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Expleo, the global technology, engineering and consulting service provider, has announced the results of new research which points to a concern among large businesses in Ireland about global and local economic stability over the next 12 months. The research found that ongoing questions about tariff policies in the US have caused 57% of enterprises based here to investigate how they can reduce their reliance on the US. The research was carried out by Censuswide, on behalf of Expleo, among 200 business and IT decision-makers in Ireland, in enterprises with 250+ employees. It will be used to inform Expleo's annual Business Transformation Index and explored economic sentiment as the fallout of new US tariff policies continues to unfold. In doing so, it found that since November 2024, 64% of large organisations have assigned at least one person, or a team, to assess the impact of US policies on their business. Cited by 28% of business and IT leaders in large enterprises in Ireland, a trade war with the US is viewed as the second-greatest threat to Ireland's digital economy over the next 12 months. However, the greatest concern, according to 31% of those surveyed, is digital infrastructure constraints. Tied with the fear of a trade war with the US, 28% cited cybersecurity threats. Overall, 70% of enterprises believe Ireland is a good location for digital innovation. However, a cautious sentiment among enterprises may be bleeding into overall economic sentiment, with 63% saying they are preparing for a weaker Irish economy over the next 12 months. Almost the same proportion, 64%, are preparing for a weaker global economy in the next 12 months. Despite their economic concerns, 66% of large organisations are expecting business growth over the next 12 months. This rises to 72% for private enterprises, versus 62% for publicly listed companies. Phil Codd, Managing Director for Ireland, Expleo, said: "Our research clearly points to a nervousness among the largest enterprises in Ireland about geopolitical risk. By diversifying their trading relationships and reducing overreliance on any one market - even one as significant as the US - organisations can build greater resilience against global economic shocks. "However, it is crucial that businesses - particularly large ones - avoid knee-jerk reactions. The US remains the world's largest economy and an important trading partner. The goal should not be to abandon trading relationships with the US, but to supplement it with new ones. "Now is not the time to retreat - it is a time for bold action. The most successful organisations of the future will be those who embrace change, not fear it. In times of uncertainty, they will step forward, innovate and transform. At Expleo, we are empowering enterprises to move with confidence. We are using data-driven insights and transformative strategies that enable organisations to stand up to disruption and harness it as a catalyst for progress." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Auxilion, the leading Irish IT managed services provider, and partner HPE has announced survey findings which reveal that 71% of senior managers in financial services see regulatory compliance as one of the top three challenges facing their business this year. The study, conducted by Censuswide for Auxilion and involving 200 senior managers working in financial services in Ireland, found that29% of organisations are not ready to handle more stringent regulations over the next five years. A quarter (25%) also admitted they are not confident their organisation would comply with applicable Corporate Sustainability ReportingDirective (CSRD) requirements. When it comes to regulation and AI, 26% of respondents don't believe current regulations around AI in the financial industry are sufficient. Meanwhile, two thirds (66%) believe current regulations around AI in the financial industry are inhibiting its use. In terms of wider Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) considerations, the same amount (66%) believe ESG has a positive impact on the financial performance of financial institutions and some 60% say companies with strong ethical and governance practices suffer fewer regulatory fines. Almost three quarters (73%) say ESG is a priority for their customers. The leading factors driving financial services firms to adopt ESG are investor or board demand (49%), reputation and branding (48%), risk mitigation (44%), customer priorities (39%), and employee satisfaction (39%). That might explain why 69% of financial services managers have received training relating to ESG and sustainability. As for the role of tech in this area, some 73% agree that IT is important in helping their organisation achieve ESG goals - with the same proportion (73%) currently using green tech. As well as investing in green tech, 70% of financial services managers think their organisation should be spending more on compliance risk, governance and management. In fact, 72% are planning to increase their IT managed services investment in the next 12 months and 69% are using or planning to use IT managed service support for governance and compliance purposes. However, over two thirds (69%) believe current or upcoming regulatory changes are impacting their investment plans for IT service management. Adding to this, almost a quarter (23%) do not feel the market currently provides for their organisation's managed services needs. Eleanor Dempsey, Director of Strategy, Innovation & Transformation, Auxilion, commented: "There are no loopholes or shortcuts when it comes to addressing governance and compliance. Companies - especially those in highly regulated sectors including financial services - must step up their strategies and investments in this area. As well as training people, that means deploying technologies that support ESG efforts. "Failing to meet such regulatory requirements or embracing ESG not only leaves organisations at risk of financial and reputational repercussions, but it could also have a negative impact on investor and customer relationships. In turn, the performance, growth and future of their business could be in jeopardy." See more stories here.

KINTO Join - a provider of sustainable mobility applications has revealed the findings of its survey which found that 45% of commuters in Ireland find their journey to work or university stressful. The research - conducted by Censuswide and involving 1,000 people who commute to work or university in the Republic of Ireland - found that more than half (51%) have considered changing their commute method. However, 48% have never tried a different mode of transport for their commute. Traffic delays and congestion were cited by 44% of commuters as one of their biggest frustrations. The other leading frustrations were fuel costs (30%), the time lost having to commute (30%), the weather (29%), and delays with services (15%). Driving by car is the most popular primary mode of transport (51%) among commuters. However, only 16% prefer to travel this way. If available, the bus was the most preferred means of commuting (25%), followed by the train (24%) and walking (23%). One in ten (10%) respondents said they would prefer a company or university shuttle. In urban areas, driving by car and getting the bus were tied for the top spot as the most popular primary mode of transport (at 32% respectively). In terms of generations, almost twice as many Generation X commuters drive by car (63%) than Generation Z commuters (32%). Of those who commute by car, 91% always or mostly do so alone. Their top reasons for travelling to work or university by car are that it is more time-efficient (48%), it is the only option (43%), and inadequate public transport accessibility (34%). The study found that the average daily commute time is around 1 hour and 10 minutes, whilst the average daily cost is €10. Train commuters have the most expensive journey to work or university (€13.14). At the other end of the scale, (excluding walkers) eBike commuters have the least expensive commute (€4.71). As for the average distance of a one-way commute, this is just shy of 17km, with those in Roscommon (30.56km), Wicklow (24.97km), and Westmeath (23.76km) travelling furthest. Meanwhile, respondents in Longford (6.13km), Waterford (9.58km), and Donegal (11km) have the shortest distances to travel. Patrizia Niehaus, CEO, KINTO Join Ltd, said: "It's ironic that while so many commuters in Ireland drive alone out of necessity, a significant number would actually prefer not to. They're frustrated - by traffic, rising fuel costs, and the stress of it all - but don't feel they have another choice. Of course, large-scale infrastructure upgrades are vital, but they take time. In the meantime, the congestion worsens, and emissions reduction targets slip further out of reach. That's why action at the micro-level is so critical. "A large share of short-distance travel happens for work and education. Employers and institutions are uniquely positioned to support more sustainable commuting through initiatives like shared transport schemes, carpooling platforms, or incentives for walking and cycling. When organisations take the lead, they not only support their own sustainability goals, but also drive behavioural change that benefits entire communities - cutting emissions, easing traffic, and giving people what they clearly want: the freedom not to drive alone." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Auxilion, the leading Irish IT managed services provider, and partner HPE have announced the results of a survey which found that 65% of financial services organisations have experienced a cybersecurity breach in the last year. This was higher among SMBs (67%) than larger companies (61%). The study - conducted by Censuswide and involving 200 senior managers working in financial services - revealed that almost a third (31%) are not confident of their organisation's ability to prevent a data breach over the next 12 months. This fear was felt more so among those in larger firms, with 35% not confident about same. In terms of the biggest security concerns for the next year, trust in AI came out top (47%). This was followed by ransomware (45%), data mismanagement (44%), dark web access (42%), and data loss (41%). Furthermore, some 40% are concerned about deepfake content. Whilst respondents who work remotely are most worried about AI trust, data loss and malware (55% respectively), those who work in the office are most concerned about malicious insiders (44%). On the topic of AI, 90% of organisations are currently using it and some 84% of senior managers use it to do their job. As for specific uses, over three quarters (76%) are using AI technologies to review/manage data and 66% of organisations use AI chatbots. The top benefits of AI were cited as more effective use of data (46%), supporting sustainability targets (44%), better cybersecurity (44%), increased profit (43%), and boosted operational efficiency (43%). Despite this and the fact that 67% have increased budget allocation for AI in 2025, some 30% of respondents do not feel adequately trained to make the most of such emerging technologies. A similar proportion (31%) admitted they are unable to process all their data (including dark data) created by systems, devices and customers interactions. Interestingly, 31% do not disclose to colleagues, partners or clients when AI has been used in process or project. Yet, twice as many (62%) expect or require colleagues, partners or clients to disclose same. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the current usage of and planned investment in same, it appears that many respondents believe AI is here to stay. In fact, more than a quarter (29%) do not think there will be any workplaces not using AI in five years' time. Martin Patterson, Head of Innovation, Auxilion, said: "Technology has profoundly changed the world of finance. Nowadays, people want increased digitalisation, better functionality, greater accessibility and more agility when it comes to these services. From contactless commerce to bot-enabled banking, financial services firms must embrace technology, including AI, to enhance and empower customer experiences. Of course, this cannot come at the price of security. "The challenge therefore becomes turning the wow factor of AI into practical and secure application. Organisations must not only innovate but safeguard. Getting this right is the difference between coasting and competing, operating and optimising, ticking along and thriving. By creating the right IT infrastructure with services which modernise and solutions which protect, organisations can meet customer expectations while building resilience and driving growth." See more stories here.

As Ireland today marks the five-year anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown and the widespread shift to remote working, research from Datapac, trusted IT partner for leading Irish organisations, highlights ongoing challenges associated with hybrid work. The research indicates that Irish organisations, having rapidly adopted remote solutions in response to the pandemic, are now increasingly focused on implementing more robust, permanent technologies to support hybrid work long-term. The independent survey, commissioned by Datapac and conducted by Censuswide among 200 IT decision-makers in Ireland, reveals that 96% of organisations are now operating hybrid working models - a permanent legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years on from the initial shift, organisations continue to face significant challenges, with work-life balance (39%), training and development (36%),cybersecurity (34%), and communication and collaboration (31%) identified as key ongoing issues. 89% of IT decision-makers say they invested in software-as-a-service (SaaS) communication and collaboration tools in response to theCovid-19 pandemic. However, this trend has endured, with 57% of businesses reporting increased investment in these tools since the pandemic, and 31% maintaining their investment levels. Meanwhile, two-thirds (67%) of Irish businesses say they are using Microsoft365 to support collaboration and productivity. The survey also emphasises the importance of having the right digital tools and technologies in place to ensure success in the modern workplace. Some 46% of IT decision-makers would rate their IT infrastructure's ability to support hybrid work as only "somewhat" or "not too" capable. Kevin Hall, Senior Systems Engineer, Datapac, said: "Five years on from Ireland's widespread move to remote working, our research shows that many organisations are still facing substantial challenges in fully embedding hybrid working into their long-term strategies. Initially, organisations rapidly invested in digital tools like Microsoft 365 to maintain operations - but now is a critical time to reassess these investments to ensure they deliver lasting value. "Organisations must evaluate if their current technology genuinely supports their goals, particularly when issues around work-life balance and cybersecurity remain widespread. Rather than simply renewing licenses, businesses need to ensure they're fully leveraging existing investments for maximum efficiency, security, and employee satisfaction. Given how crucial technology now is in the post-pandemic era, partnering with the right IT provider, who can optimise these investments strategically, is essential to remain competitive." See more stories here.

Auxilion, the leading Irish IT managed services provider, has announced the results of its survey which found that 61% of senior managers working in financial services in Ireland are planning to change jobs within the next two years. The study, conducted by Censuswide for Auxilion involved 200 respondents and revealed that a similar proportion (59%) have changed jobs in the past year, with some 80% having interviewed for another job during the past six months. Two thirds (66%) of these senior managers admitted they would retrain in a new career/profession if there were no barriers (e.g., financial or family commitments). Speaking about the findings, Niamh Cray, Chief People Officer, Auxilion, said: "Our research reveals a real risk to financial services firms in terms of talent. Not only are a significant proportion of senior managers contemplating leaving, but many are already actively seeking out new opportunities - indicating that it's only a matter of time before the impact is felt. "Companies in this sector in Ireland need to address this, otherwise they could be facing a mass exodus and a resource crisis. Those without a blended talent strategy, consisting of in-house expertise and external resourcing services, could seriously struggle to replace and fill roles with the expertise they need." When it comes to how respondents plan to find these new roles, 71% have previously used recruitment agencies and that trend appears to be continuing with 70% intending to use such services to secure their next position. However, these next positions may not be around forever with the study finding that almost a third (32%) of senior managers working in financial services do not believe their job will exist in five years' time. Moreover, 26% revealed they are not happy with their current workstyle - with those working remotely found to be significantly less happy than their in-office counterparts. Whilst 78% working in the office are happy with their workstyle, just 55% of those working remotely are happy. As for the debate between office and home working, 69% of senior managers working in financial services feel under pressure to be in the office more. This was felt more by those taking a hybrid approach to working (70%). It was also felt more prominently among those who work in larger companies (81%), compared to those working in SMBs (64%). On a wider scale, some 42% of senior managers working in financial services in Ireland cited talent shortages as one of the biggest challenges to business growth in 2025. Niamh Cray added: "It's not just a case of lost personnel, the impact could spell project delays, customer complaints, and operational inefficiencies. It's therefore important from both an organisational and market perspective that we not only retain the best people but remain agile in our approaches to talent." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

IT.ie, a leading Irish IT managed services company, has announced the results of new research, conducted in partnership with SonicWall, which reveals a lack of confidence among office workers in their ability to thwart cyberthreats. The survey found that 51% of office workers feel more vulnerable to cyberattacks than they did a year ago, leading to 43% believing that they are at risk of causing a cybersecurity incident in the next 12 months. The research of 1,000 office workers based in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of IT.ie and SonicWall, a global leader in cybersecurity innovation. It uncovers a need for more cybersecurity training for office workers, along with a greater sense of shared responsibility for upholding cybersecurity standards. The survey found that of the 43% who feel at risk of causing a breach, 60% attribute it to incomplete or non-existent cybersecurity training, and nearly a third (31%) blame poor communication from management regarding cyber risks. These feelings of being ill-prepared are reflected among the general office worker population, too, with 21% saying they do not feel adequately trained to deal with increased cybersecurity threats on a day-to-day basis. This is despite the fact that the EU's incoming cybersecurity legislation, the NIS2 Directive, outlines cybersecurity training as one of the minimum measures required for compliance. Generally, the recommended frequency for cybersecurity training is once per month - as long as it is aligned with a multilayered approach that includes defensive solutions such as firewalls and VPNs. However, IT.ie's research found that just 15% of office workers receive training this often and some 20%, admitted they have not received cybersecurity training in more than a year - or never. The research showed that 42% have the opportunity to brush up on their skills every two to six months, while 23% receive training every seven months to a year. This issue of substandard training may explain why 26% of office workers do not believe cybersecurity is their personal responsibility. Meanwhile, over one-in-ten (12%) office workers do not believe that their employer takes cybersecurity seriously. Eamon Gallagher, founder and managing director, IT.ie, said: "Our research clearly shows that employees have a growing sense of unease with regards to cybersecurity. In truth, they are right to fear causing a breach; the majority of cybersecurity incidents are caused by human error, so employees need to know that they are equipped with relevant, up-to-date know-how on reducing that risk. "At IT.ie, we work with organisations to ensure employees are not only regularly trained, but that the systems they are using are as watertight as technology will allow. Without this collective effort and a multi-layered security approach, organisations will inevitably face a greater risk of breaches or compromise. Now is the time to listen to employees: if they are worried about cybersecurity, then the business should be worried, too." Stuart Taylor, Regional Director for Northern Europe, Sonicwall, said: "Last year, SonicWall detected 210,258 never-before-seen malware variants. Evidently, cybercriminals are evolving fast and it's not enough to simply be aware; it's about building a resilient, multilayered defence that combines employee training with robust security solutions. SonicWall research has shown that in doing so, organisations can avoid 68 days of potential downtime. "Almost one-third of cyber events are now caused by business email compromise and our research with IT.ie highlights that while office workers recognise the growing risks, many still lack the confidence and tools to defend against them. A proactive approach, integrating firewalls, VPNs, endpoint security, and continuous education, is essential to protect businesses from increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online...

