Tánaiste announces high-tech R&D Centre for Donegal Network365 to carry out R&D in Letterkenny North-West Region to benefit from world-wide demand for m-Commerce solutions

Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, today (Monday 12th February 2001) announced that Network365, the County Wicklow based m-Commerce software solutions provider supported by Enterprise Ireland, is to locate it’s new research and development centre in Letterkenny. The project will lead to the employment of 30 software developers by the end of the year.

Making the announcement the Tánaiste said, "This is a very strategic development for the North-West Region and Letterkenny in particular. It is a tangible manifestation of Enterprise Ireland’s new Regional Strategy. One of the key elements of this strategy is to encourage and facilitate the expansion of East Coast companies into regional locations.

"This new advanced R&D centre, allied to the Companies Offices in Japan and Scandinavia, represent a global initiative by Network365 to lead the world in mobile commerce software solutions. I understand that the software engineers who will work at the new centre will be using cutting edge technologies to build the world’s most advanced wireless platforms." The Tánaiste said.

According to Raomal Perera, CEO, Network365, "Aggressive global expansion and demand for m-Commerce solutions requires an urgent increase in Network365 headcount to over 100. We already have an R&D center in Co. Wicklow, and have recently opened offices in Japan and Scandinavia. Offices are about to open in London and San Jose and we are planning other offices in USA, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong."

Demand for m-Commerce services over the next five years will dramatically increase, and successful m-Commerce applications will include mobile prepaid account recharging and the use of wireless devices for online shopping. According to a recently issued report from Strategy Analytics, 325 million people will generate m-Commerce revenues of $230 million by 2006, making it one of the most dynamic development opportunities in communications and wireless technology.

Barry Egan, Director, Enterprise Ireland, North-West Region, said, "The establishment by Network365 of this R&D centre in Donegal will encourage our best Third Level graduates in computer science and related disciplines to take advantage of the opportunity to work on leading edge global technology within the Region. In addition, the high level R&D to be undertaken by Network365 will attract experienced software developers who desire to work at that level and at the same time to enjoy a quality of life unique to the North-West".

• M-Commerce is the use of handheld devices to communicate, inform, transact and entertain using text and data, over public and private networks. Network365 is at the forefront of Irelands’ mobile commerce industry, first movers with an enviable record of technology achievements.
• Founded in Ireland in 1999, Network365 has implemented a number of world firsts in m-Commerce: first transactional commerce application over WAP; first use of a mobile wallet in Internet transactions.
• The Esat Digifone On Line shopping service is driven by Network365 mZone Mobile Commerce Server.
• Network365's new R&D facility in Donegal will be headed up by Stella Burns. Stella has many years of experience in the cutting edge of software development, she spent 5 years in Japan working with leading companies including NEC and a further five years in Silicon Valley. Returning to Ireland, Stella worked with Iona Technologies in Dublin prior to relocating to Donegal.