Sync NI Magazine - Winter 2016 Front Cover: NI Science Festival

WINTER 2016

Issue 19 EQUINITI 12 TASCOMI 14 MOBILE ACADEMY 26

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SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2016

Welcome to the Winter edition of the Sync NI magazine foreword

from Conrad Simpson, Director at Cyphra

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s the seasonal decorations are finally packed away and our focus switches to making 2016 a successful year for business, it is a good time to reflect on the cybersecurity lessons we can learn from 2015 and make some predictions for the year ahead.

Last year saw new cybersecurity threats making headlines with worrying regularity due to major data breaches, attacks and online scams. The Ashley Madison hack, that linked cybersecurity and extra-marital affairs, not only affected 37 million individuals but also highlighted a rising cybercrime trend by hackers to use stolen data to blackmail consumers (which in this case has been now linked to two cases of suicide).

US organisations accounted for the majority of really large data breaches in 2015 (the Anthem Healthcare breach alone impacted 80 million people) but UK companies both large and small experienced successful attacks that impacted their bottom line and reputation.

The Talk Talk breach not only demonstrated the potential financial impact of a breach (£35 million) and the consequences of poor crisis management but the arrest of an Antrim teenager for this crime highlighted to the Northern Ireland business community that hacking is not just initiated in foreign realms.

The breach at Moonpig was noteworthy as this was achieved via a mobile app and is an indication of where we can expect further issues in the future.

Overall the global costs of cyber-attacks to business continued to reach new heights and are estimated by Forbes to have risen

to between £270 billion and £340 billion. In the UK the costs of a security incident to a small business were estimated to be between £75K-£311K (PWC - Information Security Breaches Survey 2015) and new Office of National Statistics figures estimate 2.5 million cyber-crime offences in the UK over that past year.

So what do NI businesses and local government need to consider for 2016? q Malware will continue to evolve and adapt to evade defensive technologies making software patching still one of the most effective controls to minimise cyber threats.

q The growth of Internet of Things networks and devices where security is not built in by default will lead to new opportunities for data theft. q Attacks against cloud services will increase as more applications and data are migrated to cloud environments. Organisations utilising the cloud need to fully understand their own security responsibilities as the scope of the cloud providers’ security is often limited. q The cyber insurance market will continue to show significant growth as organisations look to transfer some of their cyber risk. Insurers will demand evidence of better security behaviours to reduce premiums.

We discuss further on page 13 “Cybersecurity: what NI businesses and local govemenment need to consider for 2016.”

Conrad Simpson, Director, Cyphra

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ABOUT SYNC NI Sync NI is the leading media outlet for Northern Ireland’s Technology and Business Industries.

The Sync NI website and magazine keeps readers informed on the latest technology and business news, jobs, and events from Northern Ireland, and abroad.

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COPYRIGHT No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyholder and publisher. SyncNi accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SyncNi , unless otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress associated to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this magazine can be accepted by the authors, contributors, editors or publishers. SyncNi does not endorse any goods or services advertised, nor any claims or representations made in any advertisement in this magazine.

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SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2016

Contents 03 Foreword 06 Experimentation and Innovation 08 Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery 10 Angel investment in your inbox 11 Taking on the rising tide of cybercrime 12 Cyber Security the top priority 13 Cyber Security: considerations 13 New year message from Minister Bell 14 Meeting Roisin Murray from Tascomi 16 NI Science Festival 18 NI can be focal point for space tech 19 Responding to the Digital Citizen

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Syncni.com gets a refresh Start-up feature: Huge Rugby Start-up feature: Freelance Student Catching up with Patricia Burns The Cloud Simplified’s new thin client Mobile Academy: mobile eco-system Employee wellbeing Django Girls comes to Belfast Youth-led Tech Event Event Spotlight Logging off

Cyber Security Features

Taking on the rising tide of cybercrime

Cyber Security the top priority for business in next 10 years

What NI businesses & local government need to consider

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Experimentation and Innovation championed within Liberty IT

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or 17 years, leading technology company, Liberty IT, operated from its Headquarters in Belfast before expanding and diversifying its software, services and solutions’ offerings in April 2014, to include an office in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

this commitment that encouraged the company to host their recent external hackathon, “Liberty Inforthenight”, in October 2015 for local students from Queens University, Ulster University and Belfast MET. With over 40 students participating and working for 24 hours on a solution for Liberty

Liberty IT student hackathon

A wholly owned subsidiary of Fortune 100 Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Liberty IT employs almost 500 employees (approximately 440 in Belfast and 60 in Dublin, respectively) who develop a wide range of both specialist and enterprise scale applications and websites, exclusively for their parent company through creativity, problem-solving and a commitment to excellence.

Their expertise in designing and implementing innovative digital solutions using both existing and emerging technologies, combined with the commitment to developing an IT talent pipeline for the future, is unwavering. It was

IT’s NI charity of the year, Macmillan Cancer Care, the event was extremely well received by all involved.

Likewise, the company champions a strong ideation and innovation culture internally, which is reinforced through participation in Liberty’s annual internal hackathon, open to all 5000 IT professionals working across Liberty globally.

This year, the event brought together over 250 coders from across the world, for a 24 hour hackathon in Boston. One of the participants, Andrew Hiles, a Software Engineer based in Liberty IT’s Belfast office, looks back at his experience of the hackathon…

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Liberty Mutual’s internal hackathon

“Originally I was unsure and rather nervous about the idea of a 24 hour hackathon but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to experience a feeling that I’d hadn’t felt since university - fighting against the clock, fueled by coffee, writing code with the aim of seeing something happen in a fast-paced manner. What’s more, in my day-to-day work, I collaborate with a team of highly-skilled developers who are always on hand when an issue arises, but in accepting this challenge, I knew it would help force me out of my comfort zone.

Fast-forward several weeks and almost 40 of us from Liberty IT Belfast and Dublin, joined over 200 other coders from across Liberty Mutual, in Boston for the big event. It really was an amazing experience, one made even better with my team finishing third place out of 69 teams from across the world! Now that I’m back in the swing of my daily life, I’ve realized that I learned a lot from taking part; here are a few of my observations from the hackathon: 1. Choose the right tech stack Prior to the event, we’d decided to use AngularJS and Twitter Bootstrap for front-end development, ASP.NET(C#) for web services and MongoDB for data storage. We made a conscious decision before heading to Boston that half of the team would work on front-end development and the other team members would work on web service development and data management. This worked incredibly well and established clear boundaries and ownership over who worked on what during the 24 hours of coding.

2. There is no I in TEAM It was a team event. You can be the smartest and mostskilled developer out there but team dynamics are always important. We were constantly communicating with one another, taking regular breaks and making sure everyone’s ideas were heard. We also made regular visits to the candy table when we needed a quick ‘brainstorming’ session…

3. Sleep deprivation can forge great ideas Fatigue and jet lag pounced when we arrived the evening before the hackathon. Whilst it was difficult at times throughout the 24 hours, I think we all discovered that sleep deprivation can sometimes spark creative juices we didn’t know existed.

4. If you hit a brick wall, go for a walk!

There’s nothing worse than getting programmers’ block. On numerous occasions, I found that the best thing was to shift gears, get up and take a walk. When I returned to my desk, those arduous tasks weren’t as difficult as I’d first thought.

5. Presentation planning = success Developing working software was important, but presenting

Andrew and his team at the Liberty Mutual hackathon

that software and the idea behind it, was just as important.

Thankfully, we were very fortunate to have participated in an in-house ‘Persuasive Presentations’ course that really prepared us and increased our proficiency in how to deliver an impressive presentation.