On the fifth anniversary of the UK's official departure from the European Union, Expleo, the global technology, engineering and consulting service provider, has announced research findings which detail Brexit's direct impact on businesses in Ireland. The survey found that 53% of business decision-makers say it has enhanced their organisation's export business, versus 30% who say it has had a harmful effect. The survey of 152 business and IT leaders in Ireland, carried out by Censuswide on Expleo's behalf, suggests that the impact of Brexit continues to be felt by businesses in Ireland. However, businesses were often split on whether it has harmed or enhanced their operations. Nearly half (45%) of business and IT leaders say that Brexit has made them more competitive as a business, however almost the same proportion (44%) feel it has made them less competitive. Similarly, half are of the opinion that it has positively impacted their supply chain, yet 41% feel it has had the opposite effect. The research suggests that Brexit may be having a positive impact on talent shortages among Irish businesses. More than half (55%) of Irish business leaders said that they now have more access to talent. In contrast, 38% say they have less access to talent. While the research outlines some positive corollaries of Brexit, the majority (60%) of businesses in Ireland are in agreement that it has directly led to increased costs. Just over a third (36%) say Brexit has resulted in decreased costs for their business. Phil Codd, managing director, Expleo Ireland, said: "The business landscape is always shifting, with the introduction of new regulations and legislation playing a significant role in shaping it. At Expleo, we see every day how technology and transformation support businesses at times of change when it comes to risk and compliance. For many, this was the focus as Brexit approached and in its aftermath. While many raised concerns about the economic impact that Brexit would have on Ireland, our research shows that there have been some positive outcomes. This, we expect, owes to the fact that businesses here prepared, partnered with experts, and worked hard to mitigate any harmful effects they foresaw." "However, the reality of Ireland's close economic ties with the UK has meant that regardless of mitigation plans, not all businesses have seen an upside. Whether they wanted Brexit or not, organisations across Ireland, as well as those in the UK, have had to adopt new ways of doing business. It is heartening to see that many businesses have been bold, embracing this challenge as an opportunity to flip the script and leverage it to pursue growth." See more stories here.

IT.ie, a leading Irish IT managed services company, has announced the results of new research, conducted in partnership with SonicWall, which reveals feelings of blame among employees in Ireland when it comes to cybersecurity.The study found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of office workers believe their employer holds staff personally responsible - either through disciplinary action or unfavourable treatment - for cybersecurity incidents. In fact, some 29% of office workers report that at least one person in their company has been fired for accidentally causing a breach in the last 12 months. The research of 1,000 office workers based in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of IT.ie and SonicWall, a global leader in cybersecurity innovation. More than a third (38%) of respondents believe their company 'always' holds employees responsible for cybersecurity incidents, while 35% said they do so 'sometimes'. Given this stance, the survey explored the personal impact of cybersecurity threats and incidents on workers. It found that 50% of office workers feel stressed about cybersecurity in their job. This is despite the fact that the majority (60%) of respondents believe employees are not to blame for unintentional breaches and incidents. The personal toll of causing a cybersecurity breach is so great that almost two-thirds (64%) of office workers said they would leave, or consider leaving, their job if they were to cause a breach. Meanwhile, 79% advocate for organisations providing mental health support to those who fall victim to cybersecurity attacks. Despite the mounting pressure felt by employees to circumvent a growing volume of increasingly sophisticated threats, the research found that many do not feel comfortable reporting cybersecurity concerns to the relevant people. More than a third (36%) of those surveyed admitted that they have neglected to report a breach in the last 12 months, with the top reason for this cited as embarrassment, followed by fear of repercussions. Further highlighting a culture of silence, one-in-five said they would not be comfortable reporting a concern to upper management. Eamon Gallagher, founder and managing director, IT.ie, said: "This research shows that businesses are, understandably, under enormous pressure due to the growing threat posed by cybercriminals. However, that pressure is wrongly being felt on a personal level by employees. While it is on all of us to be vigilant, the average office worker is not a cybersecurity expert; the onus is on business and IT leaders to ensure they have taken every step possible to safeguard their business and people. "Stringent cybersecurity measures will become legally binding for EU organisations who fall under the NIS2 directive later this year. It places the responsibility back on senior leaders to oversee training, security and business continuity measures that ensure that if, and when, a breach does happen, its impact is minimal. At IT.ie, we are helping businesses to prepare for NIS2, as well as the cybersecurity challenges that lie ahead. Finger-pointing won't help anyone: holistic, proactive steps will." Stuart Taylor, Regional Director for Northern Europe, Sonicwall, said: "Our research underscores a critical issue in workplace cybersecurity culture. Blaming individuals for breaches not only fails to address the root causes of cyber incidents but also creates an environment of fear that can restrict transparency. It's important for organisations to build a positive atmosphere where employees feel empowered to report concerns without the fear of repercussions. As cyber threats evolve, so must our approaches to security - prioritising collective responsibility and proactive measures over a culture of blame. "By investing in security training, businesses can better equip their teams to navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape and protect themselves from the increasingly sophisticated tactics of cybercriminals. It's equally impor...

PayPal has announced the findings of a new study which found that almost half (46%) of Irish consumers would prefer to send money to family/friends so they wouldn't have to buy gifts this Christmas. This preference was most popular among Gen Z respondents (50%). The research - conducted by Censuswide and involving 1,001 consumers across Ireland - also revealed that more than three-quarters (78%) would prefer to spend quality time with friends and family rather than buying them gifts this Christmas. This time, Gen X was most inclined to express this sentiment (81%). Festive finances & not-so-silent nights Despite the implied desire to move away from the tradition of buying Christmas gifts, the average expected spend per person on presents came in at €525. When it comes to the counties, people from Carlow (€780), Kildare (€692), and Meath (€674) expect to spend most. Furthermore, 49% of people surveyed feel under pressure to spend more than planned/budgeted based on what others are spending. It also appears that people are eager to get their Christmas shopping, with two-thirds (66%) predicting they will have theirs finished by the second week of December1. Just 14%2 appear to be last-minute shoppers, completing their purchases during Christmas week or on Christmas Eve. As well as gifting, 47% of Irish consumers surveyed expect to spend more on social events and gatherings this festive season. The average anticipated spend was estimated to be €339, with respondents from Kildare (€428), Dublin (€385) and Mayo (€376) set to spend most on such outings. Sharing is caring Given the expectations around spending, there seems to be a shift towards sharing the load - and cost - when it comes to gifting. In fact, 63% of Irish consumers surveyed will engage in bill-splitting or group purchases. The top bill splitting activities were revealed to be nights out (47%), family gifts (37%), and Christmas dinner (35%). When paying people back, 46% of people typically round up, while just over a third (36%) would pay people back to the exact cent. At the other end of the scale, 45% revealed that they have previously not been paid back by friends or family for a gift or activity during the festive season. Moreover, 58% felt too awkward to ask for money they were owed, so they didn't mention it. Loud budgeting Something people aren't feeling awkward about is loud budgeting (being honest with others about their finances) - with 47% saying they would feel comfortable telling friends or family they haven't budgeted for a specific activity or gift and almost a third (32%) having told friends as much previously over the festive season. Speaking about the findings, Jonas Breding, General Manager Northern Europe, PayPal, said: "While it is a time of year when people are spending and when some are feeling more financial pressure than usual, people's preferences and behaviours are changing. As well as more convenient and cost-effective ways of treating friends and family at this time of year, people are also opting to do activities with, rather than buying things for their loved ones. "Consumers in Ireland want to make the most of the festive season, but they also want to be smart and realistic regarding their budgets. We know that being able to send money or split bills3 via person-to-person payments is important, as well as feeling empowered and vocal when it comes to priorities for this festive season." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find...

Send Us Your Feedback!Robin Smith, Head of Corporate at Censuswide, joins us in unravelling the complexities of modern marketing in our latest episode as we look at a brand new comprehensive report on CMOs.We invited Robin onto the show so you could gain real insight from their inaugural "Voice of the CMO Report" which questioned more than 500 CMOs. The report looks at tackling AI's role in crafting hyper-personalised campaigns while maintaining authenticity. With a keen focus on the challenges of managing brand backlash amidst evolving ESG expectations, Robin underscores the importance of balancing creativity with data to navigate today's marketing landscape.We explore the gruelling landscape of modern marketing strategies where social listening tools become pivotal in understanding ever-changing customer needs, particularly in B2B sectors. From the rise of podcasts as essential engagement tools to the struggles of CMOs juggling increased demands with shrinking budgets, this episode covers it all. Discover how innovative approaches like outsourcing talent to cost-efficient regions align time zones without compromising quality, offering a lifeline to budget-strapped marketing departments.We cap off the discussion with a candid look at workplace fails and the lessons they offer. From email mishaps to the nuances of maintaining statistical robustness in research, the episode is rich in relatable anecdotes and practical advice. Robin shares exciting future possibilities, like blending natural and synthetic audiences in marketing events, hinting at the technologically innovative road ahead. Buckle up for an episode that promises to enlighten you with its blend of expert insights and real-world experiences. Curious if your content strategy is ready to crush it in 2025? Let's find out together! Book a free 15-min discovery call with Chris to get tailored insights that can skyrocket your brand's growth. Ready to take the leap?

New research unveiled by Wise, the international money app, shows a growing frustration among Irish people with high costs for basic banking services and hidden fees for international transactions. As a result, more people are taking a hybrid banking approach or using digital only alternatives. Results from the second annual 'State of Irish Banking Report' reveal that three quarters (73%) of consumers believe that fees charged by traditional Irish banks for basic services such as account maintenance and ATM withdrawals are excessive. The 2024 report, conducted with Censuswide reveals a shift away from standalone traditional banking services. Just one in five (20%) now use traditional banking services alone, a 6% decrease on last year. In contrast, 36% now prefer using only app-based financial services - suggesting Irish banking customers have reached a tipping point in their adoption of fintech. The remaining 49% are hybrid customers, using both traditional and app-based financial services providers. Other traditional banking frustrations identified by Irish consumers include: A lack of competitive interest rates (37%) Poor customer service and lack of responsiveness (29%) Costly and slow international transactions (27%) A lack of transparency on fees (25%) "We are witnessing a tipping point for banking and fintech in Ireland," said Harsh Sinha, Chief Technology Officer at Wise. "The 2024 State of Irish Banking Report highlights how high fees and outdated processes are driving momentum for faster, more competitive, transparent, and consumer-friendly financial providers in the market." Irish consumers feel ripped off for spending abroad Managing finances abroad is a worry for Irish consumers: Those surveyed transferred up to €75,000 into other currencies last year, with the average respondent sending €661, yet the majority (73%) say they don't understand overseas transaction fees or believe that their bank should make these clearer. Adding to the sense of frustration over this lack of transparency, 43% think their bank overcharged them on hidden exchange rate fees last year. Irish consumers are also growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of convenient banking options when spending money abroad. Nearly four out of five (79%) are now demanding banks offer simple solutions to transfer and spend money abroad. This desire for transparency is underscored by a 12% year-on-year rise in the number of people now using digital payment apps when travelling. Competition and innovation a concern for customers A lack of competition in the banking sector has been blamed for high costs and stifled innovation by Irish consumers, following high-profile exits from the market from players such as KBC and Ulster Bank. As a result, two thirds (66%) of Irish consumers want to see better integration and collaboration with fintechs to enhance traditional banking services. When considering switching to digital providers: 6 in 10 (61%) cite faster transactions as their favourite thing about digital payment apps, while 41% appreciate the ease with which they can use apps to manage and budget when travelling, and 39% enjoy lower payment fees. More than half (56%) of Irish consumers using app-based providers rely on them for everyday spending, while 60% opt for app-based financial services when online shopping. Over half (54%) say they would switch to an app-based provider if their traditional bank closed tomorrow, citing faster transactions and lower fees as advantages of app-based providers. A majority (54%) have considered switching service providers this year. Among those who haven't considered switching, three quarters have stuck with their traditional bank because they think it's too much hassle to move. Speaking on the launch of the report Roisin Levine, Head of UK & Europe Partnerships at Wise Platform said: "Across Europe, we're seeing a clear mandate for change in financial services. Irish consumers, like their European counterparts, are ...

Expleo, a global engineering, technology and consulting service provider, has announced the results of new research, which found that 77% of businesses are preparing for a stronger Irish economy next year, while 74% are preparing for a stronger global one. The research is published in Expleo's Business Transformation Index (BTI) 2024, which is launched today. The study was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Expleo among 202 business and technology leaders in medium- to large-sized enterprises on the island of Ireland. Its aim was to gain an understanding of how technology is helping enterprises to improve business outcomes, while lifting the lid on the obstacles to success. The research found that as a result of their economic optimism, more than half (57%) of businesses are expecting to grow in the next 12 months. This comes on the back of years of economic uncertainty and peak levels of inflation, with many companies in Ireland suffering from the fallout. Indeed, 55% of business and tech leaders surveyed in the BTI admitted that in the last 12 months, they have lost customers owing to economic concerns. However, just 28% expect to lose customers for the same reason over the next 12 months, suggesting a confidence among business leaders that economic growth is on the horizon. Supporting this optimism is the fact that 65% of business and tech leaders believe that Ireland is a good location for digital innovation. This is being buoyed by a greater commitment to sustainability and green tech innovation, with 65% of businesses also believing that it is helping stimulate growth. Phil Codd, Managing Director, Expleo Ireland, said: "Our Business Transformation Index provides a great insight into the optimism and resilience of business leaders in Ireland. Even though more than half of them lost customers last year, they are nevertheless preparing for better times ahead for them and therefore, our economy. "It's exciting to see that so many view Ireland as a favourable location for digital innovation and that the focus on sustainability is benefitting businesses here. While some had concerns that targets may stifle innovation, this marks a welcome change in attitude. We have seen phenomenal innovation in the name of sustainability in recent years and businesses are now experiencing the corollary benefits, both in terms of efficiency and customer sentiment." See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced the results of its annual Connected Lives survey, which has found that podcast-listeners in Ireland - comprising 72% of the population - are spending 12 days per year listening to podcasts. The research, released on the 10th annual International Podcast Day, found that the average listener clocks up 48 minutes of listening time per day. The nationally representative survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom. The research explored the increasingly popular audio medium which has become a multi-billion-dollar industry in recent years. Despite this, the survey found that 10% of the population have never tuned into a podcast before. The average pod listener tunes in to four podcast series regularly, with the top genres revealed as comedy and entertainment (46%), true crime (35%), and self-help and wellbeing (33%). The genre with the largest discrepancy in popularity by gender is sport - it is the most popular topic amongst men (46%), but just 9% of women said they tune into sports podcasts regularly. Meanwhile, news & current affairs is the most popular category for those aged 55 and above (44%), but just 15% of 18-to-24-year-olds said they listen to shows in this category. Overall, 39% of adults believe that listening to podcasts makes them better informed. The survey also found that podcast-listeners will find any opportunity to listen to their favourite shows. The most popular time to have a listen is when out for a walk (42%), followed by doing household chores such as cleaning and washing up (39%), and in bed (37%). A bold 3% of podcast enthusiasts admitted to listening to podcasts during work-related video calls. While people in Ireland are known for their gift of the gab, just 15% of those surveyed felt they themselves would be good at podcasting. This rises to 22% for adults aged 24 and under. Some have given it a go either as a host or guest, while more than one in eight (13%) of us personally know someone who hosts or co-hosts their own podcast. This rises to nearly one in five (19%) for those aged 24 and under. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "Storytelling is deeply rooted in Irish culture, so it is no surprise that people in Ireland have embraced podcasts - so much so that the majority of us are now incorporating them into our everyday routines. The medium's continued rise in popularity sometimes makes it feel like everyone is having a go at podcasting. While that may be an exaggeration, our research found that it's certainly not difficult to find someone who is hosting or co-hosting one! "With millions of podcasts to choose from - and millions of us listening to them - at Pure Telecom, we are giving listeners the ability to tune in to the subjects that they want to know more about. From celebrity gossip and historical documentaries, to analysis of last night's game and anything else you can think of, we provide the best value broadband that connects people in Ireland to what they want, when they want it." See more stories here.

