hd-intelligence, a new Irish legal-tech company, has announced the launch of its innovative e-discovery system designed to allow small and medium-sized law practices to compete with larger rivals at a cost they can afford.

The SaaS business, established in 2020 with a mission to 'revolutionise the legal industry', is initially targeting a potential Irish and UK market valued at €150m and is confident of further global demand for its innovative e-discovery platform.

hd-intelligence is a user-friendly, cloud-based software solution that allows legal professionals to quickly upload, review, critically analyse and produce documents online. Such e-discovery processes are now required as part of disclosure procedures in legal cases, but while software solutions are already available, they tend to be prohibitively expensive for all but the largest firms.

hd-intelligence's 'plug and play' platform is deliberately designed with simplicity and cost-effectiveness in mind to 'level the playing field' and allow smaller companies operate at the same level as their larger competitors. It operates using a 'pay-as-you go' system based on the amount of storage needed and users can upgrade to different storage packs when required at costs that are affordable.

To allow for more efficient processing, hd-intelligence has recently incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) into the platform. By building its own unique AI function, hd-intelligence aims to become the go-to platform for large and complex litigation cases where an AI model will scan and identify key material on a case-by-case basis, enabling legal professionals to review the most important documents to their respective cases early on.

The company is initially targeting legal firms of between four to 12 employees of which there are in excess of 100 in Ireland and over 450 in the UK. However, it believes its system could be used worldwide by companies in other sectors including financial services and insurance as well as by government departments and agencies.

It is projecting sales of over €1 million by 2025 and of more than €2.7 million by 2027 with plans to hire ten full-time employees in the next two years and grow this number to 20 by 2027.

The idea for a more accessible and less costly e-discovery platform was borne was out of necessity for co-founder Anthony Joyce, a partner in the Dublin 8- based law firm Anthony Joyce & Co.

Faced with an incredibly daunting review of hundreds of thousands of documents in a commercial case and dissuaded from using any of the available e-discovery platforms by high licence fees, Joyce teamed up with barrister and co-founder Francis Daly to create a solution.

The two ultimately partnered with Mark Murphy, founder and chief executive of Juvo, a web design and development company based in The Digital Hub technology campus in Dublin 8, to bring hd-intelligence's platform to market. Murphy has since been appointed chief technology officer of the business.

A total of €560,000 has been invested in the platform from a number of sources, including from the founders, private investors and Enterprise Ireland funding. Recent investment over the last twelve months fuelled developments on greater security and localised GDPR policies, as well as developing the platforms artificial intelligence review function.

Anthony Joyce, co-founder of hd-intelligence said: "We are delighted to launch our new e-discovery platform, which has been about four years in the making. Our product can be used effectively by any law firm, but we are primarily targeting legal practices employing between four and twelve solicitors both in this jurisdiction and in the UK.

We believe there will be significant demand and we are extremely confident in the platform's ability to become a go-to solution in what is a significant and growing part of the legal sector."

"We have identified over 100 law firms in Ireland and over 450 in the UK that could immediately benefit from our system. In time,...

IT.ie, the Irish IT managed services company, coinciding with Cybersecurity Awareness Month, announces the launch of a new gamified cybersecurity awareness training in a bid to help businesses to tackle the increasing risk of cyberattacks.

The service, which keeps employees on their toes by simulating real cyberattacks, reflects a growing use of gamification by organisations globally and across multiple industries to drive user engagement and business success. A study conducted by TalentLMS found that gamification increases engagement levels during cybersecurity training by 70%.

New regulations, including NIS2 and DORA, are resulting in ensuring that businesses are much more accountable for cybersecurity. Minimising the risk posed by employees will therefore help to reduce the success of attacks. This will save businesses money through decreased insurance premiums, as well as any money that may be paid as ransom.

Human error currently accounts for 90% of data breach incidents. IT.ie's gamified solution aims to reduce that risk by creating an engaging experience which encourages employees to maintain and upskill their cyber-resistance. This is essential as hackers continue to barrage organisations and their employees with attempted attacks using methods such as phishing, social engineering, malware, ransomware, and spoofing.

IT.ie's solution begins with a gap analysis, which identifies areas where individuals may be vulnerable and require improvement such as awareness of phishing tactics, or effective password management. The result of the analysis allows IT.ie to create a personalised training path for each user to strengthen the areas where they are weakest.

