Tag: #IT

One in Three Irish Households Experience Cybercrime

Kyndryl the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, today published new research highlighting escalating threats from cyberattacks and scams to Irish households. The findings offer an in-depth perspective on cybersecurity readiness, habits and vulnerabilities among individuals in Ireland, highlighting a lack of basic cybersecurity precautions and awareness, which include:

  • One in five (20%) respondents reported directly experiencing a cyberattack or online fraud in the past year.
  • An additional 15% reported attacks within their household. In total, more than one in three (36%) Irish households have experienced cybercrime over the last 12 months.
  • Almost half (48%) of respondents reuse the same password across multiple sites.
  • More than a quarter (26%) acknowledge using public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities like banking and online shopping, exposing themselves to attacks.

“While businesses are grappling with the complexities of maintaining future-ready IT infrastructure, as highlighted in our recent Kyndryl Readiness Report, the same principles apply to consumers: effective cybersecurity starts with people,” said Chris Davis, Managing Director, Kyndryl Ireland. “Cybersecurity readiness isn’t just about having the latest tools – it’s about fostering awareness and proactive behaviours among individuals. Increasing public awareness and education is crucial to help individuals protect themselves in an ever-evolving digital environment. At Kyndryl, we believe that a collaborative effort involving government, businesses, and educational institutions is essential to fostering a more secure digital society, and we’re committed to supporting that mission.”

The new research was conducted by 3Gem Research and Insights and builds on findings of organizational readiness that Kyndryl recently published in its inaugural Readiness Report.

Cyber threat concerns are pervasive

Cybersecurity worries are widespread, with 73% of respondents most concerned about personal devices being hacked, such as smartphones and laptops. The second biggest concern is online scams (68%), followed by identity theft (58%). Nearly half (48%) fear sensitive information being leaked through data breaches, while 28% express anxiety over ransomware attacks.

Young adults most at risk of cyber fraud

Almost one in five (21%) individuals experienced a cyberattack or online fraud attempt in the last year, with an additional 15% reporting that a household member had been targeted.

Young adults, particularly those aged 25-34, appear to be the most vulnerable, with 29% having been directly targeted by cybercriminals. This figure drops to 19% for those aged 45-54, and just 11% for individuals aged 65 and above.

Poor password practices still prevalent
Password reuse remains a major security risk, with 48% of respondents stating they use the same password across multiple accounts – a habit that significantly increases vulnerability to cyberattacks. This risky behaviour is most prevalent among 18-24 year-olds (57%), compared to 36% of those aged 65+.

Alarmingly, 41% of respondents say they rely on memory to store their passwords, making it less likely they use strong, complex alphanumeric combinations. Reliance on memory increases with age, from 37% of 18-24 year-olds to 50% of 55-64 year-olds.

Only 24% of respondents use a password manager, considered one of the safest ways to store and generate strong passwords. Meanwhile, 17% write their passwords on paper, 12% rely on browser auto-fill, and 4% admit to using the same password for all accounts.

Risky online behaviour still common
Risky online practices remain widespread, with 26% of respondents admitting to using public Wi-Fi for online banking or shopping – leaving them exposed to potential attacks. This behaviour is particularly prevalent among younger age groups, with 41% of 18-24 year olds and 35% of 25-34 year olds engaging in this high-risk activity.

Additionally, 18% of respondents opt out of using Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), a highly effective method for securing online accounts. Among younger respondents, the figure rises to 23% of 18-24 year olds and 24% of 35-44 year olds.

Consumers have little tolerance for data breaches

Consumers expect high standards of data protection from service providers. If a breach occurred, 74% of respondents said they would be likely to stop using a financial service, such as a bank or insurance provider, while 75% would do the same for social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

Slightly more lenient attitudes were noted for other services: 70% would be likely to stop using a retailer, 69% an email provider, and 64% a gaming service following a breach.