Taking part in the hackathon was an incredible experience and one I’ll remember with the fondest of memories. Also, I’m making sure to get the most from the experience now that I’m back in my day-to-day role; ensuring I further enhance my skills, experiment with new technologies, techniques and processes, and continue to build my confidence. One of the things I love most about working at Liberty IT, are the opportunities (like the hackathon), to grow and further yourself – I really don’t know many other companies that are so focused on empowering their staff and making sure their needs (both personal and professional) are catered for. Also, whilst working with modern tech is definitely “up there” for me, working with my team on a day-to-day basis makes my job enjoyable. We are all focused on the same goal and when one person needs assistance, you’re sure to find a helping hand nearby.”

Follow Liberty IT

 @Liberty_IT

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SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2016

Ulster Bank powered

Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery to open in Belfast

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Lynsey Cunningham, Entrepreneur Development Manager, Ulster Bank, Ken Whipp, Excellence Engineer, Entrepreneurial Spark, and Richard Donnan, Head of NI at Ulster Bank,

advantage of the industrial revolution.

Entrepreneurship is therefore in Ulster Bank’s DNA. There is also a rich history of entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland year. and up to £5m in turnover,” points out Mr with people like Harry Ferguson and Donnan.

John Dunlop and we see it today with Powered by Ulster Bank, the companies like Kainos. It shows there is Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery “The key thing is to work with the entrepreneurism and innovation alive and will provide free space for up to entrepreneur to accelerate his/her idea. well in Northern Ireland.

80 entrepreneurs, with hands-on The strength of the initiative is that it mentoring, a startup ‘bootcamp’, and a lasts for up to 18 months where people “With this initiative we want to see free programme of up to 18-months of will have the opportunity to work in an entrepreneurs develop as people just advice, support and funding clinics. intense, challenging and collaborative as much as we want to see their ideas environment that will help them develop – this is a fresh approach.

Based in Lombard Street, it is now accelerate their business with good Creating a culture that is supportive and open to applications from new and mentoring support. existing businesses with exciting growth welcoming towards entrepreneurs is essential in developing the local private potential.

“I have seen in some of the hubs in sector. This new Hatchery will bring other parts of the UK, entrepreneurs who creative, like-minded people together The completely free programme will under the same roof and I look forward to come in with an initial idea, they stress see entrepreneurs, or ‘Chiclets’, take test it but it doesn’t quite make the mark. seeing the results,” he said. space in the Hatchery to benefit from However, they prove to be really talented intensive support, as well as essential and have gone on with a different idea The hub will be a physical workspace start-up necessities such as superfast which has been successful. broadband, office space and telephones. for up to 80 entrepreneurs selected to join the programme through a “It is not an easy experience but this competitive application process, with Successful applicants will form part of is about supporting and developing the first intake for the new Hatchery early two intakes hosted every year. At the entrepreneurs and helping them to be end of the programme, the hub will host next year, embarking on a six-month successful.” a ‘graduation’ event bringing together programme of business acceleration. entrepreneurs and the local ecosystem, For more information on the Belfast giving the opportunity to the graduating Richard Donnan, Head of NI at Ulster hatchery and details of how to apply visit businesses to pitch.

Bank, says that Northern Ireland was the below link. well known for its entrepreneurial culture.

“Applications are open to someone “Ulster Bank was founded by a group who literally has just got an idea or of local merchants in 1836 who were Visit online Entrepreneurial Spark someone who already has an existing seeking to generate funding to support entrepreneurial-spark.com business with ambitious growth plans their enterprises as they sought to take new start-up accelerator and growth hub for entrepreneurs is set to open in Belfast early next



Something big is hatching in Belfast.

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Could your business benefit from free office space, a dedicated mentor and regular training?

Entrepreneurial Spark are on the lookout for entrepreneurs that have the ability to hatch something big to join their free Belfast Hatchery.

Find out more at entrepreneurial-spark.com

Help for what matters Important Information Terms and conditions apply. Ulster Bank Limited, Registered in Northern Ireland No. R733. Registered Office: 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast, BT1 5UB. Member of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. Calls may be recorded.

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Click and Connect

Angel investment in your inbox

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they are not ready for funding, they will be signposted to other options including NISP CONNECT’s personal accelerator programme, Springboard.

ith news that it has facilitated over £11m of funding, Halo, the Northern Ireland business angel network, has announced it is to open a new world of investment opportunity for local startups.

If accepted for the Halo Brief, they will go through a rigorous process of challenge on all aspects of the business by panels of Halo staff and professionals.

Following pitch training and a refining of their business proposition, they’ll be determined as pitch-ready. This leads to the recording of the critical 90 seconds of their Halo Brief and also a ten minute interview – all put together in the newly built Halo studio at the NI Science Park.

Halo is to introduce a dynamic new pitching format which will connect local companies with a wider reach of potential investors around the UK and further afield.

Up to now, Halo has introduced high-growth potential companies to its network of business angels through invitation-only pitching events. In 2016, it will introduce a format much better suited to funding today’s fast moving and, often, impatient companies.

The body will be known as Halo - the Angel Plus Network, and companies will be digitally showcased to investors in the form of the Halo Brief. Director of Halo, Alan Watts, explains: “The Halo Brief is a 90 second video pitch, accessed via a secure e-mail system. It’s one e-mail, up to once a week, about one company and with no delays. It will reach about 140 pinpointed investors all around the UK – and this number is rising.

“From the point of view of a busy investor or angel, viewing this is quick and easy. Only if it looks interesting do they then access further options such as financial details, business plan, 10 minute interview and, crucially, options for a follow up meeting. It’s simple- if they want more information, they click through; if they don’t, they delete. This

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Alan Watts, Director of Halo

is really time-efficient and removes the geographical constraints of coming to a meeting. Halo will continue to run a few large Northern Ireland events, but these will be much more about networking and recruitment of angels. The real way angels will see the investment opportunities now will be via the Halo Brief.”

“There is a growing network of non-NI based funders already in our network.

18% of the Halo investors in local companies are based outside Northern Ireland and these are not just angels.

They include early stage VCs, family offices, investors clubs and many others who are attracted by a ‘secret dealflow’ of high growth potential NI companies.

With this in mind, quick and easy access to this growing collection of funding partners will really extend the reach and funding abilities of Halo.”

Companies can apply to Halo and will be quickly assessed for suitability. Where

Alan continues, “The interview will pull no punches – it will ask the sort of difficult questions that the investors would want to pose if they were face to face with the entrepreneur. This process must be tough and realistic if it is to have value. The next step will be a follow up meeting, either in person or by Skype, for the investors to dig into the details.

“We are now accepting applications for the Halo Brief in 2016. As a form of investment, angel funding brings more than just hard cash. Our angel network is a community of very savvy businesspeople who bring a wealth of experience, advice and connections which deliver so much more to a startup. Could the Angel Plus Network transform the prospects of your business?”

For more information, please visit the link below.

Visit online Halo

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halo.nisp.co.uk

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Northern Ireland: taking on the rising tide of cybercrime

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ybercrime is a dominant theme in the global news agenda today. Major data breaches, phishing scandals and downtime of important services constantly grab the headlines. The fallout that ensues for organisations at the centre of these hacks and breaches is very costly. Financial loss and reputational damage – as well as the distraction from core business activity – can cause lasting and sometimes irreparable damage.

TalkTalk’s recent widely publicised breach reportedly cost the company around £35 million and had a deeply negative impact on its reputation. The attraction for cybercriminals is clear.

Bank account details can be sold for £100 - £150 per account, while credit card details usually go for between £7 - £20. US retail giant Target’s major data breach in 2013 reportedly saw upwards of 40 million credit card details stolen.

Northern Ireland as a cyber security hub Providing effective cyber security is more vital now than ever. Northern Ireland is a growing hub in the battle against cyber criminality and has become an important cog in the global information security wheel. Minister Arlene Foster recently highlighted the sector supported around 900 jobs in 2014/15.