A new survey from leading Irish IT managed services provider Auxilion reveals that data loss/theft and ransomware/malware attacks were the cybersecurity concerns most cited by IT leaders when it comes to the cloud - at 30% respectively. The research, carried out by Censuswide and involving IT decision-makers across large enterprises in the Republic of Ireland, found that 40% of respondents see IT security risks as a main concern associated with adopting and managing cloud computing. A similar proportion (42%) said that the changing cybersecurity landscape was one of the biggest obstacles to the successful delivery of their IT strategy. Moreover, one in four (26%) IT leaders in Ireland do not think current laws and regulations are sufficient to protect privacy, access, and confidentiality in a cloud-based environment. Adding to this, almost a quarter (24%) of IT decision-makers surveyed who are currently using the cloud do not think their own organisation has sufficient capabilities to manage cloud computing and more than a third of those respondents admitted to having little or no visibility of their workloads in the cloud (36%). Despite this, some 83% consider cloud to be a more secure approach for their organisation. It appears that IT leaders are being proactive in this area with 83% also having a cloud security strategy in place and 73% currently using a technology partner to manage their cloud strategy and services. The study also found that the shift to cloud is set to continue with nearly all respondents (96%) expecting to migrate more workloads, applications, and processes to the cloud over the next 12 months. On October 9th, Auxilion, HPE and Zerto will be holding an event hosted by broadcaster Ivan Yates to discuss the increased need for robust data protection, cloud security, and business continuity capabilities. Donal Sullivan, CTO, Auxilion, said: "While the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, organisations are facing an even bigger uphill battle at the moment with the rise of threats enabled by Artificial Intelligence and the introduction of the European-wide NIS2 regulation in October. "This means businesses not only need to be more proactive when it comes to securing their data and responding to incidents, they also need to ensure that they are meeting their compliance and regulatory obligations. This requires the right technologies and partners that can support security, mobility and scalability. "The truth is that in this day and age, resilience and recovery are as important as detection and prevention when it comes to cybersecurity. Businesses which fail to recognise this and adapt their strategy could be at risk operationally, reputationally and financially." Chris Rogers, Senior Technology Evangelist, Zerto, said: "Rapid recovery from a cyber incident is more than a reactive measure - it's a critical component of a resilient and forward-thinking business strategy. The ability to swiftly bounce back from disruptions not only minimises downtime but also safeguards reputation, customer trust, and bottom line. "The real competitive edge lies in turning these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation, and partnering with experts to unlock advanced cyber resilience capabilities can significantly accelerate an organisation's journey to cyber maturity." See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, have announced the results of its annual Connected Lives survey, which has found that three-quarters (75%) of the population think that sending voice notes exceeding a minute's duration is unacceptable. The research found that adults in Ireland are prolific users of voice notes, with 54% saying they send them at least once a week and a chatty 23% send them at least once a day. The nationally representative survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom and examined the growing trend of voice notes as a means of communication. The research found that in total, 77% of adults have recorded and sent a voice note in the last 12 months. In fact, voice notes are so popular, that one-third of the population report that they are the primary way in which they communicate with their friends. While voice notes have exploded in popularity, there is a limit to recipients' patience with them - but women have a lot more time for them than men do. The research found that just 11% of men will tolerate a voice note that goes beyond one minute in length, compared to 21% of women. Almost all adults (94%) consider voice notes of longer than three minutes unacceptable. The research found that the public is divided in their overall opinion of the voice notes, with less than half (45%) saying they actually like receiving them. Going even further than this, nearly a quarter (23%) admit to being irritated when they see that they have received a voice note. This could explain why a similar proportion (22%) say they have been reprimanded by a recipient for sending one. The survey also revealed that not everyone gives voice notes the attention and commitment they require, with 40% finding it difficult to take the time to listen to voice notes in their entirety. This may explain why 34% of adults admit that they don't always listen to the full message and more than one in 10 people (14%) don't listen to them at all. More than half (51%) confessed that they often forget what was said in a lengthy recording, while 46% said that they often forget what they, themselves, have said in their voice notes. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "While convenient when on-the-go or when we have our hands full, the Irish public has spoken - and they are saying to get to the point! We might be renowned as a nation of storytellers, but rambling is out, as our research shows. "The way in which we communicate and connect with each other is always changing and evolving and it is clear that voice notes are a growing, if divisive, medium. By providing our nationwide customers with the best quality broadband available in their location, Pure Telecom's network is here to help people to connect and stay in touch with each other. However, while our network won't be the cause of cutting a rambling voice note short, we can't always say the same for the recipients!" See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, the Irish high-speed broadband company, has announced the results of a survey, which found that 35% of gamers in Ireland believe that online gaming benefits their mental health by providing an outlet for stress relief. The research also found that male gamers are spending almost an hour more on their hobby per day than female gamers. The survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom as part of its Connected Lives study. The survey explored the proliferation of online gaming in Ireland and its impact on people's lives, spending and mental health. It found that 50% of Irish adults identify as online gamers - in other words, those who play video games that require an internet connection. This rises to 75% for those aged 18 to 24. The survey revealed that the average gamer in Ireland spends €180.30 per year on online gaming. That includes money spent on new games, add-ons, in-game purchases and consoles. Again, this increases significantly for 18- to 24-year-olds, who spend an average of €291.50 per year. The research found that male gamers are also more likely to dig deep to fund their online gaming hobby than female gamers are, spending €260 versus €132.50 per year. This theme continues with regard to the amount of time being spent on online gaming. On the average day, male gamers spend two hours and 20 minutes playing online games, compared to one hour 26 minutes for female gamers. The average among the entire online gaming community is one hour and 47 minutes per day - a stark increase from the average one hour 10 minutes per day in Pure Telecom's 2022 survey findings. Pure Telecom's research also provided insights into why online gaming has such widespread appeal - and why adults are dedicating significant proportions of their days to it. In addition to the perceived mental health benefits, the survey found that 21% of gamers enjoy the social aspect of online gaming, while 19% believe it enhances their problem-solving skills. Despite these merits, gamers who say online gaming is their main hobby are in the minority, with just 16% saying this is the case. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "The findings from our research demonstrate the significant and multifaceted impact that online gaming is having on our society. Online gaming is not only an outlet for entertainment, but also provides a space for people to build connections, have a chat with other gamers and look after their mental wellbeing. These findings are consistent with recent research* which shows that gamers can perform better and faster at cognitive challenges. "Many of the most popular video games being played today rely on an internet connection. We see the effects of this in Pure Telecom, with download volumes spiking on days when there are big gaming releases. Knowing the growing popularity of online gaming, we are dedicated to providing the fastest broadband speeds available in Ireland so our customers can enjoy the multitude of benefits they experience from online gaming - uninterrupted." See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, the Irish high-speed broadband company, has announced the results of a survey, which found that 35% of gamers in Ireland believe that online gaming benefits their mental health by providing an outlet for stress relief. The research also found that male gamers are spending almost an hour more on their hobby per day than female gamers. The survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom as part of its Connected Lives study. The survey explored the proliferation of online gaming in Ireland and its impact on people's lives, spending and mental health. It found that 50% of Irish adults identify as online gamers - in other words, those who play video games that require an internet connection. This rises to 75% for those aged 18 to 24. The survey revealed that the average gamer in Ireland spends €180.30 per year on online gaming. That includes money spent on new games, add-ons, in-game purchases and consoles. Again, this increases significantly for 18- to 24-year-olds, who spend an average of €291.50 per year. The research found that male gamers are also more likely to dig deep to fund their online gaming hobby than female gamers are, spending €260 versus €132.50 per year. This theme continues with regard to the amount of time being spent on online gaming. On the average day, male gamers spend two hours and 20 minutes playing online games, compared to one hour 26 minutes for female gamers. The average among the entire online gaming community is one hour and 47 minutes per day - a stark increase from the average one hour 10 minutes per day in Pure Telecom's 2022 survey findings. Pure Telecom's research also provided insights into why online gaming has such widespread appeal - and why adults are dedicating significant proportions of their days to it. In addition to the perceived mental health benefits, the survey found that 21% of gamers enjoy the social aspect of online gaming, while 19% believe it enhances their problem-solving skills. Despite these merits, gamers who say online gaming is their main hobby are in the minority, with just 16% saying this is the case. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "The findings from our research demonstrate the significant and multifaceted impact that online gaming is having on our society. Online gaming is not only an outlet for entertainment, but also provides a space for people to build connections, have a chat with other gamers and look after their mental wellbeing. These findings are consistent with recent research* which shows that gamers can perform better and faster at cognitive challenges. "Many of the most popular video games being played today rely on an internet connection. We see the effects of this in Pure Telecom, with download volumes spiking on days when there are big gaming releases. Knowing the growing popularity of online gaming, we are dedicated to providing the fastest broadband speeds available in Ireland so our customers can enjoy the multitude of benefits they experience from online gaming - uninterrupted." See more stories here.

HCS, a leading IT, cybersecurity, and digital transformation services company, has announced the results of new research which found that nearly a fifth (19%) of office workers in Ireland still have access to the company data of a previous employer. Of these, 48% use that previous employer's data to help them in their current job. The research of 503 office workers based in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of HCS, with the support of Fortinet, a global leader driving the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. The aim of the survey was to explore office workers' attitudes to, and experiences of, cybersecurity at work. The full results and analysis of the survey are available as part of a new report by HCS called 'HCS CyberWatch Report: Insights into 2024's Cyber Threats'. The study also highlighted the risk that current employees can pose to data security within organisations, if effective access controls are not in place. Of those surveyed, 43% say that in the job they have now, they have access to privileged or sensitive company data that they shouldn't, and 52% of these admit that they access it. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that 61% of office workers don't trust their employer to protect their own personal data. Meanwhile, 15% of office workers say that their organisation's cybersecurity measures prevent them from doing their job effectively. Some of those surveyed are finding ways around this, with 22% of office workers admitting to having bypassed internet access controls implemented by their organisation by using tools such as a web proxy to access blocked sites. When it comes to working arrangements, it appears that there is still a way to go in making employees feel secure and supported outside of the office. Almost a fifth (19%) of those who work remotely or on a hybrid basis feel more vulnerable to security risks when working from home, while 27% feel they have less technical support. Some 48% of remote or hybrid workers access their company network via a secure VPN, while the same percentage (48%) use home Wi-Fi. Dan Hegarty, Head of Sales, HCS, said: "These findings highlight the urgent need for organisations to proactively manage access permissions and implement robust access policies. In doing so, businesses can mitigate the risk of unauthorised data exposure and protect their valuable assets against potential breaches. In addition, providing ongoing awareness training can empower employees to play an active role in protecting company data. Not only will this bolster the security of sensitive customer and company information; itwill uphold trust with employees regarding the safeguarding of their own personal data. "It's concerning to see that employees are finding ways to circumnavigate organisational security measures. Organisations need to ensure that the cybersecurity infrastructure in place is robust, while also setting out clear protocols for employees. Meanwhile, it's crucial that employees feel supported when working outside of the office. A well-defined remote or hybrid work strategy should have cybersecurity at its core to enable employees to work securely and efficiently, with speedy remediation in the event of an issue to minimise downtime." See more stories here.

A new survey from Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has revealed that 60% of adults in Ireland aged under 35 would like a job as a social media influencer as a source of income. In total, 48% of the adult population would consider a job as a social media influencer. The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom as part of its Connected Lives survey, examined how people in Ireland use social media and their attitude towards influencers. The research found that of those who expressed an interest in pursuing a job as an influencer - and who have full-time jobs - 56% believe they would earn more money than they do now. This means that 27% of full-time employees in Ireland believe that they could earn more money as a social media influencer than they do in their current job. The top reasons given for wanting to be a social media influencer are having an interest in it (49%) and getting free products and services (32%). On the other hand, the top reasons given by those who would steer clear of an influencing career were a lack of interest (38%), followed by a belief that they would not be good at it (37%), as well as privacy concerns and the pressure of public scrutiny (30%). The survey showed insights into the effect of social media influencers on our shopping habits. Over two in five (44%) of social media users said that influencers have an impact their purchasing decisions and choices. This impact was most noticeable among Generation Z (those aged 26 and younger), with nearly just over half (54%) reporting that influencers impact such decisions. As the age profile increased, the impact waned - still, more than a third (34%) of Baby Boomers (aged 59-77) said their choices had been swayed by influencers. While not everyone can be an influencer, Pure Telecom's research found that we are a nation of frequent social media posters. Nearly half (45%) of the population said that they post at least once a week on their chosen social media platforms. More than one-in-10 (12%) post on social media every day or more, rising to 16% for Baby Boomers, who are the most likely generation to post daily. The potential consequences of posting too much were also laid bare, with nearly half (47%) of social media users revealing that they mute people if their posts become irritating. It appears nobody is safe in this regard, with nearly one in three (32%) social media users admitting to muting a friend and one in five (21%) having done the same to a family member. In more extreme cases, one-in-10 have actually ended a friendship due to someone's social media posts, and 5% had ended a romantic relationship. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "These figures show that online influencing has become a mainstream career consideration for many as we see an entire generation of digital natives becoming hard-working adults. Increased connectivity means that we can consume media wherever we are. "With that ease of access, people are now turning to influencers for tips and inspiration on the things that are important to them - be that feeling good about themselves, cooking nutritious family meals or simply having a laugh. So, is it any wonder that so many of us want to use our talents, knowledge or interests and make a career out of them while making people happy at the same time "Whether people want to be in front of the camera influencing or behind the screen watching, we at Pure Telecom are committed to providing the connectivity to make it happen." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services a...

HCS, a leading IT, cybersecurity, and digital transformation services company,has announced the results of new research which found that 83% of office workers in Ireland admit to using the same passwords across multiple accounts. Almost one-fifth (19%) of those surveyed say that they re-use the same password for all work and personal logins such as email accounts, device logins, and websites. The research of 503 office workers in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of HCS, with the support of Fortinet, a global leader driving the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. It found that 89% of those who say they re-use passwords admit to having access to company data that they shouldn't have. The survey also found that many office workers are choosing insecure ways to store their passwords, with 18% saying they have written work-related passwords down on paper, such as a sticky note or in a notebook. A quarter (25%) keep them saved on a personal or work device in an unprotected or unencrypted document, while 49% memorise passwords and don't physically keep them anywhere. Additionally, 21% store them in a secure password management app. When it comes to password strength, some office workers are more predictable than others. Some 10% admit that they have chosen a basic or easy-to-guess work-related password, while just over one-in-ten (11%) say they use passwords that feature the name of their pet, a family name, or something relating to their favourite sport. The survey also uncovered the risk that employees' personal devices pose to sensitive company information. Over a fifth (21%) of office workers have stored confidential company information or emails on a personal device or personal cloud account, while a quarter (25%) have access to work emails or documents on a personal device such as a phone or tablet. A third (33%) of those surveyed are automatically logged into some or all of their work-related accounts, such email accounts, meaning they don't need to enter their password each time. When asked about the security measures that they have in place when accessing work-related accounts, 47% of office workers use two-factor or multi-factor authentication. Meanwhile, some office workers are less concerned about data security, with just 57% of those surveyed admitting that they lock their computer screen when they step away from their desk. Dan Hegarty, Head of Sales, HCS, said: "These findings underscore the critical need for robust password practices that are backed up and continuously reinforced by organisations. The prevalence of password reuse and insecure storage methods highlight the importance of proactive measures such as strong, unique passwords and secure password management to safeguard company data.Passwords are often the first point of defence for organisations, and if a password is weak or compromised, this puts the integrity and security of company data at risk. "The research also raises concerns about access control, and it's vital that organisations have full visibility over who has access to what data within the business. While it's positive that organisations are embracing digital tools, there are clear gaps in best practices that must be addressed in order to truly succeed in today's digital landscape." See more stories here.

PayPal has announced the launch of PayPal Complete Payments for small and medium enterprises in Ireland. The solution - which has been rolled out across the UK, Canada and more than 20 European markets - enables enterprises in Ireland to accept a range of payments including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit and debit cards, and alternative payment methods from around the world. Forrester and PayPal research found that 63 per cent of online shoppers would not purchase from a brand if it had a poor checkout experience - with 43 per cent of customers likely to buy if the checkout offers their preferred payment type. Businesses across Ireland face a variety of challenges every day, from finding new customers and managing cashflow to driving sales.Expanding the choice of payment methods for shoppers can help turn potential customers into actual customers and help increase sales. A Censuswide survey of enterprises revealed that diverse payment options that cater to customer preferences (27%), fast and reliable processing to minimise transaction delays (26%) and dispute resolution services (25%) - are crucial factors that enablebusiness growth. "We're bringing our latest innovation to Ireland with PayPal Complete Payments, that enables small and medium-sized enterprises to offer their customers the same level of service and user experience as large enterprises," said Jonas Breding, General Manager, Northern Europe, PayPal. "With PayPal Complete Payments businesses are seeing on average 4.2 per cent lift in credit and debit card acceptance for neighbouring markets like the UK. This demonstrates we are delivering greater value for our customers by boosting customer conversions and helping drive revenue." PayPal has integrations with several ecommerce platforms - including BigCommerce and WooCommerce - which make it easier for their customers to quickly take advantage of this new solution. This new solution enables eligible enterprises to allow their customers to securely store their payment methods in the PayPal vault for future purchases. This provides a seamless shopping experience for consumers, and helps Irish enterprises drive conversions and repeat buyers. Businesses can sync order and tracking information with a new feature-Package Tracking. For businesses, sharing tracking data with PayPal can mean fewer customer disputes, and a streamlined resolution process that eliminates manual responses, which can reduce costs. Transactions with tracking details often see 80 per cent lower "item not received" dispute claims. To help keep small businesses secure in an environment where fraud is on the rise, PayPal Complete Payments will continue to offer Fraud Protection, Chargeback Protection and Seller Protection on eligible transactions. This solution is available at competitive rates for accepting credit cards and other payment methods online. Small businesses can now choose between flat-rate pricing and flexible pricing, which helps them get paid the full amount up-front and gives them a transparent view into processing costs. See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the results of its annual Connected Lives survey, which shows that one-in-five (19%) voters have changed their voting choice based on posts they have seen on social media. The research found that this is significantly higher for younger voters, with 28% of those aged 18 to 24 saying social media has led to them changing their ballot preference. The nationally representative survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom. It examined the growing crossover between politics and social media and how that is impacting public opinion. In doing so, the research found that 38% of adults in Ireland believe that social media is now the most important political campaigning platform, rising to 47% for those aged 18 to 24. The research shows that many adults turn to social media to keep themselves informed on political discourse. Of those who use social media (85%), more than a quarter (26%) credit it with helping them to see alternative political points of view, while 32% say it supports their knowledge of election and referendum issues. Despite this, just 41% of social media users fact-check political social media content, while 27% will only follow people and accounts whose political opinions they agree with. Pure Telecom's survey showed that there is an appetite for politicians to have a presence on social media, with many saying they would like to see more of it. Almost half (49%) of adults who use social media said they like politicians to use it because it makes them more accessible, while 49% like them to use social media as it keeps them up-to-date on their progress and opinions. It's not just election issues that adults in Ireland are interested in seeing from politicians. Almost half (47%) of social media users would like politicians to give more personal insights on social platforms to make them more relatable. Meanwhile, one-third of adults (33%) believe that politicians should make TikTok videos to appeal to younger generations. This rises to 45% for those aged 18 to 24. When it comes to voicing their own opinions, the population is less sure. While 27% of men who use social media say they share their political opinions on social media, just 13% of women do it. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "Social media is making politics more accessible to the general public, while also helping people to get up-to-speed on important political issues. It can help the population to stay informed on local issues and developments, while also having a greater awareness of national issues, elections and referenda. However, with so many admitting to being influenced politically by social media, it is incumbent on all of us to make sure we carry out some fact-checking before forming an opinion. "With voters set to return to the ballot boxes at least twice over the next 12 months, staying connected and informed will be important for all of us in deciding which way to vote. At Pure Telecom, by providing high-speed broadband connectivity to any location in the country, we are proud to empower people to make the choices that are right for them." See more stories here.