Public is divided on responsibility for cybersecurity education

When asked who should take the lead in educating the public about cybersecurity, 35% of respondents believed that this was the responsibility of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the body formally responsible for Ireland’s cybersecurity. Schools were the second-most popular choice, with 19% believing they should bear primary responsibility.

Meanwhile, only 12% of respondents feel employers should play a leading role, and just 7% believe universities should be primarily responsible for cybersecurity education.

92% of Developers Report AI Agents Will Help Advance Their Career

More than 9 in 10 developers are excited about AI’s impact on their careers, and an overwhelming 96% expect it to change the developer experience for the better. Salesforce’s latest State of IT survey of software development leaders‌ also reveals that 86% believe AI agents will become as essential to app development as traditional software tools.

The large global study of more than 2,000 software development leaders, including 50 from Ireland, highlights near unanimous excitement about agentic AI. Developers are not only looking to agents to unlock greater efficiency and productivity, but 92% believe agentic AI will help them advance in their careers. Some developers, however, believe that they, as well as their organisations, need more training and resources to build and deploy a digital workforce of AI agents.

Why it matters: Developers have often been painted as wary of AI, but new research reveals developers are enthusiastic about the industry’s shift to AI agents. The arrival of agentic AI provides developers with the opportunity to focus less on tasks like writing code and debugging and grow into more strategic, high-impact work. And with developers increasingly using agents powered by low-code/no-code tools, development is becoming faster, easier, and more efficient than ever — regardless of developers’ coding abilities.

Salesforce perspective: “AI agents are revolutionising the way developers work, making software development faster, more efficient, and more enjoyable. This powerful digital workforce streamlines development by assisting with writing, reviewing, and optimising code — unlocking new levels of productivity. By automating tedious tasks like data cleaning, integration, and basic testing, AI agents free developers to shift their focus from manual coding to high-value problem-solving, architecture, and strategic decision-making.” – Alice Steinglass, EVP & GM, Platform, Integration and Automation

 

By the numbers:

Developers are enthusiastic about agentic AI and its impact on their career

Respondents are excited for agents to take on simple, repetitive tasks, freeing them up to focus on high-impact projects that contribute to larger business goals.

  • 96% of developers are enthusiastic about AI agents’ impact on the developer experience.
  • Developers are most eager to use AI agents for debugging and error resolution, then for generating test cases and building repetitive code.

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  • The arrival of agentic AI comes at a time where 92% of developers are looking to measure their productivity based on impact over output.
  • With the help of AI agents, developers believe they’ll focus more on high-impact projects like AI oversight and architecting complex systems.

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Low-code/no-code tools help developers unlock greater productivity, regardless of coding skills

With agents powered by low-code/no-code tools, developers of all levels can now build and deploy agents. Respondents believe these tools will help democratise and scale AI development for the better.

80% of developers using agentic AI currently use low-code/no-code tools.
78% of developers say that low-code/no-code tools can help democratise AI development.
90% of developers say that the use of low-code/no-code app development tools can help scale AI development.

The customer view: Secret Escapes offers discounted luxury travel hotels and luxury across the globe and is using Agentforce to deliver more efficient customer support to unique and last-minute requests from its travellers. With Salesforce’s low-code Agent Builder tools, the Secret Escapes developer team was able to build, test, and launch their AI agent in just two weeks, compared to the six months it had previously taken the company to build and train a bot.

Developers are eager for more resources to build AI agents

Developers say updated infrastructure and more testing capabilities and skilling opportunities are critical as they transition to building and deploying AI agents.

  • Infrastructure Needs: Many developers (84%) believe their organisation needs to update their infrastructure to build/deploy AI agents.
    • 42% of developers say their data quality and accuracy isn’t sufficient for the successful development and implementation of agentic AI.
  • Testing Capabilities: Nearly half (46%) of developers say their testing processes aren’t fully prepared to build and deploy AI agents.
  • Skills and Knowledge: Almost 7 in 10 (68%) developers believe AI knowledge will soon be a baseline skill for their profession, but over half (54%) don’t feel their skillsets are fully prepared for the agentic era.
    • Survey respondents identified training on technical AI skills and redefining current roles as the most important areas for employers to provide support.

