Gerry Hasset, Irish Life, & Graham Mulhern, MXI

Dublin – 6th, February 2012: Wicklow software provider MXI Ireland has secured a €380,000 ($500,000) deal with pensions and life assurance insurance provider, Irish Life, which has selected Tableau Software to support its new vision for Business Intelligence (BI) across the firm. The financial services specialist is using Tableau to provide user friendly dashboards that allow access to data on financial products to 300 of their staff, for use when they out of the office, presenting data to clients using tablet computers. Irish Life chose Tableau Software for its ease of use and cost effectiveness.

Working with business intelligence specialists MXI Ireland, Tableau has allowed the rapid roll-out of sophisticated online interactive data dashboards. The dashboards are currently accessible to business executives, account managers and the CEO, enabling them to review up-to-date information in a highly visual and graphical manner. Ultimately, the primary focus of the tool is to improve sales and customer service management, whilst also increasing business retention.

“From our experience with Tableau Software, we can see that the return on investment is already being delivered,” said Gerry Hassett, CEO at Irish Life Retail. “The whole implementation of my dashboards has taken a few weeks and has been a seamless operation. We can now see what is happening on the day-to-day and week-to-week basis which means we can develop our business accordingly and further enhance our competitive edge.”

Following an evaluation of Irish Life’s existing software and other major players in the BI software market, the company found that competitor products were more difficult to install and use and sometimes had multiple ways to perform the same task. Whilst Irish Life preferred Tableau’s clear and transparent licensing model and found the running costs to be more manageable.

“Tableau Software is an elegant business intelligence solution which is already having a positive impact at Irish Life,” said Graham Mulhern, Director at MXI Ireland. “Business executives and sales managers are following the emerging trends, seeing new and additional insights into the business information and capitalising on relevant opportunities. From MXI’s viewpoint, Irish Life is a household name and this relationship will have real meaningful effect on our business growth over the next few years, both in terms of sales and employment.”

“Our business needed a tool to make the job of analysing data easy,” said Paul Egan, Business Intelligence IT Manager at Irish Life. “We also wanted the ability to produce the information clearly for analysis in dashboard applications and in PDF format and accessible on the web and via the mobile.”

Data extracted from the Tableau will be used to monitor many aspects of business performance including sales margins, costs, the value of new business and head count to maximise efficiencies wherever possible. Customer service will be enhanced with the ability to maintain a deeper level of reporting, tracking the number of contacts that have been made online, via telephone or by paper and spot areas that can be streamlined to promise a better customer experience.

“Every organisation is faced with an onslaught of data and turning it into a format that is useful is the toughest part of the puzzle,” said Bruno Saint-Cast, VP for Europe at Tableau Software. “Irish Life has recognised the value of data in their business and the potential to improve processes and best serve customers.”

Irish Life plans to take their Tableau interactive dashboards mobile. Users will be able to browse content, access favorite reports and quickly collaborate, all while on the go.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Irish Life

Founded in 1939, Irish Life is Ireland’s No.1 provider of Life, Pensions and Investments with over 1m customers and €31bn of assets under management. It has an excellent reputation for service delivery being recently voted ‘Top Life Company’ by the members of the Irish Brokers Association. It has a multi-channel distribution model with leading positions with Pension Consultants, Brokers and Direct. In addition, it has strong relationships with Permanent TSB, Ulster Bank & EBS. The Plain English campaign voted Irish Life as ‘Best in the World’ for clarity and honesty in 2009.

About MXI

MXI was established in 1994 and is a trusted Partner in the IT sector, serving customers across UK, Europe and the Middle East. Initially founded to supply the needs of manufacturing companies, MXI has established a Business Intelligence practice over the last few years specialising in Data Visualisation, Rapid Analytic Software, ETL and Financial Modelling. MXI’s solutions help customers see new insights into their operations, in a rapid and economical manner, forecast and control their day to day activities and achieve new efficiencies. MXI helps customers drive down costs and increase profitability every day.

