SIRO and Ivertec have announced rollout 10 Gigabit broadband service in Killarney

Fibre broadband network operator, SIRO, and Kerry and Munster broadband retailer, Ivertec, have announced the rollout of a 10 Gigabit broadband service in Killarney. SIRO’s first 10 Gigabit connection in the region.

The service is designed to enhance Ivertec’s existing fibre broadband offering to its significant business customer base.  The 10 Gigabit service allows Ivertec to offer Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) services and improved capacity to local businesses, particularly those in the hospitality and retail sectors, where the need for fast and reliable connectivity is essential.

Critically, the circuit also serves as a resilient backup route for Ivertec’s national network.  This means that if an issue occurs on the network, there is a back-up connection in place to ensure that end user businesses do not experience disruption.

The foundation underpinning Ivertec expanded offering to Kerry and Munster businesses is SIRO’s 100% fibre network, delivering symmetrical speeds. The latter means that businesses can enjoy the same level of upload and downloads speeds, which can be essential for business-critical operations such as video conferencing or uploading data to the Cloud.

10 Gigabit fibre broadband will not only allow Ivertec to meet the needs of its customers today but will also ensure that they can seamlessly continue to provide greater bandwidth and speeds to local businesses, as the latter’s data demands grow into the future.

 Aoife O’Reilly, SIRO’s Head of Enterprise, commented:
“SIRO’s is pleased to partner with Ivertec on 10 Gigabit fibre broadband for its Kerry and Munster customers. The partnership supports growing demand from businesses for dependable, high-speed and future proofed connectivity. It reflects our shared focus on strengthening digital infrastructure in regional areas.”

Gerard O’Sullivan, Ivertec CEO, said:

“We’re delighted to enhance fibre connectivity in Killarney with the launch of a new 10Gb circuit from SIRO. This circuit provides a fully diverse fibre path into our network in the region, complementing our existing backhaul connection between Kerry and Dublin. In the event of any disruption to our primary fibre route, the SIRO circuit ensures uninterrupted service for our customers in the area. This additional layer of resilience is vital for delivering high-availability internet and VoIP services—particularly for the many local businesses that depend on Ivertec for reliable connectivity every day.”

Winners Announced for the 2024 Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards

The Great Southern Hotel was abuzz with excitement and celebration tonight as the winners of the prestigious 2024 Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards were announced. The awards recognised outstanding achievements across the tech sector in the South West of Ireland, shining a spotlight on the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders driving growth and innovation in the region.

This year’s winners represented the leadership and dynamism of the tech community, ranging from pioneering start-ups to established enterprises. The awards ceremony brought together business leaders, policymakers, and academic luminaries to celebrate the achievements of this vibrant sector.

Speaking at the event, Gerry Murphy, Chairperson of Tech Industry Alliance, said:
“Tonight, we celebrate the visionaries and changemakers shaping the future of the tech industry in the South West of Ireland. These awards are not just about recognising success; they’re about inspiring the entire community to push boundaries, innovate, and make a lasting impact. Congratulations to all our winners and finalists—you are the driving force behind our region’s tech excellence.”

Sean Ryan, Board Member of Tech Industry Alliance, added:
“The calibre of entries this year was nothing short of exceptional, highlighting the remarkable talent and innovation that exists within our region. Each of our winners embodies the spirit of collaboration and ambition that defines the South West tech ecosystem. We’re incredibly proud to support their journey and look forward to seeing their continued success.”

The 2024 Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards Winners:

  • Tech Person of the Year Award: The McCarthy Family, Fexco
  • Tech Start Up of the Year Award: Stingray Labs
  • Scale Up of the Year Award: Green Rebel
  • Environmental Sustainability Award: Astellas Pharma Ireland
  • Multinational of the YearAward: ENERCON
  • Tech Industry Alliance Skillnet Best Learning Workplace Winner: Aspen Grove
  • Smart Technology Innovation Award: BioAtlantis
  • Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact Award: NetApp
  • Chairperson’s Award: Tír na nÓg Children’s Foundation 
  • Excellence in Education Award: Coláiste Gleann Lí

 

The Tech Industry Alliance extends its gratitude to all sponsors, partners, and attendees who made this event a resounding success. Special thanks to the judging panels and to all those who joined in celebrating the achievements of the tech community.