These training paths feed into Learn.IT, which involves digestible, interactive sessions designed to be engaging, allowing employees to develop their knowledge in manageable increments without significant disruption to their daily workflow.

The gamification comes into play with the Phish.IT element of the solution, which regularly targets employees with realistic phishing attempts to test their recognition, awareness, and response to threats. These simulated attempts mean that employees can get practical use out of the skills they have developed through the training.

As employees engage with the solution, this feeds into an overall company risk score. Over time, businesses and their employees can see the benefits that the training is having as their score decreases. This measurement of success also helps to create a sense of collective responsibility and a positive cybersecurity culture within organisations.

Eamon Gallagher, founder and managing director, IT.ie, said:

"Through experience, we know that the journey a business takes in developing a coherent cybersecurity strategy is not achieved overnight, and employees are the last line of defence in terms of the cyber threat landscape. Our Cyber Awareness Training & Phishing simulation platform paves the way for organisations to invest in their people so as to ensure the development of a robust and healthy cyber security culture.

Our goal is to create an experience that is personalised, easily consumable and not overly disruptive from other important day-to-day tasks."

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 [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] 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.

Revolut has announced that it has enabled Apple's Tap to Pay on iPhone contactless payment acceptance technology for Revolut Pro and Revolut Business customers across Ireland.

With Tap to Pay on iPhone and the Revolut iOS app, designed for customers with a Pro account, such as sole proprietors or small business owners, or the Revolut Business iOS app for business of all sizes, Revolut customers will now be able to accept in-person, contactless payments with just an iPhone - no need for additional terminals or hardware.

The feature provides an easy way for merchants to accept payments from contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets that enable contactless transactions.

For payments to be accepted, customers simply need to hold their contactless card or payment device near the merchant's iPhone until the transaction is complete, just as with a traditional contactless payment terminal. Apple's Tap to Pay on iPhone technology uses the built-in features of iPhone to keep both business and customer data private and secure.

Revolut Pro and Business customers can start using Tap to Pay on iPhone directly within the Revolut app or the Revolut Business app. New customers wishing to use Tap to Pay on iPhone can do so by downloading the Revolut app or the Revolut Business app on the Apple App Store using an iPhone XS or later running the latest iOS version. From there, they can sign up with a Revolut Pro or Revolut Business account directly within the app to start accepting contactless payments within minutes.*

James Gibson, GM of Revolut Business: "Since 2017, Revolut Business has been providing hundreds of thousands of business customers around the world with a comprehensive platform to manage business finances effectively. We are excited to be amongst the first to enable Tap to Pay on iPhone for our business customers in Ireland and to be providing this simple and secure solution that offers greater flexibility for accepting payments.

We are continuously expanding the benefits of the Revolut Business platform, and this is another great tool to support customers to do business seamlessly."

Alex Codina, GM of Merchant Acquiring at Revolut: "Our ambition in Merchant Acquiring is to provide customers with the products and services they need to accept payments in a secure and convenient manner. The launch of Tap to Pay on iPhone allows us to offer greater choice for both consumers and merchants in Ireland. We expect to see all kinds of businesses, from retail stores to barbershops and food stands, quickly start accepting in-person contactless payments with only an iPhone."

Tyndall National Institute, based at University College Cork, welcomes a cutting-edge quantum light source as part of QuanTour, a groundbreaking European science outreach project. This unique project, which is in anticipation of the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025, aims to inspire the public and shed light on the future of quantum communication.

The QuanTour initiative will see the specially built quantum light source travel to 12 leading research laboratories across Europe, highlighting the groundbreaking research in quantum physics. Tyndall will serve as the Irish host, joining institutions from Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland.

Tyndall (and its QCEC Centre for Quantum Computer Engineering) is at the forefront of quantum research, working on cutting-edge projects in quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum sensing. These new technologies have the potential to revolutionise fields such as data security, computing power, and precise measurement techniques.

Tyndall's participation in this international project highlights its strong position in the global scientific community, supporting its reputation as a key player in quantum technologies. One way to address these challenges is to utilise semiconductor quantum dots to create individual particles of light, known as photons, together with other exotic states of light, such as entangled photons.

The QuanTour project illustrates the critical role quantum communication will play in securing future global data networks. Today's fibre-optic communications, which connect cities and countries, rely on traditional data transmission methods. However, the future lies in quantum communication, which uses photons to transmit information securely based on the principles of quantum physics.

