Category: Business

Which country is the best for software development outsourcing?

The market for software development is growing progressively. The total expenditure on IT services across the world reached 1.2 Trillion dollars by the year 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic has put a positive impact on the software development market. Reports present an increase of 9.8% in the IT market in the pandemic years. An outrageous competition is noticed among most of the developed countries in outsourcing software development. There are many factors like skill, competency, offshore software development rates and salary of software developers which determine the choice of the country for outsourcing software development. Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica and India are the top noticeable countries in software development outsourcing. 

 

  • Ukraine

 

In accordance with the current reports, Ukraine is in the top position for offshore software development. 

Number of programmers

Ukraine holds 172,000 professional software developers with more than 750 software companies. It has more than 200,000 programmers. 

Salary 

The software developer salaries range from $800 to $6000. The offshore software development rate in Ukraine is approximately 11 Dollars per hour.  

Benefits 

  • Ukraine offers offshore recruitment services on a regular basis which attracts job seekers all around the world. 
  • Communication with software developers can be fluent as they have an advanced command of English. 
  • The mentality of Ukraine software developers is an added advantage. 
  • It has a convenient time zone. 
  • It beholds high competition in the IT sector. 

Education

23,000 engineers graduate annually in Ukraine. The popular technical languages are JavaScript, Python and Java. 

Level of English 

According to research, 85% of Ukraine software developers have an advanced grip in English mostly intermediate & upper intermediate. 

 

  • Poland

Poland is an important member of the top software outsourcing countries list. 

Number of programmers

Currently, it holds 295,300 software developers. 

Salary 

The average software developer’s salary ranges from $700 to $7000. The hourly rate for software development ranges from $13 to $ 32. 

Benefits 

  • Poland is considered to be one of the best countries which use PHP, TypeScript, C# and Swift which is why it is considered to have great technical skills. 
  • It has the University of Warsaw which is one of the best to study software development. It holds the 206th rank in the world’s best universities. 
  • It serves as a great technical hub.
  • Poland is considered to be an excellent region for a start-up business. 

Education

65,000 engineers graduate annually in Poland. It has a strong educational background. Polish software developers can also speak other languages like German and French. 

Level of English 

According to reports, more than 31% of the Polish software developers have a strong grip on advanced English with 53% having upper- intermediate and intermediate. 

 

  • Kazakhstan 

It is another important country for outsourcing software development.

Number of programmers

It holds more than 160,000 programmers. 

Salary 

The average software development salaries range from $800 to $ 6000. The average offshore software development rate is $6,30 per hour. 

Benefits 

  • It majorly focuses on IT out staffing and outsourcing.
  • It offers excellent opportunities to software developers. 

Education

Kazakhstan has more than 160,000 software developers. The common technical languages are Java, PHP, HTML and Python. 

Level of English 

They have a satisfactory command of English. According to reports, Kazakhstan holds a low position in English proficiency. It ranked 92nd among 100 countries on the English proficiency index. 

 

  • India 

Number of programmers

There are currently 5.8 million programmers in India. 

Salary 

The hourly rate of a software developer salary is $ 6,46. 

Benefits 

  • Low cost in software development. 
  • It follows all trending technology and provides high-end infrastructure. 
  • A huge number of software developers are present in India. 

Education

India has a huge number of programming specialists. 35% of Indians have a strong grip on Python. The level of education is a bit lower in India. 

Level of English 

Most software developers have a satisfactory grip on the English language. 

 

  • Costa Rica

Number of programmers

There are currently 22,701 software developers in Costa Rica. 

Salary 

The average salary of software developers in Costa Rica ranges from 33,079 Dollars to 46,215 Dollars. 

Benefits 

  • It offers highly advanced infrastructure. 
  • It has a fast growing talent pool of software developers. 
  • It boasts high rates of retention. 

Education

Costa Rica takes second place in Latin America by programming skills. 

Level of English 

Software developers in Costa Rica have good fluency in English.

 

International and European SEO: What You Need to Know

Mastering your own home country’s SEO is one thing, but to have an international SEO presence, you’ll need an entirely new strategy. It’s not enough to simply translate all your content into a different language – to have your website properly positioned in other languages, you’ll need new keywords and phrases, as well as a good understanding of foreign cultures.

