Author: Jim O Brien/CEO

CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey highlights the rise of the ‘savvy consumer’

The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) has released its 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey, which takes the global pulse of the mobile ecosystem – from the point of view of the consumer.

This landmark study, with data from 15 different markets, combined with the analysis of results from the past decade, delves into the evolving perceptions and expectations of consumers, enterprises, and other stakeholders from across the globe. It sheds light on the challenges and triumphs encountered in building and maintaining trust through increasing awareness of how personal data is used, ensuring appropriate control over that personal data, and providing confidence in security safeguards.

This year’s Survey shows that while globally trust continues to decline and concerns about data collection increase, consumers are becoming more aware of how their data is collected and used, with a growing number of users now being classed as ‘savvy consumers’.

The key trends from the Survey over the last ten years are:

 

1) The rise of the “Savvy Consumer”: The reports highlight the emergence of the “savvy consumer,” who is more cautious about data sharing and demands greater control and transparency. This segment is increasingly seeking tools and services that empower them to manage their data.

 

2) Declining Trust: There’s a consistent decline in consumer trust regarding how companies handle their data. This is evident in the decrease in users who are “always happy” to share personal information and the increase in those who feel they have “no choice” but to share data to access services.

 

3) Increased awareness of data collection and use: Consumers are becoming more aware of how their data is collected and used. This is reflected in the growing importance they place on transparency and the desire to know how their data is being utilized.

 

4) Growing concerns about data security: Security remains a top concern, with identity theft and data breaches being major worries. This is driving the increased adoption of protective measures like password managers and antivirus software.

 

5) Importance of user experience and transparency: A poor user experience and lack of transparency are major factors that erode trust. Companies need to prioritize clear, concise privacy policies and user-friendly interfaces to build trust with consumers.

 

6) Impact of regulations: Regulations like GDPR and CCPA have increased awareness of data privacy rights and influenced consumer expectations. However, there’s still a gap between the perceived importance of these rights and their actual implementation.

 

7) Growing adoption of mobile payments: The use of mobile payments is increasing, but concerns about security and overspending remain. Companies need to address these concerns to build trust in mobile payment solutions.

 

8) Rise of Data Abstinence: In recent years, users are increasingly practicing “data abstinence,” choosing to limit data sharing as a way to assert control. This trend poses challenges for businesses that rely on data for personalization and targeted advertising.

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey is an essential tool for the mobile ecosystem, letting stakeholders know where the issues lie and ensuring they have the data needed to make decisions about the future development of products and services. By understanding consumer concerns, companies operating in the mobile ecosystem can work towards allaying those fears.

“MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey serves as a critical compass, providing invaluable insights into the current state of trust in the mobile industry. With a decade of experience in examining trust dynamics, this study offers a unique longitudinal perspective, tracking trends and identifying emerging concerns. It explores a wide range of factors, including fraud prevention, data privacy, security practices, and the impact of new technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence.” said Gavin Patterson, Director of Data, MEF

Key Insights include:

  • Trust is a critical factor: It influences consumer behaviour, including app downloads, purchases, and engagement with services.

 

  • Transparency and control are paramount: Consumers demand clear information about how their data is used and want the ability to manage their data.

 

  • Security concerns remain high: Companies need to prioritize data security and proactively address consumer concerns to build trust.

 

  • The need for user-friendly solutions: Data protection tools and services need to be easy to use and understand to encourage adoption.

 

  • The importance of education: Educating consumers about data privacy and security is crucial to empower them to make informed decisions and protect themselves.

 

  • Stagnant Trust: The Global Trust Index, a measure of user confidence in personal data sharing, remains weak at 55% and has not improved since last year.

 

  • Awareness of Data use is a mixed blessing: While awareness of how personal data is used is high, it may be driven by negative news and data misuse. Increased awareness alone does not improve trust; greater confidence in control and safeguards is also necessary.

 

  • Positive perceptions have plateaued: Perceptions of ease, convenience, online confidence, and privacy have stagnated or declined, reversing a long-term upward trend.

 

  • Incremental decline in data harm is not enough: Although there has been a slight decrease in reported data harms, it hasn’t translated to improved trust. Most data harms remain more common than in previous years.

