Pinterest raises $100m in funding

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Social network site Pinterest has received a US$100m investment in a round led by Japan’s biggest e-commerce site Rakuten. According to the Wall Street Journal, the funding values Pinterest at US$1.5bn. The round includes follow-on investment from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital, as well as a number of angel investors. Now the 16th most visited site in the US, Pinterest functions like an online mood board, allowing users to ‘pin’ photos and images, and follow others’ collections. In a statement Rakuten said the funding will allow Pinterest to continue improving its service and expanding its community globally. “While some may see e-commerce as a straightforward vending…

Read More

Kids from Dublin 15 get coding at ITB

itb-coderdojo-05

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) has welcomed 60 students aged 10 to 16 into the college to take part in an initiative created by teen programmer James Whelton. With the support and encouragement of entrepreneur Bill Liao, the first CoderDojo opened in Cork and has now come to ITB. In its third week, students come each Saturday for two and a half hours to learn how code, develop websites, apps, programmes, games and much more all with a bit of fun and imagination thrown in.  There are three more weeks to run at the ITB CoderDojo but another Dojo will be starting soon. In addition to learning to code, members…

Read More

28pc of Irish businesses looking at desktop virtualisation

28pc of Irish businesses looking at desktop virtualisation

Some 28pc of Irish businesses are in the process of deploying or planning desktop virtualisation projects, according to a new survey. Commissioned by DataSolutions, the survey of 546 companies reveals that of those interested in desktop virtualisation, 16pc were looking at an immediate project, with a further 46pc saying they had a project planned for 2012. One of the big drivers of desktop virtualisation for these Irish businesses continues to be cost, including the associated reduced total cost of ownership and the reduction in Windows 7 migration costs. Data Solutions said these findings are similar to the results of a similar survey in 2010. This year, however, mobility and the…

Read More

Transaero Engineering Ireland to create further jobs

Transaero Engineering Ireland

As aircraft maintenance company Transaero Engineering Ireland was officially launch in Shannon today, the managing director of its parent airline said it is likely to create additional jobs in the future. The launch of the company follows the acquisition of the former Air Atlanta Aero Engineering facility at Shannon Airport by Transaero Airlines, the second largest airline in Russia. Transaero Engineering Ireland currently employs 241 staff but this number is expected to grow through the addition of line/project maintenance on Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft and increased aircraft interior, training and engineering capability. The company has just released details of its annual aircraft engineer apprenticeship recruitment campaign. The company performs…

Read More

Limerick venture to bring corn sileage system to China

Sam Shine, managing director, Samco Company and Bill Niebur, DuPont Vice President and general manager of Pioneer China

DuPont business Pioneer, through its joint venture partner Dunhuang Seed Pioneer Hi-Bred and Limerick-based Samco Agricultural Manufacturing, is to bring a cutting-edge corn sileage system to China. The environmentally-friendly technology will help to bring improved productivity to China’s northern corn growing areas and rapidly expanding dairy industry. Pairing Samco technology with Pioneer hybrids means farmers may be able to plant up to three weeks earlier each spring. The system may also provide the flexibility to harvest earlier in the autumn. The announcement was made during this week’s trade mission to China led by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD. “Pioneer has a proven track record of…

Read More

UK SMEs shifting to VoIP telephony to save money

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Seven out of ten SMEs in the UK will be using VoIP (Voice over Internet protocol) telephony services by 2013, according to a new survey by Internet telephony provider Telappliant. VoIP is technology that allows telephone calls to be made over computer networks. The study, which questioned 100 UK businesses from a variety of industries, showed that 41pc of UK companies are already actively using VoIP telephony to improve efficiencies within their business, while a further 25pc have plans to review and implement VoIP within the next 12 months. The data also indicated that businesses with a head count of 100-500 people are embracing the technology faster than smaller businesses.…

Read More

Brian Hayes highlights role of State contracts for SMEs

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Procurement Minister, Brian Hayes, yesterday highlighted the importance of public sector contracts for small and medium sized enterprises in Ireland. The Minister, who together with Taoiseach, Enda Kenny met with 12 Irish SMEs that have won substantial State contracts, noted that the Government spends around €14bn a year on goods and services. “Too often the perception is that SMEs don’t win public sector procurement contracts,” said Minister Hayes. “The businesses that met with An Taoiseach today demonstrate that small and medium sized companies regularly win. “The Programme for Government has identified public procurement as a key driver in supporting SMEs,” he said. “Irish companies can succeed at the highest levels…

Read More

Connemara Mining Company searches for gold in Wickow and Wexford

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Connemara Mining Company and Hendrick Resources Ireland (HRI) have announced that an airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey has commenced over the five license blocks of Connemara Mine River licences held in the Wicklow/Wexford area of Ireland. The principal element of the survey is to look for magnetic anomalies which can frequently be associated with gold mineralisation. Connemara has a joint venture over these licences with HRI, which is a private Canadian company.  HRI will also survey its adjacent block of 11 licences. The airborne operator is Terraquest Geophysics, a highly experienced international geophysical company from Ontario, Canada. Chairman of Connemara Mining Company, John Teeling, commented: “Taking a fresh look at…

Read More

Visa waiver scheme to be extended to 2016

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has today revealed that the visa waiver scheme for Chinese tourists wishing to visit Ireland will be extended until October 2016. The visa waiver scheme, which was introduced by the Government last year on a trial basis, allows visitors from emerging markets, including China, to visit Ireland when they are visiting the UK, without having to apply for a separate visa. As a result of the initiative, Tourism Ireland in China reported an immediate and significant increase in interest in Ireland, with nine leading Chinese tour operators deciding to include Ireland in their 2012 programmes for the first time ever. The Taoiseach made the announcement at Tourism…

Read More

Sogeti to create 65 jobs in Ireland

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD has announced that Sogeti is to create 65 new jobs through the expansion of its Dublin and Galway offices over the next three years. Sogeti is an IT consultancy and services provider that has had a presence in Ireland since 1979 and is a subsidiary of global consulting, IT and outsourcing company Capgemini. The positions created will be a mix of high skilled and graduate roles in the IT sector, with recruitment already in progress. The expansion will see the company’s Irish workforce increase to over 150 people. “The Action Plan for Jobs targets IT and outsourcing as key sectors where…

Read More