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.Office-loan defaults near historic levels with billions on the lineSummary: More than $38 billion-worth of US office buildings are on the brink of defaulting or being foreclosed, marking the highest level of such debt-related distress in this real estate sector since 2012.Context: Commercial property owners typically borrow half (or more) of the money they invest in a building, so the current high interest rates in the country are making life difficult for those buyers, and the reduction in demand for office buildings has made affording those increased payments tricky, as post-COVID-19 workplace realities have collapsed entire chunks of the market, and tenants are now paying closer attention to their landlords' financial health, which—for the aforementioned reasons—is tending to be less good than it would have been several years ago, compounding this issue for some property owners.—The Wall Street JournalOne Sentence News is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Tesla to lay off everyone working on Superchargers and new vehiclesSummary: Following a wave of layoffs that saw more than 10% of the company's employees fired in mid-April, EV company Tesla's leadership has announced that two key executives—those responsible for new vehicle development and the company's Supercharger network—have been laid off, along with most of their teams.Context: This new batch of firings will effect around 500 employees on those two teams, plus the company's public policy team, and this is being seen as a puzzling move, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently said that he's doubling-down on efforts to create autonomous robo-taxi networks, which would seem to require more public policy efforts, not fewer; the company's Supercharger network is also considered to be something of a crown jewel, as it has more fast EV chargers installed around the US than every other company combined, and a recent decision to open those chargers to non-Tesla vehicles has meant more revenue for the company at a moment in which it's seemingly hemorrhaging money due to heightened competition and the at times bizarre and highly political antics of Musk, himself.—Ars TechnicaOpenAI inks strategic tie-up with UK's Financial Times, including content useSummary: The Financial Times, a longstanding London-based news entity, has signed a deal with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI to license their archive for AI-training and information-gleaning purposes.Context: This deal is being framed as a strategic partnership, and in essence it means that the Financial Times will be paid by OpenAI to allow the latter to use the former's work to train their AI systems, while also allowing those systems to provide information from the FT to users, when relevant; OpenAI has recently made similar deals with the Associated Press, Axel Springer, and Le Monde, among others, and other AI companies are doing the same, all of them seemingly trying to get ahead of a jumble of legal actions by all sorts of publishing entities aimed at AI companies that are scraping up this sort of work without providing compensation to the owners of said work.—TechCrunchWhile word of TikTok's potential near-future ban in the US might play a role in Snapchat's growth in the West, the app has been seeing a huge surge in growth elsewhere around the world for years, with 90% of their new daily active users living outside the US and Canada (two of its biggest markets).—Sherwood News52%Portion of the US public that uses some kind of ad-blocker on the web, according to a new survey conducted by Censuswide.That's up from 34% in 2022, and the number is even higher for more experienced web-users like programmers and cybersecurity experts: 72% and 76% of folks working in those trades, respectively, use ad-blockers.—The RegisterTrust Click Get full access to One Sentence News at onesentencenews.substack.com/subscribe

Almost half of manufacturing and production businesses are facing heightened pressure to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices, a new survey shows. The research found 46% of those surveyed are experiencing 'a lot of pressure' to become more sustainable while a further 53% said they are experiencing at least some pressure to do so. The research, conducted on behalf of Calor Ireland by Censuswide, surveyed energy decision makers in the manufacturing and production industry operating in rural areas outside of Dublin and off the natural gas grid. The focus was on current sustainability pressures and their plans around renewable energy adoption. The importance of environmentally sustainable supply chains It showed that in addition to experiencing pressure to be more sustainable, respondents were also applying pressure to businesses in their supply chain. A total of 39% of respondents said that they 'only use' suppliers with renewable or sustainable business activities and a further 56% said they use some suppliers who fit into this category. The findings highlight the growing need for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to remain competitive. Renewable energy usage Just over 3 in 5, (61%) of businesses surveyed said they are using renewable or green energy in their business operations, with just over a third (34%) stating they do not do so. When it comes to switching or upgrading to lower carbon and renewable energy sources, the survey shows businesses are slower to implement a full retrofit. Only 7% of businesses are using heat-pumps as the main source of energy supply and 5% are using solar panels. The main source of energy used by the businesses surveyed are electricity (33%), followed by LPG (20%), oil (15%) and natural gas (11%). This shows that a large percentage of businesses are continuing to use higher carbon emitting fuels, such as oil. For many manufacturing businesses, switching to natural gas is not an option for off grid manufacturing, emphasising the need to greater lower carbon alternative such as LPG. When asked what, if anything, they had done to reduce carbon emissions in their businesses, 53% of respondents said they had upgraded lighting, while 39% had switched to using HVO for transport, a renewable biofuel and drop-in replacement for diesel that can reduce carbon emissions. A total of 38% said they had switched to a lower carbon or renewable energy source, 30% cited a reduction in overall energy consumption and 26% said they had installed solar panels. Barriers to energy updates While pressure is mounting on businesses to show their commitment to adopting more environmentally friendly initiatives, many businesses are experiencing barriers to switching to lower carbon and renewable energy sources. A total of 52% of the manufacturing and production companies surveyed said cost restraints were the greatest barrier to switching. This is perhaps a sign of the impact on businesses of increased input costs, higher wage demands, inflationary pressures. As it becomes increasingly evident that comprehensive retrofits are proving to be costly, there is a growing need for affordable transition solutions. And with growing business overheads, 25% of surveyed businesses said that switching energy sources isn't a priority due to other pinch-points. Asked, when, if ever, they expected to move to a lower carbon or renewable energy source, 20% of those who have yet to do so said they would do so in the next year and 46% said in the next five years. Nearly one in four (24%) said they would do so when it becomes available for their business type and 10% said when government regulations required them to take such action. Support for government energy initiatives Despite the persistent challenges posed by climate action goals and input costs, 60% of those surveyed believe the government is providing appropriate support for businesses transitioning to lower carbon or renewable energy. A total o...

A new survey from Irish IT services provider Auxilion, and supported by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, reveals that 28% of IT decision-makers in Ireland changed job in 2023, with more than a third (34%) planning to do so within the next one to two years. The research - carried out by Censuswide for Auxilion and involving more than 100 IT decision-makers in large enterprises across Ireland - found that those aged 25 to 34 were most likely to change jobs during this time, with 37% of this age group planning a move. In terms of industry breakdown, some 69% of IT leaders working in the HR sector are planning to find a new role, followed by those in finance (39%), and manufacturing and utilities (36%). In keeping with this, the survey revealed that a third (33%) of all respondents have interviewed for a new job over the last six months and some 41% have been approached by a recruiter about a job during that time. Major Moves As for what's driving this trend, 29% of IT leaders are planning to leave their current job as they are intending to emigrate. The 25 to 34 age group had the highest proportion of people intending to relocate (34%). Overall, 43% of respondents are planning to leave their current job as there are not enough growth opportunities within their organisation. Meanwhile, 36% said they were doing so because they needed a new challenge. Almost half (49%) went one step further, saying they would retrain in a new career or profession if there were no barriers (such as money, mortgage, family commitments). The 35 to 44 age group was most open to this (61%), followed by 25 to 34-year-olds (45%). Alternative Approaches When it comes to finding new roles, some 84% of IT leaders have used a recruitment agency in the past, with 62% planning to rely on same for securing their next role. The same proportion (62%) have previously done contractor work and 72% would be open to same. IT decision-makers also see the benefits of outsourcing work to contractors, with the most cited benefits found to be more flexibility (47%), a short-term solution (46%), accessibility to more skills (41%) and more cost-effective (41%). Similar to those individuals looking for new roles, it seems organisations are also open to alternative approaches when it comes to finding new talent, with 74% of organisations having a graduate programme and a similar number (70%) offering apprenticeships. Niamh Cray, Chief People Officer, Auxilion, commented: "All of this movement creates huge demand and pressure on organisations. Such gaps also have a wider impact in terms of their ability to maintain operations, complete projects and deliver services. "That's why businesses should adopt a blended approach when it comes to talent, incorporating contractors and resourcing partners. With better planning and more flexibility, organisations can easily plug any skills gaps that arise and avoid a resourcing crisis. "A more collaborative and agile approach also enables companies to scale their competencies as and when needed. In turn, this can create more opportunities and support business growth in the long-term." See more stories here.

Ireland has emerged as a strong contender in the global gaming industry, drawing the attention of enthusiasts and game developers. To dig deeper, PayPal commissioned a study conducted by Censuswide in November 2023 that polled 1,000 consumers who play online games to unveil latest behaviour and trends. PayPal's gaming insights revealed that a quarter (25%) of gamers surveyed in Ireland started or continued earning money via gaming in 2023, with a further 22 per cent of those who will spend more money on games in 2024 considering it as an additional way to generate income. Turning play into pay The most popular ways of making money through gaming for respondents who started/ continued to earn money via gaming in the past 12 months were revealed as taking surveys (38%), ads (26%), and time playing or Mistplay (24%). Going forward, some 31 per cent of gamers plan to increase their spend on games over the next 12 months - with the expected average spend expected to be €451 for respondents who spend money on online games. Using gaming to generate additional income through streaming was a driving factor for increased budgets among 22 per cent of respondents. Gaming can form connections As an industry, gaming has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, and has become a leading form of entertainment in Ireland especially those in the age group of 25-34 years of age. Entertainment was the top motivation cited by 53 per cent of respondents followed by stress relief (47%) and escaping reality (37%). A significant proportion of respondents who will spend more on games in 2024 revealed that gaming is their favourite hobby (37%) and a way for them to make friends (28%) and are some of the reasons why they plan to spend more on gaming in 2024. Over half (56%1) of gamers in Ireland say playing games brings them closer to other people Gaming can also be beneficial for mental wellbeing with 34 per cent of those who will spend more on games in 2024 identifying it as their source of motivation. Twenty-one per cent turned to gaming to alleviate loneliness, while 25 per cent use games to socialise and connect with others. More than a quarter of gamers who will spend more on games in 2024 (28%) have fostered online friendships through gaming, and 27 per cent view it as a means to connect with friends and family. Speaking about the findings, Jonas Breding, General Manager for PayPal Northern Europe, commented: "Our research highlights that there is a dynamic gaming community in Ireland, where gaming means more than just entertainment. For some, it serves as a tool for relieving stress and making connections. For others, they are transforming their passion for gaming into an income stream. We understand that safety is always a concern and provide gamers a more secure way to pay with PayPal for games and accessories." Cost and safety concerns The research found that certain factors would stop respondents gaming or spending money on it. More than two thirds (69%) identified high living costs and inflation as a potential deterrent, while concerns about fraud (34%) and the unavailability of payment options (29%) were also noted as being game-changers in this regard. PayPal was the most popular payment method used by 35 per cent of gamers surveyed in Ireland who spend money on online games. Safety is a priority for 64 per cent when buying or playing games. Furthermore, 67 per cent per cent1 are giving more consideration to safety when it comes to choosing a gaming platform and a similar proportion (69%1) said safety increases their loyalty towards a game. This is understandable given that 30 per cent of gamers have encountered safety concerns while gaming during the past year and more than a third (36%1) have previously felt unsafe when completing a game purchase. The most prominent safety concerns respondents have encountered while gaming in the last 12 months were revealed as abuse on gaming platforms (31%), loss of money or gaming funds (29%), b...

Per celebrare San Valentino e il rito della cena romantica a due, Philips ha fatto il giro del mondo fotografando le preferenze degli innamorati grazie a una ricerca internazionale svolta da Censuswide su oltre 12.000 persone in 12 paesi. Dall'Italia alla Francia, dalla Spagna alla Germania e poi Regno Unito, Paesi Bassi, Svezia e Turchia per arrivare fino a Cina, Brasile, India e Stati Uniti, la festa ha offerto uno spaccato su abitudini, usi e costumi della serata dedicata all'amore di coppia.

In this episode, Lauren Hawker Zafer is joined by Arti Raman and Neil Cohen. The whole of this unique conversation revolves around a fascinating survey: “the state of generative AI" that was conducted by Portal26, in partnership with CensusWide. Portal 26 polled 400+ C-suite and IT professionals about the state of Generative AI.  Its results depict an environment in which companies are optimistic about the potential of Generative AI, yet struggle to gain visibility into the operations of their AI programs, creating significant risks around governance, data security and more.  Who are Arti Raman and Neil Cohen? Arti Raman is the founder and CEO of Portal26, formerly Titaniam. She specializes in responsible use frameworks for enterprise consumption of Generative AI. She is also an expert in advanced data protection techniques, including high-performance encryption-in-use.  Before Portal26, she was a senior product leader and head of UX and competitive intelligence for Symantec's enterprise business. Arti holds a number of patents. She was the youngest and the first female recipient of the Rosenthal Award for outstanding contribution to the field of investment and finance for her work with the late Dr. Ed Lazear, former US Chief Economist, and Nobel laureate Dr. Michael Spence. Arti holds degrees in Business, Economics, and Mathematics. Neil Cohen Neil Cohen has more than 40 years of experience creating, building and managing brands from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, including SEGA, Hilton, Arby's, McDonalds and Miyoko's Creamery. He currently consults with companies on marketing, storytelling, business and innovation strategies, serves as advisor to 11 successful start-ups, and is an active mentor to a number of select global startup accelerators including San Francisco/NYC IndieBio Life Sciences accelerator, LA/Paris Starburst Aero Aerospace accelerator, SVG/Thrive AgTech accelerator, Startup Mexico, Puerto Rico's Parallel18 and Santiago's Startup Chile.  Don't forget to subscribe to Redefining AI and please do share your excitement about the episode with your own network! #ai #data #redefiningai #techpodcast #generativeai

Welcome to Season Three! Our first spotlight episode of this season is a snippet from our upcoming episode: Arti Raman & Neil Cohen - The State of Generative AI - A Journey of Fear vs. Hope! The whole conversation revolves around a fascinating survey: “the state of generative AI" that was conducted by Portal26, in partnership with CensusWide. Portal 26 polled 400+ C-suite and IT professionals about the state of Generative AI.  Its results depict an environment in which companies are optimistic about the potential of Generative AI, yet struggle to gain visibility into the operations of their AI programs, creating significant risks around governance, data security and more.  #Subscribe now to Redefining AI to catch up with each and every episode coming your way! Who are Arti Raman & Neil Cohen? Arti Raman is the founder and CEO of Portal26, formerly Titaniam. She specializes in responsible use frameworks for enterprise consumption of Generative AI. She is also an expert in advanced data protection techniques, including high-performance encryption-in-use. Before Portal26, she was a senior product leader and head of UX and competitive intelligence for Symantec's enterprise business. Arti holds a number of patents. She was the youngest and the first female recipient of the Rosenthal Award for outstanding contribution to the field of investment and finance for her work with the late Dr. Ed Lazear, former US Chief Economist, and Nobel laureate Dr. Michael Spence. Arti holds degrees in Business, Economics, and Mathematics. Neil Cohen Neil Cohen has more than 40 years of experience creating, building and managing brands from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, including SEGA, Hilton, Arby's, McDonalds and Miyoko's Creamery. He currently consults with companies on marketing, storytelling, business and innovation strategies, serves as advisor to 11 successful start-ups, and is an active mentor to a number of select global startup accelerators including San Francisco/NYC IndieBio Life Sciences accelerator, LA/Paris Starburst Aero Aerospace accelerator, SVG/Thrive AgTech accelerator, Startup Mexico, Puerto Rico's Parallel18 and Santiago's Startup Chile. Listen to the full episode, as soon as it comes out by subscribing to Redefining AI and please do share your excitement about the episode with your own network! #ai #data #redefiningai #techpodcast #generativeai

