sync ni magazine - spring 2015

SPRING 2015

Issue 17CITI GROUP 10OSBORNE KING 13KEEN NUTRITION 19

DanskeBanking with a Digital Edge

06 ExclusivePaddy CosgraveInterview

08 Innocent Drinks Juicy Lowdown

wwwsyncnicom Representing Northern Irelandrsquos Tech amp Business Community

jobsHELPING YOU NAVIGATE

NORTHERN IRELANDrsquoS JOB MARKET

VISIT TODAY SYNCNICOMJOBS

3SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015

As I hope you will now be aware and perhaps are already registered to attend Belfast is looking forward to hosting two very significant

international business events this June ndash MoneyConf and EnterConf

The two events combined will become

the largest conference to be hosted in the city to date It is expected that around 5000 of the brightest minds innovators and entrepreneurs will meet over four days to discuss technological trends that will shape and influence the finance business and enterprise sectors not only here but across the world

Conferences like these bring global leaders

not only generating welcome business for our hotels conference venues transport sectors and even hostelries but importantly benefitting the wider regional economy through business-to-business networking and investment opportunities

Attracting these types of events is important

for a great number of reasons It is something Visit Belfast is passionate to continue to build upon as they represent a major opportunity for Belfast to showcase the Cityrsquos strengths and skill-sets across a variety of sectors from IT to medicine academia to engineering as well as the entrepreneurial spirit that has become so evident in recently years particularly within the financial and technology sectors

Tourism over the last 15 years has become

a major economic generator of which business tourism contributes highly Visit Belfast aims to bring the right conference and meetings here that not only generate significant tourism revenue but can also benefit the cityrsquos economy

Welcome to the Spring edition of the Sync NI magazine

foreword from Gerry Lennon Chief ExecutiveVisit Belfast

CONTENT amp EDITORIALNicola McNairEmail nicolamcnairsyncnicomPhone 028 90820944

ADVERTISING amp MARKETING ENQUIRIESCaoimhe CaldwellPhone 02890820942Email caoimhemckennasyncnicom

Natalie GrayPhone 02890820944 Email nataliesyncnicom

SUBSCRIPTIONS Email subscribesyncnicom

DESIGNCanvasWebsite canvasieEmail hellocanvasie

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Sync NI28 Adelaide streetRochester BuildingBelfastBT28GD Phone 028 90820944 Email infosyncnicom Website wwwsyncnicom

COPYRIGHTNo 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 The recruitment agencies listed are acting as employment agencies on behalf of their clients

and deliver in the longer term ndash creating and sustaining jobs enhancing our international profile and in improving the overall attractiveness of the city region as a place to visit do business and even stay Visit Belfastrsquos ambassador programme has been central to our success in increasing the number of national and international conferences and meetings in Belfast Working with an extensive network of medical academic and corporate professionals world-class within their field Visit Belfastrsquos ambassadors have helped us to attract events worth many millions of pounds to the local economy

Bringing a national or international conference

here showcases our universities hospitals businesses and above all our people as world class entrepreneurial innovative and exceptional It also demonstrates Belfastrsquos importance in a particular sector as well as forging links with colleagues across the world For the conference sponsor or organiser it enables them to gain professional recognition amongst their peers and boost personal development whilst supporting education and development in the future

Opening Spring 2016 the pound295 million

investment in expanding the Waterfront Hall will enable Belfast to step up and compete for larger international conferences that attract 1000 plus delegates The 4000msup2 extension will double the size of the existing conference facilities whilst technology and design will enhance the already world-class customer experience yet further

Therersquos never been a better time to choose

Belfast for an event meeting or conference Together with the invaluable work of our cityrsquos ambassadors we will continue to prove a formidable team in promoting Belfast as a leading destination for business and conference tourism

16

Contents

18

TREKROCKIESROCKIESROCKIES

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03 Foreword06 Interview with Paddy Cosgrave07 Choosing the right digital partner08 Innocent Drinks - Juicy lowdown10 10 years of technology Innovation13 The Space Race14 Danske - Banking with a digital edge16 CityBcon - Mobile technology18 Providing IT Solutions for Business19 Introducing Keen Nutrition20 Generation Innovation21 Techstart NI22 Aepona - IOT Technologies23 Out of Orbit - Our journey25 Upcoming Events26 Sync NI - Logging Off

0610Contents

16

23

14

20

Reach 1000rsquos of readersFeature in the next edition

Call today 028 90820941

6 SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015

Itrsquos been called ldquothe best technology conference on the planetrdquo attracting 20000 attendees the Web Summit is

huge You can understand why the NI tech scene was pretty excited when the organisers revealed that they would be bringing two conferences to Belfast this June Sync NI got the chance to catch up with Paddy Cosgrave when he visited Belfast for the Moneyconf and Enterconf launch

q Why did you decide to go with particular themes for the upcoming conferences in Belfast

At the Web Summit we now have separate summits and the biggest one last year was the enterprise summit it experienced the most amount of growth in 2014 so it felt right to create a standalone enterprise conference

With Moneyconf the sheer amount of banking and payment-based startups at the Web Summit are testament to the interest in financial technology In the first year itrsquos not about how big the events are itrsquos all about quality We are determined to start the conferences with really awesome speakers and relevant themes

q The Web Summit attracts an international audience Will it be the same for Moneyconf amp Enterconf

They will be international Even though we have switched the model to invite only which will allow us to get all the right people I think anybody from Northern Ireland who applies will be welcome Even if itrsquos just that curious butcher whorsquos wondering whether he should accept Bitcoin in his business

In terms of people coming from further

afield we are just going to focus on getting the right people in the room

q The NI startup scene is booming What advice would you give to entrepreneurs hoping to make the most of the conferences in Belfast

I have three pieces of advice Hustle hustle hustle I remember in 2012 a startup from the US came over to the Web Summit and for everyday they spent in Dublin they spent three days of preparing They had a strict rulehellipno sleep until the flight home

They stopped at nothing to ensure they met the right people and had great conversations they muscled like crazy Donrsquot expect the best investor in the room to come and find you hellipyou need to work for it

q The location T13 why did you choose it

Our production manager Sinead has produced some of the biggest music festivals in UK and Ireland She has a good sense for cool venues

q What is it about Web Summit that catches peoplersquos attention

We are not boring I had never organised a conference before Web Summit but I had been to loads of music festivals and the sense of fun at these was inspiration for the Web Summit You have to keep it interesting like the content on stage you should not let people talk for any longer than 15 minutes

Also the Web Summit is not 9-5 itrsquos from 9am right around the clock We encourage our attendees to be social go for dinner and network During the