 

  • Fewer users are noticing improvements: The proportion of users who perceive improvements in data education, controls, and security has plateaued or declined.

 

  • Protective actions are no longer increasing: For the first time, there is no continued upward trend in protective actions taken by users. There’s also a lack of certainty that these actions significantly improve safety.

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey was carried out in January and February 2024. On behalf of MEF, On Device Research surveyed 9,750 smartphone users, 650 in each of 15 markets.

“Ten years is a significant milestone, one that provides an opportunity to reflect on progress and future trajectories. With the annual Consumer Trust Survey, MEF has championed the importance of consumer perception of safety and privacy in mobile for a decade,” said Dario Betti, CEO of MEF.

For more information: https://mobileecosystemforum.com/10th-annual-trust-study/

Bank of Ireland Finance Announced as Exclusive Finance Partner of All-Electric Smart Vehicles in Ireland

Bank of Ireland Finance has been announced as the exclusive finance partner of the all-electric motor franchise Smart – with two new Smart electric vehicles (EVs) now available on the Irish market.

Both new cars, the Smart#1 and Smart#3, feature a premium design fitted with advanced technology, with a range of both four-door and five-seater models available. The new Smart cars are exclusively distributed in Ireland by Motor Distributors Limited (MDL) and sold nationwide through their Smart dealer network.

Following a period of steady rather than spectacular EV sales performance over the past couple of years during market reconfiguration, interest in EVs and applications for EV financing are trending higher again with the latest Bank of Ireland figures revealing;

  • Used EV purchase applications up 125% in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023
  • New EV purchase applications up 41% in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023
  • Overall, 56% increase in EV purchase funding in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023
  • 9 out of 10 EV drivers move into another EV after their original PCP contract ends

Bank of Ireland Finance, which works with 23 motor franchises nationwide to provide low-rate APR offers for EVs, is the largest provider of wholesale finance for both battery electric and plug-in hybrid EV purchases. The EV market continues to evolve as the number of owners with range anxiety falls due to improved charging infrastructure, and awareness levels surrounding EV choice and value rise as motorists become more environmentally conscious.

John Feeney, Head of Property, Project and Asset-backed Finance, Bank of Ireland said: “It’s an exciting time for Smart to introduce these two new models to the Irish market, and Bank of Ireland Finance has an extensive range of flexible finance options available to customers looking to purchase a Smart car.”

 “The switch to EVs is an important part of Ireland’s overall green transition, and with more than €11 billion in sustainable lending already extended, and a target to reach €30 billion by the end of the decade, our focus is on helping consumers and businesses on their green journey. We look forward to supporting customers in making a plug-in or hybrid EV purchase as the market develops further and the sustainable motoring transition gathers speed.” 

Dell Technologies Introduces Multicloud Data Protection and AI Advances to Counter Increasing Cyberattacks

Dell Technologies is expanding its data protection portfolio of appliances, software and as-a-Service offerings to help customers strengthen cyber resiliency in the face of increasing cyber attacks.

With advances across the Dell Data Protection portfolio, Dell is helping customers build a modern and resilient foundation to protect data on-premises, in public clouds and at the edge. These innovations help address concerns raised in the 2024 Dell Global Data Protection Index (GDPI) survey, which revealed that 75% of organizations believe their existing data protection measures are unable to cope with ransomware threats. Nearly 70% lacked confidence that they could reliably recover from a cyberattack.

“With the exponential growth of data, generative AI (GenAI) presents organizations with opportunities to streamline processes, improve decision-making and drive innovation, but it also extends the attack surface for cyberattacks – especially with trained models, which are quickly becoming one of the most valuable assets for enterprises,” said Arthur Lewis, president, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. “With this expanding digital landscape that exposes more vulnerability gaps, companies are increasing their reliance on Dell to help protect their data wherever it resides with trusted data protection and AI offerings.”

