Image: © Anita/Stock.adobe.com
Digital transformation goes beyond connectivity to a software-defined future.
Virgin Media Business has forged a strategic link-up with Irish company Innovate and networking giant Cisco to deliver complete ICT solutions for Irish businesses at speeds of 1Gbps.
The telco said that the deal promises to redefine what an enterprise provider offers.
‘We belong to a family of restless entrepreneurs’
– PAUL FARRELL
Virgin said that the partnership will lead to office connections running at 1Gbps speeds, optimising application performance and reducing network connectivity costs.
Lightning strikes
From left: Jim Hughes, CEO, Innovate; Michael Darcy, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Finance; and Tony Hanway, CEO, Virgin Media. Image: Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic
Working on a stealthy Project Lightning strategy over the past two years, Virgin Media recently surpassed 900,000 homes and businesses in Ireland with fibre and is on target to reach the 1m milestone over the next two years.
“We belong to a family of restless entrepreneurs,” said Virgin Media vice-president for commercial, Paul Farrell. “We’re not conventional but are driven by a common purpose to change business for good. We help businesses and industry alike to build a network and connectivity platform that helps boost performance and supports business growth.
“Our partnership with Innovate provides us with the necessary capability to allow businesses to digitally transform and leverage new technology. It can also lead to sustainable ways of working smarter in this digital age.”
The partnership was revealed at the same time Gorey was nominated as Ireland’s ‘Digital Town’ for cultivating a truly digital environment in the town, and for its ongoing successes in fully embracing digital for its residents and local businesses.
“Innovate’s managed ICT solution brings together an enterprise-grade SD-WAN (software-defined networking in a wide-area network) connectivity solution, powered by Cisco, with rapid and resilient connectivity by Virgin Media Business and Innovate’s technical expertise to enable more secure, consistent and cost-effective enterprise connections,” explained Jim Hughes, CEO of Innovate.
“This partnership with Virgin Media Business and Cisco uniquely positions us in the market to provide rapid and resilient SD-WAN network connectivity and cloud solutions to business customers to support their digital transformation. Together, we are transforming technology to unlock their business growth.”
Minister of State at the Department of Finance, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Michael D’Arcy, TD, said: “90pc of private sector employment comes from SMEs; therefore, it is important Irish businesses are given the best start.”