Web Summit Founder Paddy Cosgrave talks to Sync NI

early mornings of the Web Summit I look on my Twitter feed and see these great entrepreneurs posting kebab selfies at 630 in the morning and then they go to their stand at 9 I admire that kind of energy

q Will Enterconf amp Moneyconf be returning to Belfast after 2015

Yes if it goes well and the city works of course I think Belfast is one of the smallest vibrant and most joined together places Itrsquos a young city and everybody is rooting for Belfast to succeed We base all our decisions on attendee feedback so we are looking forward to hearing what people think of the events

PaddyCosgraveFollow Paddy Cosgrave


Itrsquos plain to see that digital communications are becoming an even bigger part of every companyrsquos marketing communications strategy If yoursquore excited about the

potential of digital marketing and planning on appointing an expert to deal with this area of your business here are 5 things you should look for in any potential service provider

q You donrsquot need to be a big agency to lsquodo digitalrsquo But it helps to work with an integrated comms consultancy

with a team of experts who have experience outside of the online world and who understand the delicate interplay between traditional and digital media

Your tone of voice on digital will always be slightly different to the one yoursquoll be speaking with in other media (as in most cases yoursquore talking directly to your customers) but it takes skill and an understanding of the wider marketing mix to balance the informality of the digital space with the same message yoursquore offering in the local newspaper

q Your nephew is coolhellip but leave it to the professionalsItrsquos not uncommon to see businesses (small and large) hand

over their entire social marketing strategy to the intern or the marketing directorrsquos nephew who seems qualified because he has a topknot and over 200 followers on Instagram Your presence on social media is a hugely important part of your corporate identity and should not be taken lightly or put in the hands of someone without proper professional experience in the field Even with the right support stay engaged stay involved - itrsquos your brand

q The digital marketing toolbox is a craftsmanrsquos kit not a DIY playset

Look for experts who have qualifications as well as demonstrable experience Whilst an education should never be mistaken for good sense it at least shows that the company in question has invested time and money into their services and will most likely have undergone training on strategy

One foul move in the back-end of your site can have a significant impact on your search rankings which can be the difference between success and failure for your company or brand ndash so itrsquos important you trust that your supplier knows what they are doing

q Whatrsquos the pointChose an agency or supplier who understands your business

objectives and the specific campaign outcomes you are hoping

for They need to be able to explain exactly why they are recommending you post a skateboarding cat video when that seems entirely unconnected to your pharmaceutical business I love cats on skateboards and can probably defend their inclusion in any social media campaign but if your supplier tells you itrsquos just because ldquoitrsquos coolrdquo it might be time to skate on by

q Avoid the snake oilIf anyone guarantees you the number one spot on a search

engine or quantifies the exact number of followers theyrsquoll add to your social platforms this week feel free to walk away SEO is an ongoing process and social media communities take time to build successfully Donrsquot trust anyone who guarantees you amazing results without going into the detail of how this will be achieved There are many practitioners of the ldquodigital dark artsrdquo and whilst you might quickly build a huge Facebook following or zip up the rankings in the short term social platforms and search engines are continually finding ways of weeding out fake followers or punishing sites which have followed unscrupulous link-building techniques

Like any field of marketing there are few shortcuts just a number of experienced people who know their way and are happy to share their map

Pick a trusted travel partner and good luck with your journey

The Digital Path Choosing the right travel partner

MorrowCommsFollow Morrow Communications

Martin Byrne Digital Communications Consultant Morrow Communications


q How would you describe the innocent brand

I would say it is natural relevant intelligent and slightly irreverent with a strong social conscience I remember when I first came across the brand 15 years ago I was instantly struck by the personal touches on its packaging and the invitation to call ldquoFruit Towersrdquo for a chat I think key to the brandrsquos success is not only its yummy natural products and

Innocent Drinks The Juicy Lowdown from Fruit Towers

instantly recognizable brand properties but also the way it understands its drinkers and connects with them in meaningful and engaging ways The innocent brand purpose is very simple - to get fruit and veg into people so that we can all can live well and die old

It is important to note we have a serious side too We are committed to taking responsibility for our impact on society and the environment We do this by sourcing our delicious ingredients from suppliers who look after both their workers and the environment using as much recycled or renewable material as possible in our packaging and donating 10 of our profits to charity

q How did you get started in Marketing

I was always fascinated by brands and the consumer buyer decision process but I also loved languages and foreign cultures I came across a degree course in International Marketing and

Languages in Dublin City University which combined both of these passions so in my 17 year old head it was the way to go After finishing my primary degree I did a postgrad in Marketing Practice in the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business UCD After graduating I was offered a place on the Unilever Graduate Programme where my first role was looking after take-home ice cream

Since then I have been fortunate enough to work with amazing brands like Cadbury Danone and LandRover I joined innocent as Marketing Manager early this year and I have loved every minute of my role so far

q Describe a ldquoday in the liferdquo at innocent HQ

Fruit Towers is a fantastic place to work Where else would you find a carpet made out of fake grass with daisies growing out of it and access to delicious juice and smoothies I enjoy working alongside dedicated and enthusiastic people who live the values of being natural entrepreneurial responsible commercial and generous

I know this is going to sound very clicheacuted but really no two days are the same here For example yesterday I was

At Sync NI we have always appreciated the inventive and fun style associated with Innocent Drinks so were delighted to chat to Damian Hughes Marketing Manager and lsquoSmoothie Operatorrsquo about the well-loved brand

9 SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015 9SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015

innocentIrelandFollow Innocent Drinks

innocent Unplugged an event that will take place in a secret woodland location outside London on the 23rd and 24th of May

The weekend is all about disconnecting from the world of technology and enjoying great music listening to awesome guest

at the launch of innocentrsquos joint initiative with Grow It Yourself (GIY) called Sow and Grow The purpose of Sow and Grow is to get children growing veggies and educating them about the importance of having 5 portions of fruit and veg per day ndash unfortunately 1 in 4 Irish kids donrsquot reach this quota

However today I am working on

speakers feasting on a banquet fit for a king and a host of other fun and lsquodefinitely not plugged inrsquo activities I had intended to do some invoicing today but I think Irsquoll leave that now until Mondayhellip

q Innocent have a lsquotongue and cheekrsquo creative presence how is this achieved

Central to innocentrsquos distinctive creative presence is the brandrsquos tone of voice At innocent we make natural products for people just like us The innocent tone came from friends talking to friends (the 3 founders) so speaking and writing naturally are at the heart of everything we do Relevance resonates

The best copy and creative pieces are based on original insights relating to our drinkers and our products We appreciate that our drinkers not only look great but have a healthy dose of grey matter between their ears too so we try to always keep our copy erudite stimulating and interesting We donrsquot dumb things down