The QuanTour project also underlines the relevance of exploiting single photonic technologies for achieving computational advantage with quantum computers over traditional computation with classical chips. A high-intensity source of identical photons is key to achieve that.

Dr. Emanuele Pelucchi, Head of Epitaxy and Physics of Nanostructures at Tyndall, said: "I am proud of being part of this initiative, which also importantly and playfully symbolically marks 100 years of "quantum". Quantour highlights the relevance that quantum technologies bear to our future and 100 years of endeavours and successes. At Tyndall we are doing our part developing unique site-controlled photon sources which are relevantly contributing to the challenges quantum technologies present."

QuanTour is a project of the German Physical Society (DPG), organised by Dr Doris Reiter (TU Dortmund University, and Dr Tobias Heindel (TU Berlin University).

KPMG has published its KPMG Global Tech Report 2024, examines how organisations are balancing their need to keep up with the pace of tech advancements with prioritising initiatives based on their business value. While a significant number of Irish organisations have reported increased revenues thanks to tech advancements, they remain behind the global average as 87% of businesses globally report a bounce in profits as a result.

According to the new report in which more than 2,450 tech execs worldwide were surveyed, including 70 tech execs in multiple Irish organisations, companies are getting better at identifying and delivering value. The undeniable pace of tech change led to over two-thirds (70%) of Irish respondents sharing that they worry they struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, only 43 percent of respondents said they review and update value-tracking metrics to stay aligned with market changes.

"Tech investments are really paying off for Irish businesses. Even with the fast pace of change and the challenges that brings, it's great to see organisations report higher profits thanks to these investments. This highlights the need for a balanced approach to adopting new tech, where businesses not only keep up with the latest advancements but also focus on initiatives that bring real value.

Moving forward, it's going to be important for organisations to tackle compliance and governance issues to fully benefit from digital transformation. Plus, with the EU AI Act now coming into force, staying compliant will be even more crucial" said Liam Cotter, Technology Practice Lead, KPMG in Ireland.

Fear of Failure

The report also shared insights into threats to digital transformation success: 84 percent of executives say that risk aversion results in senior leadership responding to market forces slower than their competitors. Meanwhile compliance concerns; ineffective governance and coordination; and an inability to agree on priorities or get stakeholder buy-in were reported as the three factors most likely to slow down a digital transformation programme.

Data is clearly fundamental to the process of digital transformation and harnessing value out of tech investments with 66 percent of respondents citing data investments as embedded in their organisation. The survey shows that business leaders view data accessibility and democratisation, 33 percent, data governance, 33 percent, and extracting meaningful insights 30 percent as immediate priorities.

AI unlocking value

AI has occupied the headlines in recent years, and the report shows that 70 percent of organisations are already achieving business value from their AI investments. While this is encouraging, with only 24 per cent of Irish based respondents saying they deploy AI at scale, there is significant room for growth.

To unlock sustainable value and achieve success that outlasts the hype, tech leaders should apply conventional rigor, build consensus, unlock AI capability, and drive trusted AI transformation across their organisations.

Although it is positive to see that 70 percent of respondents say AI is already increasing the productivity of their knowledge workers, the report discloses that AI is also fuelling anxiety in the workforce with 70 percent worrying that users see AI as difficult to understand.

Rory Timlin, Data & AI Lead Practice Lead, KPMG in Ireland highlighted the duality of AI's impact on the modern workforce, outlined in the report. "It's encouraging to see significant value from AI reported, but it's equally important to address the concerns surrounding AI's transparency. By creating a culture of openness and continuous learning, organisations can demystify AI and build trust among their employees.

Organisations should consider wider growth opportunities from AI across the enterprise, in addition to near term productivity gains. This approach not only enhances the overall adoption of AI but makes sure benefits are fully realised across the business."

About the resea...

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has announced that it has now connected over 100,000 homes, farms and businesses to high-speed fibre broadband infrastructure under the National Broadband Plan. NBI marked the milestone with the Stynes family in Co. Meath, who were recently connected to NBI's network.

Overall, there are 304,606 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland that can avail of a high-speed fibre broadband connection on the NBI network. With 101,645 of these premises connected to date, the average take-up rate is 33%, which is well ahead of projections and international comparisons. The take-up rate is surpassing 50% in areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months.

Over 45,000km of fibre cabling has been laid to build the NBI network to this point, which is enough cable to circumnavigate the globe.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth said: "It's very positive to see 100,000 connections achieved at this point in the National Broadband Plan. The level of take-up of broadband services that we're seeing across the country underpins why we needed a State-backed rollout to ensure that no community in rural Ireland is left behind.