 Go deeper:

Data is sourced from a software development leader segment of a double-anonymous survey of IT decision-makers conducted from December 24, 2024 through February 3, 2025. Respondents represent Australia, Belgium, Brazil. Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Additional data was collected among nearly 250 frontline developers, in partnership with YouGov, in the United States from February 14 through February 21, 2025.

New edge amplifier takes production applications to the next level by enabling seamless IT/OT interoperability

HBK, a global leader in test and measurement solutions, has announced the launch of digiBOX, a next-generation, multi-channel edge-amplifier, tailored to meet the demands of industrial process control and weighing applications.

With the advent of Industry 4.0, the need for measurement solutions that can process complex data streams in real time – while ensuring precision, reliability and connectivity – has never been greater.

HBK’s Edge Amplifier, digiBOX combines precision, advanced connectivity, industrial-grade durability and modular flexibility, setting a new standard for optimising industrial and weighing processes. It’s specifically designed to suit a range of industrial, manufacturing and weighing applications.

The digiBOX allows for close-proximity placement to sensors and offers real time processing of measurement data. It’s seamless IT/OT integration enables advanced interoperability between information technology and operational technology systems.

The edge-amplifier’s modular design is available in 2- or 4-channel configurations, supporting a wide range of sensors (strain gauges, load cells and piezoelectric sensors). It’s user-friendly interface provides intuitive setup, monitoring, and remote management.

digiBOX’s hardware has IP67-rated housing in order to withstand harsh conditions such as dust, moisture and vibrations.

The flexible and robust amplifier is available in two domain-specific firmware choices, tailored to meet   specific industrial and weighing application needs: the first is digiBOX Industrial, which has been engineered to handle the requirements of modern industrial production such as press-load monitoring, joining-processes and assembly lines. This versatile amplifier ensures precise measurements, seamless data integration and reliable performance for force-based assembly, quality control or process optimisation.

The second option is digiBOX Weighing: specifically designed to meet the critical demands of weighing applications, offering unparalleled accuracy, seamless integration and robust performance. digiBOX Weighing ensures consistent results, minimises errors and maintains operational efficiency across applications including checkweighing systems, high-precision industrial scales and automated filling processes.

HBK’s Product Manager for Smart Sensors, Martin Schütz said: “The digiBOX edge-amplifier is not just a new amplifier generation. It is an innovative solution that uniquely combines IT/OT connectivity on a single device, which allows customers to build and realise actual Industry 4.0 applications. Now it is possible to extract the measurement data, in parallel to the amplifier being connected to the machines PLC.

Using protocols like MQTT and openDAQ customers can integrate the digiBOX into cloud applications, perform DAQ analysis and transmit relevant process data into productivity software. These capabilities are now possible for piezoelectric and strain-gauge based sensors in industrial and weighing applications.”
Learn more about digiBOX on HBK’s website: https://www.hbkworld.com/en/Campaign/industrial-production-control-4-0-and-weighing-processes

Qualcom to grow revenues to €18M by end of 2027

Qualcom, a leading Irish provider of IT and cybersecurity services, today announces that it expects to grow its revenues from €13.5 million to €18 million in the next three years. This represents approximately 10% year-on-year growth for the business by the end of 2027.

Within this timeframe, the company will increase its employee numbers by 20% across its information security, professional services, and support desk teams. Qualcom currently has a team of 70 people across its locations in Dublin and Belfast.

As well as organic growth of the business and team, the IT and cybersecurity services provider is open to accelerating this growth through acquisitions. Target companies would be similar to Qualcom in terms of services and culture.

Over the next three years, Qualcom expects to see the biggest growth in cybersecurity services, managed IT services, compliance, and round-the-clock IT support. This demand is being driven by the changing cyber risk landscape, advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and expanding attack surfaces.