New Dell PowerProtect Appliances Increase Security, Performance and Efficiency

Dell’s new Dell PowerProtect Data Domain DD9410 and DD9910 systems designed for large enterprises to offer increased:

  • Performance for traditional and modern workloads, providing customers with up to 38% faster backups, and up to 44% faster restores
  • Security and cyber resilience for customer data
  • Efficiency, with up to 11% less power consumed  and industry-leading 65x deduplication
  • Scalability with up to 1.5 PBs of usable capacity in a single appliance

“With increasing cyber threats putting organizations on constant high alert, the demand for trusted high performance data protection systems has never been greater,” said Phil Goodwin, research vice president, IDC. “Dell’s portfolio of data protection solutions supports numerous data protection best practices to help organizations modernize their data protection environment. With major performance enhancements in backup and restore, we expect the latest PowerProtect Data Domain appliances to remain a key element of critical data protection and cyber recovery infrastructure.”

“We have been relying on PowerProtect Data Domain appliances to keep our data secure for over a decade and a half now,” said Rich Jackson, data protection architect, State of Michigan. “We have no doubts that the latest generation of appliances will continue to increase protection performance and the security of our data.”

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain systems are also at the center of a broad partner ecosystem, helping leading data protection software vendors grow their business while strengthening resiliency for their customers.

“Dell and Commvault have a shared belief that a strong foundation for resilience is absolutely required in the face of AI-driven cyber threats,” said Sanjay Mirchandani, president and CEO, Commvault. “Together, we are delivering industry-leading cybersecurity, performance, and efficiency to our joint customers. With a deep API integration between the Commvault Cloud platform and Dell’s latest PowerProtect Data Domain appliances, we can leverage the full strength of our combined cyber resilience, data security and rapid recovery capabilities to empower organizations to effectively mitigate risks and ensure uninterrupted business continuity.”

Increasing Productivity and Efficiency with Integrated GenAI Assistant

With the introduction of Dell APEX Backup Services AI, an integrated GenAI assistant for backup and recovery, customers can streamline protection processes. Dell APEX Backup Services AI helps address the growing demand for GenAI data protection, as evidenced by 52% of GDPI survey respondents who believe GenAI will provide an advantage to their organization’s cyber security posture.

Dell APEX Backup Services AI capabilities help users:

  • Request real-time custom reports, ask follow-up questions to refine report variables and act on AI-powered suggestions to remediate backup failures
  • Understand and improve their backup and security postures with assisted troubleshooting with simple written prompts, analyze logs, and troubleshoot errors
  • Use intelligent responses with recommendations and best practices customized to their specific environments
  • Simplify administrative operations, from creating new backup policies to triggering new backups of specific workloads

 Powerful Backup and Recovery with Storage Direct Protection Innovation

Storage Direct Protection in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager offers native integration with Dell PowerMax enterprise storage for fast, efficient and more secure backup and recovery to and from Dell PowerProtect Data Domain.

Storage Direct Protection in PowerProtect Data Manager for PowerMax delivers:

  • Fast backup and recovery of multiple storage arrays with up to 46TB/hr for a single backup and up to 21TB/hr for a single recovery
  • Efficient data protection of Dell PowerMax with full restore to original or alternate PowerMax system
  • Secure data integrity and optional cyber vault integration
  • Simple operations with centralized management and orchestration
  • Multicloud support for PowerProtect Data Domain replication and cloud tiering

Availability

  • Dell PowerProtect Data Domain DD9410 and the DD9910 systems are available globally
  • Dell APEX Backup Services AI is available globally
  • Storage Direct Protection for Dell PowerMax will be available globally in the third quarter of 2024

Irish businesses continue to face challenges in complying with the General Data Protection Regulation

Irish businesses continue to face challenges in complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), six years on from its introduction, according to new research. The findings were presented by Forvis Mazars and McCann FitzGerald LLP in their latest joint survey, “GDPR and Digital Legislation: A Survey of the Impact and Effect on Organisations in Ireland”.

The research, which was conducted by Ipsos B&A, found that just 15% of businesses consider their organisation to be ‘fully compliant’ with the legislation, which is billed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world. A further 58% of respondents indicated their organisation was ‘materially compliant’, and 25% say their organisation was ‘somewhat compliant’. In order to achieve their compliance targets, half of the businesses surveyed believe they need more resourcing, financial investments or further expertise in this space.