We also get some great ideas by engaging in conversations with our wonderful drinkers which we then use as public facing content For instance wersquore

proud supporters of Penguin Awareness Day because a nice guy called Paul told us that the day existed Thanks Paul

q How have Innocent captured the digital trends

We have a group of really bright and beautiful people working on our digital

team who are all over whatrsquos happening in the wonderful world of digital If they donrsquot know about a trend then itrsquos either not worth knowing about or itrsquos lsquoso yesterdayrsquo that they have forgotten all about it

On Facebook and Twitter wersquove built up a hub of funny creative interesting followers who are always giving us fresh content ideas and helping us keep on top of what the next big thing will be

q What challenges do Innocent faceOur vision is to be the earthrsquos favourite

little healthy drink company It is a big task but we think itrsquos important to have something to strive towards We need to always keep our drinkers at the heart of what we do and ensure that our brand offerings events and communications material continue to delight them

There is no doubt that there is some strong competition out there that we have to face but never underestimate the power of a group of people who believe in what theyrsquore doing some

grassy vans loads of delicious fruit and veg and the occasional corny joke

q What does the future holdThe future is just peachy for innocent

The company is in a very exciting phase of its journey We are expanding into new territories and launching new and exciting products such as Coconut Water which is hitting stores around now

q If you were a smoothie what flavour would you be and why

Sometimes I think I am half smoothie already thanks to the amount I drink ndash itrsquos not my fault my desk is close to the officersquos grassy fridge

If you insist that I come up with a less evasive answer then I would say I would be one of our delicious new range of Super Smoothies because of my super strength and amazing speedhellipdid I mention I could be corny

10 SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 201510 SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015

Marie FyfeCan you tell us about yourself and your current role in CitiI am currently Chief of Staff for Product Services Department within Citirsquos Institutional Client Group (ICG) This group provides technology solutions for the Investment banking section of the organisation I am responsible for the management of 2000 staff and vendor employees globally I started 10 years ago as a Technical Support Analyst within a small team working solely within the Risk Treasury and Foreign exchange business lines I provided all aspects technical and application support for the Front Office traders through direct interaction with traders and business groups We were responsible for a large suite of applications allowing me to learn about

10 years of Delivering Technology Innovation in Belfast Equities Electronic ExecutionOver the past 2 decades Electronic Execution (EE) was transformed from being a feather in an Investment bankrsquos offering to being the foundation of all trading Todaysrsquo business simply could not manage the complexity or volume of trading without the innovations in the EE Platform This technology has enabled the business to evolve client offering allowing more trading options and flexible trading styles across asset classes The end result is a best in breed technology-driven platform that is at the forefront of tradingAs the market has changed having the fastest platform is no longer the benchmark clients demand real insight into market activities and clarity on how the smart trading algorithms have executed their orders Therefore EE has been challenged to evolve its product offering continually pushing the limitations of hardware and software at all levelsThe Electronic Execution team in Belfast was first formed in 2006 and has been steadily growing in numbers knowledge and ownership The site strives to be an innovation centre containing global application owners and technology innovators The EE team has driven the platform forward pushing and stretching the latest languages technology and tooling boundaries

In 2014 Citi announced that it was investing pound54million creating 600 new highly skilled jobs Announcing the new jobs First Minister Peter Robinson said ldquoThis pound54million announcement creating 600 new jobs by Citi reflects the firmrsquos confidence in its Belfast operations and its continuing commitment to Northern Irelandldquo The deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said ldquoCiti ramping up its presence here is outstanding news This significant expansion will inject over pound21million of new salaries to the local economy annually ldquo

upStart ndash Innovation in ActionNow in its fourth successful year Citi upStart is an entrepreneurship programme delivered in partnership with Queenrsquos University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin Teams of students studying for Masters degrees at the universities create their own start-up businesses for a new technology product or service Each business plan had to provide a real market prospect and teams competed with each other to win prizes from Cisco Microsoft and Citi to help them advance their technology product or service The programme culminates in a Dragons Den event where competing teams pitch their business ventures to a panel of judges from the global technology community which in the past has included Microsoft Cisco Red Hat Reed Elsevier Ventures and Citi Dr Stephen Farry Minister for Employment and Learning attended the awards ceremony in 2014 and met the students Speaking at the event the Minister said ldquoICT is the driving force of a globally competitive economy underpinning innovation competitiveness and long term prosperity and has a key role to play in taking forward our economic growth I see events such as todayrsquos as key building blocks in delivering a higher value added economy for Northern Irelandrdquo

technology as well as the business This team was one of the first groups to be established in Belfast as a near shore solution of the high cost hubs in London and New York Over the last 10 years I have had the opportunity to take on more responsibility across the teams and site developing business lines into Belfast and progressing into more challenging roles as the company has grown

Can you tell us about your background before you joined CitiI qualified with a degree in Computer Science at Queenrsquos University My first full time position was with a company where I had also completed my placement year The opportunity to join Citi appealed to me as it was a new company to Belfast It wasnrsquot the specific job that appealed to me but more the opportunity to do something different with a company that would provide a long term career path for me

What are most rewarding and challenging aspects of your jobCiti is a truly global organization and I do feel part of a global team Belfast is an extension of the wider organization with client interactions from all over the world which keeps it interesting Investment Banking is a really interesting business We work with traders who manage million dollar risk portfolios and need the best technology to stay competitive Some of the greatest benefits are the variance

of roles within technology working with progressive technical strategies across multiple lines of business and technologies

How has Citi changed in the last 10 yearsCiti in Belfast has developed and matured as a site There has been much investment to ensure we are recognized as part of a global group Our track record of success in Technology over the last 10 years has made it an attractive and viable solution to other business linesfunctions allowing Citi in Belfast to continue to grow As well as this our success in Belfast has allowed us to develop and replicate our service into other global locations including Toronto New York Singapore The expertise and knowledge developed here has been a huge benefit globally and has given opportunities to a number of employees to take mobility opportunities in other parts of the company globally

What would you say to someone who is considering a career with CitiI joined Citi for an opportunity as opposed to the specific role There are many opportunities progression responsibilities and variety of technologies Speak to any Citi employee ask questions to understand what the organization offers It is often difficult to understand the variety of what we do as I also had little idea before I joined

YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005

375 Technology Jobs announced

2007Announcement

of 40 Jobs in Legal and

Compliance

Sep 2009

Gateway Building in Titanic Quarter

opens

2013HR Function

migrates to Belfast and expansion of

Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles

Technology expansion

to 560 jobs

Operations expansion to 400 jobs

Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with

Global Functions expansion planned

Feb 2014

2014 Winners Occursio Queenrsquos University ndash Innovative Video Messaging Service












YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014


MEMBER SERVICESWITH NI CHAMBER YOU ARE WELLCONNECTED

GET INVOLVEDNI Chamber provides membership to cover all sizes and sectors of business

bull Events amp Networking

bull Profile Enhancement

bull Export Support

bull Influence Policy

bull Business Information

For further information on joining NI Chamber or to find out how to maximise your membership please email

garethwilliamsonnorthernirelandchambercom

wwwnorthernirelandchambercom


assignment or sub-letting opportunities not all of these will be advertised on the open market

