Business

Cisco Remote Expert Cisco has launched a new technology in Ireland that will allow retail banking customers to have virtual face-to-face meetings with banking specialists and experts from any bank branch in real-time via high-definition video. Cisco Remote Expert Smart Solution for Retail is designed to take advantage of the expertise and sales potential of specialty lending, wealth management and other types of banking advisers. Cisco has signed its first contract in Ireland for the new technology with AIB, which recently launched its first digital banking store, The Lab (Learn about banking), in Dundrum Town Centre. The Lab incorporates the latest Cisco Remote Expert video booths where visitors can use…

Aramark Ireland is planning to create 25 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as it expands its energy management division. The company said the expansion follows recent success in implementing significant energy projects on behalf of organisations including Forfás, Liffey Meats and the Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital. Chief executive Donal O’Brien said the company’s green business is set to grow exponentially as the EU transitions to a competitive low-carbon economy. “Realising the energy efficiency potential of buildings is central to the EU’s energy efficiency policy and we anticipate growing demand for our building retrofit services which will create additional employment of engineering and science graduates in…

The Direct Selling Association of Ireland (DSAI) has released new figures that show a significant rise in the number of people turning to direct selling since the start of the recession, as a way to earn additional income. The new figures show a 121pc increase in distributor numbers since the Irish recession began in 2008, whilst sales throughout the industry for the same period have more than doubled, with three of the largest direct selling companies in Ireland reporting a 103pc increase in sales between 2008 and 2012. Members of the DSAI include Amway, Forever Living and Herbalif. In addition, the DSAI has revealed that there has been substantial rise…

The alcohol market in Ireland is declining as it is hit by continued economic weakness, taxation increases and changing consumer behaviour, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland’s (DIGI) annual ‘Drinks Market Performance Report’. The report, by Anthony Foley of Dublin City University’s Business School, found that the volume of bar sales of alcohol continued to decline by a further 6pc in 2012. The total decline in the volume of bar sales of alcohol over the past 5 years is now 32.7pc. This decline is having a significant impact on jobs in this employment-intensive sector, where over 6,000 bar jobs alone have been lost since 2009. The specialist off…

The National Autistic Society (NAS) UK has renewed Irish healthcare company Nua Healthcare’s quality autism provision accreditation. In 2009, Nua Healthcare was the first and only adult autism service in the Republic of Ireland to achieve accredited status and is the sole Irish autism service provider to receive accreditation from the organization this year. With 14 facilities in Kildare, Laois, Offaly, and Dublin, Nua Healthcare provides specialized residential, respite and day services to individuals with autistic spectrum disorders, borderline personality disorders, brain injuries and mental health issues. Nua Healthcare’s director of operations Noel Dunne and senior services manager, Liz O’ Neill met with the National Autistic Society in London earlier…

Musgrave Wholesale Partners has signed a contract worth €6m over three years to supply chilled, frozen and ambient foods to Debenhams Ireland. The deal will see Musgrave Wholesale Partners supply approximately 600 product lines directly to 11 Debenhams stores in Ireland, four of which are in Northern Ireland. “Musgrave Wholesale Partners has supplied Debenhams with chilled, frozen and ambient foods for nine years and we are delighted to extend our excellent working relationship for another three years,” said Noel Keeley, managing director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners. “At Musgrave Wholesale Partners we are committed to offering our customers best in class value, service and product range. This ongoing commitment combined with…

Business confidence improved strongly at the start of 2013 with most indicators in IBEC’s latest business sentiment survey climbing to the highest levels since 2009. Sales and order book indicators point towards growth and one in four managers indicated that they would be hiring new employees in the coming quarter. IBEC chief economist Fergal O’Brien said the improvement in confidence was mainly due to recovery in the domestic economy. “Consumer spending and business investment made a positive contribution to growth in the second half of last year and CEOs expect this trend to continue into 2013. The Irish economy is clearly re-balancing and it is very positive to see the…

Building materials group CRH has reported a 5pc drop in profit before tax for 2012 to €674m and its chief executive Myles Lee is to retire at the end of this year, having reached the age of 60. Sales revenue for the group went up by 3pc to reach €18.65bn. Lee, who has been at the helm for five years, said the results for 2012 reflected progress in CRH’s Americas operations helped by a strong recovery in residential construction and improving overall economic activity in the US. In contrast, he said, its European businesses had to contend with weakening consumer and investor confidence within the Eurozone. “Assuming no major financial…

IT Force, in partnership with Strencom, has won a contract worth more than €150,000 to provide a private cloud and connectivity system to the Insomnia chain of coffee shops. “We had encountered a number of difficulties in relation to our IT infrastructure and connectivity network, resulting in persistent issues in store,” said Insomnia chairman, Bobby Kerr.  “Ultimately our IT resources were being devoured by small and repeat issues, which was both frustrating and expensive in terms of downtime and staff resources. “The IT Force and Strencom solution made perfect business sense for us, enabling us to eliminate the IT issues, while providing a smart network that was scalable and robust…