The research also found that 82% of respondents believe the risks associated with GDPR non-compliance are increasing, with respondents citing ‘reputational risk’ as the most important factor in determining an organisation’s data protection risk appetite, followed by ‘fear of fines’. Eight in 10 (81%) of the businesses surveyed say they intend to improve their compliance status.

This is the eighth edition of the Forvis Mazars and McCann FitzGerald LLP annual survey on the impact of GDPR on organisations in Ireland. As well as examining the latest perceptions among Irish businesses regarding GDPR compliance, the report also assesses awareness and readiness for a wave of new legislative developments from the European Union in response to rapid technological changes.

Findings show that 60% of those surveyed are concerned about the impact of new digital legislation on their organisation, which includes DORA (the Digital Operational Resilience Act), the AI Act, the Data Act, the Data Governance Act, the Digital Services Act, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2) and the Cyber Resilience Act. There is also a high degree of uncertainty regarding the new legislation with many respondents being unsure of their applicability to their business, which suggests further education and awareness is required within organisations.

Key Findings:

  • 82% of respondents agree that the risks associated with GDPR non-compliance are increasing, up from 70% in last year’s survey.
  • 81% of respondents intend on improving their compliance status.
  • 59% of respondents are concerned about the prospect of being fined for GDPR non-compliance, compared to 58% in last year’s survey.
  • 47% of respondents agree that working to comply with GDPR has delivered many benefits for their organisation, up from 34% last year.
  • Over half of the respondents (52%) say that the CEO of their organisation is strongly engaged in GDPR compliance and data privacy, compared to 50% in 2023.
  • Six out of 10 respondents are concerned about upcoming digital legislation.
  • 63% of respondents indicated that the AI Act will apply to their organisation.

Liam McKenna, Partner in Consulting Services at Forvis Mazars, said: “This survey underscores the essential need for organisations to remain up to date with both current and forthcoming regulations in the digital space. Irish businesses must diligently maintain their compliance initiatives, particularly amid the significant financial and reputational risks at stake.

“Although GDPR regulations were implemented in 2018, that only 15% of Irish companies are fully compliant is a concern for Irish business, particularly in light of further digital legislation coming down the tracks including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), AI Act, Data Act, and Digital Services Act, among others. Irish companies therefore need to urgently focus on GDPR adherence, while actively gearing up for new legislative requirements.”

Paul Lavery, Partner at McCann FitzGerald LLP, added: “The effectiveness of the GDPR as one of the toughest data privacy laws in the word is perhaps evidenced by the fact that organisations are still actively working on improving their compliance six years on. It is much more than a tick the box exercise and staying on the right side of these complex requirements will require ongoing attention and focus by Irish organisations.

“The good news is that this experience will serve businesses well as they prepare for new legislation coming down the track from the European Union. Legislating for rapidly changing technologies such as AI is no easy task, and we can expect regulations around data, AI, cyber resilience, information security and digital services to continue to evolve in the coming years.”

The report was launched this morning by Forvis Mazars and McCann FitzGerald LLP, joined by Graham Doyle, Deputy Commissioner, Data Protection Commission, at the offices of McCann FitzGerald LLP. It can be read in full here.

Bumble tackles AI-generated photos and videos by adding a new option to report fake profiles

AI-generated images are becoming a growing part of our online interactions. Evolving from photo modification trends such as the use of filters or FaceTune, the surge in the use of realistic, digitally created images naturally creates concerns around authenticity, especially when people dating are looking to meet someone new.

In fact, a recent Bumble survey found that 71% of Gen-Z and Millennial respondents felt there should be limits to using AI-generated profile pictures and bios on dating apps.

That’s why Bumble has now introduced a new option under the ‘Fake Profiles” reporting menu that enables people to report profiles they come across that may be using AI-generated photos and videos, helping them assess the authenticity of profiles and connections to support a safer experience for everyone.

This feature is the latest addition from Bumble to best help people find healthy and meaningful connections. Earlier this year, Bumble also rolled out Deception Detector, an AI tool that helps identify spam, scam, and fake profiles. Within the first two months, Bumble saw member reports of spam, scam, and fake profiles reduced by 45%.