Qualcom is also seeing heightened demand from customers for support around standards such as ISO 20007, as businesses increasingly look to secure their supply chains in response to growing cyber threats. To meet this need, the team is rolling out a number of new cybersecurity and managed services.

As a result of this expanded offering, Qualcom forecasts that it will also grow its customer base by more than 25% by 2027. This will include organisations spanning a broad range of industries and across the island of Ireland, with a particular focus on the retail sector in Northern Ireland.

This expected growth follows on from the company recently achieving a Microsoft designation in Azure Infrastructure. In fact, it was just one of a select number of Microsoft partners in Ireland to receive this designation, which adds to its existing Microsoft Modern Work SME and Enterprise designations.

Ken Ryan, Managing Director, Qualcom: “We live and work in an increasingly connected world, so the demand for comprehensive managed IT and cybersecurity capabilities will only increase in the years to come. That’s not to mention the pressure on organisations to be compliant with changing legislation and regulations.

“To meet these evolving needs, we are scaling our operations. As well as expanding the team and adding to our portfolio, we are keeping an eye out for possible acquisitions. This ambitious growth plan will further strengthen the support we provide – enabling us to deliver ultra-secure services that give customers peace of mind and drive innovation, not just today but for the future.”

Ireland’s IT managers prepare for increased AI and cloud investment in 2025

A new survey from Red Hat shows the planned increase in investment for two key areas next year: cloud and AI. Polling 300 IT managers in Ireland from large businesses, the research sheds light on their strategic priorities and main challenges in adopting transformative technologies.

Cloud and AI investment on the rise

93% of IT managers surveyed say their organisation plans to increase investment in cloud technology by 2025, with a majority of them (43%) planning growth by 5-20%; 38% planning growth by 21-50%, while 10% plan an increase of 51% or more. 

While organisations hope to leverage cloud strategy for growth, it may also help them combat tightening purse strings. In fact, the top priority for cloud strategy for the next 18 months is cost optimisation, cited by 71% of respondents. Other priorities include cloud-native application development and DevOps (67%); security, compliance and sovereignty regulatory requirements (67%); and moving to hybrid / multi cloud, reducing dependence on a single provider (67%). 

Investment in AI is set to increase over the next year for 95% of organisations, according to respondents, with a majority (42%) planning an increase in the range of 5-20% and 33% planning a 21-50% increase, while 19% plan an increase of 51% or more. 

When it comes to selecting solutions for predictive and generative AI, all IT managers surveyed see benefits in adopting enterprise open source. They see the top advantage being enhanced agility in hybrid cloud environments (31%), followed by improved ecosystem collaboration and integration (30%).

Cloud innovation is a focus, yet siloed teams slow adoption

To prime their organisation for development amidst a competitive landscape, over a third (37%) of IT managers in Ireland are planning for a strong focus on innovation and new technologies in 2025. Meanwhile roughly a third (31%) will take a balanced approach, focusing equally on new technologies and enhancements to existing systems. 18% are focused on essential services only.

Regarding challenges when adopting cloud, 96% of respondents said they face siloed teams, with half (51%) saying this is a frequent issue. The most common impacts this has on cloud strategy are increased costs, limited control and visibility over cloud resources, operational inefficiencies and difficulty in implementing new technologies. 

Addressing AI readiness and challenges 

When asked about their ability to take advantage of the growing AI opportunity, 42% of IT managers surveyed state that their organisation has scalable, flexible and accessible IT platforms to support AI use and feel well positioned to benefit from them. This compares to 23% that have the necessary platforms but lack the right skills sets to fully harness AI’s potential. Meanwhile 34% still need new platforms.