A recent study by People Like Us and Censuswide has revealed that ethnically diverse professionals in the UK are grappling with a dual crisis – the burden of unequal pay coupled with the escalating cost of living.  Author: The Spill Category: LIFE Listen to the full story, or read it⁠⁠ ⁠⁠online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- also available in Easy Read.  For more Life-related stories, head to⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thespillmag.com/tag/life/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thespillmag/message

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced new findings from its inaugural Connected Lives survey, which show that adults in Ireland are spending 562M on online fitness and wellbeing annually. The research found that adults are turning to mobile apps to support their physical and mental health, while online gaming platforms are also playing a role in supporting the nation's fitness. The nationally representative survey of 1,004 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom and explored the public's use of online tools and services, including app subscriptions, health and fitness wearables, online classes and online magazine and website subscriptions. The research found that the average adult spent 143 on online fitness and wellbeing in the last 12 months, with a significant difference in spending between genders and generations. Men reported spending 213 in the last 12 months, compared to 122 spent by women. Generationally, Gen Z outspent all others, paying 191 annually. Pure Telecom's research found that 71% of adults have used an online fitness tracking app in the last 12 months and the same proportion have used a nutrition or food tracking app. Almost as popular are mindfulness and mental health apps, which were used by 67% of adults in the last year. Reflecting the popularity of physical and mental health apps, and with many of them connecting to wearable devices, more than four in five (81%) of the adult population report to have used a connected health or fitness tracking device in the last 12 months. However, while many apps can use personal data to provide tailored recommendations and information relating to food and fitness, less than half (43%) of adults said that they are comfortable sharing their personal health and fitness data with such apps. Other online tools used by adults in Ireland to stay fit in the last 12 months include video workouts, used by 71%, and online gaming platforms, used by 50%. This rises to 65% for those aged 25 and under. Furthermore, 39% of adults have paid for an online personal training session. The survey also examined the relationship between exercising and social media, finding that 42% of adults are motivated to move more when they see fitness-related social media posts. Creating their own social media posts is also a motivating factor for one in 10 adults, who say that posting about it on social media is a key incentive to exercise. However, Pure Telecom's research found that workout posts aren't always what they seem, with just under one in five (18%) of those who post fitness photos online saying they edit them to make themselves look fitter, stronger or thinner. Furthermore, 15% of adults who post about fitness say they misrepresent how active they are online, while 14% exaggerate the intensity and duration of their workouts. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "The digital world is transforming the way we do everything, including how we look after our minds and bodies. People are drawing inspiration and advice from a truly global fitness community, which is available at their fingertips. "As the number and variety of wearable devices being produced by tech companies increases, so too will our reliance on the internet to achieve our fitness and wellbeing goals. As such, we can expect the spending on online fitness resources to continue to rise as people seek that ease and flexibility that comes with doing things online." See more stories here.

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced the results of its inaugural Connected Lives survey, which found the average adult in Ireland is in five active instant messaging groups. The research found that the majority of people (79%) have at least one instant messaging group muted. The nationally representative survey of 1,004 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom and explored people's communications with others. The survey found that 96% of people are in at least one instant messaging group and the majority of us are not afraid to hit the 'mute' button. Pure Telecom's research found that 38% of those who are in instant messaging groups have a family group silenced, while the same proportion are muting a friends group. Nearly a quarter (24%) said that they have muted their work group, while 16% have turned off notifications for a sport or fitness group. Others being muted are neighbourhood groups (15%), hobby groups (13%), parents' groups (13%) and family groups of a spouse or partner (13%). The research also delved into how often people are communicating with each other - both over the phone and digitally, including via instant message, video call, social media and email. More than two-thirds (67%) of adults who are in a relationship reported having a phone conversation with their other half every day, while 58% said that they have digital communications with them daily. Meanwhile, 40% of adults who can speak to their mother have phone calls with her every day - with women being far more likely than men to do this - while 33% communicate with them digitally every day. That compares to a considerably lower 25% who speak to their father on the phone every day, or 23% who exchange daily digital communications with their dad. Adults in Ireland are therefore 60% more likely to speak to their mum on the phone every day than they are to their dad. Pure Telecom's research found that when it comes to all immediate family members, adults in Ireland prefer to have a chat on the phone. However, the survey found the opposite to be the case for friends, with 23% of people saying they have phone conversations with their friends every day, compared to 31% who have communicate digitally. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "Our research shows that we are a connected, sociable population and most of us have found a balance between communicating with loved ones over the phone and using the range of digital options that are at our fingertips. And, of course, the 'Irish Mammy' is right up there at the top - second only to people's other halves - as the person who people speak to the most. "The key with digital technologies is to find the balance that works for you and clearly, the majority are finding the 'mute' button as one way to achieve this and get a moment's peace! At Pure Telecom, we are proud to be able to connect people no matter how they choose to communicate - as and when they want." See more stories here.

New research from PayPal unwraps consumer expectations and beliefs relating to Christmas shopping and spending during the festive season. PayPal's 2023 Festive Spending Snapshot - conducted by Censuswide and polling more than 1,000 consumers who celebrate the holiday season across Ireland revealed that 71 per cent of people actively establish a budget for the holiday season. However, despite their best intentions, 74 per cent of these budget-setters often overspend during the holiday season. Budgeting plans for the holidays Perhaps unsurprisingly, more than half (57%) of people get stressed when it comes to planning their Christmas budgets and 37 per cent would like better control over their holiday expenses. Popular tips and trends among Christmas shoppers across Ireland included: Ringing the bells for budgets - Out of the shoppers who actively establish a budget for the holiday season, 36 per cent allocate budgets per person that they need to buy for. Just under a third (32%) say that having a budget makes them less stressed/more relaxed and some 26 per cent set one to prevent them from dipping into their savings. Jingling rather than mingling - A quarter (25%) of people in Ireland are forgoing their work Christmas parties to make their budgets stretch further this Christmas. Furthermore, attending New Year's Eve parties are off the list of 24 per cent of consumers to reduce costs. Sleighing with saving - Thirty-two per cent of consumers plan to pay for goods using loyalty points or rewards, while 28 per cent will compare prices using apps to cut back on spending this year. Moreover, 21 per cent will use a digital wallet (like PayPal) to track online purchases and 18 per cent will shop online this year. Festive shopping habits When it comes to online shopping, respondents cited main benefits which included saving time (48%), helps them to avoid crowds (44%), better offers (36%), more competitive prices (33%), greater variety (31%) and it enables them to complete their shopping earlier (27%). On timing, 57 per cent of consumers expect to have their Christmas shopping finished by the 12th of December. On the other hand, the county with the highest proportion of last-minute shoppers - those that wait until after 20th December - is Monaghan (50%). This was followed by Offaly (29%), Kerry (28%) and Carlow (27%). Looking beyond Christmas, 60 per cent of survey respondents usually shop in the January sales, with just over a third (34%) picking up presents for the following year. The expected average spend in the coming January sales is 248. Are Irish people rationalising spending? The study revealed people's concerns when buying Christmas presents. These included delivery/arrival times (62%), overspending (61%) being scammed (57%), shopping on unfamiliar websites (49%) and filling in financial details when making purchases (46%). However, despite the concern around excessive expense when Christmas shopping, more than three quarters (77%) of people have justified spending over their budget. About a quarter (28%) agree that 'buying one and getting one free' means they can treat themselves to the free item. Meanwhile, 27 per cent typically spend enough to get free delivery so that they don't lose money and 23 per cent believe that getting something for half price means they can make their budget go further. The leading reasons for rationalising spending during this time of year were found to be that it is a means of relaxation (27%), gift-giving fosters emotional connections (25%) and it makes people feel less guilty (23%). As for what's driving this spending over their budget among consumers, more than a third (36%) cited much higher prices this year. Speaking about the findings, Maeve Dorman, Senior Vice President, PayPal, commented: "It's clear that people in Ireland are conscious of the cost associated with Christmas, with many justifying the expense and others overspending. But this is where "festive maths" comes in. It means ...

In a nationally representative survey of 1,005 adults in Ireland, carried out by Censuswide, EPAM has found that 53% of adults are now turning to their bank's website and mobile app to access personal finance support tools to cope with the cost of living. According to the research, nearly half (48%) of adults say they do not make enough money - either through salary or benefits - to cover their living expenses. This is more pronounced for young adults, with 58% of those aged 24 and under saying their living expenses exceed their income. More than half (56%) of adults, meanwhile, say they operate on a paycheque-to-paycheque basis. Increasingly, an industry-wide focus on user experience has seen banking providers introduce tools, which can be accessed via mobile app or online, that can help customers to track and gain insights into their spending, enabling them to budget more effectively. EPAM's research suggests that this could have a profound impact on those struggling to budget effectively - particularly for the significant proportion of people who do not track their spending. The company found that 21% of adults in Ireland rarely or never track their monthly spending and therefore don't know how much they spend each month. Overall, 64% of adults would like additional support in managing their spending. More than one-third of adults (37%) said they would like this support to come from more digital support and insights from their bank. Meanwhile, 19% of banking customers would be open to AI-powered personal finance advice from their bank it if helped them to better manage their finances. Martin Byrne, VP and Country Manager for Ireland, EPAM Systems, commented on the research. He said: "Online and mobile banking is rapidly transforming as banking providers focus on user experience to stand out among their competitors. Online banking platforms have gone from functional to insightful, with users now having access to intelligent insights that make the prospect of budgeting seem a little less overwhelming. "We found that even those who are successfully managing their spending want more support in managing their budgets. It can help people to save for a mortgage, make future plans, or simply have more disposable income to spend on treating themselves or loved ones. A banking provider that can empower its customers to take more control of their finances can secure a more loyal customer base and make a real societal difference by helping people to cope in more challenging times." With a global workforce of almost 55,000, EPAM has a presence in 50+ regions and countries, including Ireland. The company helps banks and financial services companies to embrace technologies that transform the user experience while also adhering to the most stringent regulations and cybersecurity standards. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced the results of its inaugural Connected Lives survey, which shows that almost one-third (32%) of adults in Ireland have a fake social media account. Pure Telecom's research also revealed the most common social media faux pas committed by users. The nationally representative survey of 1,004 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom. It delved into the population's use of social media and the widespread use of 'fake' social media accounts, whereby users don't use their real name. The research found that 44% of men admit to having a fake account, compared to 28% of women. Half of adults aged 26 and under confessed to having a fake account. Of those who have a bogus account, 25% said they use it to view people's posts and accounts anonymously, while 19% said it enables them to hide their identity while engaging in controversial discussions online. The same proportion have a fake account so that they can stay under the radar of potential and current employers, clients or colleagues. Pure Telecom's survey found that the average adult in Ireland has 4.4 social media accounts. Juggling an average of 5.6 social media accounts each, Gen Z (adults aged 26 and under) have the largest number of social media accounts. This is followed by Millennials (ages 27-42) with 4.1; Gen X (ages 43 to 58) with 3.4; and Baby Boomers (ages 59 to 77) with 2.3 accounts. The research found that 23% of adults have opened at least one social media account in the last 12 months, while 15% have deleted an account. With many social media platforms at their fingertips, through which they can connect with people anywhere in the world, Pure Telecom's research found that 39% of adults have people who they consider to be friends, but with whom they have only ever interacted digitally. This rises to 53% for Gen Z and continues to decline throughout the generations: Millennials (36%), Gen X (26%) and Baby Boomers (23%). Pure Telecom's research also explored the most common social media blunders. These were found to be: Scrolling through a person's feed and liking a post from a long time ago (34%) Sending an embarrassing message to the wrong person or group (22%) Accidentally commenting on the wrong post or image (18%) Accidentally sharing a post or image that was intended solely for the eyes of close friends or family (15%) Posting publicly thinking it was private (13%) Accidentally liking an ex's post, or following/requesting to connect with them (10%) Accidentally liking an ex's partner's post, or following/requesting to connect with them (9%) Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "Social media continues to be an integral tool for people to connect with one another. It has become such a part of our everyday lives that our definition of friendships has changed. Now, as the power of connection allows people to meet and keep in touch from all over the world, a significant proportion of us are enjoying friendships that are entirely online. "Many of us will probably find some comfort in our research, as it shows us that there are people just like us out there who have committed social media 'no-nos' in the past. With the online world playing such a significant role in our lives, these blunders can leave us seriously red-faced. "At Pure Telecom, we are proud to be at the heart of people's connected lives. We encourage all social media users to enjoy the personal connections that the platforms enable, while always using them kindly and responsibly." See more stories here.

La quotidianità degli italiani è sempre più orientata verso comportamenti sostenibili, che hanno l'obiettivo di ridurre l'impatto delle nostre scelte di consumo sul pianeta. Lo rivela HelloFresh, servizio di box ricette a domicilio, che fa il punto della situazione nel Report HelloFresh 2023 Food for Thought, indagine svolta con l'istituto di ricerca Censuswide. Dall'analisi, che porta una ventata di ottimismo mettendo in luce il lato virtuoso degli italiani, emerge che l'85% degli intervistati considera la sostenibilità un fattore fondamentale quando si parla di preparare e cucinare la cena.

How many times have you come across expired pills in your medicine cabinet and wondered  whether they we still safe to use? It's pretty common, and often we consider using the medicine anyway, because we don't have a prescription to get more, for example, or simply don't want to waste what we already have. In early 2022, Censuswide conducted a survey on behalf of online pharmacist Chemist4U. It found that 36% of the UK residents surveyed said they had taken expired medicine in the past. That goes against official advice found on the NHS website though, which reads: “Medicines have expiry dates so you know when to use them by. After the expiry date medicines may not be safe or as effective.” Is safety compromised more for some types of medicine than others? What's the best way to store medicines to preserve their active ingredients? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What makes someone a cat person? What is an endemic? Why are more and more people paying to find love? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research released in 2021 by Censuswide for Tu found that nearly 46% of women ditched nearly 46% of women ditched their bras at least once a week during Covid-19 lockdowns in the name of comfort. And it seems the trend may be lasting despite the worst of Covid hopefully being behind us. We've recently seen A-Listers like Dua Lipa, Kirsten Stewart and Lily Allen go braless in public, with the Daily Mail referring to “the great underwear-free revolution that started during lockdown”. What is the point of bras? Why would there be an “underwear-free revolution” if bras have all these benefits? Should women ditch the bras? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions ! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : What is a faecal transplant? What is BookTok? How can I relax my brain while on holiday? Date of first release : August 15th, 2022 A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the show this week we talk to Howard Kosky, founder and CEO of Markettiers4DC.Kosky founded Markettiers4DC in 1994. Clients include Rolls-Royce, Linkedin and Unilever. The business employs a team of 150 people in the UK and UAEAs many of our regular podcast listeners may know, last week Waterland Private Equity took a majority stake in Markettiers4DC for a reported amount of £50 million. The business has been well known for its broadcast PR credentials in the UK for decades but it's grown significantly in the last couple of years - with the growth of its research business Censuswide and its digital production firm Through The I.On the show today we're going to talk to Howard about the deal and what it means for the future of Markettiers4DC and his role within the business. We'll also be talking to Andrew Bloch from PCB partners about its role in the deal and how the valuation of Markettiers4DC was made.Do check out our latest free-to-attend webinar “The State of Social 2023: Channel Disruption, Influencer Growth and The Great Data Integration Challenge.”Thanks as ever to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors The PRCA. Here is a summary of what Howard and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed:2 mins Howard talks us through why he decided now was the right time to sell.“We were very pleased with everyone's reaction internally to the shift in behaviour (required) to working remotely…with that productivity increased, broadcast popularity increased, the use of technology in virtual events increased and the use of data increased.”“Rather than sell the business, we looked for an investor, a backer.”“In professional services consultancy businesses, if you can get the people management right, you can flourish”6 mins Why Howard believes the culture of Markettiers4DC is better now than before the pandemic.“It's not work-life balance, it's just life. It's where work sits within the parameter of people's lives.”7 mins Howard talks us through the shape of the Marketteirs4DC group in terms of the venues and headcount.8 mins The reported deal value is £50 million. Is that what Waterland bought the majority stake in Markettiers4DC for, or does that include their future investments in acquisitions? “They (Waterland) shared our ambition with the desire to create a war chest for us to match our M&A plan and ambition.” 10 mins Is Howard trying to replicate the broad shape of the UK Markettiers4DC business in America?“North America is a huge opportunity for us.”10.30 mins The revenues of the Markettiers4DC group are about £30m and the business has grown by about £10m in revenue (30% or thereabouts) in the last 24 months. That's going some, how did they do that?13.30 mins Markettiers4DC have been purchased by a private equity group. Did they consider a trade sale?15 mins As a sell-side advisor to the deal, Andrew Bloch from PCB partners talks us through what his role was in helping put the deal together.17 mins The private equity debt market is a tough one at the moment, did that add a layer of complexity to the deal?“We were probably at a stage where we had agreed on the numbers 3 months before…”23 mins When you're agreeing on the final number, is it basically a game of poker?“Waterland is a buy and build specialist”29 mins Howard talks us through the due diligence process and the psychometric tests!“When these guys come in they put a periscope us every part of y