For more information about the winners or to learn more about Tech Industry Alliance initiatives, see below or visit www.techindustryalliance.ie

 

Winner Smart Technology Innovation Award: BioAtlantis

BioAtlantis is a world leader in stress mitigation technologies. Extensive research and collaboration with leading research institutes worldwide has enabled the company to develop the AgriPrime Range. AgriPrime products nourish crops form soil to harvest, helping them cope with various stress and growth limiting factors, allowing them to reach their genetic potential.

Winner of the Tech Start Up of the Year Award: Stingray Labs

Stingray Labs is a technology startup developing products to streamline and digitise legal and financial services, meeting the needs and expectations of tech savvy customers. Stingray Labs route to market is through partnerships, working with existing legal and finance organisations to offer streamlined products to the market. 

Winner of the Excellence in Education Award: Colaiste Gleann Lí   

Coláiste Gleann Lí is a multicultural, multi-denominational, coeducational post primary school based in Tralee which operates under the patronage of Kerry ETB. Coláiste Gleann Lí is a school for all. Coláiste Gleann Lí believe in harnessing and nurturing technology in their approach to provide students with a rounded education.

Winner – Chairperson’s Community Award: Tír na nÓg Children’s Foundation (Louise Quill)

Louise Quill began working in Tanzania in 2006. Whilst there she could see a great need for a facility that would provide a family unit for the orphaned and abandoned children of Tanzania. The Tír na nÓg Children’s Foundation was created to alleviate the suffering of Tanzanian children and to provide a home where they would be nurtured in a loving, safe environment. The aim of Tír na nÓg is to educate these children according to their abilities.

The foundation believes in developing not only schools to create the leaders of tomorrow, but also long-term sustainable projects to provide employment for local people. The foundation has been established and operated from Tralee & Tanzania. Louise who lives and teaches in Kerry divides her time between both locations, striving to provide the conditions, training and resources needed to help children grow mentally, physically and spiritually in those values that assure a fruitful and happy future. 

Winner of the Tech Scale Up Award: Green Rebel

Green Rebel is a dynamic Irish company specialising in data delivery, analytics, and consultancy to support offshore renewable energy developments. Green Rebel was founded by environmental advocate and entrepreneur, Pearse Flynn, to provide an Irish based, complete offshore survey service, support offshore wind energy projects, and help Ireland achieve its climate objectives.

Winner of the Diversity, Inclusion & Social Impact Award:  NetApp

NetApp is the intelligent data infrastructure company, combining unified data storage, integrated data services, and CloudOps solutions. NetApp creates silo-free infrastructure, harnessing observability and AI to enable the industry’s best data management. 

Winner of the Best Learning Work Place Award:  Aspen Grove

Aspen Grove Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS) optimises workflow enabling automation, tracking, and managing of any process to enhance responsiveness and productivity while controlling costs and minimising risk. 

Winner of the Environmental Sustainability Award:  Astellas Ireland

Astellas Ireland (Kerry Plant) is a finished goods pharmaceutical facility based in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, and headquartered in Japan. The Kerry plant manufactures and packages lifesaving products for the global market including lifesaving immunosuppressants and biologic treatment for cancer patients.

Winner of the Multinational of the Year Award:  ENERCON

ENERCON is a pioneer of wind energy technology and a partner of the energy transition, that specialises in turbine and technology development, production, sales and servicing of onshore wind turbines. Pursuing its mission of ‘Energy for the world’, ENERCON has driven sustainable energy generation from onshore wind for over 40 years. 

Winner Tech Person of the Year Award : The McCarthy Family, Fexco

The McCarthy Family have contributed significantly to the development of the South West region not only in terms of economic development, employment creation but also in leading the way as a global Technology leader in their space. Their focus on technology – enabled innovation is underpinned by their collaboration with the Science Foundation of Ireland and UCC where they aim to discover and develop the next generation of Financial Services Technology. 