This vision for growth is driven by the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), which aims to be a global innovation hub for cyber security. Since its inception in 2008, the Northern Ireland Science Park-based centre has helped to attract more than 100 high-tech FDI and start-up companies to Northern Ireland. Rapid7 is an example of the kind of global leader that has established a significant presence in Northern Ireland. Recently, it announced it was opening a software development centre in Belfast, creating 75 highly skilled jobs and dozens of student placement opportunities.

Local influence Not all of the success is coming from abroad. Local information security providers like Ward Solutions are growing and making their mark on the global market. Ward is the largest provider of information security services in Ireland, North and South. It provides a comprehensive range of services including security auditing, consulting, incident response, secure managed services and software development services.

Through its 17 years’ experience, Ward has discovered that

Pat Larkin, CEO, Ward Soutions

taking a holistic approach and recognising the ‘information security lifecycle’ is the best way for businesses to stay protected. “We work with organisations to fully secure their assets and incorporate an information security lifecycle, which focuses on people, processes and technology,” said Pat Larkin, CEO, Ward Solutions.

The company has seen great success with this approach and is in a major growth phase. “Recently we announced plans to expand our operations in Northern Ireland as part of a £1.5 million investment,” said Alan McVey, NI business development manager, Ward Solutions.

“We have significant plans to grow in Belfast and Dublin both in terms of increasing staff numbers and our diverse client base, which includes SMEs, government departments, state agencies and blue chip companies.” Ward recently unveiled its new Security Operations Centre (SOC), which includes best-in-class threat monitoring, risk assessment and incident response technologies and is being staffed by a team of experienced information security engineers and consultants. The SOC has significantly enhanced the company’s core services.

Looking ahead The rising tide of sophisticated cybercriminal activity is showing no signs of slowing down in 2016 and beyond.

It’s important that Northern Ireland maintains and grows its position as an important line of defence in this constant battle and keeps cybercriminals at bay.

Follow Ward Solutions

 @wardsolutions

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.COM

FEATURED ON

Cyber Security the top priority for business in next 10 years C yber security is the biggest risk facing public and private sector organisations over the next decade and should be a priority for investment, leading business technology provider Equiniti said.

The company believes large organisations have the potential to save millions of pounds every year by successfully defending attacks from hackers and reducing fraud, if they can harness the leading-edge research and apply it to their business.

Equiniti made the statement as it announced an official partnership with the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) in Belfast - the UK’s lead university centre for cyber security technology research.

“Equiniti handles huge volumes of highly sensitive data, our clients trust us with over 1PB of data - the equivalent of almost 250,000 DVDs - and they need to know their data is secure and safe.

We also deliver managed IT services to some of the most highly regulated organisations in the UK, such as Land and Property Services NI and Her Majesty’s Passport Office, and their exacting and evolving security demands must be met,” Equiniti’s managing director, Owen Lamont, said.

Owen continued: “CSIT is the UK’s centre of excellence for research into cyber security and one of the top cyber security clusters in Europe, so it makes perfect sense for Equiniti to support the Centre and to benefit from its

Pictured at the ECIT building in the Northern Ireland Science Park, are CSIT Commercial Director Stephen Wray, Managing Director of Equiniti Belfast, Owen Lamont, Equiniti’s Chief Information Security Officer Sabrina Feng and CSIT Industrial Advisory Board chairman Professor Phil Sutton.

ground-breaking work. “Belfast has a strong reputation as a growing IT and cyber security hub and Equiniti is well positioned to feed into this expertise through our Northern Ireland operation.”

Government figures released last month suggest that 90 per cent of organisations have suffered a security breach in the past year.

Equiniti is particularly interested in testing some of the innovative biometric technologies being developed at CSIT, which it believes could have a number of applications across its business services, increasing efficiency and reducing the chance of fraud.

Stephen Wray, Commercial Director at CSIT said: “Having Equiniti as a member and collaborative partner helps to apply our cyber security expertise into an even

wider range of applications in business.

Cyber security is an important element in maintaining trust in business, so we look forward to developing solutions that can be used to limit fraud and protect extremely sensitive data from malicious cyber-attacks.”

Sabrina Feng, Equiniti’s Group Chief Information Security Officer, added: “Queen’s University and CSIT are at the forefront of cyber-defence research, their aim is to combat and defend against any likely security threats that may arise in the future. As a successful business Equiniti are able to give something back by bringing our real-world experience to CSIT. The opportunities are very exciting for both of us.”

Visit online Equiniti

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equiniti.com

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Cyber Security: What NI businesses & local government need to consider - continued from page 3 q As organisations realise that it a case of when and not if they suffer a cyber incident, more focus will be placed on the ability to detect attacks through security analytics and on having adequate incident response processes in place. The boards of SME’s will also start to ensure cybersecurity is considered as a board agenda item. q The shortfall in skilled cybersecurity workers will drive

further growth and reliance on managed security services.

q The HMG 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy will drive closer partnerships between the public sector and industry, develop stronger UK cyber resilience and drive measures to help address the cybersecurity skills shortage.

q Businesses in NI will start to collaborate more with the law enforcement agencies through schemes such as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) to collectively tackle cyber-attacks. q There will be significant growth in the number of

sophisticated attacks targeting NI companies by criminal organisations resulting in data theft, fraud and extortion.

Ensuring Northern Ireland is one of the safest and most trusted places to do business is more than a New Year’s resolution for Northern Ireland organisations – it’s essential!

Visit online Cyphra

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cyphra.com

New year message from Minister Bell

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s we head in to 2016, I believe we have much to look forward to as we seek to build on the positive momentum developed over recent years.

Invest Northern Ireland has already surpassed its original PfG targets and is expected to also exceed its additional one year targets. The agency is on track to help promote over 41,000 new jobs across the last five years. As part of the Northern Ireland Executive’s, “A Fresh Start: The Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan”, a rate and date has been confirmed for reducing Northern Ireland’s Corporation Tax to 12.5% from April 2018. We must ensure we maximise every opportunity that a lower Corporation Tax rate brings.

This reduced rate has the potential to secure new Foreign Direct Investment for Northern Ireland and to make it easier for existing businesses to grow.

Thanks to the powers that devolution brings to Northern Ireland, we have a unique selling point – one that the rest of the UK can only dream of. The ability

to set our own lower rate of corporation tax of 12.5% from April 2018 will make Northern Ireland the most attractive location in Western Europe for new Foreign Direct Investment based on a combination of tax, talent and value.

Devolution means that locally elected Ministers can go out and sell this place on the international stage. Together with colleagues from Invest NI who know the markets well, I am confident that we can compete for and win a wide range of tax sensitive investments which will create many thousands of additional jobs and significantly grow our economy.

Through a combination of overseas visit programmes, new advertising promotions, events and meetings we will be putting our full weight into ensuring we make the most of this opportunity. In a few weeks time, for example, I will be leading a trade mission to the United States as part of the drive to promote Northern Ireland as a great place in which to invest, to live and to visit.

Jonathan Bell, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

And let’s not forget, there are also significant benefits for our local businesses too. With reduced taxes local, profitable businesses will have additional finance to invest in their future growth, in turn creating more jobs and further investment in our economy. Ultimately, Corporation Tax has the potential to create more than 30,000 additional jobs in Northern Ireland over the next 15 years. We stand on the cusp of great possibilities and I look forward to seeing Northern Ireland reap the benefits in the months and years ahead.

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Meeting Roisin Murray Programme Director @ Tascomi Ltd Roisin Murray leads a growing team of people responsible for implementing the software to the customer’s business involving the provision of services such as business analysis, project management, consultancy and training. Roisin’s team are also responsible for handholding – easing the transition from their old software to the new system - and for ongoing customer experience, support. q Tell us about your career path

I graduated in 2003 and obtained my first management position in a local manufacturing company as part of the Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) at QUB. After completing the initial IT related KTP project and after four years in a manufacturing environment, I knew I wanted to move back into a more technology focused role. I joined Tascomi as the only Business Consultant working as part of a team of five people in 2007.