Typetec, one of Ireland's leading managed IT and cyber security solutions providers, has announced the results of its survey of SMB owners in Ireland which show that IT cybersecurity budgets are set to halve in 2023. The average SMB IT cybersecurity budget for this year is €57,500 – compared to €117,209 last year. While IT cybersecurity budgets are down more than 50%, over three quarters (79%) of SMBs in Ireland have experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months. The survey of 200 small and medium-sized business owners – commissioned by Typetec and conducted by Censuswide – also revealed the most common form of cybersecurity attacks over the past year. Those were password hacking (32%), phishing (31%), malware (27%), and insider attacks/employee negligence (23%). SMB owners are also concerned about the impact of cyberattacks on their business, with the biggest fear cited as going out of business (40%). Considerably more respondents are worried about this in 2023 compared to 2022 (27%). The other biggest concerns regarding the potential effects of cyberattacks were found to be significant business downtime (39%), sensitive data being made public or traded on the dark web (38%), reputational damage (37%), and the loss of customers (32%). Despite these fears, almost a third (32%) of SMBs do not have an effective disaster recovery plan in place. However, some 64% of respondents think they are fully prepared for evolving cybersecurity threats in 2023, and 29% feel somewhat prepared for same. Among those that feel somewhat or fully prepared, the most popular step taken against evolving threats is increased cybersecurity awareness training for staff (37%). Other key measures undertaken by this cohort were increasing the support they get from external managed service providers (34%), moving more systems and applications to the cloud (34%), investing in more sophisticated threat protection systems (31%), and investing in an always-on business continuity service (30%). The research also found that a large majority (80%) of SMB owners believe that the Government/state should provide more funding/support to help protect small businesses against the rising cybercrime threat. Trevor Coyle, Chief Technology Officer, Typetec, said: “While it might be tempting for SMB owners to reduce cybersecurity budgets at this time, our survey shows that threats are still widespread and the potential impact on businesses is greater than ever. “We understand that many smaller businesses are dealing with inflationary pressures at this time and have to make difficult investment decisions. However, it's important that they make smart choices and don't leave their data and systems more vulnerable and easier to attack, which will ultimately be so much more costly if it happens. “Being smart means not only identifying measures for protection and prevention, such as staff awareness, but also having a strategy in place to support disaster recovery and business continuity should the worst-case scenario arise. “Only through implementing the right technologies and processes can SMBs be reassured that they are lowering risk and upholding productivity – thus protecting both their own business and that of their customers.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

AVCOM, the premium event production agency, has announced the results of a survey which found that almost half (44%) of professionals in Ireland say their company has restricted overseas travel to corporate events due to sustainability concerns. The survey also found that 41% of professionals report that their business has an annual carbon footprint budget when it comes to overseas corporate events. The research, carried out by Censuswide, surveyed 200 professionals in Ireland who attend corporate events. It found that sustainability is having a significant impact on how businesses approach attendance at corporate events, with 13% of professionals reporting that they no longer have permission to travel to overseas events. This rises to 26% for the finance industry, 22% in sales, media and marketing and 17% in manufacturing and utilities. While most businesses have not issued all-out bans on overseas travel for corporate events due to sustainability concerns, the survey found that 31% of professionals in Ireland are required to get special permission to travel. Businesses in Ireland are also becoming more carbon-conscious regarding local corporate events. More than a quarter (27%) of those surveyed said they are encouraged to use public transport when possible, while the same proportion are encouraged to use a bicycle, scooter, or to walk. As hybrid events continue to be commonplace, 38% of professionals are asked to attend corporate events virtually when they can. AVCOM's research found that the industries most likely to have carbon footprint budgets for travel to overseas corporate events are sales, media & marketing (56%); finance (55%); and IT & telecoms and architecture, engineering & construction (43%). Paul Murphy, managing director, AVCOM, said: “Our research found that businesses are putting tighter controls on event attendance at home and overseas as they try to limit their carbon footprints, as well as costs and time investments. “Events have become more inclusive and it is no longer necessary for people to travel overseas for corporate events. Instead, they can log in from their office or home and still get the benefits of having attending in-person, without the associated carbon emissions. As sustainability continues to impact business travel, event organisers must get creative and ensure that they are providing an immersive experience for everyone, whether they are attending virtually or in-person. “The industry has experienced vast changes in the last few years, with technology being the key to inspiring human connections and providing a memorable event experience. At AVCOM, we have recently enhanced our business to provide end-to-end design-led production services, brought to life using the latest technologies. Event attendees want to experience more and it is vital that corporate event organisers understand this and ensure they create memories for their audiences, wherever they are.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Pure Telecom, the Irish-owned high-speed broadband company, has announced the results of a survey, which found that spending on online games in Ireland reached €536M in 2022. The survey found that the average adult in Ireland spent €150 in the last 12 months, with the average male having spent €278, while the average female spent €84. The online research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed 1,002 adults in Ireland. It found that 77% of adults in Ireland play online games, with one-third saying they took it up in the last 12 months. The survey showed how much time gamers are spending playing online games such as puzzles, action and sport games. Gamers surveyed typically spend 70 minutes per day playing online games, while the average Gen Z gamer (aged 16 to 23) plays for one hour and 40 minutes each day. Male gamers typically spend 35 minutes more than females playing online games each day. When asked about the genre of games they play, almost half (49%) of gamer respondents said they play puzzle games, 39% play Wordle and other similar games, 25% enjoy action games and 20% play sports games. Less popular games include shooter games, battle royale games, adventure, racing, role-playing, fighting, and massive multiplayer online role-playing games. Pure Telecom's research further revealed that 39% of online gamers spent no money on their gaming hobby last year, rising to 76% for Baby Boomer gamers (55- to 73-year-olds). The average spend for Baby Boomer gamers was just €12 in the previous year, while Gen Z gamers spent an of average €354. Pure Telecom's survey also found that adults in Ireland who play online games do it as a way of relaxing or to mentally challenge themselves, with 56% finding that it helps with stress relief, 48% finding it mentally stimulating, while 36% enjoy the competition. Other reasons for playing online games include deriving a sense of achievement (25%), playing as a team (22%), bonding with friends or family (14%) or as an easier way of meeting and speaking to people (12%). Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “The online gaming industry is booming in Ireland and is only set to increase in popularity. Through the advancement of technology in areas such as high-speed fixed-line broadband and mobile devices, more and more adults in Ireland have access to online gaming. “Gaming culture has surged in recent years as it allows people from all age ranges and demographics to decompress, while challenging themselves and connecting with friends and family. Our research shows that puzzle games are the most popular amongst gamers. This comes as no surprise as they're fun and can be accessed right at our fingertips, and often for free. “Those who have access to faster broadband speeds have an advantage over those with slower connections. At Pure Telecom, we want our customers to have the fastest broadband connectivity so they can compete, unwind and play the games they love.” See more stories here.

Auxilion, a leading provider of digitally transformative IT services and solutions, has announced the results of a survey which reveals that failed digital transformation projects have cost businesses in Ireland an average of €323,143 over the last year. Conducted by Censuswide, the survey of c-suite executives from enterprises across Ireland found that 72% of respondents cited poor IT governance as the reason for the failure of digital transformation projects. For over a third (35%) of these, this occurred in the last 12 months. Along with the failure of digital transformation projects, more than half (59%) of Irish organisations have had to abandon a project due to poor governance. Perhaps unsurprising, some 80% of those surveyed believe outsourcing their IT to a partner could improve their governance. In terms of the most important business priorities for Irish executives, these were found to be ensuring IT governance and securing business operations (37% respectively). Expanding into other markets (36%), supporting digital transformation (30%) and enabling employee engagement (28%) finished off the top five. Despite being among the top business priorities for respondents, a fifth (20%) said enabling digital transformation was one of the biggest pressure points for their organisation in terms of IT. The survey also revealed findings in relation to cloud adoption and management, with the most popular infrastructure among those surveyed revealed as private cloud (47%), followed by hybrid cloud (23%) and public cloud (22%). However, for those using a hybrid cloud to deploy IT infrastructure, some 30% would describe their hybrid cloud strategy as not fit for purpose. When it comes to the potential challenges to cloud adoption and management, the biggest challenges cited were lacking the knowledge and skills within the internal team (36%), struggling with data compliance requirements around the cloud (31%) and not having visibility of all devices accessing the cloud (29%). As well as cloud – which 71% of respondents say will be in place in their organisation by the end of 2022 – other technologies are rising in popularity. By the end of the year, 69% will roll out machine learning, 65% will introduce the Internet of Things, and 63% will have Artificial Intelligence in place. Furthermore, Edge Computing will be adopted by 63% and over half (52%) will have brought in 5G. Eleanor Dempsey, Consultancy & Competency Director at Auxilion, said: “Our survey suggests that Irish organisations are struggling to successfully deliver digital transformation programs, and it's likely costing hundreds of millions of euros across the board. Companies are clearly underestimating the complexities of driving change, automating processes and replacing technology. “It's worth noting that the skills required to drive digital transformation are scarce, and not readily available internally. To transform meaningfully, businesses not only need to deploy new applications and technologies, as well as business behaviours and processes, but then embed these changes across the entire team. After all, transformation projects are driven by people – and they must have the right IT governance in place to work in a collaborative and impactful way to both manage and benefit from change. “In fact, getting the governance part of the puzzle right is crucial to embracing digital thinking and capitalising on transformation. But if this is done effectively, organsiations can benefit from heightened productivity among employees, enhanced service delivery for customers, and increased growth for the business.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie...