Their organisation, Fexco, from its beginnings in 1981, when it was the first to get a foreign exchange license as a non-bank in Ireland, when it established itself as the Foreign Exchange Company of Ireland it has grown from strength to strength winning many prestigious awards. It is a global leader in the payments and FX technology sector, providing its solutions and services globally with operations in over 50 countries and employing over 2,900 employees worldwide, yet it still remains a very strong family affair over its 4 decades of existence. 

Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards 2024

Tech Industry Alliance (TIA) is delighted to announce the 2024 Leaders’ Awards, taking place at the prestigious Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, on 29th November.

This year’s ceremony marks a pivotal moment as the awards debut in County Kerry, a region that is swiftly becoming a powerhouse of technological innovation. The decision to host the event in Kerry highlights TIA’s commitment to recognising the achievements of the entire South-West’s tech and STEM communities and the vital role that collaboration plays in driving this regional success.

The Tech Industry Alliance Leaders’ Awards, now in their 17th year, have become the benchmark for celebrating those who are shaping the future of technology in the South-West. From emerging startups to established multinational companies, these awards honour the leaders whose contributions are making a significant impact on the region’s growth. Former winners of Tech Person of the Year include Frank Madden, Founder & CEO, Crest Solutions, and Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Founder of Poppulo.

Building on a Legacy of Leadership and Collaboration

The Leaders’ Awards represent nearly two decades of unwavering dedication to fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the tech sector. Since their inception, the awards have shone a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements of a wide range of organisations, from pioneering startups to leading educational institutions across the entire STEM spectrum.

Sean Ryan, TIA Board Member and Chairperson of Aspen Grove, shared his excitement about this year’s event: “Bringing our flagship event to Kerry isn’t just a milestone; it’s a statement. It underscores our commitment to driving tech innovation and collaboration across every corner of the South-West. County Kerry and Cork’s tech scene is thriving, and it’s only right that we celebrate these achievements in a region that plays such a crucial role in Ireland’s economy”.

The Power of Partnership

This year marks the third Leaders’ Awards under the Tech Industry Alliance, a collaboration formed in 2022 through the merger of it@cork and KerrySciTech. This partnership has been instrumental in expanding the reach and impact of the South-West tech sector. Partnerships like these are the bedrock of our success, fuelling innovation and fostering growth across the region.

Ogie Sheehy, TIA Board Member and CEO of ViClarity, urged the community to get involved: “There’s a real buzz around this year’s awards. I encourage everyone in the tech community of the South-West to join us — nominate those who are making waves and helping to build the vibrant ecosystem that collaboration has brought to life in our region.”

Recognising Leaders and Innovators

The 2024 Leaders’ Awards categories include Tech Start Up of the Year, Tech Scale Up of the Year, and Tech Person of the Year, among others. These awards not only recognise innovative use of technology but also highlight the resilience, creativity, and social impact of businesses and individuals who are driving progress in the region.

Gerry Murphy, TIA Chairperson, emphasised the significance of collaboration: “These awards are about more than just celebrating success—they’re about showcasing the innovation and determination that push our region forward. Thanks to the partnerships that underpin our work, we’re able to shine a light on the cutting-edge technologies and resilient businesses that make the South-West a leader in tech. We owe a great deal to our sponsors and partners, including Kerry County Council, Cork County Council, and Cork City Council, whose support is essential to our ongoing success.”

Mayor of Kerry, Breandán Fitzgerald, commented that he is “very pleased to welcome the TIA awards to Kerry for the first time, and Kerry County Council is delighted to be associated with the event, as well as collaborating with our counterparts in Cork”.

Join Us in Celebrating Excellence

Nominations for the Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards 2024 are now open, with submissions accepted until 11th October 2024. The awards night promises to be an inspiring celebration of the best and brightest in South-West tech. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this event—reserve your tickets by contacting info@techindustryalliance.ie. For more information, visit www.techindustryalliance.ie.