"The benefits of this rollout are being seen across many areas, including climate action, agriculture, education, transport, tourism, and healthcare. This is a transformational project that is contributing significantly to removing the digital divide between urban and rural communities in Ireland.

Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have already connected 100,000 homes, farms and businesses across the country to our high-speed fibre network. The take-up rates we're seeing are far ahead of what we had initially hoped for and show the strong demand for fibre broadband in rural Ireland.

"The demand for access to our network has been made possible through our focus on becoming the best open access wholesale provider in the world - resulting in over 70 retail service providers already on board with NBI and a really broad range of choice and competitiveness for consumers.

"Access to our network has become a lifeline for rural communities nationwide, bringing significant positive change to our customers' lives. NBI high-speed fibre is now allowing people to return to the countryside to be closer to family, businesses to tap into new opportunities for growth such as e-commerce, and farmers to leverage innovative technologies to enhance their operations."

"Every NBI fibre connection is capable of delivering up to 10Gbps speeds on day one, with initial speeds on offer of 500Mbps, 1Gbps and 2Gbps."

Speaking on how NBI's rollout of the National Broadband Plan is proceeding on budget and on schedule, Mr. Hendrick added, "We're immensely proud that our delivery of this project continues to progress as planned, with 300,000 premises now able to avail of a high-speed connection on our network. Staying on schedule and within budget for a project of this scale reflects the strong collaboration and commitment from everyone involved in delivering this essential infrastructure to rural Ireland."

NBI-connected customers Janet and Paul Stynes from Longwood Village, Co. Meath, described the transformational and positive impact that a connection to high-speed fibre broadband has had on their family.

Mrs Stynes said, "Getting connected to high-speed fibre broadband has been a game-changer for my family. Before the installation, we struggled with unreliable mobile broadband, and it affected everything from work to everyday activities like streaming and staying connected.

"Now, with fibre, the difference is incredible. Our connection is fast and reliable and has completely removed the stress of managing multiple devices at home. Whether it's work calls, the kids watching Netflix, or simply having seamless Wi-Fi throughout the house, it has transformed how we live and work, making it all so much easier."

Irish companies are facing significant supply challenges this busy retail season, according to findings from reichelt elektronik, a leading European multi-channel retailer. Conducted by independent research firm OnePoll, the study surveyed industrial companies across Ireland, revealing that supply chain congestion is leading to production delays and financial losses, with companies having difficulty securing essential components.

However, there are signs of cautious optimism, as companies implement strategies to address bottlenecks and strengthen supply chain resilience.

Supply chain problems remain widespread - though hope remains for improvement

As we enter the festive period, problems in the supply chain are widespread among Irish companies. This year, around four out of five companies (79%) reported major or moderate disruptions due to supply chain bottlenecks, with one third (34%) having to stop production for at least 20 days over the course of this year due to missing components, resulting in huge production and financial losses for the companies affected.

However, respondents are tentatively optimistic that the situation will improve over the next twelve months (55%).

International crises, economic uncertainty and what Ireland can do

The largest supply chain obstacles faced by Irish companies are the rising cost of components (70%), soaring energy costs (75%), economic uncertainty both worldwide (67%), and in Ireland (65%). Geopolitical tensions are also causing supply chain destablilisation, with the war in Ukraine (67%) and the looming threat of conflict in the Middle East (57%) cited as particularly negative influences, closely followed by the potential fallout of a trade conflict between China and the EU (55%).

All of these factors are contributing to an increasingly complex business environment.

Irish companies want to see expanded global trade agreements, better access to emerging markets, and more strategic policies to boost supply chain performance. A look inwards shows that 61% per cent agree that the current government provides a solid foundation for international trade. However, to boost success, they primarily seek more free trade agreements with non-EU countries (37%).

Additionally, 33% would like easier access to new trade partnerships in regions like Africa or Southeast Asia, and the same percentage calls for more incentive programs or laws to enhance global competitiveness and reduce costs. Meanwhile, 32% believe less internal conflict within the government would be beneficial.

More diverse, more regional, more secure - how the supply chain should become

To better safeguard against material shortages, most industrial companies in Ireland are adopting both long-term and short-term strategies. Currently, 45% of companies have increased their stock levels, with an additional 41% planning to do so by 2025. Many firms are also implementing long-term strategies to regionalise and diversify their supply chains.