If you’re trying to expand your business to the EU, here’s what you should know about European SEO practices and you could also check out SeoProfy.com.

What is International SEO, and how does it work?

Local SEO services focus on beating your domestic competition in Google searches – but it is not an indicator of how visible your website is on an international level. International SEO aims to create a strong brand presence on the Internet, gathering organic traffic from multiple countries.

European SEO, as the name suggests, aims to conquer SERP positions in major European countries. Google and other search engines match search results to the user’s geographical location and system language – a user from France might see a whole different set of search results than a user from the UK, even though they might be searching the exact same term.

By using SEO and quality content effectively, you can conquer more than one target region at a time – but how?

Differences in SEO across the European Union

Language is definitely the main difference between local SEO and European SEO. Your home country’s language won’t be enough, since if you want to reach foreign markets, you’ll also need alternative language versions of each page and article. However, you should NEVER directly translate your existing content!

Each country and region has its own SEO peculiarities. Different keywords and phrases are popular, and some which might have been powerful in your local SEO might end up absolutely useless for European SEO. When transforming content from English to other European languages, a lot of research is required to pinpoint effective phrases, in addition to a great knowledge of both the source and target language.

Conquer the EU market with a European SEO strategy

For online businesses, European SEO can be a powerful strategy for growing your online presence. More visits from foreign markets means a stronger international market presence and a wider customer base, leading to more conversions. With high-quality, engaging content written in a variety of languages by native speakers, you can not only increase your visibility, but also build brand identity in new markets.

European SEO is multilingual. No matter which markets you want to target, you’ll need a copywriter for each of them. With a European SEO agency like SmartWeb Group, you can have your articles and blog posts written for you by a professional native copywriter and published on high-authority websites that will be valuable assets in your link building strategy. If you want to conquer the European market, always go with reliable and trusted SEO and copywriting agencies.

 

Here’s How Edge Computing Helps Businesses Thrive

One of our clients said it best when they told us, “Each signal matters.” This client used this phrase to describe the importance and the function of edge computing in a health monitoring edge computing application we helped them construct to support their operations in caring for the elderly. In bypassing the cloud and processing data from wearable devices at the edge, local devices can respond immediately to any change in vital signs and immediately make a call to alert the relevant care professionals. Each signal matters and no signal gets missed.

Unlike cloud computing, edge computing technology handles the data where it is generated. Rather than centralizing in the cloud, it is decentralized. This decentralization allows much less latency and rapid responses to new events. This is why edge computing is particularly appealing to Industries with significant risks, such as healthcare, mining, and extractive industries. If you can’t always count on a stable connection to the cloud, or if you can’t wait for your data to make a round trip into the cloud and back, then edge computing is a perfect solution.

Read on for just some of the benefits that IoT and edge computing can unlock for your business:

  • Monitoring, insights, and intelligent decision-making can all take place in real-time
  • Lightning-fast response to malfunctions, customer requests, or accidents
  • Lower spending for cloud computing and web traffic servicing

Now, we’ll look at several edge computing real-life examples from several industries.

Retail

Traditional retailers can stay relevant and compete against online newcomers by using edge computing to improve their customers’ experience. However, this doesn’t mean that a brick-and-mortar retailer needs to buy and install numerous connected devices in their store instead of a carefully curated stock display. In the world of conventional, real-world retail, real estate is the biggest limiting factor, and space is money. For these reasons, modern iot development services and edge computing solutions combine multiple functions into a single device.

The California-based IT company, Cohesity, prides itself on its data management solutions. It counts a range of high-profile global companies among its clients, with some retailers among them. Cohesity’s devices replace multiple alternative pieces of hardware, enabling retailers to reduce space utilization and free up more room for displaying the products they aim to sell. The data management solution runs on a Point of Sale (PoS) machine with relatively modest computing power and electricity demands. This solution integrates scanner data and weighing equipment data with surveillance footage from the checkout area to improve returns and reduce losses.

Mining

Mining continues to be one of the world’s most hazardous jobs, where inadequate controls or bad data can lead to extremely serious incidents. But setting up Wi-Fi and digital connectivity in underground tunnels and shafts is difficult and expensive. These dangerous and logistically difficult environments mean that cloud solutions simply aren’t the best choice. At the same time, the industry continues to view safe working conditions as a critical goal to work toward, and this goal just isn’t reachable without continued process automation. In many of these remote and hazardous environments, efforts toward automation necessarily imply that devices must collect and process data at the edge and not in the cloud.