“An essential part of creating a space to build meaningful connections is removing any element that is misleading or dangerous. We are committed to continually improving our technology to ensure that Bumble is a safe and trusted dating environment. By introducing this new reporting option, we can better understand how bad actors and fake profiles are using AI disingenuously so our community feels confident in making connections.”Risa Stein, VP of Product at Bumble

Trinity College Dublin Launches €1.3M ‘Twilight’ Project: Revolutionising Optical Networks with Digital Twins

Trinity College Dublin announces the launch of the €1.3 million ‘Twilight’ project, aiming to revolutionise optical networks with cutting-edge digital twin technology, enabling rapid and disruption-free advancements.

Minister for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has recently announced 28 funding awards valued at €34 million to support research across seven Higher Education Institutions.

One of the awarded projects is Twilight: Twin Lightpaths, A Digital Twin Framework For Full Automation Of Disaggregated Optical Networks. Marco Ruffini, Professor at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Principal Investigator in the CONNECT Centre, and lead author of the project proposal, emphasises the project’s transformative potential:

“Optical networks are the lifeblood of the internet. They must evolve to support the ever-increasing usage of the internet and digital innovations like Smart Cities and Virtual/Augmented Reality. Twilight’s digital twin project will ensure safe, rapid advancements without network disruption.

We are grateful to Minister O’Donovan for supporting this important initiative. I would also like to thank our colleagues from HEAnet and GÉANT who supported us and are going to be collaborating with us on this project.”

HEAnet, Ireland’s National Education and Research Network, manages a national optical network of over 2,500 km, which is a central part of Ireland’s national research infrastructure. HEAnet has collaborated with the SFI Connect Centre over many years, providing connectivity services and research demonstrations on the HEAnet production network. .

In 2022, HEAnet connected directly to Prof. Ruffini’s Open Ireland test network at Trinity College Dublin. This has provided Prof. Ruffini’s group with access to the production HEAnet optical network while also enabling HEAnet to gain valuable insights into the characteristics of the HEAnet production network. HEAnet connects to the GÉANT pan-European research and education network in both Dublin and Cork. The Twilight project will provide optical connectivity from the Open Ireland test bed to the GÉANT optical network via the HEAnet network for the first time.  

Eoin Kenny, Innovation and R&D Manager at HEAnet, highlights the project’s efficiency: 

“Planning network changes has always been challenging. Twilight’s digital twin will streamline this process, save time and help HEAnet to optimise our network resources.

We are very pleased with the work carried out on the OpenIreland research infrastructure and look forward to continuing this close collaboration.”

HEAnet is a member of GÉANT, the collaboration of European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), who interconnects Europe’s NRENs with the high bandwidth, high speed and highly resilient pan-European backbone, together connecting Europe’s researchers, academics and students to each other, and linking them to over half the countries in the world.

Guy Roberts, Senior Transport Network Architect at GÉANT also expressed enthusiasm for the Twilight project: 

“The future for anyone working with optical networks looks bright with all the new technologies on our side. We are continually dealing with the issues of dynamic provisioning of optical paths. Despite making extensive use of optical equipment vendors’ planning tools, we have discovered anomalous situations that can lead to some level of service disruption.

GÉANT will work with TCD and HEAnet to provide measurements to train the digital twin algorithms, help with any fine-tuning and carry out experiments on the use cases we have jointly defined.”

To learn more about the Twilight project or to get involved, contact marco.ruffini@tcd.ie. 