At that time Tascomi had solutions in only a handful of the then 26 Councils in Northern Ireland and over the next few years I helped design, sell, improve and support our software to become the leading provider of web based software to Local Council Building Control in Northern Ireland and beyond.

I joined the Senior Management Team in 2011 and began to lead the implementation side of the business, growing a team of project managers and business analysts around me. In 2015 I became Programme Director, and am incredibly proud to have joined the Board of Directors at Tascomi Ltd.

q Do you have any role models that influenced & guided you to where you are at today?

I think my main role models were my parents, particularly my father. I was always taught that hard work, education and skills are important and that I could be whatever I wanted to be, I just had to be aspirational and work hard for it.

I were hooked from that point on. I also studied Computers at school- although I wouldn’t say I was ever a geek! So, for me it did not feel unusual but it has definitely been a very male dominated working environment until relatively recently, even in Tascomi. Why? I do think that gender stereotypes still persist in every day society and that that in particular, a lot of science and technology related toys and careers are definitely marketed more to q What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your role? How does that boys from a very young age. colour how you see the industry? And At Tascomi, we regularly participate why do you think young women are less in educational programmes to try and inclined to enter technology?

I have been very fortunate in my career encourage children and young people of all genders and from all backgrounds to in that I have always felt comfortable study IT and move into the industry and working in the software industry and I believe that starting early and having with technology in general. I think a lot the opportunity to explore and work with of that comes from the fact that I work technology in an enjoyable way is critical for such a fantastic company with a lot to getting more women into the industry. of great people who have encouraged, mentored and supported me over the years. That said, I love a challenge and in q How do you find being a mum with this role there is a new one every day so your workload? How do you create it is never dull! a balance between work and your personal life?

Growing up, I was fascinated by I think have a pretty good balance computers; we got our first Commodore between work and family life. I work 64 when I was about 9 and my sister and four days a week and have the flexibility

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to start early so I can finish early and get home to spend time with the children in the evenings. I wont lie, sometimes it is tough being at work all day while your children are being taken care of by someone else, especially when they are sick or upset, but I have never considered being a full time stay at home mum.

I have worked since I was 15 years old and I do it for myself as much as for my children and family. I think it is also good for them to grow up in an environment where both parents are bringing home the bacon! Having a supportive and hands on hubby helps immensely too.

q What is the toughest thing you’ve had to do in your career?

There have undoubtedly been times where I have had to work very long hours or be away from home in order to ensure that we deliver something on time and to spec for our customers, but you have to take the rough with the smooth and do what you have to do to provide the best service you possibly can for the customer, especially when things don’t go to plan. Thankfully, the stressful times are

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customers in recent times and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. A key challenge facing Tascomi is q What’s your favourite part of your job to ensure that we continue to leverage the opportunities that technology right now? provides us with to help organisations Right now I am really enjoying the such as Local Authorities operate more opportunity to contribute to and shape efficiently with less money and less Tascomi’s strategy, vision and business people. plans. Joining the Board has been daunting but exciting and invigorating. I am really looking forward to substantially q Where would you like to see Tascomi contributing to Tascomi’s growth and in 5 years? success over the coming years.

In 5 years, I would like to see Tascomi as the leading software provider in at least one of our core markets such as q What trends in the industry really Public Protection throughout the UK and excite you? hopefully making an impact in the global I am quite excited about the trend market as well. I would like us to sustain towards even more wearable tech and build upon the growth and success and sensor based technology and the that we have achieved in the last few potential that this opens up for problem solving and innovative software solutions years whilst ensuring that we maintain the culture, ethos and high standard of for businesses. We have some exciting product quality that makes us unique to ideas for how we can incorporate this work with. It is going to be an exciting trend into our solutions at Tascomi. and challenging time. q What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing Tascomi?

Follow Tascomi Visit online Start Planet NI Austerity and government cuts have startplanetni.com @Tascomi drastically affected the budgets of our outweighed by all the other things that I love about my job.

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NI Science Festival... to Innovation & Beyond

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his February will see the return of the NI Science Festival - a showcase for the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Due to take place from February 18 to 28, the festival will see experts, experiments, entertainments and exhibitions across all things STEMrelated...

Fresh from helping Belfast play its part in launch celebrations around Tim Peake’s ESA space mission to the International Space Station in December, NI Science Festival organisers are now looking ahead to delivering an even bigger and better schedule of events for 2016.

The inaugural festival made a big impact. With more than 100 events across Northern Ireland, the festival drew over 50,000 attendees and instantly became one of the largest events of its kind in Western Europe. One of the lasting legacies of the festival was setting a Guinness World Record, when 1339 local school children took part in the biggest ever science lesson.

Overview

The festival this year is backed by the Department of Employment and Learning, Belfast City Council, Queen’s University, Ulster University, DSD, the British Council and leading recruitment specialists MCS Group. The Department for Employment and Learning has extended his commitment to the Festival, providing core funding until 2019.

The NI Festival events will take place in a wide variety of Belfast’s prime venues and tourist attractions such as W5, Titanic Belfast, the Black Box, the Crescent Arts Centre, the Mac and the Ulster Museum. Events will also take place in venues outside of Belfast including the Nerve Centre in Derry/Londonderry and the Armagh Planetarium.

In addition to core themes such as engineering and space, the Festival will delve into the science behind the increasingly popular world of Dr Who and Star Wars. Joining them will be fun events opening up the science of the sea, robotics, time travel, elements and much more.

Among the many social elements to the festival is the

Synaesthia Cocktails night. Hosted by Art Neuro, this team of scientists will be looking at everything to do with the brain through, art, craft, design... and cocktails!

Building on Success

According to NI Science Festival Director Chris McCreery: “The success of our first Festival took us all by surprise but we believe it reflects the vibrancy of our local universities and STEM sector whilst underlining the appetite for STEM events.

With over 135 events across more than 25 venues, this year’s festival will be even bigger and better.

We will again showcase the very best of local and international scientific talent, bringing them in direct conversation with the public to discuss their work, cuttingedge research and what the future might hold. ”

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Business Community

Understanding future trends in innovation and technology represents a strategic challenge for organisations across both the public and private sectors. That’s why firms seeking a competitive edge are coming forward to support and get directly involved in

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advancements will change the landscape, is the most pressing strategic objective.

Therefore, having access to a programme of events where the best and brightest minds in science and technology come together to discuss research developments and what the future might hold, is business critical.”

Mobile

The festival events will touch many different careers and industries, including the fast-moving mobile and telecommunications industries. Robert Schukai, Head of Advanced Product Innovation at Thomson Reuters, who will be exploring the rapid growth of personal mobile devices and expansion of data as well as the implications for 21st century life.

“We are very excited about bringing together speakers of this quality. In a world where the big data gets bigger every day his lecture will explore the future of this hyper connected environment,” said Chris.

Going Global

this year’s festival. One such company is MCS Group, which was set up in 2008, to support employers build high-performing businesses in a range of sectors.

Specialising in ICT & Digital, Technical & Engineering, Commercial & Business Growth, and Accountancy & Banking, the company has an understanding of the skills demands from employers and needs to ambitious professionals from STEM backgrounds.

Barry Smyth, Managing Director of recruitment specialists MCS Group, said: “For almost every organisation, understanding how technological

For the younger attendees there will be the opportunity to go global with the ‘Global Experiment. As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) 175th anniversary, children will be collaborating with thousands of students from around the world in a joint experiment. Pupils can conduct this experiment at home or in the classroom, then post their data to the RSC’s worldwide evolving online database to see how results compare to others around the world.