There are a number of advantages to appointing an agent to carry out your office search on your behalfq Ensuring that you are looking at space which matches your requirements and that you are aware of all lsquoon marketrsquo and lsquooff marketrsquo opportunities

q Advising you on overall occupancy costs including Rent Rates and Service Charges

q Negotiating lease terms on your behalf to ensure you have the flexibility you need within your cost budget

q Knowledge of upcomingnewly refurbished office stock and new build developments that may be in the pipeline

The arrival of new tech sector companies to Northern Ireland along with the growth of those already based here is an exciting prospect and will further enhance the office sector within Northern Ireland albeit occupiers in this sector need to appreciate that landlords are not used to companies who can grow extremely quickly and often require expansion space following the first 12 months of occupation

Appointing a professional advisor to search for premises and negotiate your occupancy terms will help to deliver the flexibility required and ensure that your property requirements donrsquot become a problem

Anyone who has been searching for office space in Belfast recently may have been surprised by the lack of high quality space available in the city centre and

Greater Belfast area In the last 12 months there has been a significant upturn in occupier requirements for ldquoGrade Ardquo space which has been driven by a combination of arriving US and UK based firms absorbing space and local companies seeking to expand after a period of consolidation

At present city centre headline rents are in the region of pound1500 per sq ft (albeit INI quotes pound1250 per sq ft) and we expect this to increase over the course of 2015 In simple terms the demand for ldquoGrade Ardquo space is outweighing the existing supply and there is only one new build office development underway at present ndash lsquoCity Quaysrsquo at Belfast Harbour In an ideal world private landlords would have started other lsquonew buildrsquo schemes around the city but therersquos a problem

Based on the best current headline rental levels of c pound1500 per sq ft it is not economically viable for developers to construct new premises Office rents will need to be in the region of pound1800 - pound2000 per sq ft before cranes appear on the Belfast skyline once again

In recent years Northern Ireland has become a viable office location for global firms Our package of low occupancy costs comparatively low wage costs and good quality of life has been key in attracting new occupiers and will continue to do so going forward if a cut in corporation tax is delivered it should enhance an already attractive offering

INI have been successful in attracting job opportunities but the lack of Grade A space will delay these coming on stream INI need to understand the commercial realities required to deliver new build projects To meet the increasing demand a number of private landlords are in the process of refurbishing existing office stock This will create some excellent opportunities in the short term for those looking to expand

Itrsquos vital that tenants are correctly advised when seeking to acquire new accommodation Given the lack of available high quality space opportunities may arise in the form of lease

The Space Race

richardmccaigosbornekingcomEmail Richard

SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 201514

Sync NI asked Kris Thompson Digital Channels Manager at Danske Bank how the bank has embraced the digital world

q People are increasingly living their lives through their smartphones is that the case in banking too

Very much so We ended 2014 with more than 25 million online banking logons for the month a record high ndash and 80 per cent of those logons were through smartphones We are no longer becoming a mobile generation we are the mobile generation and itrsquos not just young people ndash we know of a 100-year-old customer who regularly uses our online banking service

Wersquore also aware that not everyone with a bank account is a digital native so wersquove invested in training a Digital Specialist for every branch to help take people through the various services the bank has available online and on mobile devices This complements our innovative Step by Step programme which we designed in partnership with Age NI to help educate our older customers on all the many ways of doing their day to day banking

q Many banks are now focusing on digital ndash what makes Danske different

Danske Bank has been leading the way on technological innovations on how we meet and interact with our customers for several years Last year we were the first bank in Northern Ireland to launch Paym the UK industry-wide mobile payments project which allows real time person-to-person

payments by mobile phone using only a phone number We were able to introduce our own elements of functionality and our user experience is considered lsquoleading edgersquo by the UK Payments Council Since its launch a year ago over 20000 of our customers have registered for the service and over pound6 million has been sent by our customers this way

We were also the first bank in the whole of the UK to offer Online Meetings last year The service provides customers with the option to attend a meeting with one of our advisors from anywhere that suits them via their PClaptop The advisor talks to the customer over the phone whilst sharing

Two billion is the number of people around the world using smartphones that have an internet connection and a touchscreen according to re-cent estimates Smartphones are getting cheap-er at the lower end of the market and at the top end they can carry out an increasing list of ever more complex tasks

Always having a computer with them removes constraints on what people do when they do it and where As more of our lives move online it makes sense that banking too is becoming more innovative interactive and mobile

Banking with a Digital Edge


visual illustrations and calculators online through our secure online banking platform

OFCOM has found that mobile and tablet ownership in Northern Ireland is among the highest in the UK so wersquove already made our apps available for customers with iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices and wersquoll be first off the mark in NI with a new app for Windows phones in the very near

future

q Lots of digital products donrsquot really take off so how does Danske Bank decide what will work

I suppose we are more focused on the need for technology to make our customersrsquo lives easier rather than the technology itself We listen to what our customers tell us they want and we analyse how they use technology That guides our innovation and decision

making processes around new digital developments as opposed to introducing gimmicks

q How are Danske Bank leading the way with technological innovation

Innovations that have worked for us are focused on customer service One of our most recent innovations for example is Spending Overview a dashboard that provides a visual view of what you spend your money on and what income comes into your account Customers find it really useful for keeping a very close eye on their spending which in turn helps them to manage the family budget

Contactless payments for purchases is another example of helping to improve our customersrsquo experience Spending on contactless cards has more than trebled in the last year to reach a record pound232 billion in the UK proving contactless has stepped firmly into the mainstream For retailers contactless means quicker queues at the till and convenience for customers so we see the benefits in that technology

Danske Bank is the largest issuer of contactless cards in NI with over 265000 contactless cards in operation so the use of this technology in NI is set to rise further especially if the industry increases the spending limit as planned from pound20 to pound30 in September of this year

q Tech companies are now moving into the financial space is there a risk that banksrsquo digital products could become irrelevant

Wersquore keeping an eye on new technologies like Apple Pay But that is still in the early stages and hasnrsquot been tested to the same degree as cards We will continue to embrace the technology but we also need to make sure the technology enhances rather than erodes a customerrsquos relationship with us

