Crowning Ireland’s queen of the internet

Also in Technology

By John Kennedy

Thursday December 06 2007

Now in its 11th year, the Irish Internet Association (IIA) has grown to 900 organisations — from SMEs to public-sector bodies. Maeve Kneafsey is the new chair of the IIA

Now in its 11th year, how has the IIA developed in that time?

You need to look at it in the context of the economy and the fact that the internet has grown to play a more important role in businesses. SMEs in particular can compete on an equal footing in a global market.

The character of the IIA and its membership has changed to match that. When it first began in 1996, it was a collection of enthusiasts more than anything else.

Now nearly every member company is successful and is in a growth phase – there’s an entrepreneurial spirit running through the various firms.

Originally, it was about creating a forum for networking, but now all its members are competing on an international stage.

What was your first inkling that the internet was going to be so important?

When I first started in the internet business, I was publisher of Dot.ie magazine and we set up the Golden Spider Awards. The environment was different then; it was mostly geeks and artists who felt the world was going to change, but it didn’t feel real.

It’s real now. People can immediately see that the internet has taken centre stage – whether you’re a government agency trying to be more efficient or a business trying to win new customers through the internet.

Do you think Ireland is at the races when it comes to broadband?

We are not moving fast enough. If Ireland wants to have a vibrant online community and enable SMEs to compete globally, then we’ll need to roll it out faster to the locations that need it.

The speed at which this happens is essential. We think Ireland could do better and the IIA will lobby to make that happen.

Is the public sector using the internet effectively?

A growing segment of our membership is from government agencies. Without the internet, in a booming economy, public services such as planning permission information wouldn’t be as readily available as it is now.

The Irish Government knows that if it wants to be competitive, it has to get the best information out to the people who need it.

If Ireland is to stay ahead of the posse in technology, the worst thing now would be to not provide incentives or invest in new technology companies.

The Government needs to invest in online services and do more business with SMEs.

Email: editorial@siliconrepublic.com

- John Kennedy