Bolodine is a giant among global mining companies. Bolodine recently partnered with Ericsson to digitalize Aitik, a Swedish underground mine. Bolodine’s objective was to begin by automating the most dangerous processes, such as drilling blast holes. Starting by automating the most dangerous processes promised to rapidly and significantly improve safety in a “low-hanging fruit” situation.

Bolodine retrofitted sensors and cameras onto drilling rigs to achieve this objective to facilitate remote control. Edge computing applications now enable these machines to continue their work remotely and autonomously, keeping human workers out of harm’s way.

When it becomes necessary for an operator to modify a work process, they can make the required changes without going into harm’s way, often without even being on site. Edge computing takes human workers out of the physical loop while still keeping them connected through data and controls.

Healthcare

We’ve already briefly mentioned one example of edge computing applications in caring for seniors, but the market for edge computing within healthcare goes far beyond this. In 2021, the American Hospital Association conducted a survey of bedside devices which yielded a staggering total of close to 14 million such devices already deployed. Collecting medical data safely and reliably from all of these wearables and medical sensors is no mean feat. And making effective use of this growing mountain of data while complying with evolving expectations and rules on data security can be even more complicated. Fortunately, edge computing offers an optimal solution for real-time analysis of continuous data flows, even when these take the shape of large files. Plus, it’s a perfect solution for a post-COVID world of virtual visits to the doctor and increasingly sophisticated consumer wearables. Edge computing and IoT allow clinicians to receive accurate and appropriate alerts outside hospital walls and exam rooms.

We’ve got another excellent use case from Barcelona, Spain. In a connected ambulance, onboard medical devices collect and analyze patients’ biometric data and then compare it with their Electronic Health Records (EHR). This data and insights let paramedics determine the best treatment with minimal consideration before reaching the hospital. Personnel within the emergency room also receive alerts about the best preparation for the patient’s care needs.

Construction

Construction companies spend millions of dollars annually on various pieces of capital equipment. However, no matter how much you spend, things can still go wrong, and unnoticed wear and tear can lead to unexpected breakdowns. Because of the size and expense of these pieces of equipment, a single failure can lead to justified panic, extended downtime, and significant cost increases or even overruns.

All these factors help explain why so many construction businesses find predictive maintenance solutions so irresistible and why edge computing is such a critical part of successful implementation in so many cases. These technologies continuously monitor valuable assets, such as mission-critical capital equipment, and then use this data to detect signs of unexpected wear and tear and predict equipment failures. This allows companies to be proactive in their maintenance and to schedule repairs before the failures become catastrophic. This precautionary approach to the health of mission-critical construction equipment helps to extend these valuable assets’ life and dramatically reduce equipment repair costs.

The industrial giant General Electric (GE) is one of the largest and oldest US industrial names. Among its other fields, GE is active in energy production, manufacturing engines, steam turbines, gas turbines, generators, and high-voltage equipment. However, a major problem within its production cycle was equipment health. Due to insufficient controls and data, General Electric couldn’t detect issues in a timely fashion. The result: manufacturing yields fell, and expenses increased in the form of multi-million-dollar scrap costs.

Everything changed when General Electric empowered its winding machines with IoT and edge computing technologies. Now, the deployed edge computing equipment analyzes raw sensor data to rapidly and proactively identify failing machinery. This proactive, efficient, and distributed approach protects the entire manufacturing floor from unnecessary disruptions and production delays. 

To Sum Up

Every business wants the best data. Every business wishes it could act and respond to problems in real-time, even when telecommunications equipment is unstable or offline. However, most businesses now rely on cloud-based autonomous systems to perform the analysis and quick decision-making these objectives demand. Can you afford the bandwidth for such significant data throughputs from systems continuously sending raw data over your network? Even more, is this the most efficient way to address this problem, and can this approach remain compatible with evolving rules and expectations on data privacy and security?

Edge computing addresses all these concerns by using real-time data cost-effectively, without transporting it offsite or into the cloud. In edge computing, you can bypass the cloud and do the data processing locally, sometimes on the same device that harvests a piece of data. This approach saves you time and money, helps reduce the risk and compliance cost from possible data breaches, and lets your business move forward with autonomous, lightning-fast, insight-driving autonomous actions. Schedule a consultation with one of our experts today to see how IoT and edge computing can help your business.