Two billion is a big number

Kris Thompson Digital Channels Manager at Danske Bank ktdanskebankcouk

DanskeBank_UKFollow Danske Bank


CityBcon is a mobile app that provides small and medium retailers with a new mobile sales channel The app allows retailers to reach their customers with targeted promotions and offers and to transact on smartphones (iOS and Android) Most small retailers wonrsquot have a native presence on smartphones With CityBcon they will

The problem we solveWe focus our attention on the SME high street retailer

who currently faces many challenges in particular massive and growing competition from online stores Online sales are growing at a rate of 16 per annum in comparison to high street sales growth of 3

We realised that the majority of SME retailers did not plan to release mobile apps due to cost complexity of development and volume download challenges Irish Consumers are avid smartphone users with the Irish regulator lsquoComregrsquo reporting that mobile data usage has grown by 75 among smartphone users over the last 12 months

Customers are increasingly using their mobile device to spend money with mobile commerce increasing at three times the rate of online spend And with online spend here in the Irish Republic alone at euro6Bn we can see the importance of this trend towards mobile and the magnitude of the mobile commerce market

CityBcon - Mobile Technology Designed to Revolutionise the High Street

How CityBcon WorksOur technology is built around five pillars content beacon

detection analytics messaging and payment The content is curated in-house and is of the highest quality including high quality photography as this greatly defines the user experience Beacon detection is core to our value proposition to both retailers and users providing spontaneous context driven content Wersquore working with LocalSocial and Aplix in this area

The beacons do more than provide context however They are the backbone of our analytics system which is being developed on IBM Watson Analytics The beacon locations are tied to brands in our content management system which helps us develop user profiles We further develop user insight through social media integration Layered on top of this is the messaging system which only communicates with users about brands (and businesses) they love Wersquore using another IBM product in this area and finally payment which is likely to

Sync NI caught up with John Fleming to discuss his experience of the inaugural Irish Accenture FinTech Programme This intense 12 week programme culminated in Fleming pitching his mobile app CityBcon to investors in both Dublin and London last month

CityBcon ensures that the SME Retailer does not remain invisible to its consumers by giving retail partners a presence on our mobile platform

C SYNCNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2015 17

be via FEXCOrsquos mobile payments solution

All of this technology is largely hidden from the retailer and user The retailer can work with us via email we do the rest They can be live on CityBcon gaining mobile app presence in a few hours For the user they just get a great experience which they can control

A key innovation for us is building a list of loyal customers for our merchant partners Once a user has been in store for a few minutes we note this via the beacon and add this to the storersquos CityBcon fan list building a marketing list for subsequent targeted communication These footfall additions are then combined with the userrsquos social media brand and store likes creating a 360 view of the user shopping habits

My JourneyBuilding a commercially viable product is challenging but the

Product Management Programme at the Dublin Institute of Technology trained me to better understand the complexities involved in building products which customers love

Today CityBcon has over 20 beacon sites live across Dublin including retail outlets restaurants and hotels Aer Lingus has also come on board as part of our partner programme

We have just completed the Accenture Fintech Accelerator and IBM Global Entrepreneur Programme is helping us to build the product This has not been a straight road We have had to demonstrate value to retailers and so introduced beacon technology into our product We have funded this product ourselves with some help from Enterprise Ireland Starting up is a series of failures culminating hopefully in success

Whatrsquos the ultimate goalWe really want to make a difference on the high street

giving powerful native mobile solutions to retailers of all sizes while building a shopping experience that users love And to do this around the world via partners Thatrsquos not too much to ask is it

CityBconFollow CityBcon

Karin OrsquoBrien and John Fleming from CityBcon

PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI

ALL PRICES INCLUDE LUNCH EXCLUDES VATRALLY SCHOOL IRELAND

6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN

047-89098WWWRALLY SCHOOLIRELANDIE

3 SUPERCARSpound225

6 LAPS PER CARpound149

4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A

CHAMPIONBEHIND THE WHEEL

pound375All

7 Cars

RSI A4 Advert Syncni_Layout 1 14052015 1940

W W W R A L LY S C H O O L I R E L A N D I E

v i s i t N O W W W W R A L LY S C H O O L I R E L A N D I E


Acorn IT Solutions Providing IT Solutions for Business

Based in Northern Ireland we deploy Sage Accounting software and CRM solutions to 300 businesses throughout the UK and Ireland In addition to these core products we also offer to our customers bespoke development and training and support on the full range of Sage products

Our wealth of knowledge and experience across the Sage range empowers us to provide high standards of service and communication to each of our clients

Introducing Sage 200 v2015 One product we are particularly excited

about this year is the launch of Sage 200 v2015 The latest release will offer customers both new and existing a wide range of advanced features including Improved Usability Modernisation and User Flexibility

As a business-wide software solution Sage 200 Software is an ideal fit for growing businesses Customers can manage their finances clients and business insights in one easy solution and the product design enables a smoother data-sharing process benefiting all business streams

If you need the freedom to run your business your way this solution will provide you with that desired flexibility to access your information ndash whenever wherever

Sage 200 is a full Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution designed to help SMEs achieve full visibility of information across their entire business

An extensive range of module and feature choices enables the user to

Who are weEstablished in April 2002 Acorn IT Solutions is recognised as one of the largest fully accredited Sage Business Partners

customise the solution to their preferred criteria

As a Sage Accredited Business Partner we are here to support you with any tailoring that needs carried out to your solution ensuring it meets the needs of your business

infoacornitsolutionscom Email Acorn IT Solutions


Northern Irish company Keen Nutrition have been making

waves in the food amp drink industry with their healthy nut butters We spoke to founder Aimee Beimers and asked her about the thriving business

My business journey Whilst working as a Nutrition

Consultant I identified a gap in the market for foods that make it easier for people to make healthy choices in their diet ndash foods that are familiar to ones theyrsquore currently eating

The sector that stood out was the peanut butter and chocolate spread industry ndash primarily mass-produced products full of sugar oil and salt At the same time I was aware of a trend emerging in the spread industry in recent years ndash the rise in consumption of all types of nut spreads

This made nut butter and chocolate spreads the perfect entry point for Keen Nutrition After validating the range of products at local markets throughout Northern Ireland Keen Nut Butter was launched into its first independent retail location in June 2013

Keen Nutrition now sells its range of

Introducing Keen NutritionKeen Nut Butter in 264 retail locations throughout the UK and Ireland

My highpointsA recent highpoint was being

awarded the Runner-up award for Peoplersquos Choice in the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards

Keen Nutrition didnrsquot even exist when the last awards were held in 2013 yet has managed to capture the hearts of Northern Ireland foodies and win the position against national food brands including Tayto Hovis Moy Park and Mash Direct losing only to Punjana tea

