Terminal Samsung Galaxy S5 for a couple of weeks, starting today.

During this time, the terminal will be plastered with signs, digital screens, projected images and even more named areas to really promote the Korean company’s latest flagship phone.

The branding will also be included on the terminal’s microsite within the Heathrow website.

Artist, designer and marketer Ivy Ross appointed head of Google Glass

Ivy Ross, formerly a design and marketing leader at companies such as Art.com, Mattel, Disney and Calvin Klein, has been appointed as head of the Google Glass project, joining the team today.

With her background in retail marketing, Ross is well-positioned to tackle the challenge of making Glass an attractive product for the masses. Obstacles she will have to overcome include the perception of wearers as ‘Glassholes’ and the fears and regulatory restrictions already surrounding the beta product.

In a ‘letter’ to Glass Explorers posted on the Google Glass Google+ page, Ross identified herself as head of Glass and said she’s looking forward to “answering the seemingly simple, but truly audacious questions Glass poses.”

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