North geared to be wireless centre of excellence


28 Jul 2004

A burgeoning community of wireless software players with international potential, a highly developed telecoms infrastructure and considerable expertise from the university sector are all combining to make Northern Ireland a major international location for wireless applications, claims Professor Terri Scott, managing director of Entrepreneurship in Invest NI.

Professor Scott was speaking at a recent breakfast seminar in Dublin sponsored by Invest NI, outlining future opportunities in the emerging mobile space, highlighting expertise of NI companies in the area of 3G wireless technology and the growing strength of the sector in the North.

“Mobile Cohesion and Axis Three are just two of Northern Ireland’s growing cluster in this niche area of innovative and market leading companies involved in the development of wireless applications. Others include Openwave, Amphion and Aepona.

“Northern Ireland is fast becoming a centre of excellence in this area. We have significant expertise available in the universities and a highly developed telecoms infrastructure that makes it the ideal place for setting up and developing this type of business.

“Invest NI has a dedicated team with expertise in dealing with high potential new business ventures, which is working with entrepreneurs to fast-track business in highly specialised areas such as 3G technology. We’re currently helping companies such as Axis Three and Mobile Cohesion to commercialise their technology and invest in further R&D to keep them at the forefront of their fields,” Professor Scott said.

It is estimated that global service revenues from 3G networks will reach some £173bn sterling by 2010, £126bn sterling of which will be generated by new mobile data services. The success of the wireless internet will be largely dependent on the variety, quality and attraction of the applications available to the users.

By John Kennedy