By bringing together world-class speakers, families and young people - and by engaging with communities across the globe - the festival hopes to “create a greater public awareness of just how important and relevant science is in our everyday lives”.

For further information about the Science Festival programme and to purchase tickets visit: www.nisciencefestival.com

Creating ‘Future Ready‘ Skills Pool

At the labour market side, MCS Group has seen how demand for professionals from STEM disciplines has intensified in recent years. “We are recruiting for roles today that didn’t exist five years ago and research tells us that 65% of the jobs we will be doing in 10 years’ time don’t exist yet, so it’s critical for professionals and firms to ensure they are not left behind,” says MCS Group MD Barry Smyth.

“It’s for this reason that we’ve became involved in supporting the NI Science Festival, as we believe it is the key event which will help firms and individuals get themselves ‘future ready’ and able to take on whatever changes are ahead, perhaps even creating the change and leading the way!”

According to NI Science Festival chair Dr Liz Conlon: “Northern Ireland has long suffered a skills shortage within these areas and as the sector continues to evolve, events like this help to inspire and showcase the wonderful world of science, thus inspiring young people to consider a career within the STEM sector.”

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Northern Ireland can be focal point for space technology Northern Ireland has the potential to be a centre of excellence for the European space sector, Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell has said.

The Minister was speaking after receiving an update from representatives from Castlereagh-based Aerojet Rocketdyne on developments and opportunities in the sector.

Jonathan Bell MLA said: “Aerojet Rocketdyne (Aerojet) since being established in 1942 has led the way in the development of crucial technology and products to further space exploration. The arrival of Aerojet and their UK Company

European Space Propulsion Ltd (ESP) here has brought significant benefits to Northern Ireland. Both I and ESP believe there is a real opportunity to make Northern Ireland the focal point for space propulsion in Europe through participation in the European Space Agency Service Module programme.

“My department, through Invest Northern Ireland, is fully committed to securing state-of-the-art facilities for the space sector here. Creating the right environment for the development of key skills and capabilities is crucial if we wish to take full advantage of the emerging developments in the industry. The UK government has set ambitious targets for the space sector, aiming to increase revenue generation by £10billion to £40billion by 2030.

I want to ensure that Northern Ireland secures a significant proportion of this growth and this can only be achieved by building on the strengths and capabilities of our companies.

Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell has said Northern Ireland has the potential to be a centre of excellence for the European space sector, The Minister was speaking after a meeting with Jim Simpson, Senior Vice President for Strategy & Business Development

“The Northern Ireland Partnering for Growth Strategy, launched in 2014, has set the direction for our space sector to ensure we stay ahead of the competition in this high-value sector. Having previously met with Aerojet Rocketdyne in Belfast and at the Paris Air show in July 2015, I welcome the opportunity to discuss further how we can support and grow the ESP operations as a key component of the emerging Northern Ireland Space Sector.”

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Responding to the Digital Citizen in Northern Ireland

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e are truly immersed in the digital era. With the highest broadband take-up, Northern Ireland has quickly become the UK’s leading digital hub. This spread of digital also continues at a pace throughout the rest of the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics, almost 90% of adults in the UK used the internet in the last 3 months. Perhaps surprisingly, and at odds with the commonly held belief, 37% of those were aged 75 years and over.

Civica’s recent Leadership forum brought together industry peers to discuss the changing landscape for public service delivery. They realised that by 2025, Generation Y (an online self-service generation completely immersed in digital life from birth) will be the new norm and will demand public sector services to be compatible with their lifestyle.

This shift towards digital means citizens are demanding, if not driving, the transformational agenda for public sector services today and tomorrow. So how can the public sector in Northern Ireland respond to the digital agenda being set?

A holistic approach to digital transformation To meet this demand the public sector needs to adopt a 360 degree approach to digital transformation; a holistic view underpinned by 3 strategic pillars.

1. Capture: It’s vital for public services to know what their citizens want and need. To do this they have to effectively capture data and information from all interactions. Recently this was achieved through traditional channels such as phone, post and email. To fulfil those

requests staff are employed to rekey the same information into a number of back office systems. Providing a multichannel service will allow the public sector to not just capture and automate the integration of data, but also give citizens the ability to self-serve raising, tracking and updating service requests anytime, anywhere and on any device.

2. Deliver: To provide a holistic endto-end view, it is important that those interactions and service requests are integrated into the line of business systems. By getting accurate and complete information, the delivery of services to citizens can become much more efficient. Additionally, a joined up approach to digital can provide the management information needed to further understand citizen’s needs and improve service demand management.

Angela Canavan has been appointed as Managing Director for Civica Digital Solutions Ireland. As a strategic technology provider for the public sector in Northern Ireland, Civica Digital Solutions is helping automate

3. Communicate: A well informed customer is a happy customer. But just as important is preventing avoidable contact. Keeping citizens informed about their service requests with updates on their channel of choice (online, SMS, social media, email etc), can ensure every interaction is efficiently managed; preventing avoidable contact and further improving the citizen experience.

Today, Civica’s Digital 360 capability is helping the public sector achieve a holistic approach to digital transformation – a proven approach which delivers significant cost savings, increased efficiencies and improved customer satisfaction.

sixteen transformed services and 3.5 million new transactions by April 2016.

This end-to-end and holistic digital transformation has not only unlocked cost efficiencies and improved customer satisfaction, but has also allowed public sector organisations to bring new innovative revenue streams online.

With our partners BT, we are helping NI Direct transform how citizens engage with NI government today and tomorrow. As part of its “16 by 16” Programme, NI Direct aim to deliver

Visit online Civica Digital Solutions

crucial services for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and deliver the next generation of citizen services for NI Direct with BT.

To learn more about how the Northern Ireland public sector can meet the demands of the digital citizen, download the report from www.civica. co.uk/changinglandscape and start the conversation with Civica.

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civica.co.uk/digital-solutions

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SYNCNI.COM gets a refresh

H

ave you spotted the updates that we made to syncni.com - Northern Ireland’s leading website for technology and business news? We hope you have and are impressed.

We see the new design as an evolution of what’s gone before, rather than a radical rethink.

The new design is the result of user testing and lots of feedback. It will make it easier for us to add further improvements and exciting new features that we are looking to introduce later this year. So what has changed?

Homepage In the screenshot below, the screen to the right shows the homepage of the 2015 site compared with the new homepage - as you can see, significant improvements have been made to the design of the section pages in terms of the improved layout, increased content density, reduced white space etc… These changes have been developed and tested iteratively with our online audience who have provided invaluable feedback and opinions using the feedback tool (Thank you usabilla.com).

We received great feedback from our audience, one point that came up regularly was that the latest news stories were expiring too quickly from the homepage, with no clear indication as to how the reader could retrieve older news.

We have addressed this with the introduction of four sections (titled: Northern Ireland, World, Innovation and Trending), these four sections now allow us to retain news stories and important content on the homepage for a longer period of time than the ‘latest news feed’ which by it’s intended purpose will have a limited homepage shelf life.

With regards to the ‘latest news feed’ you will see we have introduced a ‘more news’ call to action at the bottom of the feed, providing a clear indication to readers on how they can explore further news. By better understanding how our readers consume media we were

able to see that a higher importance is now placed on video content. In the screenshot below you can see that we aimed to address this with the introduction of the video section directly below the ‘latest news feed’ which displays a fee of the 5 latest videos.

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News story page In the new design, the reading experience of a news story has been improved with the introduction of the ‘Recommended News’ section directly following the content of a news story, thus easily enabling the user to navigate to another news story after they have finished reading the existing news story.