As enterprises increasingly explore generative AI to solve existing problems or seize new opportunities, the survey looked to identify factors that determine trust in an enterprise model for generative AI. Multiple factors were shown to be important, in the 80-85% range, including: transparent, modifiable models with explainable sources; cost-effectiveness; domain-specific models (as opposed to generic LLMs); and compliance with data privacy and security standards. 

While organisations are keen to invest in AI for growth, there are some obstacles preventing CTOs or equivalent decision makers from advancing generative AI initiatives. The top listed challenges were integration with existing systems (30%); concerns about data privacy and security (27%); high costs of implementation and maintenance (23%) and sustainability concerns (23%).


Ireland’s tech talent pipeline

Respondents highlighted skills gaps in key areas like AI and cloud. However, there was less strength of agreement compared to respondents in other countries in another recent Red Hat survey, which could suggest that respondents in Ireland see greater progress in filling the tech talent pipeline. 

The top named skills gap from respondents in Ireland was not in technology itself, but in strategic thinking and ability to tackle business-level issues, cited by 44%. This compares to the top skills gap in the UK which was AI, cited by a majority of 88% respondents in the aforementioned survey. The next three top listed skills gap among respondents in Ireland were found to be cybersecurity (42%), AI (41%) and cloud computing (39%). 

Robbie Byrne, Country manager, Ireland at Red Hat, describes the balancing-act faced by IT leaders today. 

“The survey results reflect the challenging dynamics we are seeing with our customers: a keen focus on innovation as they look to drive their digital transformation to the next level, while also needing to optimise costs,” he commented. “Contemporary technologies such as automation, AI and cloud-native applications can bring efficiencies, but there are also headwinds such as internal silos, skills gaps and in some cases a lack of access to the right IT platforms.” 

Byrne described how Red Hat is supporting enterprises with their modernisation efforts: “we believe that having greater choice, flexibility and independence at a platform level is going to be crucial for businesses looking to harness AI’s potential and navigate unknown disruption ahead. We see enterprise open source playing a more important role than ever as organisations seek agility in a hybrid world.” 

Mitsubishi Electric Acquires Irish Air-conditioning Company, Crystal Air Holdings Limited, to Strengthen EU Data Centre Offering

Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V. today announces it has concluded an agreement with Irish air-conditioning installation and maintenance company, Crystal Air Holdings Limited, to acquire all of the shares in the company.

Crystal Air’s sector expertise paired with its installation and maintenance capabilities will boost Mitsubishi Electric’s strategic business offering and ensure the company is well positioned to respond to increased demand in IT cooling and data centre solutions across Europe.

The acquisition of Crystal Air follows Mitsubishi Electric’s establishment of MEHITS (Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A.), that specialises in applied air-conditioning solutions for comfort, process, and IT cooling.

Shinji Kurita CEO and President MEU explains: “Through the establishment of MEHITS, and now with the acquisition of Crystal Air, we have created a strong platform to meet the growing demand in the data centre sector. By integrating our traditional HVAC products with advanced applied solutions and a comprehensive service and maintenance capability, we have significantly enhanced our offering to drive business growth and strengthen our presence in the data centre market.”

Masami Kusano, Living Environment Systems Business Unit President says: “The European market is a key strategic region for Mitsubishi Electric, as the number of new data centres continues to rise, driven by a surge in data transmission volumes. This growth is underpinned by the increasing number of network-connected devices, the expanding adoption of high-resolution video streaming, generative AI technologies, and advancements in IoT. As the demand for IT cooling increases, data centre operators are increasingly seeking end-to-end solutions, encompassing not only the installation and commissioning of air-conditioning systems but also ongoing operation and maintenance services.”

Ciaran Moody, Branch President Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V. Irish branch says: “We in Ireland take immense pride in our Business Solutions Partners, and we are particularly proud of Crystal Air’s success in delivering their exceptional expertise to the European market, especially their proven excellence in the data centre sector. This acquisition aligns seamlessly with our pan-European strategy to offer a comprehensive suite of services, including product supply, installation, and maintenance. We believe our strategy is fully aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of data centre owners and operators.