About Tableau Software

Tableau Software helps people see and understand data. Ranked by Gartner in 2011 as the world’s fastest growing business intelligence company, Tableau helps anyone quickly and easily analyse, visualise and share information. More than 6,500 customers across most industries get rapid results with Tableau in the office and on-the-go. Tens of thousands of people use Tableau to share data in their blogs and websites. See how Tableau can help you by downloading the free trial at www.tableausoftware.com/trial.
For media enquiries please contact:

Simon Palmer
Republic
Tel: 01 282 2504
Email: simon@republicpr.ie

2011 was the ‘European Year of Volunteering’ and with so many people out of work, and donations to charities reduced, Verify Recruitment aims to keep the goodwill of the past year alive by offering skills and expertise to Irish charities for 2012. Verify Recruitment has launched the ‘Volunteer With Verify’ programme and is working with two major not-for-profit organisations that supply help to Irish charities:  The Wheel and Volunteer Ireland. They are looking for both candidates and charities to participate.

The aim of the initiative is to source experienced professionals who are willing to volunteer their skills to work with on projects for which charities require specialist assistance. These are highly skilled professionals whom the charities would not otherwise be able to afford to hire. For those volunteers who are in between jobs it is a way for them to apply their skills and remain productive, whilst they are searching for full-time paid employment.

Cathal Grogan, Managing Director of Verify Recruitment, says: “Volunteer With Verify will source much needed expertise for charities that have specific and unique projects that require specialist skills.  We have always advised our candidates to volunteer their skills in order to keep them busy and up to date in their chosen field. There is often a reluctance in companies with regard to hiring people who have been out of work for an extended period of time, so the initiative also provides an answer to that awkward question in an interview: “what have you been doing since your last role?” as potential employers will see that candidates have been applying their skills productively in a volunteer capacity. And as a recruitment company, we are in a unique position to match the skills of candidates to the volunteer projects, and ensure that the experience is beneficial to all concerned.”

Verify Recruitment is liaising with Irish charities to assess their needs and then approaching its candidates that have the relevant skills required. They have already sourced volunteers to help Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel with major projects such as event management and marketing, HR support, Project Management and implementing new technology changes.

Yvonne McKenna CEO Volunteer Ireland stated: “Helping Charities and volunteer organisations get access to highly skilled volunteers will be of great value.  We ourselves have benefited from the Volunteer with Verify initiative having already been introduced to some very experienced and highly skilled volunteers for some complex projects currently underway.  This is a very positive initiative from Verify Recruitment that we fully support and welcome.”

The benefits of volunteering to jobs-seekers are as follows:

• Verify Recruitment strongly believes volunteering helps with candidates’ self-esteem, maintains their confidence and gives them a sense of having contributed to their community.
• Volunteering shows potential employers that the candidate has remained motivated and has been using their time wisely; it is always easier for a candidate to get a job it they already have a job
• The volunteer positions are specialised in the candidates’ fields of expertise e.g. technology or business management, so they are keeping their skills sharp and keeping up to date with changing work practices.
• The benefits of keeping to a routine cannot be underestimated; whilst it is physically and mentally much healthier for job seekers, doing so keeps the candidates motivated and does not allow them to get into a rut, which can easily happen.
• A volunteer position helps the job seeker demonstrate their skills to potential employers and showcases them to a wider network, such as the charity itself or the organisations that the charity is working with, or to the people that are involved in charities, whom are often retired professionals with extensive contacts.

Grogan adds: “there is an interesting psychology attached to volunteering, people do not naturally volunteer, especially when asked as a group, but when they are approached directly on an individually basis they rarely say no. With the obvious benefits to candidates we do not believe we will have any problem finding volunteers for the positions that are available.”

For more information please contact Simon Palmer of Republic Public Relations on: +353 (0) 1282 2504; email: simon@republicpr.ie; or Twitter @simonprepublic

Notes to Editors

Verify Recruitment was set up in Dublin in May 2009. The company recruits experienced professionals for Irish blue chip companies, specialising in the IT sector and senior project roles. Uniquely it uses a panel of experts to assess and vet its candidates on behalf of its clients.