Company profile page The ‘Company Hub’ on syncni.com plays an important part in showcasing the leading companies operating in Northern Ireland to their existing, and potential customers. By fully appreciating this relationship between business and customer we at Sync NI are continuously improving both the ‘Company Hub’ and the company profile pages themselves. In the new design, a notable new feature is the ‘cover banner’.

With the existing features of news, videos, events, jobs and social media platforms, this new feature provides an additional marketing option for company’s, allowing them to highlight a new product, service or recruitment drive to readers. The visible impact that the cover banner can create can be clearly seen in the screenshot below.

‘pinned’ until the user scrolls vertically up, or navigates to another section of the website. We have added this feature to improve how the user moves between the menu items of news, company info, videos, events, and jobs on the company profile page.

Additonal new features We have also recently launched our new responsive ‘Technology and Business News’ newsletter and have received a lot of positive feedback to the responsive design. In addition to this we have also launched two brand new newsletters.

With so many great tech and business events happening in Northern Ireland we have launched the ‘Tech & Business Events’ newsletter and we have been blowing away by the number of sign ups. The second new newsletter that we have launched is the ‘Latest Jobs and Career Tips’ newsletter. With Northern Ireland now home to some amazing global companies and local start ups we wanted to ensure that our readers never miss an opportunity.

What’s next?

Looking further into 2016, we have some exciting developemnts in the pipeline, including our ‘Tech product review’ blog and ‘Sync Pulse’ white papers.

On the company profile page we have also improved the navigation. When the reader scrolls vertically the company profile menu will remain ‘pinned’ to the main menu, creating a sub menu that is easily distinguishable by the different background colours of the menus. This menu will remain

We hope you like our new design and to help us continiously imrpove we want to hear from you, our readers. If you have any feedback please visit syncni.com and try out the feedback tool.

Visit online Sync NI

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syncni.com

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Start-up feature

Huge Rugby

q Where did the inspiration behind Huge Rugby come from?

I’ve always been a sports and in particular a rugby fanatic and had an interest in tech, so I always fancied a career in one of those industries – with Huge Rugby, I’ve actually been able to combine the two! I bought the domain name ‘HugeRugby. com’ in a GCSE ICT class at school 10 years ago, so I’ve had the dream of having an online rugby store for quite some time! q What made you initially apply for Invest NI’s Propel Programme?

I heard the ads for Propel on the radio, sitting in the office and it sounded to me like we met the criteria. The benefits of the programme certainly were attractive so we submitted an application and were fortunate enough to be given a place! q Can you tell us a bit about the process?

The programme started back in December 2014 and finished up in November 2015 and throughout the year we attended lots of workshops across several business areas which were delivered by experts in that particular field. At the outset of the programme, we set out milestones for our business and throughout the year we had do presentations to a panel, explaining how we were progressing in reaching these milestones and the steps and plans being put in place to meet them. We also had monthly meetings with dedicated mentors, who provided great advice and connections throughout the year.

q Congratulations on achieving the ‘High Revenue Growth’ award! What advice would you have for those considering applying for Propel Programme?

Thanks very much!! I would recommend the programme to anyone. The £20K is probably what grabs the attention of most people when they hear about the programme; I felt however that the lessons learnt from conversations

with other like-minded people on the programme and the advice and support from mentors and industry experts was invaluable. Anyone considering it should just give it a go!

q What do you think sets Huge Rugby apart from other sports retailers?

We class ourselves as a “rugby specialist” rather than a general sports retailer. So if you need rugby gear, HugeRugby. com is the one-stop shop for all your rugby needs. My staff are without exception, all rugby fans. We know rugby and our customer service calls and e-mails, tend to sound like a conversation you would hear in a clubhouse, discussing amongst other things, the weekend’s results etc and our customers really seem to appreciate our style of communication. That, alongside our same day dispatch, fast delivery and pricing has kept our customers coming back time and time again! q Can you give us an insight into what the future holds for Huge Rugby?

We’ve only been trading for 18 months, but we have been really encouraged by the growth in that short period of time so we are focused on continuation of that growth. We see export as a big opportunity.

Currently 40% of our business comes from outside the UK, so we are planning to get our website translated into a few different languages to allow us to increase our sales in non English speaking countries. Our long-term aim is to ultimately become the go-to store for any rugby fan/ player across the world, but we are well aware that in order to achieve this, we need to set and reach a number of goals along the way.

Follow Huge Rugby

 @HugeRugby

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Start-up feature

Freelance Student J

ames Donaghy, the founder of Freelance Student, chats to Sync NI about the online marketplace connecting students and graduates with employers for online freelance work.

The concept of Freelance Student originated in 2014 while I was still at university and feeling underwhelmed by the lack of work experience opportunities available to me and my peers. I began investigating other ways of finding work experience and discovered that opportunities in the freelance sector were growing rapidly.

Indeed, many students and graduates were already working freelance and yet universities weren’t endorsing these type of opportunities, having typically relied on internships and placements as ways to help students find work experience.

A recent study by Policybee found 44% of graduates now see freelancing as an attractive career option and with more and more employers preferring to hire freelancers, we’re simply building a platform to coincide with this changing work dynamic.

The problem we have is that many students and graduates fail to secure relevant work experience prior to graduation. Opportunities are highly competitive and often students are forced to work for free to gain some experience.

This problem is becoming increasingly important with rises in education fees and greater responsibility on universities to ensure their graduates have the skills and experience they need to secure employment post graduation.

The thing is, offering full time opportunities to students doesn’t suit most employers. Small businesses owners often need help on a project basis for things like website building, graphic design, social media and writing tasks. However, hiring a student or graduate for a project is slow and difficult. Today it takes on average 3 weeks to hire a student, but through our platform employers can make direct contact with relevant candidates in minutes to discuss their project requirements.

In addition, employers and students typically only collaborate ‘in house’ but we’re making it easier for projects to be managed online, meaning businesses anywhere can get access to new skills and talent too. Our platform makes it easy for an employer in New York to hire a student from Ulster University in Belfast for a project and this is something which just doesn’t happen today.

Our aim it to bridge the gap between education and the workplace by creating more connections and collaborations between employers and students. In doing so we hope to improve the quality of work experience offered to students by allowing them to apply class learning into the work environment. Small business owners can benefit by getting cost effective access to up to date knowledge and skills on demand. We also believe that by encouraging more students to work independently on projects we can encourage entrepreneurship among graduates.

A number of initiatives have been set

up by the universities here in Northern Ireland to improve employability skills and create work experience opportunities. However, managing so many connections between employers and students requires a lot of resources and with recent cutbacks in the education budget this is increasingly difficult.

Our platform manages these relationships automatically by allowing employers and students to engage themselves, reducing the burden on careers departments and universities.

We’re excited about the opportunities we can create in this emerging freelance sector.

Freelance Student recently graduated the Invest NI Propel Programme and are now participants of the StartPlanetNI accelerator in Belfast.

Visit online Freelance Student

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freelancestudent.co.uk

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Catching up with Patricia Burns, HRConnect Service Director, Fujitsu q Hi Patricia, tell us about the company you work for and

your role.

Fujitsu is a leading global provider of ICT systems, services and products. Our solutions touch the lives of 99% of the population every day - from enabling airline bookings and driving licences through to banking transactions and high street shopping – and keeps vital services in the UK and Ireland running. In Northern Ireland Fujitsu is the largest Japanese employer in the country with over 800 employees here.

As HR Service Director for the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) HR Connect, I am responsible for leading the delivery of a wide range of Fujitsu HR and payroll solutions and services that meet NICS’ requirements, improve their overall efficiency and are responsive to their changing business environment.

q What do you enjoy about your job?

The thing I enjoy most about my job is how varied it can be.