Approximately one-third (33%) have already switched to regional suppliers to reduce reliance on international providers, while 47% aim to pursue this approach in the next year. Similarly, 41% of companies have expanded their supplier networks, with another 39% intending to do so soon.

Many Irish companies are taking decisive action to secure their supply chains against emerging threats, cyber-security risks and physical attacks. One in three companies (38%) have implemented measures this year to enhance the security of their supply chains, while an additional 40% plan to take similar steps in the coming year.

The impact of the Supply Chain Duty of Care Act is also apparent, with 38% of surveyed companies changing suppliers this year to comply with the legislation, and another 34% intending to do so within the next 12 months.

"Even though supply chain bottlenecks have received less attention this year in the face of equally important challenges, such as high energy costs, this does not mean that the s...

Beta Festival starts this weekend.

Do you want to reduce emissions by chatting to fossil fuel businesses on the phone, see a robot roll its eyes at live social media algorithms or go back in time to experience the first act of racial activism in 1950's America?

Beta festival, Ireland's art and technology festival, opens this weekend from Friday, 1st November to Sunday, 17th of November at The Digital Hub and the surrounding Dublin 8 area.

Co-founded and supported by The Digital Hub, Beta has announced a full line-up of artists, exhibitions, installations and workshops that will focus on the key theme of the relationship between technology and power, with specific focus areas including artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology.

In addition, a first-of-its-kind Assembly on AI and Art will bring together leading experts in technology and culture to discuss critical areas in the arts industry that are impacted by AI and should be considered for future policy developments, with AI Ambassador for Ireland Patricia Scanlon set to be among the facilitators leading discussions.

Cannes Film Festival winner Noire, the Unknown Life of Claudette Colvin, will make its Irish debut at this year's Beta Festival at the Samuel Beckett Theatre from Thursday, November 7th to Sunday, November 10th. Noire tells the real-life story of 15-year-old Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in a segregated 1950s Alabama through an immersive digital performance using virtual reality, showing the power of storytelling through technology.

Tickets for Noire are limited and range from €15 - €22.

Beta will also host an international exhibition, Unsettling the Algorithm: Seeds of Resistance, which will explore how digital systems and algorithms shape, influence and govern our daily lives. Curated by Aisling Murray and Nora O' Murchú, the exhibition will feature artists including Basil Al-Rawi, Tega Brain and Sam Levigne, Firas Shehadeh, Winnie Soon, and Tzu-Tung Lee, among others.

Separately, the Local Artists Network will spotlight emerging Irish artists with new work from Conan McIvor and new commissions from Aisling Phelan and Cailean Finn. Both exhibitions are free of charge and will run from Friday, November 1st to Sunday, November 17th. Additional workshops covering digital democracy, facial recognition technology and artist networking events are taking place over the two weeks and will be free of charge to attendees.

Events and exhibitions will take place predominantly in buildings across The Digital Hub campus, including iD8 Studio, The Bank and wider Dublin areas, including Pallas Projects Studios, Fire Station Artists Studio and the Samuel Beckett Theatre.

Beta will officially launch on Friday, November 1st with events including the Assembly on AI and Art, keynote from Abeba Birhane as well as free workshops and panel discussions. The conference over the opening weekend will cover topics from digital activism to immersive storytelling, algorithmic resistance and future archives. Tickets for the conferences are available to purchase from the Beta website from €15 - €25.

Key highlights from the weekend will include:

Samuel Beckett Theatre will host performances from Noire, an immersive virtual reality performance that tells the story of Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in the 1950s segregated Alabama. Directed by Stéphane Foenkinos and Pierre-Alain Giraud.

The Ethics Studio, a space for members of the public to engage with real ethical concerns and potential real-world impacts of new and emerging technologies developed with the festival research partner ADAPT Research Centre. This will include The Bigger Picture - an exhibition of new commissions that challenge outdated tropes and offers a more grounded, realistic portrayal of AI.

Keynote talks from Kay Watson, Head of Arts Technologies at London's Serpentine Gallery and Abebe Birhane, who is a member of the Un...

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting and business solutions, has secured a 15-year contract with Ireland's Department of Social Protection (DSP) to implement and support the country's new Auto Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme, known as the "My Future Fund." This initiative will provide a comprehensive, end-to-end digital solution for automatic enrolment of nearly 800,000 workers in Ireland.