Set Cathal Grogan, he has 20 years experience in the IT industry, and has held senior positions in Program & Project Management, Product Management, Management Consulting, and Change Management in local and multi-national organisations, within Enterprise Software, Financial Services, Contact Centre and Automotive industries.

Ends

Dublin solicitor Anthony Joyce BBC World Service 22.12.11

Please click the link below to listen to the interview.

BBC Radio 4 Today 20-12-11 Republic PR

There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, according to Snickers Workwear, who’ve launched two new offers on their cutting edge clothing to help Irish workers cope with the extremes of the coming winter.

As the nights close in and the temperature drops people have to still keep working, especially in these tough times when workers can’t afford to be losing days due to bad weather, so preparation and wearing suitable clothing is vital.

Snickers’ specialist clothing works in a layering system, that starts with a special thermal first layer that is vital at this time of year, which they’re offering as part of two new deals on winter essentials.

-> Snickers’ new 1118 Power  Winter Jacket can be got along with a long sleeve first layer thermal and beanie hat for only €79.95 (incl. VAT) – a saving of over €30.

-> For the lower body Snickers have a deal where you can buy their 3214 Canvas +™ Trousers combined with their first layer thermal long johns for only €89.95 (incl VAT).

Specifications

1118 Winter Jacket – for reliable on the job warmth. A rugged Winter Jacket with smooth quilt liner and ergonomic cut for real working comfort and maximum freedom of movement.  True pre bent sleeves – anticipating a
natural working position. High cut front for easy access to trouser pockets and a shaped back that follows the natural shape of the body, extra-long for protection in all positions

3214 Canvas+™ Trousers – Made from our patented Canvas+™ fabric it provides extremely durable and comfortable trousers. Cordura®-Polyamide reinforcements provide extra support. Whilst the Twister Leg™, Snickers Gusset™ and kneepad pockets for the KneeGuard™ gives maximum functionality and extra-protection.

First Layer Thermals – Snickers’ thermals keeps the body warm and dry, whilst transporting moisture away from the skin. The quick drying fabric is treated with an anti-odour to keep the wearer fresh even under extreme
conditions.

Beanie – 80% of our body heat escapes through our heads so this soft and comfortable beanie is designed with a cosy fleece lining and soft fabric.

Snickers Workwear’s range of clothing and accessories are available at over 300 stores across Ireland – a full list of retailers and a catalogue is on their website www.snickersworkwear.ie or by calling 01 409 8400.

For more information please contact Simon Palmer of Republic PR – tel: 01 282 2504 or email simon@republicpr.ie

About Snickers Workwear

Snickers manufacture and provide
workwear for professional tradesmen and service people. Their products are
renowned for their quality, function and innovative solutions. The company was
founded in Sweden in 1975
and since then has grown strongly so that today Snickers Workwear is one of Europe’s leading brands in workwear, and is represented
in 15 countries.

The firm was founded by Matti Viio who
worked as an electrician from 1959 to 1972. In those years working methods,
technology, materials and tools had evolved, but workwear was still the same as
in the mid-nineteenth century. Workwear failed to fill modern requirements
concerning function, comfort and design with manufacturers showing no interest
in the workers’ real needs. In the end Matti Viio designed his own garments to wear
for work.

Sophisticated testing and quality control procedures are carried
out at every stage of the process, from the moment a new design leaves the
drawing board through to final quality certification. Snickers Workwear makes
relevant functions on durable and reliable garments to fit the roughest
conditions.

Ends

Social media agency Simply Zesty wins four new international clients

Niall Harbison and Lauren Fisher founders of Simply Zesty

JOHN COLLINS

DUBLIN-BASED social media agency Simply Zesty has won four new international clients and employment at the firm has increased to 25.

The new clients are pan-European online travel agency Ebookers; data analytics firm Teradata, Russian anti-virus software specialist Kaspersky Lab; and Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Simply Zesty co-founder Niall Harbison said growth at the firm, which was founded in 2009, was being driven by a “combination of factors”, including changing media spending habits.