As a Fujitsu Service Director I get to engage with customers to understand their business and challenges. Developing long term positive working relationships through customer engagement and effective service delivery is a very rewarding part of my job. ICT allows you to continually innovate and create solutions which requires you to be able to think outside the box and solve problems.

q How did you get into business?

I have a Computer Science Statistics & Operational Research degree from the Queen’s University Belfast which led me to my first role as a statistician in the NICS. I really wanted to move into the IT industry so I left the Civil Service and joined KPMG as an analyst programmer and subsequently moved into their consultancy team where I stayed for 6 years. I was appointed managing director of Crosshaven Computing and led this company for a number of years before transitioning into a sales role and becoming Head of IBM in Northern

Ireland. I enjoy the challenges of working in a large corporate environment and am pleased to say I have been at Fujitsu for over 15 years.

q How do you get the best out of people who work for you?

It’s important to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses and embrace the attributes of each individual to make the team you have as successful as it can be. By talking with and actively listening to your team members, you can help them make the most of what they enjoy doing, and improve and develop their skillset.

q What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?

I would say if you don’t enjoy what you do – don’t do it. A person performs best if they are in an industry they truly care about. I would also say that you should continually challenge yourself; this will help you develop the skills to progress in your career. Finally, I would advise people starting out to really get to know and understand the goals of the company they are working for. Understanding theses business objectives is a key way of learning how to do your job effectively and add value to the organisation which ultimately will help you achieve your own professional objectives. q What do you enjoy to do outside of work?

I enjoy travelling, gardening and baking. I’m a big fan of the Great British Bake Off and thought the last series was great.

I have one daughter who now lives in London so I like getting over to see her for weekends away when I can.

Follow Fujitsu NI

 @Fujitsu_NI

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The Cloud Simplified’s new thin client raises the bar for the competition

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he Cloud Simplified, an Xperience Group business, launch a new Thin Client range designed to help business customers dramatically reduce security risks and IT maintenance costs. With industry leading security system and unique self-repairing capabilities, the device outshines the competition, leading the way in an era of thin client innovation.

Dissatisfied with sub-standard performance of thin clients available on the market, The Cloud Simplified developed their own range to deliver high-speed connectivity and secure access to business data and applications.

Utilising intelligent technologies, the Xperience Group Thin Client features unique self-repairing capabilities allowing the device to automatically detect damage and repair itself.

Furthermore, should a device detect a possible failure that could have serious impact on the business, The Cloud Simplified network operations centre is automatically notified, allowing for a replacement device to be dispatched, greatly reducing downtime.

Suitable for use with Windows Server, Remote Desktop and Citrix based environments, the device ensures data security at all times. By leveraging the capabilities of the Xperience Group cloud computing platforms, security updates can be pushed to each device within 5 minutes, helping to protect businesses from the latest threats in industry leading timeframes.

Richard Kennedy, Head of Engineering at Xperience IT Solutions, comments “The Xperience Group Thin Client range combines professional design with the latest technologies to drive better manageability and business efficiency.

We continue to raise the bar for thin client performance and value, as well as lead the way with industry-leading security capabilities delivering critical updates in as little as 5 minutes and unique self-repairing capacity allowing businesses to benefit from lower maintenance and support costs.”

With the thin client market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) expecting to rise by 7.4 per cent by 2018, uptake of desktop virtualisation by businesses around the world is gaining momentum. Approximately

the size of a pack of playing cards, this incredibly small computer rises in popularity due to enhanced security and cost savings it offers, allowing users to stay productive and access data from various locations.

It is estimated that 15% of an organisation’s energy costs and carbon footprint results from information technology use, of which 39% is attributed to the use of PCs. While conventional desktop PCs consume an average of 85 to 110 Watts (W), the Xperience thin client device uses significantly less power, allowing businesses to benefit from lower utility bills.

The Xperience Group Thin Client leads the way with proven business technology for maximum security and lower ownership costs. As demand grows for increased productivity coupled with lower maintenance costs and reduced energy consumption, the trend for thin client computing will continue to rise.

Follow The Cloud Simplified

 @CloudSimplified

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Mobile Academy A meal with 9others helps professionals thrive in a complex mobile eco-system The Mobile Academy Belfast offers a collaborative learning environment and provides a grounding in business, design and technology of mobile. It is a partnership between Ulster University and Mobile Monday Belfast, who license it together from The Mobile Academy, created in 2012 by University College London (UCL) and Mobile Monday London.

Over the past three years, some participants of the Mobile Academy London were sent by their employer to bring mobile and entrepreneurial knowledge back to their teams. The programme helped others to get their business ready to make an investment pitch or accelerator application.

There was a large number of founding teams who were already working 100% of the time on their new business and participated to make sure they had the mobile angle properly covered. Others were already on accelerator or incubator programmes and found the course content to be complementary.

A number of attendees had full time jobs and came to broaden their skills, deepen their knowledge of mobile and find out what lean business practice was all about. Looking to evaluate an early concept or discover a new business idea, many alumni got their ideas off the starting block. Finally there were also a number of self-employed participants, working as freelancers or as small agencies – who benefitted from the connections they made whilst updating their mobile knowledge.

The Mobile Academy offers a collaborative learning environment, where everybody shares their own experience and learns from peers as much as from the vastly experienced tutors from NI. Alastair Moore, one of the co-founders of the Mobile Academy in London, explains: “Mobile, as we all know, is constantly changing. It’s why the students and businesses we support need an environment where learning can happen in the context of many unknowns – a place where participants have a licence to explore without an exact outcome in mind. It was in this context that The Mobile Academy was born.”

“From start-up founders keen to build a mobile app-based business in NI, to companies wanting to use apps to interact better with their customers, through to local software companies having to ‘mobilise’ the solutions they have been delivering to clients over the past 10-15 years, we saw a large demand for up-to-date mobile understanding among many employers in NI.” says Norbert Sagnard, co-founder of Mobile Monday Belfast and one of the course directors; “the learning programme set up by UCL and MoMo London - that we replicate 100% in Belfast but with local tutors - delivers a top-notch compact CPD course, preparing local professionals with all aspects of running and growing a business in mobile, like no other course in the world.”

The Mobile Academy Belfast will start on 19th January and run two evenings per week (Tuesdays & Thursdays) until 22nd March 2016. Full information about content, tutors, venue and stats is available at www.MobileAcademyBelfast.org Visit online Mobile Academy Belfast

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mobileacademybelfast.org

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Time to upgrade your commitment to employee wellbeing?

Carecall, with two decades experience as a leading provider of employee wellbeing solutions, is renewing its focus on supporting organisations and employees within the IT sector.

We know that working in any industry can be stressful, but a recent survey

by GFI Software has highlighted the specific issues experienced by managers and employees in this sector.

The fourth annual Stress Survey commissioned by GFI Software has highlighted not only a significant rise in levels of stress in the IT profession in the UK compared to the previous year, but also a rise in the number of health problems arising from workplace stress.

A busy, project-driven environment, deadlines that can’t be broken, client expectations – add to this mixture any number of the everyday things in our lives and we can soon see how wellbeing might begin to suffer.

For those working in the sector it will come as no surprise that 88% of those surveyed said they experiencing workplace stress, but the worrying statistic is that almost 90% of respondents are actively considering leaving their current IT job due to stress.

Startling figures, but you might be surprised to learn that there is a local, cost-effective solution which specialises in employee wellbeing, and crucially can demonstrate a significant return on investment – Carecall.

A social enterprise owned by Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity Niamh (the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health), Carecall is able to call on over 60 years’

experience of mental health recovery and health and social care policy in Northern Ireland gained by Niamh.

The cornerstone of Carecall’s offering is what’s known as an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which plays a significant role in helping employees cope with stress, improves their ability to work and supports relationships between management and staff.