Keen Nutrition doesnrsquot have the national reach of the large commercial brands so we relied on the passion of our foodie fans and the local retailers that stock our products to support them online ndash this resulted in generating a social media reach of over 400000 people No small feat for a tiny team of artisan food producers

My challengesI think my challenges are similar to

a lot of other small food producers - supply chain management debt collection and the needs that arise with a team of 12 These are the daily challenges that need to be balanced

KeenNutritionFollow Keen Nutrition

with the challenges of growing an artisan brand and being strategic about where we go next

Where we got our nameThe name Keen comes from

a time when my husband and I circumnavigated Australia on a tandem recumbent tricycle Throughout the entire 465 days of the journey people kept saying ldquoYoursquore keenhelliprdquo but at the same time gave excuses as to why they could never do something so risky For me the name Keen means having no excuses and as a food producer Keen Nutrition makes products that donrsquot require any excuses to get healthier

The future

Keen Nutrition will continue to grow sales of our nut butter but we are also investing in NPD to determine which will be the next food to receive the lsquoKeen touchrsquo and get a lot healthier

Aimee Beimers founder Keen Nutrition

For Northern Irelandrsquos top Tech jobs Visit wwwwprjobs

Wellington Professional RecruitmentRochester Building28 Adelaide StreetBelfastBT2 8GD

+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details


The US producer entrepreneur and tech innovator william has encouraged teenagers here

to ldquoget excitedrdquo about a career in the entrepreneurial knowledge economy

More than 200 young people received a special personal message from The Voice star as they gathered for the Generation Innovation lsquoNight of Ambitionrsquo

Teenagers from 80 schools and colleges came together at St Georgersquos Market for the annual event organised by the NISP CONNECT team at the Northern Ireland Science Park

This action packed evening aims to inspire 16-17 year olds to consider a career in the tech and creative industries by getting them ldquoup close and personalrdquo with some of Northern Irelandrsquos most influential entrepreneurs and innovators This year company founders taking part included Chris Johnston from Adoreboard Mary McCall of TreatTicket and Ian Scott from video-content tagging company Taggled

This was no ordinary networking event ndash the teenagers were teamed up in small groups with these hugely successful mentors in an ldquoIdeas Factoryrdquo to come up with innovative products which they then pitched to the room in just one sentence Ambition was the theme of the night Having heard from 17-year-old finalist

US star william inspires local teenagers at Generation Innovation Night

of the Science Parkrsquos INVENT 2014 Gareth Reid (creator of an app to help people with dyslexia) and having a live link-up with ex-pat Hannah Hunt a 27-year-old from Co Down who now works in Googlersquos San Francisco HQ the celebrity highlight of the night was a video message from william a rapper with a passion for science and technology

In his message he said ldquoI canrsquot wait to use the things that you guys create I canrsquot wait to be knocked off my feet by the things that you guys bring to the worldrdquo

Generation Innovation Programme Manager Claire Burgoyne said the night was a huge success ldquoThere was an incredible buzz of energy and enthusiasm When yoursquore a teenager it can be very hard to see a path to a future career it can be really difficult for a young person to imagine themselves ever being the next Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates

ldquoGeneration Innovation aims to show young people in Northern Ireland that there are success stories right here on their own doorstep local innovators who have been there done that ndash and who are making it big time

ldquoThis is a unique opportunity to meet

these guys interact with them and pick their brains for advice We want these students to go away thinking lsquoI want to be like them ndash if they can do it so can Irsquo

The Generation Innovation event was hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Phil Taggart and was supported by the Creative Industries Innovation Fund Allstate NI Asidua Coca Cola Liberty IT SAP Total Mobile Anaeko Core Systems Dow Queenrsquos University and Ulster University

Bro McFerran Vice President and Managing Director of first time sponsors Allstate Northern Ireland said ldquoAllstate NI are delighted to be sponsors of NISPrsquos Generation Innovation Night of Ambition As Northern Irelandrsquos largest IT company we have witnessed first-hand the rapid expansion of the IT industry in Northern Ireland and the need for local people to possess the relevant IT skills in order to fill the ever increasing amount of jobs being advertised

ldquoWe therefore realise how important it is to invest heavily in the younger generation of Northern Ireland to be able to future-proof our economy and close the IT skills gap that we are currently experiencingrdquo

GenInnovatorsFollow Generation Innovation


Sync NI caught up with Hal Wilson Jamie An-drews and Kathleen Garrett of the techstart NI team to hear how things were going now that the operation has been up and running for nine months

As a refresher who are Pentech Ventures and what is techstart NI

Pentech Ventures is an Edinburgh headquartered venture capital fund manager focused on early stage technology opportunities Pentechrsquos Belfast office manages the techstart NI initiative (part of Invest Northern Irelandrsquos Access to Finance Strategy) that comprises Equity Seed Capital for NI technology companies Proof of Concept Grants and Investor Awareness Training Programs

Our teamrsquos mission is to help accelerate the growth of quality early-stage technology companies in NI The Pentech team has significant first-hand experience of growing successful companies in the technology sector We are really excited about what we can do to help the NI market

So how has techstart NI been goingWe have been working hard with all our partners and

supporters integrating techstart into the local ecosystem Now that we are fully operational we would like to share a few of the highlights -The build out of the techstart team has been completed with the appointment of Jamie Andrews Jamie has held senior operational roles in two international technology companies Lagan Technologies and Rainstor helping them grow with help of venture capital expand internationally and exit Jamie has recently returned to NI after a 4 year stint in San Francisco as COO of Rainstor that culminated in an MampA exit in December 2014

In terms of equity deals done we have now completed six investments

Brewbot Ltd Inflyte Ltd Beacon Publishing Ltd Laser Spoke Ltd Titan IC Systems Ltd and Mindflood Ltd (Patchblocks) We are super-excited to be working with these companies

Our Proof of Concept activities have left us in no doubt that the innovative ambition of NI is stronger than ever and

Investing in NIrsquos New Generation of Tech Innovators

the variety and quality of the innovations continually coming forward is pretty astounding As a competitive programme we cannot fund every project we see but we have awarded 37 Concept Grants and 36 Pathfinder Grants since last August

Through our workshops we are trying to bring a new dimension to the market for up-skilling and experience sharing We held a well-attended ldquoAcceleratorsrdquo workshop with Jon Bradford from TechStars and a ldquoKickstarter master classrdquo - both events got really great feedback

We also organised a lsquoGrowth Hackrsquo event bringing successful entrepreneurs from within and outside NI together in front of 140 folk to share their experiences of how they were able to deliver significant growth in users customers and revenues We will be looking at putting on some other high profile events through the year Techstart NI also moved premises to 21 Talbot Street Cathedral Quarter Belfast We will be holding some Open Offices at our new HQ throughout the year as well as at our lsquohot desksrsquo in the Science Parks in Belfast and Derry