“Budgets for media spend are shrinking and clients are looking for a better return on their investment so they are turning to social media,” said Mr Harbison. “It’s also more measurable than other media.”

The agency, which will soon outgrow its third office in less than two years, provides a range of services to clients including creating Facebook apps, producing and promoting viral videos and monitoring what is being said about organisations online.

Simply Zesty has worked with brand names such as Sony, Universal Music, Vodafone, ESPN and News International. However, Mr Harbison said not all of the agency’s work was with big names as it also provided training for smaller firms on how to handle their own social media presence.

Jaded by attending technology conferences and meeting the same lawyers, accountants and advisers seeking to drum up business, Mr Harbison decided to invest time in Simply Zesty’s corporate blog, which comments on social media issues. It now has more than one million visitors a month and has attracted business inquiries from Germany, Sweden and Russia.

Last year, Simply Zesty hired Ken Fitzpatrick, a former chief executive of Denis O’Brien-backed recruitment firm Saongroup, to take over the day-to-day running of the agency from Mr Harbison and his co-founder, Lauren Fisher.

“From his experience with Saongroup he’s been a great help in scaling the firm,” said Mr Harbison.

Mr Harbison, a former chef who came to prominence when he pitched his idea for an online recipe site on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, now spends more of his time engaging with social media, writing the company blog and expanding the agency’s range of products and services.

Simply Zesty took a €500,000 investment from market-research firm the Oxford Research Agency last year but Mr Harbison said the company was profitable.

Ends

New appointments by Teradata, Kaspersky Lab, Eurofound, and ebookers takes Irish social media agency’s revenue from exports to 25%

Niall Harbison and Lauren Fisher founders of Simply Zesty

2nd December, 2011; Dublin, Ireland: Simply Zesty, the Dublin-based social media agency founded by Niall Harbison and Lauren Fisher, has today announced it has secured four new major international clients. It means the young company, which was only set up in 2009 and employs 25 people at its St Stephen’s Green HQ, now generates 25% of its revenue from outside Ireland. The firm expects this figure to increase significantly in the next two years and will soon outgrow its third office.

Simply Zesty is synonymous in Ireland for its clever social media campaigns, which have garnered them international recognition and helped build an enviable client list of major worldwide brands including: Sony, Universal Music, Vodafone, ESPN and News International.
Their reputation abroad has been boosted by the success of their marketing blog, which is now one of the biggest in Europe, with over one million readers per month and is regularly cited as a powerful online resource for social media news. It is now ranked at 75 on the Ad Age 150 – a global index of marketing blogs.

The power of the marketing blog has been integral in winning new international business. Kaspersky Lab, the Russian anti-virus software specialists and Eurofound, the European Union’s Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, both heard about the company through the success of the blog – showing that proof really is in the pudding when it comes to digital marketing.

The prominence of Simply Zesty in implementing powerful social media campaigns brought it to the attention of its two other new international clients Teradata, one of world’s largest data warehousing companies, and ebookers the well known travel firm. Simply Zesty has run successful online recruitment campaigns for Teradata in Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Russia; the firm is now developing a website for the whole EMEA market to manage further recruitment campaigns. ebookers Ireland has been a client for Simply Zesty since the start of 2011, and the agency has now won ebookers UK as a full time client, as well as implementing campaigns for France and the Netherlands.

Niall Harbison, CEO of Simply Zesty, says: “Our continued growth is being driven by changing spending habits on media. With budgets shrinking companies are looking for a better return on their investment so they are turning to social media, which has proved very effective for promoting brands and the impact of campaigns is more measurable than other media.

“We have been able to grow the company to 25 positions in one of the toughest business environments this country has seen. It’s an exciting business to be in and the fact that Dublin is becoming such an international hub for technology means we are well positioned to expand further over the next couple of years. Our clients our increasingly viewing us as an international company rather than an Irish one, with a number of campaigns that we’ve run for our brands in Ireland now being rolled out across Europe.”