How iGaming Can Boost the Irish Economy

Across the world, gambling is driving revenue, providing jobs and taxes to governments and states. In addition, many companies in the industry give donations to social causes and sponsorship money to smaller organisations. So how could a booming gambling sector benefit the Irish economy?

Related Projects

Part of the industry growth has been down to the booming iGaming industry. This is the sector placed online, through casino games and sports betting. Yet it is not only the websites that provide revenue. As the industry grows, third parties’ businesses and start-ups grow with them.

For example, a quick look at Betfair’s casino online roulette page sheds some light on how many different skills go into keeping the industry afloat. Not only can you see the development work that went into those games, but you can also see which third parties work on auditing them. The Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority and others all play huge roles in the industry, bringing jobs and revenue with them.

When added to the gambling review sites, marketing agencies and start-ups that go alongside it, a sprawling web of related companies evolves. Not only does this bring increased taxes, but many of these companies put money into social causes or sponsorship.

Creation of Jobs

 

All these companies need people to operate them. On the surface, they need high-quality developers and programmers to keep them running. One benefit is that not only does iGaming provide jobs for local talent, but it can also attract the best employees internationally. Bringing them to Ireland is the key to a healthy jobs market. 

In other ways, the sponsorship opportunities for gambling also provide extra income, both to local workers and social groups. Many gambling companies are sponsors of lower league sports teams. This gives them a vital source of revenue and helps keep them afloat. 

Physical casinos should also not be overlooked. When they attach to hotels and restaurants, they boost the hospitality industry. Even when patrons do not choose to use these, a night at the casino is usually accompanied by a meal and drinks elsewhere. This can provide welcome revenue to struggling city centres. 

This can also bring tourists to the area. Even if towns are not the mecca Las Vegas might be, a quality casino in an entertainment complex can attract visitors from quite far away. In some places, such as Macau City, the gambling industry is the biggest employer, providing jobs for thousands of citizens and bringing in tourists. 

Tax

The final product of increased jobs and tourism is tax. All countries and states can employ a levy on gambling. This can be very lucrative. Currently, many US states are in a gold rush of sorts with iGaming and online sports betting more popular than ever with revenues in some states nearly doubling in the last couple of years. It is estimated in the US that gambling companies give $40 billion to the US treasury every year.

However, the US is not the only place this happens. Closer to home, Great Britain makes a huge amount every year from its gambling revenues. While Ireland is already benefiting, with the right support, the gambling industry could seriously benefit the country.

Registration in the UK for Sole Traders: key Tips

Starting a business at any level is incredibly tough, and that includes those who begin as smaller sole traders. At this level, it is easier for the proprietor to handle all business matters, but this changes with the speed of the operations’ growth. And at all levels, there needs to be a record of all things, financial or otherwise.

Elements such as paying taxes and filing assessment returns have to be taken on, and this includes sole trader registration. The two main institutions when it comes to registering companies and businesses of all sorts are Companies House and HMRC. The former deals only with operations that have multiple investors and the latter deals mainly with sole trader registration, according to Hoxtonmix. This body will not only allow sole traders to be recognized as legitimate operations, but also keep tabs on all their records. Before deciding to venture into the vast world of UK business alone, you would do well to understand every facet you may encounter.

Sole traders: choosing the right type

There are many ways in which aspiring entrepreneurs can choose to run their businesses. Two opposing extremes come to mind: having investors or going at it alone. Those who use the latter path are referred to as sole traders. The other style of business is limited companies. Compared to limited companies, sole traders get a few benefits and drawbacks:

Benefits

When you do business alone, you enjoy the following benefits:

  • Easier to get off the ground — registering a limited company is notoriously difficult due to the many forms needing to be filled; all that you need is a working idea and a registration at the HMRC, which is easier to do.
  • Finances are easier to track — as a sole trader, you need to submit relatively little information to the governing body as a record of your company’s progress (as such, your accountant cannot charge obscene amounts for their services).
  • All facets of the operation are kept private — because of the registration body involved, there is no obligation to reveal your information to the public; this allows you to keep the financial state of your business hidden from competitors.
  • Easier to transform — based on whatever direction the enterprise chooses to take as it goes forward, it is easier for sole traders to bring in more investors; this is not the case with limited companies, where transformation is almost non-existent.
  • Profits are not shared — this is the main factor that attracts people to this route. A lack of investing members means that all the profits will go to the owner.

