 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
The Digital Hub: The next step for digital media companies from DIT Hothouse programme
Eirplay Games have been located in The Digital Hub’s enterprise cluster since 2003, with Sentry Wireless and PutPlace more recent arrivals in late 2006. What all these companies have in common, besides their choice of The Digital Hub for their office, is the fact that each have “graduated” from Dublin Institute of Technology's Hothouse programme - a year-long development programme, run by the Project Development Centre (PDC), a business incubator in the Dublin Docklands Innovation Park.
This innovative programme provides knowledge-intensive start-ups, like these digital media companies, with the expertise, networks and tools they need to develop highly successful businesses capable of competing in global markets. On completion of the HotHouse programme, companies are well equipped to firmly establish their business outside of the incubator. For these three companies their first step was to The Digital Hub.
For Eirplay Games, Sentry Wireless and PutPlace, The Digital Hub was a natural choice and they all agree that for them, and many other digital media companies, its not just about finding a suitable physical space – they were looking for more. Coming out of the HotHouse programme, they knew exactly what environment would foster growth and focus. These companies came to the same conclusion that The Digital Hub is the perfect place for a company to thrive.
All three companies agree on the immediate benefits of locating in The Digital Hub:
• Flexible office spaces - an ability to rent space based on the number of employees, which gives good value and makes costs easy to manage
• Focus on the business rather than operations – saves money and time at an important stage in the business cycle
• Shared experience – companies share space with other start-ups and participate in all the associated support, facilities and shared experience, which is invaluable.
• Good networking opportunities - between other small Irish companies and broader business networks.
Each of the companies is optimistic about the long term benefits that The Digital Hub will provide:
• Expanding networking opportunities - more prospects for Irish and international companies to meet.
• High-value collaborations – evolving as additional companies settle in The Digital Hub.
• Dedicated Enterprise Support Services – assistance with funding, hiring, product development and other areas.
• State of the art facilities & office space
• International links & projects
• Opportunity to trail & test products
• Research
• Being part of a pool of valuable business experience that is easily accessed and generously shared
Founded in 2002, Eirplay Games is a leading Web & wireless games publisher and one of the first digital media companies to complete the Hothouse programme and locate in The Digital Hub. The company’s flagship gaming project is Playza.com, an online game designed for the social networking generation that aims to combine the addictive nature of online gaming with the community features of a social networking portal. As it can be played via the Web, on mobile phones and uniquely within social networking sites, Eirplay’s plans are to grow Playza into one of the world’s largest multiplayer casual games. This online gaming portal is in beta testing at present. Eirplay has 6 staff in total, with 3 currently located in The Digital Hub.
PutPlace, founded in 2006, offers a flexible web-based service that allows consumers an easily automated real-time back up of their content. They compare their product to a digital butler for data - securing, organising and sharing digital content such as digital photos, MP3s & video files across multiple devices, throughout a home for example. A private Beta version of PutPlace was released in September 2007 and they currently have over 250 people using PutPlace to manage and back up their data. PutPlace currently employ 7 in The Digital Hub.
Sentry Wireless was founded in 2006. They have developed a product called “Kidsafe”, which is a sim card based child protection technology for mobile phones, that includes a time lock can disable the mobile phone at times when it is inappropriate for a child to be using it. It also allows parents to approve the numbers that their children can call or text and calls from numbers that are not approved are blocked. Sentry Wireless will be targeting mobile network operators, who can load the software onto the sim as an additional service. They are currently in talks with mobile operators in Ireland, UK, Singapore, Brazil and the US. The currently employ a staff of 5 in The Digital Hub.