Typetec, one of Ireland's leading managed IT and cyber security solutions providers, today announces the results of its latest annual survey of SME owners in Ireland, which finds that one quarter (25%) of Irish SMEs have paid out ransoms to cybercriminals on multiple occasions. In total, one-third (33%) of SMEs in Ireland have paid ransoms, with 74% of these having done so on multiple occasions. In 2021, Typetec's survey found that 52% of all SMEs had paid ransoms to cybercriminals. The 2022 survey of 200 small and medium-sized business owners – commissioned by Typetec and conducted by Censuswide, is the second successive year that the research has been carried out. This year's survey reveals that the average cost of a ransom is now €22,773, in line with last year's average of €22,712. The new research also found that two-thirds (67%) of SMEs that paid a ransom, still had their sensitive data leaked into the public domain. More than half (53%) said their sensitive business data was placed on the dark web. Of the SME owners that have already paid a ransom, 71% feel they are now more vulnerable to an attack. To help combat the financial risks of a cyberattack, the survey revealed that over half of Irish SMEs (52%) hold a cryptocurrency reserve in case needed. A further 69% hold cybercrime insurance. However, 71% of SME owners believe that the cyber insurance market is fuelling the ransomware crisis. Trevor Coyle, Chief Technology Officer, Typetec said: “Our new research highlights that a significant number of Irish SMEs are paying out ransoms to cybercriminals, often on a regular basis. Crypto reserves and cyber insurance are also part of the recovery tactics of most businesses surveyed. However, businesses can't put a price on their data or reputations. When attacks happen and ransoms are paid, data is typically still being leaked into the public domain and onto the dark web regardless. “It's crucial for businesses to have a coordinated cybersecurity strategy in place, with a particular emphasis on best practice basics such as continuous cybersecurity awareness training for employees. General housekeeping does not need heavy investment and will almost always be less costly than the financial and reputational repercussions of a successful attack. “While the majority of business owners believe that the cyber insurance market is fuelling the ransomware crisis, unfortunately many Irish SMEs are getting caught in the crossfire. Ultimately, they need to be more proactive about putting the right cybersecurity measures in place as the ostrich approach is not acceptable anymore.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Pure Telecom, the Irish-owned high-speed broadband company, has announced the results of a survey, which found that adults in Ireland are turning to online resources en masse as they battle the impact of soaring prices on their personal finances. The research found that 66% of adults in Ireland are resorting to tools such as internet banking, budgeting apps and cashback apps to combat the rising cost of living. The online research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed 1,002 people as part of a nationally representative study and found that 94% of adults in Ireland are being negatively impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. As a result, 50% of respondents report that they have cancelled streaming or TV subscriptions in the last 12 months to reduce their outgoings. The survey found that a quarter of adults in Ireland are now using cashback apps – which enable consumers to get discount codes and vouchers, or cash back, on select purchases – in an effort to offset the rising cost of living. A similar proportion (24%) are using apps and websites that help them to find the best local deals for items on their shopping list, while 16% are using personal finance apps that can monitor their spending. Four-in-10, meanwhile, credit internet banking for helping them to keep track of their spending during the cost-of-living crisis. Pure Telecom's research found that the internet is also helping adults in Ireland to make more informed buying decisions. Some 61% of respondents said that they are spending more time researching prices online before making a final purchase. The survey also found that remote working is helping workers to combat rising prices. Of those who are working remotely or on a hybrid basis, 44% say working from home helps them to reduce their cost of living. From this cohort, 69% say it is reducing their spend on fuel, 53% report that they are saving money on food and 42% are saving on public transport. A quarter of those working remotely or on a hybrid basis believe that remote working is increasing their cost of living. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “With inflation and the ever-rising cost of living, we found that almost everyone is feeling the financial pinch and most are looking for ways to tighten the purse strings. Our survey found that adults in Ireland are getting creative and many are using multiple online resources to ensure they don't pay a cent more than they need to. “It is natural that in this current climate, people are looking at their monthly outgoings and cutting back where they can, so it is interesting to see that half of all adults have cancelled at least one streaming or TV subscription in the past year. At Pure Telecom, we are always conscious of customer needs for great quality at an affordable price, which is why we are so proud of our extremely competitively priced Pure TV offering and broadband packages. We want to help people to reduce their cost of living without cutting back on the things they enjoy most.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Datapac, Ireland's leading technology solutions and services provider, has launched an innovative hybrid conferencing solution to meet customer demand for increased hybrid working capabilities. The service enables businesses to connect multiple teams wherever they're located – be it in the office, at home, or a combination of both. The streamlined technology with cutting-edge Microsoft Teams integration, touch-screen interface, and built-in camera, microphone, and speakers, virtually extends the traditional meeting room with both in-room and cross-Teams presentation capabilities. The complexities associated with hybrid collaboration are almost entirely eradicated as meetings can be run via this easy-to-use solution and are no longer reliant on individual pieces of equipment. Meeting setup times and other related technical issues are reduced, meaning employee productivity and workflows are improved. In turn, less helpdesk tickets are raised, allowing IT teams to redistribute their focus to core tasks. The flexible and scalable solution will result in significant cost savings for businesses as the need to purchase, maintain and replace equipment is reduced. It also gives valuable uptime back to organisations as the requirement to travel to meetings is decreased. The hybrid conferencing service is aimed at organisations with multiple offices or locations (including overseas). It has already been adopted by customers including Special Olympics Ireland, Respond and Caulfield's. Initially configured with Microsoft Teams, the solution will also support Zoom and Webex conferencing. A recent Censuswide survey carried out by Datapac in association with cybersecurity and backup specialist Datto found that 40% of SMB owners in Ireland intend to continue to offer remote or hybrid working despite the immediate necessity of the pandemic having passed. Karen O'Connor, General Manager, Datapac: “In the era of the hybrid workforce, the work environment has never been more complex. We have a greater need than ever to connect and enable collaboration for businesses and their people. This innovative service will help our customers to do just that. “This simple and reliable technology coupled with the reduced need for equipment means the service is ideally suited to organisations who operate on a hybrid basis or from multiple offices and locations. It can be tough to find the balance between effective hybrid working and meaningful connections with colleagues or clients, and we believe our hybrid conferencing solution will help customers to strike that balance.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Pure Telecom, the Irish-owned high-speed broadband company, has announced the results of a survey of parents of children in primary and secondary school, which found that 28% of children's homework now relies on the internet. However, the research found that internet access at home is hindering many, with 36% of parents reporting that slow or no broadband at home has, on occasion, left their child unable to complete online homework. The online research, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed a nationally representative group of 252 parents of primary and secondary school children as part of a 1,001 person national study. Some 35% of parents admitted that on at least one occasion, their child has had to complete their online homework away from home due to poor broadband access. The survey found that children in rural areas are more likely to be impacted by a poor broadband connection when it comes to carrying out their homework. According to their parents, some 40% of children have been unable to complete their homework due to issues with the internet, compared to 33% living in urban or suburban areas. Meanwhile, 38% have carried out their homework away from their home in order to access better internet, compared to 33% living in urban or suburban areas. The survey also found that the majority of parents are satisfied that their child's school is doing enough to broaden their digital learning. Pure Telecom's research found that 72% of parents believe that their child's school is providing sufficient eLearning opportunities for their child. Meanwhile, just 6% of parents report to be dissatisfied with the access to high-speed broadband at their child's school. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “In today's digitally progressive society, the internet is integral to a child's education. School programmes, and therefore homework, have become increasingly sophisticated, so it is extremely important that children across the country have access to high-speed broadband both at home and in the classroom. “It is clear that the National Broadband Plan, along with the Government's Schools Broadband Programme, are vital for the educational achievement of our youngest generations. We work with Ireland's major network infrastructure providers, which allows us to provide broadband to almost every home, school and business in Ireland that has a fibre network. We look forward to being able to connect more homes with high-speed broadband as the National Broadband Plan continues to make progress and enriches the education of the digital leaders of our future.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Auxilion, a leading provider of digitally transformative IT services and solutions, has announced the results of a survey which reveals that Irish business leaders expect to invest an average of almost €750,000 (€747,071.21) in IT by the end of 2022. The survey, conducted by Censuswide and involving 100 C-suite executives from enterprises across Ireland – showsthat almost half (48%) of Irish organisations are increasing their IT spend over the next 12 months. In terms of their areas of focus during this period, Irish business leaders are prioritising sustainable solutions (41%), cloud environments (38%), automation (32%), business analytics (31%) and hybrid working practices (30%). However, the study found that supply chain issues have caused challenges for 67% of respondents when resourcing technologies. In fact, a similar proportion (68%) have made recent IT decisions based solely on the current availability of technologies. As a result of such issues, the survey found that some 58% of business leaders have purchased older technologies. This is despite 65% agreeing that purchasing older technologies will have an impact on the performance and life span of same. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study found that supply chain issues (33%) were cited as one of the biggest obstacles to successful IT strategy delivery. This was followed by changing workstyles (32%) and staff not having the knowledge to effectively use IT (32%). The research also shows that 80% of Irish organisations currently outsource part or all of their IT needs to a partner, while two-thirds (66%) of business leaders agree they are looking to replace their IT partner or engage with a new one. Philip Maguire, CEO of Auxilion, said: “Our survey shows that business leaders are compromising on their tech due to supply chain issues. Out of necessity and because of availability, organisations are opting for solutions that will only serve them in the short-term. In turn, this is hampering their long-term strategies and goals, while stifling digital transformation. “While it's not always about having the latest technologies, businesses need to ensure they are implementing the right solutions which will help them to innovate, thrive and grow – not just today but in the future. This means investing across the board, from technologies and partnerships to training and resourcing. “If these elements are chosen carefully and work effectively, the chances of getting a return on investment via technology are maximised – something which is more important than ever in what continue to be uncertain times. What is certain is Irish companies need to continually adapt and invest in their digital strategy if they are to drive success for themselves and their customers.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Research released in 2021 by Censuswide for Tu found that nearly 46% of women ditched nearly 46% of women ditched their bras at least once a week during Covid-19 lockdowns in the name of comfort. And it seems the trend may be lasting despite the worst of Covid hopefully being behind us. We've recently seen A-Listers like Dua Lipa, Kirsten Stewart and Lily Allen go braless in public, with the Daily Mail referring to “the great underwear-free revolution that started during lockdown”. What is the point of bras? Why would there be an “underwear-free revolution” if bras have all these benefits? Should women ditch the bras? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions ! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : Is Bullet Train the new John Wick? How does "death cleaning" help you declutter your life? Why do we get verrucas? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Le groupe Meta fondé par Mark Zuckerberg, anciennement dénommé Facebook, planche comme vous le savez sur le Metaverse, ce monde virtuel identique au monde réel, mais aux possibilités quasi infinie. Si un grand nombre d'observateurs sont enthousiastes sur le concept, d'autres comme le fondateur de la cryptomonnaie Ethereum sont beaucoup plus hostile. Vitalik Buterin pense en effet que la technologie qu'essaye de développer Meta est un échec annoncé. Pourquoi ? Comment ? Toutes les explications dans cet épisode.Quand une personnalité comme Vitalik Buterin prend la parole sur un sujet technologique, on l'écoute. En effet le fondateur de l'Ethereum, qui est quand même la seconde plus importante monnaie virtuelle du monde, annonce que le Metaverse est voué à l'échec quand bien même son développement n'en est qu'au tout début... ou tout du moins, c'est le Metaverse tel qu'imaginé par Meta qui serait voué à l'échec. Une prise de position qui ne sera pas pour redorer l'image de Meta dans ce dossier, le groupe ayant restructuré sa division dédiée au Metaverse avant l'été, je vous invite à écouter l'épisode qu'on y a consacré si ce n'est pas déjà fait. Je cite le fondateur de l'Ethereum, « le Metaverse finira par exister, mais je pense qu'aucune des tentatives actuelles des entreprises de le créer intentionnellement n'aboutira […] Nous ne connaissons pas encore vraiment la définition du Metaverse, il est bien trop tôt pour savoir ce que les gens veulent réellement. Donc, tout ce que Facebook crée maintenant échouera » fin de citation.Si certaines stratégies marketing visent à créer des besoins avant que les consommateurs ne les éprouvent pour faire du business, dans le cas du Metaverse, Vitalik Buterin explique que cette façon de penser ne peut pas s'appliquer. Dans ce sens, une étude du cabinet Censuswide estime qu'il y a un gros décalage entre les attentes des consommateurs et les solutions développées par les entreprises. Alors que la plupart des internautes interrogés veulent gagner du temps en faisant leurs achats en réalité virtuelle ou augmentée, les marques mettent quant à elle au point de véritable expériences virtuelles calquées sur le réel. En Europe, un sondage de la société Sortalist révèle que la moitié des Européens se méfient du Metaverse tel que présenté actuellement. Autre personnalité importante pointant du doigt le manque d'innovation du groupe Meta, Reggie Fils-Aimé. Ce nom ne vous dit peut-être rien, et pourtant, il s'agit de l'ancien directeur de la branche américaine de Nintendo. Si l'on est nombreux à imaginer le Metaverse comme une copie de la technologie proposée dans les films Matrix ou Ready Player One, à savoir une copie virtuelle du monde réelle avec des possibilités quasi infinie, la définition qu'en donne Mark Zuckerberg est tout autre. Il s'agira je cite « d'espaces 3D qui vous permettront de socialiser, d'apprendre, de collaborer et de jouer d'une manière qui va au-delà de ce que nous pouvons imaginer ». Rien de bien concret donc, comme le reproche Buterin.Côté finance, de nombreux analystes s'attendent à ce que le Metaverse représente un immense marché dans les années à venir. D'après la société de conseil et de recherche Technavion, le marché des mondes numériques atteindra plus de 50 milliards de dollars d'ici à 2026. Pour sa part, le cabinet de conseil américain Grand View Research voit plus grand, avec un marché de 678 milliards de dollars d'ici à 2030. Troisième prédiction venant de la société Gartner, 25 % des gens passeront au moins une heure par jour dans le Metaverse en 2026... à condition que ce dernier soit au point dans 4 ans. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Datapac, Ireland's leading technology solutions and services provider, has announced the results of a survey which found that 83% of SME owners in Ireland plan to increase the level of IT services they outsource in the next year. Furthermore, a third of respondents said they will put an outsourced managed backup and business continuity service in place within the same timeframe. The survey of 150 SME business owners in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide in association with Datapac and cybersecurity and backup specialist, Datto. The main reason cited by SME business owners for wanting to outsource their organisation's IT services was a desire to reduce IT spend (39%). Other factors include the challenge of managing remote or hybrid working (36%), the need to access a greater range or more expert level of knowledge and skills (36%) and an IT skills acquisition and/or retention challenge (34%). Over half (56%) of SME owners reported at least some degree of reliance on cloud storage technologies. Hybrid data storage, a combination of traditional on-premise and cloud data storage, is also increasing with almost a quarter (24%) of SMEs using this as their primary data storage model. Additionally, 71% of those surveyed implemented software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications in the last two years. However, of these, a quarter didn't implement a third-party backup solution. Three quarters of SME owners plan to expand their organisation's SaaS usage in the next year. To the best of SME owners' knowledge, the average time SaaS providers hold backups of data in their applications is one year. While the actual length of time that data is held varies depending on the provider, it is typically 90 days or less, meaning that in the event of data loss and without the support of a third-party backup solution, older data can be permanently lost. Karen O'Connor, General Manager, Datapac, said: “Many SMEs don't have the in-house IT skills required to meet the growing digital demand, and more organisations are turning to managed service providers to plug this skills gap. The widespread adoption of cloud storage solutions and SaaS business applications give organisations more operational flexibility than ever before. With this flexibility, however, comes added complexity. “Superior return on investment, easier management of remote or hybrid workers and access to highly skilled experts are just some of the benefits to be expected by enlisting the services of an experienced third-party partner. In order to capitalise on these benefits, organisations need to ensure that the solutions powering these services meet their individual business needs.” Nicholas O' Donovan, Sales Manager, Datto Ireland, said: “The adoption of SaaS applications and hybrid storage technology has played a significant role in the widescale and often rapid transformations which many SMEs have undergone over the past two years, and it's essential to carefully consider how to protect company data as business processes change. SaaS platforms don't come with built-in backups for data, and now is the time for organisations to ensure they have a robust backup solution in place to enable business continuity.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Today on The Download from Sounds Profitable; big names in podcasting are pulling down big numbers in ad revenue, Meta and Mozilla have teamed up to change advertising privacy, and TikTok might not be the #1 place to take short-form podcast content. On a sober, world-news note: Advertisers are weathering unintended consequences from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ryan Barwick of Morning Brew wrote a brief rundown of the situation last Friday. According to a Business Insider report, Google AdSense has been found on publishers of Russian state propaganda. “While on those sites, BI observed Google-served ads from Best Buy, Progressive, and Allbirds, and a handful of other brands. Marketing Brew also saw ads for brands on these two sites, but a banner ad atop several stories was blocked by Integral Ad Science, a brand-safety firm.” Barwick then pairs this evidence of brand safety kind-of working with the infamously-timed Applebee’s promotion that aired in a split-screen ad break with footage of Kyiv under siege. The ad, featuring footage of a man in a cowboy hat gyrating his butt in glee over $1 boneless chicken wings, went viral on social media for its grim pairing with footage of burning buildings. “What do these stories have in common? Funding journalism. Advertisers often don’t want to fund inflammatory, hateful, or controversial content. While brand-safety tech might help marketers avoid having their ads showing up on propaganda sites, it can also direct their ads away from legitimate coverage of political or other sensitive topics, inadvertently hurting newsrooms as a result.” Both the propaganda site ad serves and Applebee’s pulling from CNN serve as evidence of extremes of what could happen in similar spheres of podcasting. To ignore brand safety and the messaging of associated programs is a recipe for being associated with disinformation and propaganda. To overcorrect and leave the space entirely could leave journalism podcasts without the stability of CNN in a financial pickle. Continuing the Morning Brew coverage: last week Alyssa Meyers rounded up the earnings highlights of some giants in the podcasting industry. SiriusXM, Spotify, Acast, and iHeartMedia all show significant growth. Both Spotify and Acast posted a 40% year-over-year increase for ad revenue while SiriusXM-owned Pandora experienced a 30% growth. The biggest headline-grabber of the bunch, though, is iHeartMedia “Q4 revenue grew 59% in iHeartMedia’s ‘Digital Audio Group’ division, which encompasses iHeartMedia’s podcasting business, digital service, and ad-tech companies. Podcast revenue alone increased 130% YoY. The company said the growth was partly due to ‘general increased demand for digital advertising’ and ‘the growing popularity of podcasting.” It appears the industry-wide trope of saying podcasting ads are fast-growing is less of a marketing pitch and more a truism as more companies rake in those fast-growing profits. Up next we have a story shuffled into the digital stack of news and left by the wayside: Spotify appears to be better at announcing podcast deals than actually publishing podcasts. While a Business Insider article was published on February 18th, much of the original reporting on the subject was done by Podnews’ James Cridland in the December article Missing: the shows from these big Spotify announcements. As Cridland and others report: a great deal of splashy Spotify projects announced since December of 2020 have yet to come to fruition. Some announcements were vague deals akin to a popular actor signing a multi-picture deal with a prominent movie studio. Others, however, appear to have died on the vine. Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment’s celebrity-studded Batman audio fiction series has fallen off the radar since announcing its cast last June. British royalty power couple Meghan and Harry signed up in December of 2020. The most concerning is Kim Kardashian West’s partnership with Spotify and Parcast. Cridland writes “In March 2021 she hinted she was ready to release her episodes. Where are they?” eMarketer’s Sara Lebow shared some fascinating data last week with a chart of the day post titled TikTok isn’t the No. 1 US app for shorter videos. In fact, the data gathered by CensusWide in late January puts TikTok in third place with 53.9% of respondents sixteen and up. The top two are Facebook and YouTube with 60.8 and 77.9% respectively. As podcasters explore video podcasting, or simply video clips promoting their shows, TikTok is constantly brought up. The format of what makes a successful Facebook or YouTube video are far different than what pleases TikTok’s famous algorithm, making it difficult to reuse assets. The results of this study seem to imply that while TikTok is valuable, those new to video as an advertising medium would have a better shot at developing content and skills that are useful in the long run. Another interesting facet of this story is CensusWide got these numbers before YouTube launched their TikTok competitor YouTube Shorts, effectively cloning Tiktok’s endless stream of short-form content in the existing YouTube ecosystem. But then news dropped to complicate things further: Monday TikTok announced they will be allowing users to post videos up to ten minutes in length, more than doubling the original limit of three minutes. Sara Fischer, writing for Axios, broke the news of German publishing company Axel Springer investing in a new podcasting company Spooler. Working with Insider, Spooler will co-produce daily news podcast The Refresh from Insider with a special trick: Spooler’s proprietary tech will allow the hosts to add new segments to that morning’s episode as the day’s news progresses. “For news companies, the expectation is that producers could build ‘playlist programs’ that Spooler automatically stitches together to make the podcast sound seamless, even though it's being repeatedly updated. The bespoke player on Insider.com and Insider's app will allow users to skip over segments they've already heard.” Meanwhile, last week iHeartMedia announced Talk Back, an in-app feature allowing podcast-listening audiences to send voice messages to show hosts. There must be something in the Spring air as podcast companies seem to be in the mood to experiment and innovate, pushing the limits of what podcast tech can do. A social media network and an internet browser have teamed up to make ads less intrusive. Trey Titone writes for Ad Tech Explained: “When Meta and Mozilla team up to improve digital advertising, you should probably pay attention. The two companies joined forces to create Interoperable Private Attribution or IPA, a framework for attribution measurement without tracking users.” The teamup shows changing times and attitudes between the companies. Back in 2018 when Meta was still Facebook, Mozilla developed an extension for their Firefox browser with one goal: keep Facebook from watching users’ web activity outside of Facebook. Now the two are teamed up with a proposed framework that could follow pro-privacy trends formed by Google and Apple to find a way to provide useful advertising data while protecting the individual’s privacy. Titone’s breakdown of what Meta and Mozilla have proposed IPA will be, as well as what its constituent parts might actually do, is incredibly thorough. Thorough enough to necessitate a table of contents. Check it out. For more thoughts on the subject of podcast advertising and a quality-over-quantity approach, The Download recommends Brian Morrissey’s Substack newsletter piece “End of an era of ad targeting: Publishers will need closer ties to their audiences.” We should know, we covered it last week. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to Ian Powell for his audio prowess, and to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Download from Sounds Profitable; big names in podcasting are pulling down big numbers in ad revenue, Meta and Mozilla have teamed up to change advertising privacy, and TikTok might not be the #1 place to take short-form podcast content. On a sober, world-news note: Advertisers are weathering unintended consequences from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ryan Barwick of Morning Brew wrote a brief rundown of the situation last Friday. According to a Business Insider report, Google AdSense has been found on publishers of Russian state propaganda. “While on those sites, BI observed Google-served ads from Best Buy, Progressive, and Allbirds, and a handful of other brands. Marketing Brew also saw ads for brands on these two sites, but a banner ad atop several stories was blocked by Integral Ad Science, a brand-safety firm.” Barwick then pairs this evidence of brand safety kind-of working with the infamously-timed Applebee’s promotion that aired in a split-screen ad break with footage of Kyiv under siege. The ad, featuring footage of a man in a cowboy hat gyrating his butt in glee over $1 boneless chicken wings, went viral on social media for its grim pairing with footage of burning buildings. “What do these stories have in common? Funding journalism. Advertisers often don’t want to fund inflammatory, hateful, or controversial content. While brand-safety tech might help marketers avoid having their ads showing up on propaganda sites, it can also direct their ads away from legitimate coverage of political or other sensitive topics, inadvertently hurting newsrooms as a result.” Both the propaganda site ad serves and Applebee’s pulling from CNN serve as evidence of extremes of what could happen in similar spheres of podcasting. To ignore brand safety and the messaging of associated programs is a recipe for being associated with disinformation and propaganda. To overcorrect and leave the space entirely could leave journalism podcasts without the stability of CNN in a financial pickle. Continuing the Morning Brew coverage: last week Alyssa Meyers rounded up the earnings highlights of some giants in the podcasting industry. SiriusXM, Spotify, Acast, and iHeartMedia all show significant growth. Both Spotify and Acast posted a 40% year-over-year increase for ad revenue while SiriusXM-owned Pandora experienced a 30% growth. The biggest headline-grabber of the bunch, though, is iHeartMedia “Q4 revenue grew 59% in iHeartMedia’s ‘Digital Audio Group’ division, which encompasses iHeartMedia’s podcasting business, digital service, and ad-tech companies. Podcast revenue alone increased 130% YoY. The company said the growth was partly due to ‘general increased demand for digital advertising’ and ‘the growing popularity of podcasting.” It appears the industry-wide trope of saying podcasting ads are fast-growing is less of a marketing pitch and more a truism as more companies rake in those fast-growing profits. Up next we have a story shuffled into the digital stack of news and left by the wayside: Spotify appears to be better at announcing podcast deals than actually publishing podcasts. While a Business Insider article was published on February 18th, much of the original reporting on the subject was done by Podnews’ James Cridland in the December article Missing: the shows from these big Spotify announcements. As Cridland and others report: a great deal of splashy Spotify projects announced since December of 2020 have yet to come to fruition. Some announcements were vague deals akin to a popular actor signing a multi-picture deal with a prominent movie studio. Others, however, appear to have died on the vine. Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment’s celebrity-studded Batman audio fiction series has fallen off the radar since announcing its cast last June. British royalty power couple Meghan and Harry signed up in December of 2020. The most concerning is Kim Kardashian West’s partnership with Spotify and Parcast. Cridland writes “In March 2021 she hinted she was ready to release her episodes. Where are they?” eMarketer’s Sara Lebow shared some fascinating data last week with a chart of the day post titled TikTok isn’t the No. 1 US app for shorter videos. In fact, the data gathered by CensusWide in late January puts TikTok in third place with 53.9% of respondents sixteen and up. The top two are Facebook and YouTube with 60.8 and 77.9% respectively. As podcasters explore video podcasting, or simply video clips promoting their shows, TikTok is constantly brought up. The format of what makes a successful Facebook or YouTube video are far different than what pleases TikTok’s famous algorithm, making it difficult to reuse assets. The results of this study seem to imply that while TikTok is valuable, those new to video as an advertising medium would have a better shot at developing content and skills that are useful in the long run. Another interesting facet of this story is CensusWide got these numbers before YouTube launched their TikTok competitor YouTube Shorts, effectively cloning Tiktok’s endless stream of short-form content in the existing YouTube ecosystem. But then news dropped to complicate things further: Monday TikTok announced they will be allowing users to post videos up to ten minutes in length, more than doubling the original limit of three minutes. Sara Fischer, writing for Axios, broke the news of German publishing company Axel Springer investing in a new podcasting company Spooler. Working with Insider, Spooler will co-produce daily news podcast The Refresh from Insider with a special trick: Spooler’s proprietary tech will allow the hosts to add new segments to that morning’s episode as the day’s news progresses. “For news companies, the expectation is that producers could build ‘playlist programs’ that Spooler automatically stitches together to make the podcast sound seamless, even though it's being repeatedly updated. The bespoke player on Insider.com and Insider's app will allow users to skip over segments they've already heard.” Meanwhile, last week iHeartMedia announced Talk Back, an in-app feature allowing podcast-listening audiences to send voice messages to show hosts. There must be something in the Spring air as podcast companies seem to be in the mood to experiment and innovate, pushing the limits of what podcast tech can do. A social media network and an internet browser have teamed up to make ads less intrusive. Trey Titone writes for Ad Tech Explained: “When Meta and Mozilla team up to improve digital advertising, you should probably pay attention. The two companies joined forces to create Interoperable Private Attribution or IPA, a framework for attribution measurement without tracking users.” The teamup shows changing times and attitudes between the companies. Back in 2018 when Meta was still Facebook, Mozilla developed an extension for their Firefox browser with one goal: keep Facebook from watching users’ web activity outside of Facebook. Now the two are teamed up with a proposed framework that could follow pro-privacy trends formed by Google and Apple to find a way to provide useful advertising data while protecting the individual’s privacy. Titone’s breakdown of what Meta and Mozilla have proposed IPA will be, as well as what its constituent parts might actually do, is incredibly thorough. Thorough enough to necessitate a table of contents. Check it out. For more thoughts on the subject of podcast advertising and a quality-over-quantity approach, The Download recommends Brian Morrissey’s Substack newsletter piece “End of an era of ad targeting: Publishers will need closer ties to their audiences.” We should know, we covered it last week. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to Ian Powell for his audio prowess, and to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Download from Sounds Profitable; big names in podcasting are pulling down big numbers in ad revenue, Meta and Mozilla have teamed up to change advertising privacy, and TikTok might not be the #1 place to take short-form podcast content. On a sober, world-news note: Advertisers are weathering unintended consequences from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ryan Barwick of Morning Brew wrote a brief rundown of the situation last Friday. According to a Business Insider report, Google AdSense has been found on publishers of Russian state propaganda. “While on those sites, BI observed Google-served ads from Best Buy, Progressive, and Allbirds, and a handful of other brands. Marketing Brew also saw ads for brands on these two sites, but a banner ad atop several stories was blocked by Integral Ad Science, a brand-safety firm.” Barwick then pairs this evidence of brand safety kind-of working with the infamously-timed Applebee's promotion that aired in a split-screen ad break with footage of Kyiv under siege. The ad, featuring footage of a man in a cowboy hat gyrating his butt in glee over $1 boneless chicken wings, went viral on social media for its grim pairing with footage of burning buildings. “What do these stories have in common? Funding journalism. Advertisers often don't want to fund inflammatory, hateful, or controversial content. While brand-safety tech might help marketers avoid having their ads showing up on propaganda sites, it can also direct their ads away from legitimate coverage of political or other sensitive topics, inadvertently hurting newsrooms as a result.” Both the propaganda site ad serves and Applebee's pulling from CNN serve as evidence of extremes of what could happen in similar spheres of podcasting. To ignore brand safety and the messaging of associated programs is a recipe for being associated with disinformation and propaganda. To overcorrect and leave the space entirely could leave journalism podcasts without the stability of CNN in a financial pickle. Continuing the Morning Brew coverage: last week Alyssa Meyers rounded up the earnings highlights of some giants in the podcasting industry. SiriusXM, Spotify, Acast, and iHeartMedia all show significant growth. Both Spotify and Acast posted a 40% year-over-year increase for ad revenue while SiriusXM-owned Pandora experienced a 30% growth. The biggest headline-grabber of the bunch, though, is iHeartMedia “Q4 revenue grew 59% in iHeartMedia's ‘Digital Audio Group' division, which encompasses iHeartMedia's podcasting business, digital service, and ad-tech companies. Podcast revenue alone increased 130% YoY. The company said the growth was partly due to ‘general increased demand for digital advertising' and ‘the growing popularity of podcasting.” It appears the industry-wide trope of saying podcasting ads are fast-growing is less of a marketing pitch and more a truism as more companies rake in those fast-growing profits. Up next we have a story shuffled into the digital stack of news and left by the wayside: Spotify appears to be better at announcing podcast deals than actually publishing podcasts. While a Business Insider article was published on February 18th, much of the original reporting on the subject was done by Podnews' James Cridland in the December article Missing: the shows from these big Spotify announcements. As Cridland and others report: a great deal of splashy Spotify projects announced since December of 2020 have yet to come to fruition. Some announcements were vague deals akin to a popular actor signing a multi-picture deal with a prominent movie studio. Others, however, appear to have died on the vine. Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment's celebrity-studded Batman audio fiction series has fallen off the radar since announcing its cast last June. British royalty power couple Meghan and Harry signed up in December of 2020. The most concerning is Kim Kardashian West's partnership with Spotify and Parcast. Cridland writes “In March 2021 she hinted she was ready to release her episodes. Where are they?” eMarketer's Sara Lebow shared some fascinating data last week with a chart of the day post titled TikTok isn't the No. 1 US app for shorter videos. In fact, the data gathered by CensusWide in late January puts TikTok in third place with 53.9% of respondents sixteen and up. The top two are Facebook and YouTube with 60.8 and 77.9% respectively. As podcasters explore video podcasting, or simply video clips promoting their shows, TikTok is constantly brought up. The format of what makes a successful Facebook or YouTube video are far different than what pleases TikTok's famous algorithm, making it difficult to reuse assets. The results of this study seem to imply that while TikTok is valuable, those new to video as an advertising medium would have a better shot at developing content and skills that are useful in the long run. Another interesting facet of this story is CensusWide got these numbers before YouTube launched their TikTok competitor YouTube Shorts, effectively cloning Tiktok's endless stream of short-form content in the existing YouTube ecosystem. But then news dropped to complicate things further: Monday TikTok announced they will be allowing users to post videos up to ten minutes in length, more than doubling the original limit of three minutes. Sara Fischer, writing for Axios, broke the news of German publishing company Axel Springer investing in a new podcasting company Spooler. Working with Insider, Spooler will co-produce daily news podcast The Refresh from Insider with a special trick: Spooler's proprietary tech will allow the hosts to add new segments to that morning's episode as the day's news progresses. “For news companies, the expectation is that producers could build ‘playlist programs' that Spooler automatically stitches together to make the podcast sound seamless, even though it's being repeatedly updated. The bespoke player on Insider.com and Insider's app will allow users to skip over segments they've already heard.” Meanwhile, last week iHeartMedia announced Talk Back, an in-app feature allowing podcast-listening audiences to send voice messages to show hosts. There must be something in the Spring air as podcast companies seem to be in the mood to experiment and innovate, pushing the limits of what podcast tech can do. A social media network and an internet browser have teamed up to make ads less intrusive. Trey Titone writes for Ad Tech Explained: “When Meta and Mozilla team up to improve digital advertising, you should probably pay attention. The two companies joined forces to create Interoperable Private Attribution or IPA, a framework for attribution measurement without tracking users.” The teamup shows changing times and attitudes between the companies. Back in 2018 when Meta was still Facebook, Mozilla developed an extension for their Firefox browser with one goal: keep Facebook from watching users' web activity outside of Facebook. Now the two are teamed up with a proposed framework that could follow pro-privacy trends formed by Google and Apple to find a way to provide useful advertising data while protecting the individual's privacy. Titone's breakdown of what Meta and Mozilla have proposed IPA will be, as well as what its constituent parts might actually do, is incredibly thorough. Thorough enough to necessitate a table of contents. Check it out. For more thoughts on the subject of podcast advertising and a quality-over-quantity approach, The Download recommends Brian Morrissey's Substack newsletter piece “End of an era of ad targeting: Publishers will need closer ties to their audiences.” We should know, we covered it last week. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to Ian Powell for his audio prowess, and to our media host, Omny Studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we review the findings of the CSOs pulse survey from November 2021, and a separate survey by Censuswide on findings around the Remote Working culture in Ireland and what that means to use remote workers, or those who want to continue to work remotely in the future.