How do you see the NI market and the opportunities for ambitious technology entrepreneurs

We are excited with the quality and number of ambitious entrepreneurs that are approaching us We believe that our diet of opportunity is strong and that wersquoll be making further meaningful progress in all aspects of techstart over the coming months We do believe firmly that business is a team sport and we will be working hard to help encourage the formation of teams around solo entrepreneurs so that their ambitions have a greater chance of being realised

infotechstartnicom Email techstart NI






At Mobile World Congress Aepona

demonstrated that the value of IOT is not just in the ldquothingsrdquo but in the insights and business models that the services and applications created on top can unlock

Aepona showcased a Smart

How IOT technologies can have a positive Impact on city life

Cities application which shows how data sources and devices can be combined to create value added services enabled by the Aepona platform in this case dynamic congestion charging

The world is becoming increasingly urbanized with an estimated 60 of the population living in cities by year 2030 There are many variables affecting the quality of life for the urban population and how efficiently enterprises and organizations can operate with Managing these variables is of fundamental importance to how the cities are operated and governed Technology based services are playing an increasing role in making citizensrsquo lives better

To take a specific example ndash traffic congestion is one of the major problems facing our cities today The pollution resulting from it causes poor air quality and increased noise levels There is a greater risk to pedestrians and other road users ndash not only from the sheer volume of traffic but from frustrated and stressed drivers And of course the impact of congestion on the economy is enormous

Cities have attempted to solve the problem in a number of ways but many of these schemes are unpopular the road

userrsquos perception being that the controls are not applied fairly and donrsquot allow the driver be in control of the charges that they may incur

By utilizing data from widely deployed air quality sensors cities have the option of linking the congestion charge with the current air quality allowing for rapid correction of high levels by affecting the behavior of drivers

The dynamic congestion charging application enabled by Aepona shows how air quality sensors can be linked to control the congestion charge in two zones within the city and to offer incentives to commuters by discounting the cost of using the park and ride facilities

The congestion charging application hows how easy it is toq Create new services and APIs on the Aepona platformq Deploy those new services to both the cloud and gatewayq Build cross-platform applications on top of those servicesq Leverage Service Provider (Telco) assets in IoT

q Combine all the data and sources to create meaningful services q Integrate with other Intel products such as Retail Channel Manager Wind Riverq Integrate with 3rd party providers

The application shows how Intel hardware and software can be combined to provide a complete IoT story from the device through the data center and up to the end user via applications It demonstrates how enterprises can go beyond simply collecting and analyzing data from sensors how they can leverage IA hardware and software to unlock the value of IoT through services that add new and interesting capabilities and providing revenue sharing opportunities between all the parties involved

Aeponarsquos software provides the building blocks that allow Intelrsquos customers and partners to fully realize their investment in IoT

aeponaintelcomVisit online Aepona


In 2011 after the successful delivery of Yuki an ambitious IrishJapanese

short film funded by Northern Ireland Screen Brian J Falconer and Jonathan Beer formed Belfast based production company Out of Orbit

2012 was all about the festival

circuit Short films are not intended for theatrical release so they spend their life travelling around the world showing at film festivals Yuki screened at Cannes Short Film Corner was official selection for the Galway Film Fleadh LA Irish Film Festival and Sau Paulo Cinefantasy to name a few

Our second short film Land is God was filmed in Falconerrsquos home county of Fermanagh

Beer originally from Derby says of the film ldquoIt was our intention to make something very personal the notion of land being passed down through generations resonated with Brian and the backdrop of the Fermanagh Lakelands helps make this a very Irish talerdquo Both Yuki and Land is God have a unique aesthetic that is rooted deep in the fabric of the story something Out of Orbit believe is paramount to a filmrsquos success

Falconer ramped up his workload in

2014 and with the support of the BFI and Northern Ireland Screen produced the short film Boogaloo and Graham Written by Ronan Blaney and directed by Michael Lennox the film tells the story of two boys who learn the facts of life through their pet chickens

Falconer says ldquoAt the time Out of Orbit were still operating from a box room in my house none of us had any idea how successful it was going to berdquo The film scooped a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination in 2015 and continues to pick up trophies at film

Out of Orbithellip Our Journey

festivals across the planet Now with local producer Christopher Myers part of the company the team have been able to keep up with their intense workload

They are currently in post-production on BFI and Northern Ireland Screen funded short film The Death of a Projectionist Directed by Beer the film stars Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones The Fall) and tells the story of an ageing projectionist as he struggles to come to terms with the introduction of a new digital projector Filmed in both digital and 35mm this is their most technical project yet Falconer says ldquoIntegral to our development as filmmakers is our relationship with our loyal funders and collaboratorsrdquo

His ethos is echoed when you look at the credits of any of their films the same names crop up again and again Beer adds ldquoAt this stage in our careers we are always looking for fresh faces and new ideas but we are equally committed to bringing the talent and enthusiasm we have amassed along

with usrdquo On the horizon is feature film The Silence written by Aaron Gray and Paul Skillen Developed through Northern Ireland Screenrsquos lsquoShorts to Featurersquo scheme this twisted sci-fi thriller tells the story of a team of scientists living at the outer reaches of our galaxy on the cusp of a historic discovery ldquoThe writers are buzzing we are buzzing the project is really gathering momentumrdquo Beer says

It has been a busy 12 months and

things donrsquot look like changing Myers says ldquoOut of Orbitrsquos development has centered around the growth of Northern Irelandrsquos film sector

All our films have used local talent and technicians trained by the best in the business In Belfast we have the potential to continue growing and develop into a company with a global reach Things are good for us hererdquo

Crew on The Death of a Projectionist

outoforbitfilmsFollow Out of Orbit



Event Spotlight

WWC HackathonBY Women Who CodeWHEN 6th June 9amWHERE University Ulster Belfast Campus BelfastTWITTER WWCBelfast

Invent Awards 2015BY NISP ConnectWHEN 8th OctoberWHERE TBDTWITTER InventNI

Belfast Photo FestivalWHEN 4 - 30th JuneWHERE Various venuesTWITTER BelfastPhotoFes

AAfter the success of our events around the UK since 2010

wersquore thrilled to bring the ultimate small business show to Belfast

Expo NI will arrive in Belfast at the Ramada Plaza Shaws Bridge Belfast in May 2015 We look forward to welcoming you and around 400 delegates

With over 110 companies set to exhibit Expo NI is set to be the brightest B2B event in the region designed for SMErsquos and run by SMErsquos

Wersquoll have a stunning line up of world class speakers as well as innovative new ways to network