EHS International Launches New Dublin Offices Following Major Investment

EHS International, a leading Irish environmental, health, and safety (EHS) company founded by Chris Mee, has announced the official opening of its new offices in Ballymount, Dublin. This expansion is part of a significant investment nationally by EHS International, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing EHS standards across Ireland and beyond. Since leaving his previous company, Chris Mee has invested €5 million in the setting up of his new enterprise.
The newly renovated 10,000 square-foot facility at IFC House, 23 Ballymount Road Upper, Kilnamanagh, Co Dublin, is a comprehensive training centre with collaborative spaces. EHS International offers a wide range of services from this location, including specialised EHS training, consultancy, and occupational health services. There is also ample car parking on site.
Leading the Dublin team is Robert Butler, recently appointed as the Dublin Director for Operations & Training. With 12 dedicated professionals operating out of the Dublin office and a team of over 100 employees spanning Ireland and the UK, EHS International is poised to reinforce its position as the fastest-growing provider of integrated EHS solutions, having launched in October 2023.
The opening of the Dublin office marks a significant milestone in EHS International’s journey to becoming a global leader in EHS services. Speaking on the launch, Chris Mee, CEO of EHS International, said: “Our new Dublin headquarters represents a crucial step in our expansion strategy, allowing us to better serve our clients in the Dublin and Leinster area.”
Robert Butler, Dublin Director for Operations & Training added: “This new office is a testament to our growth and our dedication to providing unparalleled EHS services including Safety and Fire specialised training and EHS consultancy. We look forward to working more closely with our Dublin and Leinster clients from this new state of the art centre of excellence.”
Leveraging over three decades of expertise, the company offers a comprehensive suite of services, including EHS consultancy, Fire & EHS Services, training, occupational health & recruitment, solutions to businesses on a national and international scale. For more information about EHS International and its services, visit ehsinternational.com.

Jabra’s research reveals how audio volume affects performance and office vibe

9 in 10 (92%) UK workers say getting work done, being able to focus on work, and maintaining good mental health are equally important. But according to Jabra’s latest research, the role that audio plays on cognitive, emotional and physical wellbeing in the workplace cannot be undersold. Nearly three quarters (71%) of UK respondents say working in a loud environment makes them mentally tired, and that clear and high-quality sound enhances their ability to focus on tasks.  

The research was carried out amongst 2,000 knowledge workers across France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The findings revealed that improving neurodiversity in the workplace and creating an inclusive space can positively influence mental wellbeing and productivity, ultimately encouraging better mood and providing organisations with a competitive advantage.   

Office buzz or a productivity buzzkill? 

While organisations are continuing to push for employees to return to offices, half (50%) of UK respondents say they are stressed by noise at the office not allowing them to focus. 

Jabra’s research found that 47% say it was difficult for them to be productive at work when colleagues were taking calls at their desks without headphones. Meanwhile, 49% reported it was equally difficult to lead or participate in calls when colleagues are taking calls from their desks without headphones. To avoid noise and limit distractions, over half of UK workers (53%) say they are expected to take calls or online meetings away from their desks in a separate room and use professional headphones (66%).  

The findings show the impact noise has on overall productivity and performance. With 72% saying clear and high-quality sound enhances their ability to focus on tasks and projects, it is critical that leaders do all they can to provide the right technology and a conducive environment for employees returning to the office, to avoid the productivity buzzkill.  

Loud environment and its impact on mental wellbeing  

Poor audio quality has negative consequences on work and wellbeing, with 58% of UK workers saying poor quality audio during conference calls negatively impacts their wellbeing.  

The impact loud environments have on mental health and wellbeing is clear: nearly three quarters (71%) say working in a loud environment makes them mentally tired. Furthermore, six in ten respondents agree that working in a loud environment makes them physically tired (60%) and it is difficult for them to feel passionate about their work when working in such an environment (59%). 

Workers also believe higher-quality meeting audio can positively impact their interpersonal skills in the workplace through clearer communication (46%), improved collaboration (44%), and enhanced communication skills (39%).  

While noise has a negative impact on overall mental health and wellbeing, workers believe employers have a responsibility to address audio issues in a variety of ways. This ranges from providing noise-cancelling headphones as part of standard office equipment (36%) and allowing employees to work from home more frequently (39%). Over a third (34%) say their employer could also designate specific areas for different types of activities such as quiet zones or collaborative zones to ensure employees have the options available in the offices for optimal performance and mental wellbeing.  

Inclusive and neurodiversity in the workplace fuels business results 

Neurodiversity refers to the diverse number of ways a human brain processes information. It highlights there is no one-size-fits-all approach to how people approach a similar situation. The research findings show that this concept applies to the workplace too.  

Despite being a relatively new concept to UK workers, with 21% saying it was the first time they were hearing about the term “neurodiversity”, around 7 in 10 believed that neurodiversity in the workplace can improve business through increased creativity (72%) and collaboration (74%) – ultimately driving better business results (71%).  