Drawbacks 

Ironically, these also have to do with the fact that sole traders operate alone. As such, they lack the resources and protection that are provided by having additional people seated at the table:

  • Potential customers are hard to win over — sole traders may offer products or services of great quality, but the public will always favor more accomplished or established entities; this particularly affects those in industries that deal with necessities such as food, medicine, and tech.
  • Tax issues could arise — the amount of money you can take home from the profits is significantly larger in organizations that employ dividends; sole traders on the other hand do not, and this is due to the tax upside their limited counterparts receive.
  • A possible lack of longevity — because they are essentially run by one person, any harm that befalls the said proprietor could mean that the business will come to a standstill; to compound this problem, there is no given limited time to recover before resuming operations and this could severely handicap the business.
  • Future liabilities — because they fund and reap the rewards solo, sole traders also fall responsible for all losses faced; the same applies to all legal and tax issues, which could lead to financial ruin.

 

Because of the potential for large-scale issues, the typical entrepreneur of this sort will not partake in large-scale operations. The type of business they usually go for is smaller in scale, with a limited number of things that could go wrong.

The registration process

Registration as a sole trader is a fairly easy process, mainly because you are dealing with the HMRC. You can also do research and find extra useful information that corresponds to your business needs and requirements. This process is as follows:

  • It begins with reaching out to the governing body and informing them of your business style;
  • From this point, a form will be given to you and later the filled-out documents are sent back to the organization;
  • They will review it and send you a code made up of 10 numbers (this code will not only be your tax reference, but a way to access your online account).

Final thoughts

With the registration under the HMRC, you can begin to perform certain duties, such as paying your taxes and following laws concerning sole traders. This registration will only work with transparency, so it is important to reveal all financial aspects of your operation to the governing body.

Outside of this, all sole traders need to ensure as much risk prevention as possible before continuing with their project and growing it. Such measures include relatively simple decisions such as having an accountant sort your affairs and keeping your private and business accounts separate. In case things truly escalate, it is important to have insurance against such potential issues. All this is done to help grow the company smoothly into possibly becoming a limited company.

45% of Irish consumers expect to spend more money during the World Cup 2022

45% of Irish consumers expect to spend more money during the World Cup 2022, as revealed in new consumer research of 250 Irish respondents aged 18+ conducted by Talon Ireland and Bounce Insights.

Ireland is a nation of football enthusiasts, with football being the second most-watched sport. Despite not competing in the tournament, Talon Ireland expects to see increased engagement and movement from this audience profile.

The consumer behaviour study identifies two viewing opportunities – In home viewership and Out-of-Home viewership. 50% of respondents will be watching the matches at home. 27% planning to watch the matches in the pub and 11% of those surveyed are unsure of their plans yet, only knowing that they will be watching with friends – providing an opportunity to connect.

Out-of-Home Viewership: Targeting Opportunities

Data from Talon Ireland and Bounce Insights shows that Irish consumers are planning to walk (34%), drive (22%), taxi (17%), bus or DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) (17%) to watch the game, this highlights huge opportunities for Out-of-home (OOH) advertising. With most matches kicking off around the afternoon time, there is further opportunity for brands to capitalise on dynamic digital Out-of-Home (OOH) as brands can build up excitement and hype in the morning and target consumers who are out and about before the games begin.

In-Home Viewership: Targeting Opportunities

Irish fans plan on spending more on food and drink to elevate their In-home experiences. This year, given the tournament timing, there are likely to be more spontaneous gatherings than normal, all accompanied by food and drink. According to the data, snacks (66%) and beer (54%) are the items at the top of everyone’s list, creating a huge revenue opportunity for brands in this sector. Not to mention pizza (46%), crisps (45%), wine (22%), Chinese (18%), spirits (16%) and Indian (5%).

Although reports state that Irish consumers plan on cutting spending due to Inflation concerns, this new data reveals that the impact of the World Cup on consumer spending is still massive, especially given that this year’s tournament aligns with Christmas. 45% of respondents have admitted that they will be spending more money during the World Cup, with 47% unsure of the amount they will be spending and only a small minority (9%) saying they will be spending less.