Research by Carecall has shown that such interventions have a dramatic and sustained positive impact on employee mental health and wellbeing which in turn benefits the bottom line of the organisation. Preliminary findings found that employees who had engaged with, and completed, counselling with Carecall reported an average of 9.7 fewer hours of absenteeism per month due to personal problems with the research also indicating a 24% reduction in presenteeism.

These findings are also supported by survey responses from the employees who have engaged with the Carecall EAP themselves whereby: q 91% said they feel more able to handle their difficulties q 74% reported improved work performance q 90% reported feeling an improvement in their overall emotional health This research clearly evidences that the investment by leading organisations in early intervention and support services not only enhances job satisfaction and productivity but crucially it is making a major contribution to the wellbeing of employees.

Through partnering with

organisations such as Allstate NI, Kainos and Liberty IT, Carecall has a proven record of supporting organisations by equipping employees with the skills required to deal with difficult situations through bespoke training offerings tailored to meet the specific demands of the IT sector.

To find out how Carecall can support your organisation visit us online or call 028 9024 5821.

Carecall’s Top Tips…

q Working long hours? Make that extra effort to stay connected with friends and family even if you can’t be with them q Remember the basics… Get enough sleep & maintain a balanced diet q Getting enough exercise? And not just the thumbs! It’s the best stressbuster imaginable q Constantly on standby? Take regular mindful moments to switch off and pay attention to what’s going on around you Visit online Carecall Wellbeing

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carecallwellbeing.com

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Django Girls comes to Belfast D

jango Girls is a worldwide non-profit organization, which was created in Berlin in July 2014. The Django Girls mission is to get people excited about and fall in love with creating things.

The goal of our one-day workshops is not to turn people into programmers in one day but we want to ignite the sparks and show people how much fun it is to build something.

The girls in Django girls stands for our goal to encourage more women to join us in the IT industry. We want our friends, grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and daughters to join us.

We want women of all ages to attend our free one-day workshop and see what the fuss is about.

We will be taking people through building a blog, but at the same time give them exposure to how the internet works - how that blog came into existence. Not all of the code/ programming might make sense right away, but enough will stick to give

people a starting point, a launch pad.

If you are a female, between the ages of 18 and 100, and would like to learn how to code, come to our free workshop on the 20th February 2016.

There will be free food and cupcakes.

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for future workshops! The cut-off date for applications will be the 10th February.

We are looking for people in the Belfast area to help out - from sponsorship to serving tea, so please e-mail us on belfast@djangogirls.org if you’d like to get involved.

Follow Django Girls Belfast

 @djangogirlsbel

Titanic Quarter Set to Hold Youth-led Tech Event

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ooking to the success of events such as MoneyConf and ICONS Festival, Belfast is set to hold an event with a similar model, but with a striking twist: it’s organised by and aimed exclusively at teenagers.

Taking place in T13 on the 12th-13th of February, Future is a hackathon and tech conference that its organisers hope will help inspire the next generation of tech leaders and make them see code as a tool they can harness to change not only their own life but also the lives of those around them.

“We hope to make teenagers see code as more than lines and squiggles on a screen and make

them appreciate it for the magic that it is” - Adam Flanagan, Founder of Future2016 With sponsors including Unilever, Google and BT, Future looks set to be a great event. On the first day, there will be 10 keynote speakers discussing topics ranging from teen entrepreneurship to the future of e-commerce. The event will also have workshops designed to give attendees a taste of what it’s like to run a tech company.

The second day of the event will see a hackathon will take place. Teens will gather in teams of 5 to dream up and prototype ideas for an app or website to revolutionise education.

Mentors will also be on hand to help guide attendees’ ideas into life.

Adam Flanagan, Founder of Future2016

For more information or to buy tickets please visit: future2016.co Follow Future 2016

 @futurehack2016

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Event Spotlight

Upcoming Events

The Science of Star Wars

Business Fitness Session

// 2nd Feb 1pm - 2pm, The Black Box, Belfast

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tar Wars conjures up images of spaceships, superweapons, and all sorts of visions of the future.

Author Mark Brake and TV science presenter Jon Chase probe the fantastic frontier between movie magic and cutting-edge science in a high energy session for all the family inspired by one of the most successful epics in entertainment history.

WHEN 2nd March 2016 WHERE St George’s Market, East Bridge Street, Belfast TWITTER @nispconnect

 Venture Capital

Conference 2016

WHEN 3rd March 2016 WHERE Ramada Plaza Hotel, Belfast TWITTER @Inter_Trade

Visit online NI Science Festival



nisciencefestival.com

// 20th Feb 8pm - 10.30pm, The Black Box, Belfast

an you taste colour? Join us for the Synaesthesia Cocktails night and find out how astute your senses really are. Do you match everyone else’s taste - or are you a colour contrarian?

Having taken away all clues about colour and ingredients, we’ll be conducting a live psychology experiment with 7 delicious cocktails in shot form (your choice whether

WHEN 18th February 2016 WHERE Roe Park Resort, Limavady, Derry / Londonderry TWITTER @Xperiencegroup

 Night of Ambition

Synaesthesia Cocktails

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 Microsoft Office 365

to politely sip or neck ‘em) and testing the audiences colourtaste association, to see what associative trends emerge.

We’ll also hear from a real-life synaesthete and learn about the psychology and neuroscience that causes synaesthesia.

Visit online NI Science Festival



nisciencefestival.com

Promote your event to NI’s tech & business community By featuring on Sync NI’s website & magazine your event will reach 1000’s of readers & active users.

Email info@syncni.com today to find more...

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SYNCNI SYNCNI MAGAZINE MAGAZINE WINTER WINTER 2016 2016

Logging Off...

We’re delighted to see NI Science Festival returning for 2016. After working alongside them last year, it was clear the inaugural festival made a huge impact in Northern Ireland by exposing us to edible insects, entertaining us with British astronomer Mark Thompson, and who can forget the incredible Guinness World Record set!

It’s great to see it back with a bang, and this year the festival is supported by various bodies including the Department for Employment and Learning, who has committed to providing core funding for the Festival until 2019. Brilliant! So if you’re a fan of Dr.Who, Star Wars, or you’re interested in hearing ‘the Internet of Me’ Turing Lecture, make sure to pop down to the NI Science festival between 18th-28th February. We recommend checking out LaTe LaB 2 at Ulster Museum.

Let’s take a look at The Cloud Simplified’s new Thin Client – with the latest technology, this range is designed to help reduce security risks and lower IT maintenance costs for its users. A win win if you ask us, and an easy way for businesses to implement protection.

Northern Ireland, as Civica put it, is vastly becoming the UK’s leading digital hub, and its crucial businesses are taking the right steps to ensure that they are protected against hackers. Make sure to take note of Simpson’s tips on what NI businesses and local government can do to protect against threats.

Thank you for reading and check out www.syncni.com for a daily roundup of the latest happenings in the Northern Irish Technology & Business Industries.

With all these hacking possibilities, it’s no wonder the IT industry is feeling the strain! That’s where Carecall can help. We were shocked to learn that within the UK IT profession, 88% of those surveyed said they experiencing workplace stress, but even more worrying is that almost 90% As pointed out by Conrad Simpson, of respondents are actively considering Cyber Security has been a hot topic playing part to many news headlines. The leaving their current IT job due to stress. likes of the Talk Talk breach, and Ashley This is crazy. Mental health is talked Madison scandal has brought it home about enough, and there needs to be that cyber security is essential. Ward more emphasis on the importance of the Solutions echoed this, highlighting that wellbeing of employees. We welcome the financial loss and reputational damage service of NIAMH and hope it enriches – as well as the distraction from core business activity – can cause lasting and the lives of many.

Here’s to 2016… sometimes irreversible damage.

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Tweet @syncni with your tech & business news and you could feature on the Sync NI website! #syncni

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