Upcoming Events

Expo NI 20th May 10am Ramada Plaza Belfast

and connect with the regionrsquos movers and shakers Book your free tickets online and bring your

friends colleagues and business associates along for a great day and the best way to build your businesses with everything under one roof

MoneyConf will bring the innovators who are building

the finance technologies of the 21st century together with leaders from the worldrsquos largest and most-established financial institutions

Wersquoll help you navigate this ecosystem and give you a high-level overview of the innovations happening while also enabling you to dig deeper into specific areas relevant to your business

With various stages workshops and networking events MoneyConf offers a unique opportunity for you to immerse yourself among thousands of others from the world of FinTech

Attending will also help you learn

MoneyConf 15-16th June T13 Hub Belfast

a huge amount about the trends that are shaping the future of finance systems and technologies

MoneyConf will make its debut in Belfast this June and is the sister event of Web Summit Collision and RISE

exponicoukVisit online Expo NI

moneyconfcomVisit online Money Conf

Promote your event to NIrsquos tech amp business communityBy featuring on Sync NIrsquos website amp magazine your event will reach 1000rsquos of readers amp active users

Email infosyncnicomtoday to find more


In June MoneyConf will make its debut in Belfast MoneyConf will bring the innovators who are building the finance technologies of the 21st century together with leaders from the worldrsquos largest and most-established financial institutions

The conference provides us with a unique opportunity to hear about technological trends that will shape and influence the finance business and enterprise sectors not only here but across the world In his forward Gerry Lennon Chief Executive of Visit Belfast reiterated that it is now time for lsquoBelfast to showcase the Cityrsquos strengths and skill-sets and the entrepreneurial spirit that has become so evident in recent years particularly within the financial and technology sectorsrsquo

One company that stands out in the NI FinTech sector is Citi Group Citi has recently celebrated 10 years in Belfast the companyrsquos Belfast site has not just been beneficial locally its success has allowed Citi to develop and replicate its service into other global locations

The company remains committed to Northern Ireland after recently announcing its pound54 million investment in 600 new jobs It is fantastic to see a global company investing so much confidence in Northern Ireland

Our cover feature from Danske Bank provides an interesting insight into how financial corporations are leading the way with digital innovation Danske has highlighted the fact that its technology

is customer driven being interactive and mobile This bank understands that we are no longer becoming a mobile generation we are the mobile generation

With that being said our startup section showcases a company that is using mobile technology to revolutionise the traditional high street CityBcon is a mobile app that provides small and medium retailers with a new mobile sales channel CityBcon is tipped for big things and is currently part of the inaugural Irish Accenture FinTech Programme

Aside from the FinTech focus this edition also features a variety of topical insights and interviews

We were also excited to chat with Innocent Drinks a company that has built up a legendary social media reputation and we loved hearing what goes on behind the scenes at Fruit Towers Innocent originated as a small stand at a music festival and is now a UK Market leader - we were privileged to hear some of its marketing secrets

In the words of Paddy Cosgrave lsquoBelfast is one of the smallest vibrant and most joined together places Itrsquos a young city and everybody is rooting for it to succeedrsquo Therersquos never been a better time to choose Belfast for business

Thanks you for reading and visit syncnicom for a daily roundup of the latest happenings in the Northern Irish Tech amp Business community

Logging OffWe have thoroughly enjoyed putting together this edition of the Sync NI Magazine which celebrates Northern Ireland as a hub and destination for business and innovation This maga-zine also has a strong focus on financial technology The Fin-Tech sector is growing faster than almost any other segment of the tech industry and itrsquos an area of huge opportunity

syncniFollow Sync NI

Join the conversation

Tweet syncni with your tech amp business news and you could feature on the Sync NI website syncni

Queenrsquos University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group a select band of the top 24 UK research-intensive academic institutions Its Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) is a GCHQ accredited Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and is the UKrsquos largest university research lab in this field CSIT is fast developing a reputation as a global innovation hub for cyber security

Our MSc in Cyber Security aims to develop the next generation of industry leaders and address the shortage of cyber security professionals globally The programme offers students a syllabus informed by CSITrsquos world-class research in the areas of data network media and physical security and is influenced throughout by its strong history of commercial engagement with world leading companies (Infosys Cisco IBM Thales BAE Systems McAfee Roke Altera) its ldquoOpen Innovationrdquo model and an entrepreneurial spirit

A key differentiator of our MSc programme is the opportunity to closely engage with CSIT industry partners This includes the facilitation of industrial internships with leading security professionals as well other commercially specified and co-supervised projects Invited seminars and special guest lectures from influential industry and academic leaders offer students a chance to engage with those at the pinnacle of the cyber security profession

MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY

goqubacukcybers for moreor contact Dr Kieran McLaughlin Email csitmscqubacuk Tel +44 (0) 28 9097 1890

(1 ANd 2 yEAR OpTIONS)

SchooL of Electronics Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciencewwwqubacukeeecs

WHAT YOUrsquoVE READ

SCAN TO RECEIVE THE FREE NEWLETTER

POSTS BREAKING NEWS EVENTS amp JOBS DAILY ON SYNCNICOM































16

Contents

18


UNE2016



Cha

rity

Inla

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R29

768

Reg

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930

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0610Contents

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Call today 028 90820941































































































YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014













YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014






bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars

RSI A4 Advert Syncni_Layout 1 14052015 1940 Page 1




































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY


































16

Contents

18


UNE2016



Cha

rity

Inla

nd R

even

ue N

o X

R29

768

Reg

istr

atio

n N

umb

er N

I049

930

F



0610Contents

16

23

14

20


Call today 028 90820941































































































YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014













YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014






bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY









0610Contents

16

23

14

20


Call today 028 90820941































































































YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014













YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014






bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY





































































































YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014













YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014






bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY


















YEARSIN BELFAST

July 2006 2008 2010

Citi Timeline

May 2005


2007Announcement


Compliance

Sep 2009


opens

2013HR Function


Compliance

Nov 2014Expansion

announcement of 600

more roles


to 560 jobs


Headcount 1000

Headcount 1400 with


Feb 2014






bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY











bull Export Support





















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY






















The Space Race

















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY






















future





































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY































PORSCHEBMW M3

FERRARI

FORD MKIISUBARU

MINI


6 LAPS PER CAR

SCOTSTOWN MONAGHAN


3 SUPERCARSpound225


4 RALLY CARS

FEELLIKE A


pound375All

7 Cars





































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY








































The future





+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY









+44(0) 28 90 312009

WellingtonIT_NI

Contact Details















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY





















































































Event Spotlight









Upcoming Events



































MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY


























MSc IN

CYBERSECuRitY







sync ni magazine - spring 2015

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