Irish Times takes a stake in consumer website

27 Jul 2009

The Irish Times Group is to partner with price comparison website uchoose.ie and the paper’s subsidiary DigitalworX Ltd is to take a 10pc stake in the company for an undisclosed sum.

DigitalworX is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Irish Times Group and owns and manages Ireland.com, myhome.ie and irishracing.com.

Uchoose.ie (pictured) will now power price-comparison services across the Irish Times Group network of sites.

“Given the current economic climate, price differentiation is hugely relevant,” said Patrick Lee, director and co-founder of uchoose.ie,

“Our goal is to open up Ireland as a truly transparent marketplace for the consumer,” Lee added.

Set up in 2007, uchoose.ie compares features and prices on a range of everyday utilities and services, including digital TV, broadband, home and travel insurance, credit cards, personal loans, flights and hotels.

The site’s comparison searches allow consumers to compare products and then order online. uchoose.ie checks providers’ websites in real-time, presenting information based on specific user requirements.

The site provides the consumer with the flexibility to compare and choose in a variety of ways, from an increasingly diverse product range, based on reliable, trustworthy information.

“The demand for price comparison in Ireland has never been higher, and we are eager to become a part of this development,” explained Peter Callan, managing director of DigitalWorX.

“Our partnership with uchoose.ie will bring this easy and convenient way to save money to a larger audience, allowing consumers to make smarter and more cost-effective purchasing decisions,” Callan said.

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com