It is clear from the research findings that audio levels have a varied effect on workers and can have a profound effect on overall health and quality of life. Improving neurodiversity in the workplace can be a way to boost work performance (61%), and employees are more empowered to “bring their whole self to work” in an inclusive workplace (60%). With a positive impact on both business and employees, nearly two thirds (64%) of UK workers agree that employers should invest more in creating an inclusive, neurodiverse workplace. Gone are the days where workplaces solely catered to a single type of employee, and an evolution is needed to ensure employers are catering to different individual needs within the workforce.  

Nigel Dunn, VP EMEA North at Jabra, said: “The way of work is constantly evolving, and with the return to the office, UK workers are struggling with the ability to focus in the workplace. Sound type, intensity and individual sensitivity play significant roles in how we function at work and have a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing, and productivity and performance. GN’s recent “Listen to This” campaign highlights the strong link between audio and our overall cognitive and mental wellbeing. UK leaders need to invest in creating an inclusive and neurodiverse workplace, combined with high-quality technology to ensure workers can bring their true and best selves to work and thrive professionally and mentally.”  

Please see here for the full report

Datapac’s technology supports horse health and wellbeing for the Irish Equine Centre

Datapac, Ireland’s leading technology solutions and services provider, is today announcing that its technology is helping to drive equine disease diagnosis and research for the Irish Equine Centre (IEC). Founded in 1983, the Kildare-based IEC is a leading scientific and diagnostic service provider dedicated to the health and wellbeing of horses.

The IEC’s existing IT infrastructure was no longer able to keep pace with the growing technology demands of the equine diagnostics field. Following a competitive tender, Datapac delivered a complete refresh of the centre’s IT ecosystem to support the rollout of a wide range of services, including laboratory diagnostics, disease surveillance, and research on equine health and biosecurity.

The solution is underpinning continued growth and success for the IEC, which has just launched the Pet Vet Lab, a new service dedicated to advancing the health of household pets. It offers a ground-breaking screening service directly to pet owners, producing a personalised probiotic which is unique to each pet.

Datapac’s fully managed solution includes a comprehensive overhaul and integration of the IEC’s networking, compute, and storage infrastructure, built on Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) hardware and software. As the leading diagnostic service provider to the Irish equine industry, infrastructure uptime and resilience is vital for the IEC. The technology provides robust cloud data backup and recovery, with the ability to restore data in minutes in the event of an incident.

Advanced de-duplication vastly reduces the size of data storage, with up to 90% data capacity savings, and has significantly reduced cloud hosting costs for the centre. It also ensures speedy access to applications and data, boosting productivity for the IEC’s 69 employees.

Meanwhile, in an ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, Datapac’s Managed Threat Ops service provides round-the-clock monitoring, response, and neutralisation of cybersecurity threats. The IEC also serves as a teaching centre for third-level veterinary students and Microsoft Office 365 software with individual accounts and storage space provides a seamless user experience.

In addition, Datapac has enhanced connectivity across the IEC campus, implementing a wireless network solution and upgrade to next-generation Wi-Fi 6. The consolidation of technologies coupled with support from Datapac engineers for day-to-day technical queries has reduced the burden on in-house IT resources, freeing up time to focus on driving innovation for the centre.

Michael Mahady, IT Manager, Irish Equine Centre, said: “We had worked with Datapac in the past, and knew that its skilled team was best placed to deliver on our key objectives as technologies continue to advance. The flexibility and high level of data protection provided by the HPE Simplivity platform is of the utmost importance, as secure backup and business continuity is crucial to enable us to continue to roll out our services and resources. Furthermore, Datapac’s solution provides the benefits of a smaller storage footprint while retaining the operational horsepower of a much larger system to support the early detection and management of diseases. Reliable access to Datapac’s experts is invaluable and gives us the peace of mind to focus on delivering value-adding projects for the centre.”

Colin Chapman, Business Relationship Manager, Datapac, said: “The Irish Equine Centre does such important work to promote horse health in Ireland, and our technology infrastructure overhaul is providing the proactive support and increased capabilities to continue to advance these vital services. Our solution has future proofed the IEC’s IT systems which will help the centre to grow and innovate in line with evolving industry demands. We are looking forward to building on our relationship with the centre as it continues to develop its cutting-edge resources.”