Campaigns conducted for Simply Zesty’s clients cover social media, Facebook applications, video production and brand monitoring. The company continues to produce work that gains worldwide recognition, such as a video they recently produced to promote the fruit distributor Top Fruit in the UK & Ireland, which was picked up by international sites including Mashable and Mac World, that resulted in video gathered over 100,000 views in one week alone. They also provide training to smaller firms on how to handle their own social media presence.

Niall and Lauren continue to grow Simply Zesty, backed by investment from the UK in 2010 and a strong team in Ireland that are determined to show the growth potential of indigenous Irish companies. Earlier this year the firm also opened their first office outside Ireland, in London’s prestigious West End.

More details on Simply Zesty can be found at http://www.simplyzesty.com. Information on
Kaspersky Lab, ebookers, Teradata and Eurofound can be obtained using the links below:

http://www.kaspersky.com/about
http://www.ebookers.com/info/page?id=AboutUs
http://www.teradata.com/about-us/
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/about/index.htm

For further information please contact Simon Palmer of Republic PR on +353 (0) 851 341 761 or email simon@republicpr.ie

–Notes to editors–

Niall Harbison has a proven online business background, having successfully launched the foodie social network Look and Taste. The site offered hundreds of professional video recipes and a full social network for members, including user-generated content and reviews.
Niall is now a recognised expert in using social media to grow your business, regularly speaking at conferences and seminars to train other businesses.

Lauren Fisher moved to Ireland to start Simply Zesty in July 2009 and oversees the execution of client campaigns. She is a regular contributor to business and media publications, writing articles on the benefits of social media for business and marketing.

Ends

It will be a magnet for lovers of fashion and “style with a history” with over fifty specialists from all over Ireland displaying and selling a wide range of vintage clothes and retro décor. There will be plenty to satisfy the discerning shopper looking for something unique with all sorts of original memorabilia – from 1950s radios to film posters, pretty china to opera glasses. It is a treasure trove of all that was loved and cared for in the 20th century.

There’ll be a lot more to the Dublin Vintage Fashion and Decor Fair than glamorous frocks and elegant hats. With retro makeovers and best dressed competitions expect a stunning parade of retro style, as fairgoers compete for the many prizes. And, with all day vintage entertainment dancing in the retro cocktail bar, you can have fun while spending less and buying ethically.

Joan Murray, producer of the Vintage Fashion & Decor Fair, says: “There is a resurgence in retro and vintage fashion in Ireland. The number of specialists in this area has mushroomed across Ireland recently and most of them will be exhibiting on Sunday. With the success of Irish singers like Imelda May promoting classic styles and the popularity of TV shows like Mad Men and Pan Am, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular”.

What else is happening on the day?

The Team of Stylists and Vintage Experts

- Vintage stylist, Irene O’Brien, will oversee a complete vintage transformation for one lucky prizewinner, which the attendees at the fair can view from start to finish. From “before”, through a choice of fashion era, hair and makeup, and final reveal on stage.  Irene will also be busy throughout the day spotting the most glamorous ladies and gents for the numerous spot prizes, and the Best Dressed final.

- Retro hair stylist Joyce Clarke-Henry of JCH will give a demo and advice on creating a vintage style. Individual vintage hair styling will also be available for those who want to re-capture that retro glamour for themselves.

- Two makeup experts, Chris Loh from Smashbox and Amanda Hynes from Inglot Cosmetics will be giving makeup demonstration and tips, plus individual makeovers to re-create the look of your favourite movie star.

- Makeovers for Men: the Waldorf Barbershop is one of Dublin’s oldest men’s barbers, and is located in an original 1950s salon on Westmoreland Street. They will be providing a complete male grooming service with hot towel shave, moustache waxing and retro hair styles.

- Photographers: Suzanna of White Lil Photographic and Ross Waldron of Rossco Photography will be recording all the excitement of the day, from start to finish, with images posted to our Twitter and Facebook pages after the event and downloads available on request.

MC for the day is Karl X Byrne, producer of the Burlesque and Cabaret Social Club, Dublin’s hottest cabaret. Karl will oversee the music and entertainment in the retro Cocktail Bar where you can take to the floor for to lindi hop or jive the afternoon away.