Leveraging its TCS BaNCS platform and ecosystem, TCS will oversee the administration of the scheme, enabling seamless enrolment, record management, and benefit disbursement. Services will be delivered through TCS' Global Delivery Centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland. This project follows the passing of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill in Ireland earlier this year and the conclusion of a rigorous tender process by the Department of Social Protection.

Heather Humphreys, Minister for Social Protection, said, "I am pleased to welcome TCS on board as the managed service provider for My Future Fund. TCS has a wealth of relevant experience, having provided similar services in other countries. My officials and I will be working hard alongside TCS, the Revenue Commissioners and payroll software developers to make sure that My Future Fund is delivered on time and to the highest standard."

TCS has experience with similar schemes in the UK and other markets, having managed the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) since the UK government launched a digital auto-enrolment scheme in 2011. It created a digital design for NEST, implementing a user-friendly, self-serve model that supports over 13 million workers saving for retirement.

Vivekanand Ramgopal, President, BFSI Products & Platforms, TCS, said, "We are privileged to partner with the Department of Social Protection for a nationally significant programme such as the digital Auto Enrolment Pension Scheme. We look forward to partnering with the Department and the new NAERSA organisation to implement the scheme. TCS has expertise and experience in delivering critical transformation projects in the UK and Ireland.

We will leverage this experience and our knowledge of the market to make the pension system more accessible, transparent and efficient for workers in Ireland."

The "My Future Fund" pension scheme will enable thousands of workers to save and invest for their future. The system will benefit everyone involved, from employers and operational staff to pensioners, by improving pension record management, timely payments, effective scheme finance management, and providing easy digital access to information.

Deepak Chaudhari, Country Head of TCS Ireland, said: "This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for TCS Ireland to apply its deep contextual knowledge, innovation and to contribute to a project of national importance that will have a lasting impact.

It is an exciting time for our talented team, as this initiative not only expands our capabilities but also job opportunities and skills development to Donegal; further strengthening our commitment to the region and to driving meaningful change in the pensions landscape."

Strengthening TCS' nearshore capabilities, the global delivery centre in Letterkenny hosts state-of-the-art facilities and employs around 1,200 associates. It is one of the largest employers in the Northwest of Ireland. TCS set up operations in the UK & Ireland nearly 50 years ago and works with 200 of the region's best-known and most-loved businesses, including Aer Lingus, AIB life, Aviva, Bank of Ireland, ESB, British Airways, Primark, Sainsbury's, Nationwide, M&S, Asda and Boots.

With its deep industry expertise and an employee strength of over 23,000 people across the UK and Ireland, TCS holds a leadership position in software and IT services in the UK and Irish markets.

Since Oracle changed the licensing for Java in January 2023, there has been growing demand from customers looking to switch away due to extra costs being imposed.

Last summer Azul conducted a study of Oracle Java customers with 86% saying they are migrating all or some of their use and 47% expressed a desire to use an open-source distribution like OpenJDK.

Despite this appetite for change there are still somewhat cliched perceptions about moving to an open source-based JDK, even though the OpenJDK is based on the same source code as Oracle Java.

There are some concerns about "better the devil you know" and a preconception that migration is difficult, but as the study showed 75% completed their migration to the OpenJDK within 12 months. To learn more about this I spoke to Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO of Azul.

Scott talks about his background, what Azul does, Azul's benchmarking tests, Azul's new Java Performance Engineering Lab and more.

More about Scott Sellers:

With more than 30 years of successful leadership in building high technology companies and delivering advanced products to market, Scott provides the overall strategic leadership and visionary direction for Azul Systems.

Scott has a consistent proven track record of vision, leadership, and success in enterprise, consumer and scientific markets. Prior to co-founding Azul Systems, Scott founded 3dfx Interactive, a graphics processor company that pioneered the 3D graphics market for personal computers and game consoles.

Scott served at 3dfx as Vice President of Engineering, CTO and as a member of the board of directors and delivered 7 award-winning products and developed 14 different graphics processors. After a successful initial public offering, 3dfx was later acquired by NVIDIA Corporation.

Prior to 3dfx, Scott was a CPU systems architect at Pellucid, later acquired by MediaVision. Before Pellucid, Scott was a member of the technical staff at Silicon Graphics where he designed high-performance workstations.

Scott graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor of science, earning magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. Scott has been granted 8 patents in high performance graphics and computing and is a regularly invited keynote speaker at industry conferences.

See more podcasts 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 [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] 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.