Charles Moore of Censuswide surveys, and Teri Ridge, Hospital IQ's Director, Clinical Solutions, discuss the results of Hospital IQ's survey of 200 hospital-based nurses and what their overwhelming desire to leave the bedside means for health systems in 2022.

HelloFresh (servizio di box ricette a domicilio) ha commissionato un'indagine di ricerca all'istituto di ricerca Censuswide, per scoprire quali sono i buoni propositi degli italiani per il 2022 in tema di abilità culinarie.

Dzisiaj Irlandia zniosła ograniczenia dotyczące pracy stacjonarnej. Z tej okazji firma Auxillion zleciła firmie Censuswide wykonanie badania z którego jasno wynika (i przypomina nam), jak dużo czasu spędzaliśmy na dojazdach do pracy. W dzisiejszym, 310 już odcinku Piotrka Dobrej Rady, poznacie wyniki badania. Posłuchacie, obejrzycie lub przeczytacie. Zapraszam #wykuwam #piotrekdobrarada #remoteonly #pracazdalna #irlandia https://youtu.be/Y9e_0-o4zU8 Mój mail piotr.konopka@innothink.com.pl Mój LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/konopka Link do odcinka na YouTube https://youtu.be/Y9e_0-o4zU8 Link do podcastu https://pod.fo/e/e917c SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/piotr-konopka-286414158/piotrek-dobra-rada-odc-310-oszczednosc-na-dojazdach-a-powrot-z-pracy-zdalnej Inspiracja https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0920/1247794-return-to-work-survey/ Moja strona internetowa https://piotr-konopka.pl Strona firmowa https://www.innothink.com.pl Moje podcasty https://podfollow.com/piotrek-dobra-rada/view iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/piotrek-dobra-rada/id1513135345 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6bu6ZEMBKJAd2LMLr7ABKP Transkrypcja poniżej Cześć! Nazywam się Piotrek Konopka i witam was w kolejnym, 310 już odcinku z cyklu Piotrek Dobra Rada mówi o pracy zdalnej. Dzisiaj powiem kilka słów na temat powrotu z tej pracy zdalnej, normalnie do biura w Irlandii. Dzisiaj właśnie rząd irlandzki zdjął ograniczenia dotyczące pracy stacjonarnej i pozwolił ludziom tak naprawdę na powrót do pracy stacjonarnej z tej pracy zdalnej. Z tej okazji firma Censuswide na zlecenie takiej firmy IT Auxillion przebadała ponad 500 pracowników w Irlandii i okazuje się, że ludzie przede wszystkim zaoszczędzili (czy odnotowali) to, że największą różnicą między pracą zdalną a pracą stacjonarną jest czas dojazdu do pracy. Bo średnio pracownicy w Irlandii zaoszczędzili jedną godzinę na dojazdach dziennie. Co znaczy, że oczywiście są rejony gdzie ten dojazd był krótszy. Ale są też takie rejony, jak Caban, gdzie ludzie zadeklarowali, że zaoszczędzili nawet do dwóch godzin na dojazdach do pracy. W tym badaniu również pojawiły się takie wyniki, jak to, że: 35% osób pracujących zdalnie powiedziało, że ta praca zdalna była dobra dla ich zdrowia psychicznego aczkolwiek 39% respondentów odpowiedziało, że nie było żadnej różnicy w ich zdrowiu psychicznym pomiędzy pracą zdalną a pracą stacjonarną natomiast 59% ludzi (czyli prawie ⅔ respondentów) powiedziało, że poprawił się ich work-life-balance, czyli ta proporcja między życiem zawodowym a życiem prywatnym Są również takie informacje, jak to, że: pracownicy doceniają elastyczność (w granicach nawet połowy pracowników, którzy pracowali zdalnie docenili elastyczność) jak również to, że 38% osób doceniło (czy jest przekonanych o tym) że poprawiło się dzięki temu, że siedzieli w domach, to poprawiło się środowisko. Spadło zanieczyszczenie powietrza dzięki (na przykład) rezygnacji z dojazdu do pracy 82% respondentów chce, żeby firma zaproponowała im w jakikolwiek sposób pracę hybrydową Czyli - ludzie dobrze odebrali pracę zdalną; Są zadowoleni z zaoszczędzonego czasu; są zadowoleni z tego, że środowisko odetchnęło i chcieliby przynajmniej w jakim stopniu nadal pracować zdalnie. Aczkolwiek - jak mówi Eleanor Dempsey (jest to dyrektorka w firmie Auxillion) prawdopodobnie będzie tak, że część firm od razu przyciągnie ludzi do pracy do biura a część firm rozłoży to na trochę dłuższy okres czasu. A jak wyglądają wasze powroty do biur po pandemii? Dajcie znać w komentarzach Dzięki serdeczne. Do zobaczenia i usłyszenia jutro. Na razie!

B2B marketing starts with the customer but understanding the customer need can be difficult particularly when the product or service or technology is not yet on the market.  Business Marketing Club Chair Dave Stevens asks Gayle Cogswell (Business Consultant at 5200), Michael Williamson (CEO of Loyalty AI), and Lucy Stewart (Head of Client Services at Censuswide) for their tips on customer understanding and engagement.  Gareth Case shares a key lesson he took on the journey to being Chief Marketing officer at Redstor.And Marketing and Communications Manager at Hitachi Sara Fernandez shares some great B2B marketing examples and what she's learned from them.

Time to celebrate the really transformational:  the content that we've read, seen, or heard that has really changed the way we think and do our day-to-day B2B marketing work. Business Marketing Club Chair Dave Stevens asks Nick Mason (CEO and Founder of Turtl), B2B Marketing Consultant Holly Gage, Richard Thomson (Managing Director of Kaptcha), Jane Lucken (Marketing Director of Carbon Intelligence), and Lucy Stewart (Head of Client Services at Censuswide) for their content recommendations.