Domnick Ward, President of Crystal Air explains: “Combining Mitsubishi Electric’s manufacturing and product expertise with our specialised knowledge positions us uniquely in the market. This partnership enables us to capitalise on growth opportunities and further strengthen our presence in the European data centre sector.”The acquisition will take place on December 18th 2024 subject to approval by the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Groundbreaking health IT project wins top honours at NI’s leading IT awards

The winners of the 2024 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards, in partnership with Telefónica Tech UK & Ireland, were announced on Friday evening at a prestigious ceremony held at the MAC Theatre in Belfast. Hosted by comedian Andrew Ryan, the event celebrated excellence in the Northern Ireland IT sector, with awards presented across 19 categories.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust was a standout winner, taking home three major awards. The trust was recognised for its successful implementation of Encompass, a digital health records system for citizens in Northern Ireland. The project earned the title of Best Public Sector or Third Sector IT Project, as well as one of the biggest awards of the night, the Overall IT Team or Company of the Year Award.

Noel Brady, founder of consultancy firm NB1 Ltd, was honoured with the most prestigious award of the night, Outstanding Contribution Award, as the company celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Mr Brady, a respected figure in the IT sector in Northern Ireland, has spent his career advising companies on public sector tendering, sales and marketing, and holding leadership roles in both private and public sector organizations.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition,” said Mr Brady. “As a Belfast man, I am totally committed to growing the economy and creating employment opportunities for the next generation of talent in our city.”

Other notable winners included Allstate, Expleo, Options Technology, Mantle Services, and Covernet, among others. The 2024 awards saw a record number of entries, with a panel of esteemed judges from Northern Ireland’s IT industry, chaired by Peter Russell, Managing Director of PR Business Growth Services, narrowing down the finalists. 

Mark Gorton, CEO at Telefónica Tech UK&I, said: “Telefónica Tech were incredibly honoured to once again sponsor the Belfast Telegraph IT Awards. These awards highlight the outstanding talent, innovation and dedication driving the ever-evolving tech sector forward in Northern Ireland. It was incredible to join together with other leaders in the IT industry in Northern Ireland on the night. I want to send a congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees on their achievements.”

Peter Russell, chair of the judging panel said: “It was an honour to chair the judging panel for the 2024 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in partnership with Telefónica Tech. Selecting this year’s winners was no easy task, especially as we had so many worthy and compelling entries. Thanks must go to my fellow judges who gave up their time and expertise so willingly and made the whole process a very enjoyable one. Congratulations to all of the deserving winners and thanks to everyone who made these awards a success.”

The full list of winners and finalists for the Belfast Telegraph IT Awards 2024 can be found on the event’s official website.

Data loss and ransomware attacks among top cloud cybersecurity risks

A new survey from leading Irish IT managed services provider Auxilion reveals that data loss/theft and ransomware/malware attacks were the cybersecurity concerns most cited by IT leaders when it comes to the cloud – at 30% respectively.

The research, carried out by Censuswide and involving IT decision-makers across large enterprises in the Republic of Ireland, found that 40% of respondents see IT security risks as a main concern associated with adopting and managing cloud computing.

A similar proportion (42%) said that the changing cybersecurity landscape was one of the biggest obstacles to the successful delivery of their IT strategy. Moreover, one in four (26%) IT leaders in Ireland do not think current laws and regulations are sufficient to protect privacy, access, and confidentiality in a cloud-based environment.

Adding to this, almost a quarter (24%) of IT decision-makers surveyed who are currently using the cloud do not think their own organisation has sufficient capabilities to manage cloud computing and more than a third of those respondents admitted to having little or no visibility of their workloads in the cloud (36%).

Despite this, some 83% consider cloud to be a more secure approach for their organisation. It appears that IT leaders are being proactive in this area with 83% also having a cloud security strategy in place and 73% currently using a technology partner to manage their cloud strategy and services.