Aoife Hudson, Deputy Managing Director at Talon Ireland, said: “With the world’s most anticipated sporting event of 2022 kicking off in November this year, and the final game set to take place just a week before Christmas, the advertising sector is gearing itself up for a very busy Q4. Without a doubt brands and advertisers need to put their best creative foot forward and tackle this quarter head-on. And Out-of-Home advertising (OOH) is the ultimate creative canvas for brands to capitalise on consumer interest for this once in four-year opportunity.”

With anticipation building, now is a critical time for brands to start planning their Out-of-Home (OOH) campaigns and gain that competitive advantage against their competitors. Talon Ireland has highlighted a few tips for advertisers to remember when planning World Cup campaigns:

  1. Preliminary planning. The timing of the FIFA World Cup tournament is a first for many. It begins on the 21st of November right through to the 18th of December which brings us right up to Christmas week. Traditionally it is the busiest time of year for advertising, however, this year even more so, putting strain on inventory availability.
  2. Be creative. Creativity is one of the most powerful weapons under a marketer’s control. There are countless studies to prove that creative Out-of-Home campaigns increase effectiveness. In this digital era, if your creative is compelling enough, people will do the amplification for you.
  3. Multi-environment approach. Growing investment, acceleration in digital and increased innovation means Out-of-Home formats can help your brand capture the full attention of the consumer through a multi-environment approach. Our research gave us insight into where spectators will be watching these games. Your campaign can be built into each environment they visit, from the moment they leave their house right through to their final destination.

LEGO opens its first store in Ireland on Grafton street.

After months of anticipation, the LEGO Group opened the doors to the first ever LEGO Store in Ireland. Located in the heart of Dublin at 41 Grafton Street, the LEGO Store is already delighting fans, both young and old, with an exciting collection of sets and experiences.

LEGO-lovers from far and wide gathered at the opening, excited to see the new features and the uniquely Irish themes displayed throughout the store. Customers were immersed in the LEGO magic with Irish dancers, a LEGO mascot, extravagant displays and branded theatre turning the top of Grafton Street into Ireland’s very own LEGO-land. Sadly I am away on hols at the moment but the first thing I will be doing is taking a visit when I return and perhaps add some more to my car collection.

Visitors to the new store will be treated to the new ‘Retailtainment’ concept which blends physical and digital experiences that allow shoppers to immerse themselves in the famous LEGO brick, as well as create personalised products. This includes:

  • Minifigure Factory: The LEGO Minifigure Factory allows visitors to design and create a unique LEGO Minifigure – the perfect souvenir from your visit or gift for someone else.
  • LEGO Pick a Brick Wall: The Pick a Brick Wall is a great way for fans to select the exact elements that they require for their builds.
  • Store Associates: Whether visitors are picking out a gift, looking for the latest set or bringing your LEGO fan in for a special treat, Brick Specialists can help find a set that’s the perfect fit.
  • Hands-on Play opportunities, including free build challenges and events each month.
  • Build a Minifigure Tower mix and match from a wide selection of bottoms, tops, heads, hair pieces and accessories to customize minifigures.
  • Exclusive LEGO models: Look out for eye-catching 3D LEGO models throughout the store inspired by the city of Dublin and Irish culture

 

Natali Stojovic, Senior Vice President, LEGO Retail, The LEGO Group, said, “We are elated to see so many loyal fans come out for the first ever Irish LEGO Store and are happily opening our doors to give them the full LEGO experience and a weekend they will never forget.

“It’s fantastic to see guests interact with the latest in-store experiences and the new Retailtainment concept. The Dublin store will allow builders of all ages to be inspired by endless play possibilities and for new builders to welcome them into a new exciting journey of discovery into the LEGO universe.”

The brand-new LEGO store is offering the full range of exciting new products only available direct from LEGO stores and shop.lego.com including the likes of LEGO Icons Atari 2600 and LEGO Icons Lion Knights’ Castle.

SilverCloud Health reach 1 million users worldwide

SilverCloud Health, the world’s leading digital mental health platform announced today that it has provided behavioral and mental health services to more than one million users globally to date. In addition to reaching this milestone, the evidence-based digital mental health platform has also achieved a 93% satisfaction rate from more than 20,000,000 user hours spent on the platform and has supported more than 500 organizations across the globe with various mental and behavioral health initiatives.

