The data industry in Ireland is burgeoning, thanks to some of the biggest software companies and infrastructure players.
It is a complex and varied tapestry with fabric ranging from telecoms to the internet of things (IoT), social media and smart devices.
As part of Data Week, we will list the major constituents of the data industry.
Yesterday, we provided a list of the top players in telecoms joining the dots of Ireland’s digital landscape.
Throughout the rest of the week, we will feature IoT enablers and global data carriers connecting our shores to the world. This will culminate in a final list on Friday that includes our list of data centres in Ireland.
Amazon
Amazon has reportedly invested up to €1bn into its Irish operations since first setting up shop here in 2004. It has built numerous data centres in Blanchardstown, Clonshaugh and Tallaght. 2017 began with reports of a further €600m investment in Clonshaugh, with two new facilities apparently in the works.
The company employs around 2,200 people in Ireland, split between Cork (800) and Dublin (1,400).
Its Amazon Web Services division is seen as a major enabler of IT transformation, flexibility and economy in terms of start-ups and entrepreneurs, right up to the CIO departments of the biggest companies in the world, growing their infrastructure on demand.
Auxillion/IT Alliance
IT Alliance Group, which employs over 500 people across its Irish and UK business, is one of Ireland’s largest indigenous technology companies.
In 2012, the group launched Auxilion, an international cloud transformation and cloud computing support company. Auxilion employs 80 people, providing 24/7 cloud services to UK, Irish and international corporates.
Headquartered in Dublin, it operates support hubs in Sheffield, UK and Belfast.
Blueface
Founded in Dublin in 2004, Blueface provides telephony services to SMEs and large multinationals. The communications-as-a-service company hinges its offering on a cloud voice platform, incorporating hosted voice, landline and mobile services, as well as a suite of cloud-based business platforms.
At the tail end of 2016, Blueface expanded into the US market, less than a year after adding 20 roles in Dublin.
Comtrade
Comtrade is an IT solutions and software engineering services company, headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
In Ireland, the company operates as Comtrade Digital Services out of a Dublin-based office. Comtrade Digital’s cloud services incorporate solutions that work across major platforms and applications, with a strong focus on data security.
Damovo
Located just outside Dublin city centre is the Irish office of Damovo, a company offering IT services, unified communications and enterprise networks to clients around the world.
Last year, Damovo invested €1.5m in its Irish operation in anticipation of growth of its global services division. At the time, it was reported that Damovo supported more than 700 client sites from its Irish base, with plans to reach 1,000 by the end of the year.
Image: Alex Buzila/Shutterstock
Eir
Within the cloud, Eir operates a number of data centres across Dublin, including Dundrum and Citywest, where it offers dual-site co-location and tier-one connectivity to US, European and UK destinations.
One of the biggest users of Eir’s cloud services is the Irish Government, which has various agencies and departments that run their systems in cooperation with Amazon Web Services.
Ergo
Ergo is one of Ireland’s leading cloud and IT managed service providers with more than 20 years of experience.
In 2015, the company acquired iSite, a customer relationship management specialist. The company also set up Ergo IT Resourcing, offering a recruitment service.
The company provides Microsoft solutions, cloud services, servers and storage, network maintenance and consultancy services.
ERS
Established in 1985, ERS provides managed services, cloud solutions, IT services, mobile app development and IT infrastructure services.
The company has clients in Ireland, Europe and the Middle East.
In terms of cloud, the company provides Office 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint and cloud migration services.
Evros
Founded by Bob Murray in the 1990s, Hibernian-Evros – now rebranded as Evros – provides outsourcing to the IT industry from its three offices in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
Last year, it announced it had purchased cloud services firm Inspired Software and Services, with Evros expecting to be a company of 500 employees by the end of this year.
Image: trattieritratti/Shutterstock
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Not to be confused with sister company HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) continues to employ 2,000 people at its facility in Leixlip.
A cloud infrastructure and digital transformation provider, HPE is not without its troubles, though, and ended its first year as an independent company with lower quarterly profit and revenue.
2017 looks more hopeful, however, with back-to-back acquisitions (one a billion-dollar storage start-up) and a new focus on hybrid cloud services.
IBM
Tech giant IBM has focused on cloud computing in recent years, with its IBM Cloud spin-off generating impressive revenues for the company.
As part of InterConnect 2017, IBM will host a 5-day event in March centred around cloud infrastructure.
Last month, it was revealed that IBM was granted a record 8,800 patents in 2016, with around a quarter of those in AI, cloud and cognitive computing.
IT Force
IT Force’s clients range from organisations of 10 users right up to 250 users, and it provides a wide array of security services and managed IT support services.
In terms of cloud, the company builds solutions on Microsoft’s Azure cloud and provides a variety of business continuity, mobile device management and IT outsourcing services.
Magnet
Magnet claims to have been the first company in Ireland to provide cloud phone solutions.
The company provides hosted PBX and office-in-a-box solutions, as well as cybersecurity and managed hardware services via the cloud.
The company provides several managed services contracts in the country, and was crowned the winner of the IIA Dot IE Net Visionary Award for its cloud services for SMEs in 2015.
Image: Alex Buzila/Shutterstock
Microsoft
Delivering software via the internet cloud, Microsoft’s shift towards cloud services garnered impressive Q2 results for the company.
In Dublin, Microsoft has one of the biggest data centres in the EMEA region and last May, the company was given the green light to build four new data centres.
Dublin is now central to Microsoft’s international software activities, from development to the cloud.
Spanish Point Technologies
The Dublin-headquartered Spanish Point Technologies was founded by CEO Donal Cullen and CTO John Corley in 2005.
As a Microsoft-driven business solutions company, Spanish Point Technologies provides managed services for clients, supporting Azure configurations and hybrid cloud solutions. The company also offers platform services on Microsoft cloud and server services.
Storm Technology
Storm Technology is an Irish success story with a team of more than 90 people across Dublin and Galway. The business technology consultancy is a dedicated Microsoft partner with specialists in SharePoint, Azure and Dynamics CRM.
Storm builds business solutions for clients, solving problems with the right technologies. The company was co-founded in 1995 by CEO Karl Flannery, who was named Person of the Year at the 2016 Irish Software Association Awards.
Qualcom
Supporting more than 500 sites across Ireland and the UK, ICT solutions and managed services provider Qualcom was established in Dublin in 1995. Since 2013, the company has had an office in Belfast.
Qualcom designs and implements complex IT infrastructures for its clients, including Zurich, Dublin City Council and the Higher Education Authority.
Unity
Founded in September 2010 by David Hargaden, out of the remains of Calyx, Unity Technology Solutions currently operates a number of cloud services, including Microsoft’s Azure and IAM Cloud.
With offices in Cork, the company has partnerships with two data centres, split between larger enterprise customers and SMEs.
Vodafone
Vodafone’s dedication to Ireland’s cloud environment was confirmed late last year when it revealed plans to hire 60 people into its technology employee base. The company said its cloud-based services are “on the rise as more businesses move to a full range of cloud and customer communication technologies”. This was bolstered by a 2015 hiring buzz to help support data centres across Ireland, the UK, Germany and South Africa.
Zinopy
Launched in 2010, Zinopy is an IT company that manages onsite services, offering solutions in mobile, security and virtualisation.
Just last month, Zinopy announced 50 new jobs in Ireland, doubling its workforce, thanks to a partnership with Sungard AS, a provider of cloud and hosting services.
It was recently named as one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 in 2016, confirming its status as a leading Irish platform for managed services.
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