The Best Dressed Competition

Many of the fair-goers take advantage of the opportunity to dress up in their finest vintage just for fun, or in the hope of winning a spot prize or overall Most Stylish Vintage. The competition is open to men and women. Throughout the day, stylist Irene will pick out paragons of vintage style, to be interviewed on stage about what they are wearing, and ask them to do the model walk for the audience. This is one of the most popular elements of the fair, everyone can join in and most people love showing off and acting the supermodel for a few minutes.

The Dublin Vintage Fashion & Decor Fair
Autumn 2011
Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire
Sunday 13th November
11.30am – 6.30pm
Admission €6
For more details visit www.VintageIreland.eu.
Web: www.vintageireland.eu

Finally anyone with a classic car is asked to bring them along where they will be parked outside the hotel on show and with drivers and all their occupants granted free access to the Fair.

For further details please contact Simon Palmer on 0851341761 or email simon@graftonmedia.com

Grandmaster Howard talked about his promotion in North Korea and showed that at 73 he’s lost little of prowess. Some of his younger more nimble students did the more complicated kicks and punches including a smashing of brick with one punch and the breaking of up to ten tiles with flying kicks. They were even able to break tiles just with their wrists, thus proving that any part of your body can be used to defend yourself.

Sybils was a great sport and even held board as it was broken by Grandmaster Howard’s seven year old grandson Finn.

Please click here to view the TV3 feature

A great job vacancy has arisen for anyone interested in fashion, Snickers Workwear are currently recruiting for a new Marketing Coordinator. Snickers Workear are a Swedish company that practically invented workwear in 1970s. Since then they have become synonymous with stylish, durable and comforable workwear. These days their gear is worn by everyone from tradesmen (and women) to sailors or snowboarders. Whether it’s work, outdoor pursuits or just relaxing about, their clothes can withstand anything the elements can throw at them and because they’re designed as workwear they’re very comfy.

Here are the details:

Marketing Coordinator

Snickers Workwear is Ireland’s leading supplier of high quality functional workwear, designed for professional trade’s people as well as the service, maintenance, distribution and manufacturing sectors. Our products are designed specifically for professionals and the companies they work for.

Reporting directly to our sales and marketing manager the ideal candidate should be a good communicator, market oriented and excel when working individually. You will be part of a dynamic team and will receive a full introduction in our Dublin office as well as our head office in Stockholm.

If you are enthusiastic and would welcome the challenge of working in a fast moving industry we would like to hear from you. Applicants should preferably have at least 2/3 years experience but this is not essential.

Job Description

• Responsibility for producing sales & marketing material for our network of sales representatives. Using Adobe Illustrator, In Design, Powerpoint, Excel etc.
• Producing adverts based on material in our own picture database and current editorials.
• Local adaption’s of marketing and communication materials that are sent from our head office in Sweden.
• Co-ordination of sales and marketing activities within Tradewear. Including administration and follow up of the marketing plan presented by the MD.
• Liaison with third parties such as printers, trade publications, sponsored partners, agencies etc
• Contact with our network or trade outlets regarding Point of Sales material etc.
• Liaising with our head office marketing department regarding PR, advertising materials and other activities etc.
• Public relations support including contact with target media e.g. sending out and follow-up of press releases.
• Administration of  Irish website and Facebook and social media campaigns.
• Proof reading of local and central material.

Candidate

The ideal candidate would be highly motivated with excellent administration and organisational skills.  Have good communication skills.  The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Must have good computer skills and be proficient in Outlook, Word , Excel. Knowledge of the above programs and PowerPoint would be an advantage.

Salary:

TBC – please ask for further details.

There’s more information on the Snickers Workwear’s website, go to www.snickersworkwear.ie for further information or their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SnickersWorkwearIreland

Snickers Workwear, Unit B5, Calmount Business Park, Ballymount, Dublin 12. Tel: 01- 409 8400.

Please send a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and a CV to Jenny.Johnston@snickers-workwear.com

Good luck with your application.

Simon