“The positive impact of SilverCloud for these one million active users is immense, and that impact is also felt by these one million active users’ families, workplaces, and communities.”

“This major milestone also demonstrates the incredible role truly effective digital mental health care platforms play in removing traditional barriers that prevent people from accessing mental health services, such as clinician availability, lack of transportation, life demands and stigma concerns,” said Ken Cahill, CEO of SilverCloud Health.

“The demand for mental health services is now greater than ever; this milestone is just the beginning for us and reflects our passion and vision to democratize mental health care for all. We look forward to offering even more scalable and accessible solutions that provide care for patients in need and improve outcomes while ultimately driving healthcare costs down.”

 

With nearly two decades of clinical research on effective digital delivery of mental and behavioral health interventions, SilverCloud Health provides an easy-to-use, measurable and modern platform to improve access and outcomes for patients in need. With up to 80% of users reporting decreased depression and anxiety symptoms and using SilverCloud Health, members can receive self-guided and coach-supported care, with the ability to be seamlessly referred into virtual therapy and psychiatry as needed. SilverCloud Health services a variety of key segments including health systems, health plans, employers and higher education for mental health needs including chronic health, wellbeing and substance abuse.

SilverCloud Health was acquired by Amwell in 2021, and, later that year announced a partnership with the HSE to pilot their digital therapy solutions in Ireland. SilverCloud Health has more than 30 online mental health programmes available in Ireland which are aimed at covering a range of mental health issues from wellness, resilience and severe mental health. These are backed by more than 17 years of research and including partnerships with academic institutions.

SilverCloud was founded in 2012 with a mission to break down barriers to mental health treatment and improve outcomes. The company spun out of the Technology Enhanced Therapy (TET) project, a three-year joint translational research project undertaken jointly by the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), Trinity College Dublin and Parents Plus, Mater University Hospital in Ireland. You’ve likely heard it a lot – SilverCloud is an evidence-based company – but were truly born from research and the extreme need for an effective and clinically validated digital product.

To learn more about SilverCloud Health, please visit www.silvercloudhealth.com

Hydrogen development must be ramped up in line with EU policy

One of the country’s leading hydrogen experts says now is the time to realise the wide-ranging benefits offered by the versatile carbon free gas.

Speaking at the launch of the inaugural Hydrogen Ireland Conference today, Gas Networks Ireland Hydrogen Programme Manager, Dr Andrea Ahern, said current events affecting Ireland’s climate and economy mean now is the time to act.

“Hydrogen can reduce carbon emissions across a number of key sectors while also enhancing Ireland’s energy security and diversity,” Dr Ahern said.

“Ireland’s national gas network is one of the safest and most modern renewables-ready gas networks in the world. It’s a ready-made decarbonisation solution that can be leveraged to accommodate biomethane made from farm and food waste and hydrogen produced from offshore wind.”

Hydrogen can be made from renewable electricity through a process known as electrolysis and stored until needed, making it an attractive option to decarbonise the Irish energy system.

It is also a strong example of how greater integration between Ireland’s gas and electricity networks can support a low carbon economy.

With Ireland’s significant onshore and offshore wind resources, the potential for Irish made green hydrogen is very high.

“We can enable national decarbonisation at size and scale by connecting indigenously produced hydrogen with customers and markets across the island of Ireland, but we must act now in line with national and EU policy,” Dr Ahern said.

Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, will be the keynote speaker at the Hydrogen Ireland Conference which will take place at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin, on November 22 and 23.

The event is being launched just days after the government announced 2GW of hydrogen production from offshore wind and launched of an eight-week public consultation period as part of the process of developing a National Hydrogen Strategy.

Hydrogen Ireland is an all-island organisation which works to promote the role of hydrogen and fuel cells as key components of a future low carbon economy.

Chairperson Paul McCormack said he is looking forward to seeing the Government’s vision.

“Given the heat extremes seen just this month, the rising cost of living and the pressures on supply because of international factors and our reliance on imports, it has never been more important to realise and maximise the potential offered by hydrogen,” Mr McCormac said.

For more details on the conference, check out www.h2irl.com.