The study also found that the shift to cloud is set to continue with nearly all respondents (96%) expecting to migrate more workloads, applications, and processes to the cloud over the next 12 months.

On October 9th, Auxilion, HPE and Zerto will be holding an event hosted by broadcaster Ivan Yates to discuss the increased need for robust data protection, cloud security, and business continuity capabilities.

Donal Sullivan, CTO, Auxilion, said: “While the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, organisations are facing an even bigger uphill battle at the moment with the rise of threats enabled by Artificial Intelligence and the introduction of the European-wide NIS2 regulation in October.

“This means businesses not only need to be more proactive when it comes to securing their data and responding to incidents, they also need to ensure that they are meeting their compliance and regulatory obligations. This requires the right technologies and partners that can support security, mobility and scalability.

“The truth is that in this day and age, resilience and recovery are as important as detection and prevention when it comes to cybersecurity. Businesses which fail to recognise this and adapt their strategy could be at risk operationally, reputationally and financially.”

Chris Rogers, Senior Technology Evangelist, Zerto, said: “Rapid recovery from a cyber incident is more than a reactive measure – it’s a critical component of a resilient and forward-thinking business strategy. The ability to swiftly bounce back from disruptions not only minimises downtime but also safeguards reputation, customer trust, and bottom line.

“The real competitive edge lies in turning these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation, and partnering with experts to unlock advanced cyber resilience capabilities can significantly accelerate an organization’s journey to cyber maturity.”

TCS to Fashion New Partner Landscape for Primark to Transform and Grow its Operations

(TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has extended its partnership with Primark, a leading international fashion retailer across 17 countries in Europe and the US. Over the next five years, TCS will help transform Primark’s technology operations to support the retailer’s ambitious plans for global growth.

TCS has been working with Primark since 2016, establishing itself as a trusted partner to the retailer. As well as driving business-critical integration programmes and stabilising core platforms for the retailer, TCS has also improved cybersecurity capabilities, improving stability and reliability of processes and systems.

As part of this expanded partnership, TCS will help transform Primark’s technology operating environment to make it more resilient, reliable, and efficient. By supporting Primark’s transformation journey, TCS will help reduce time-to-market for the retailer, aligning with its strategies for future growth. TCS will help Primark adopt a more agile and product-based operating model by enabling automation through intelligent automation and DevOps technologies. This new operating model will integrate and optimise application development, testing and maintenance processes.

Andrew Brothers, Chief Information Officer, Primark, said, “To help support our ambitious growth plans we’re expanding our partnership with TCS to build a robust, resilient, and reliable IT operating environment to become a more efficient, technology-led global organization with the agility to quickly adapt to changing demands and requirements in a fast-paced industry. Working with TCS will provide us with the ongoing operational stability and accountability needed to support our business to scale. This will allow us to respond to market trends and customer preferences in a timely manner, ensuring that we continue to deliver quality products at the best value for our customers.”

Primark’s new operating model will also be aligned to business functions and driven by their priorities, providing Primark with a comprehensive, real-time view of its technology, business systems and processes to enhance overall performance and enable the agile ecosystem required to support the organisation’s rapid growth plans.

Shekar Krishnan, Vice President & Head of Retail – UK and Europe, TCS, said, “The fashion industry is continually modernising its entire value chain—from conceptualisation, to design, to production and retailing – with innovation-led initiatives to achieve environmental, social, and governance goals. We’re thrilled to support Primark’s mission to offer affordable fashion for everyone and its global vision for growth.” 

TCS works with 200 of the region’s best-known and most-loved businesses, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Sainsbury’s, Nationwide, M&S, Asda and Boots. With its deep industry expertise and an employee strength of 23,000 people in the UK and Ireland, TCS holds a leadership position in software and IT services in the UK and Ireland market. Operating in Ireland since 2001, TCS services over 28 global and local clients from its Dublin headquarters and Global Delivery Centre based in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.