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Business First Issue2 Vol5 CH8:Layout 1 23/10/2009 14:50 Page 54
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Telecommunications
The change continues for telecoms
Jayne Brady, Intune Networks
I
n recent years, the telecoms sector has seen unprecedented level. In the Belfast office the average telecoms experience level
change. The World Wide Web now touches every part of is 19 years.
today’s life comparable to that which phone services did over Earlier this year Intune Networks secured its first deployment
the past 40 years. Internet based services have become the life following selection for the Exemplar network. This is a SMART
blood for all aspects of modern life: business communications; Network funded by the Irish government and announced by
personal communications and entertainment; social networking; Eamon Ryan, the Irish minister for Communications, Energy and
information sharing and research. Natural Resources, at the publication of the ‘Technology Actions
Only a few years ago, companies that are now in daily use by to Support the Smart Economy’ strategy document on July 21
hundreds of millions of subscribers did not exist or were barely 2009. The Irish government believes that deploying this
known: Skype; YouTube; BBC iPlayer; My Space; Bebo; Facebook; technology has the potential to position Ireland for a wave of
Hulu; Twitter and many, many others. These companies now opportunities based on the future of the Internet that up to now
generate the majority of traffic growth today. Skype is now the have been considered an area of expertise of regions like Silicon
largest phone company in the world and locally OFCOM Valley in the US. Tim Fritzley, CEO, Intune Networks said: “The
estimates that almost one third of households in Northern Exemplar Smart Network will open significant opportunities as
Ireland now use social networking sites. indigenous companies use it as a platform for developing and
The resulting impact of the growth in online communications testing new applications and international companies come to
has created tremendous pressures on today’s networks that will Ireland to base R&D activity here.”
need to be overcome in order to support the continued growth In September 2009 Intune also announced that it has secured
and viability of the knowledge economy. €22 million in its most recent funding round. “Dermot
Dublin-based telecommunications company, Intune Networks, Desmond” an investment vehicle and Kernel Capital led the
is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. Intune, which investment with additional funding provided by existing
now has 42 staff in their Belfast office, has solved some of the investors Balderton, Amadeus, Spark Capital as well as long term
most critical problems in the development of next generation private investors. In addition, Invest Northern Ireland and
fibre-optic communications networks by pioneering Enterprise Ireland participated in this round of financing, to
technologies that make the network programmable. support Intune’s facilities in Belfast and Dublin respectively.
Application of the technology creates impressive network The funding round is the largest private equity investment
efficiencies and improvements in scalability which directly lead round in the telecoms optical equipment sector this year and the
to much lower costs for the network operator. This new largest in the entire European telecoms sector. The funding will
technology will help to bring the Internet and World Wide Web be used for the full commercial product launch in mid 2010, as
to the next level, allowing high quality, on-demand and well as for expanding market coverage beyond the European
interactive services. The technology also greatly reduces carbon carriers on into North America and Asia.
footprint and offers a greener future for the telecoms industry. There are tremendous global opportunities for Intune
Telecom network operators are among the leading consumers of Networks to roll out its innovative technology to help
electricity and energy costs are a very significant part of the revolutionise how next generation networks and web services
operators’ cost base. As a result, the platform is gaining are developed and delivered. Intune is now fully resourced and
significant credibility within Tier 1 carrier organisations sufficiently funded to take advantage of these opportunities and
throughout Europe who have already commenced trialling the to grow the company in new geographies as well as cementing
technology. its leadership in the markets where it is already established.”
The Intune powered network is also capable of supporting The Belfast team, with its wealth of global telecoms
many services that don’t exist today as there has been no experience, is key to executing this strategy. Tim Fritzley said of
network capable of delivering them economically. These the Belfast team: “The calibre of the people recruited to date, and
technology enablers create an opportunity for many new their wealth of experience in the design and development of
applications to be developed which will drive investment into large scale telecommunications platforms, has been exceptional.
the wider economy. We believe the Belfast office is crucial to the quality and
Intune Networks established a presence in Northern Ireland in competitiveness of our products in international markets. The
2008 and in April 2009, Minister Arlene Foster announced Invest support and investment of Invest NI has been instrumental to
Northern Ireland ‘s support of £983,000 towards the project. The the successful establishment and growth of the Belfast
company, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, operation.”
employs over 120 people in Dublin and Belfast, of which 90 per The company plans to create up to 77 new high-skilled ICT
cent are high tech R&D jobs, and 50 per cent are Masters or PhD positions in Belfast by the end of 2010.
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