The customer is king is what I was always taught.  Therefore customer service is a key component of any successful business.  Check out how a simple response letter to a question put by a customer’s of Sainsbury’s child has gone viral.

The success of Social Media as a global phenomenon is unquestionable.  As a nation we understand the inherent reach that this medium offers to family and friends alike to keep in touch across the globe.

As a business we are always interested to see companies demonstrate innovative uses of social media thus opening their services to new markets.   The Journal.ie is a prime example of innovation in itself, their keen eyes this week spotted and featured the  Australian Tennis Open

As we sleep all of the action is taking place, which is now available online in an easily digestible and media rich format.  It also offer interaction through fan centre blogs, social tweet leader boards and much more….  A Down Under social media grand slam!

check out the following links:-

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/fancentre/blogs/outer/index.html

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/fancentre/social/index.html

This article by  Ciara O’Brien, Irish Times Technology section  today outlines the figures from the IE Domain Registry showing interesting registration results from last year, full article below.

THE NUMBER of registered Irish domains rose by 13 per cent to more than 173,000 last year, figures from the IE Domain Registry show.

Last year also saw the registry reach a major milestone, with more than 4,000 domains registered in one month.

The figures showed Ireland’s top-level domain continued to gain subscribers, particularly in the first half of the year, with almost 21,000 registered over the six-month period, a 9.9 per cent rise on 2010, and a further 18,403 domains were registered in the latter half of the year, growing by 5.2 per cent.

In total, there was a 12.9 per cent net increase in the number of registered domains at the end of 2011. About 13 per cent of domains were not renewed last year, compared with 14 per cent in 2010.

Chief executive of the registry, David Curtin, described the registration rates as “strong”, despite the challenging times for businesses. “Much credit is due to our registrar community for their collective efforts in supporting the growth of Ireland’s top-level domain which remains the domain of choice for those registering websites in the Irish market,” he said.

A recent domain industry report found that only two-thirds of Irish businesses had websites, and only 21 per cent of those websites had e-commerce capabilities.

Earlier this year, the registry ran the Optimise initiative as part of a bid to raise awareness among businesses of the benefits and opportunities of going online.

The programme gave 10 small companies a support package of €10,000. A number of other initiatives, including one backed by Google, Blacknight, An Post and the network of County and City Enterprise Boards, have also tried to boost the numbers, offering small firms a free website and domain name for a year.

Reference Ciara O’Brien Irish Times Technology Section Friday Jan. 6 2012

Eden (among other specialist digital media training companies) were involved in one of initiatives mentioned which included Google, Blacknight, An Post and the network of County and City Enterprise Boards.

Get your idea on the world wide web start by checking out our coures offerings in this area – Social Media for Business, Diploma in Digital Marketing, Create Your Online Business, Web Design

Our two-year, part time accounting technician course is proving a real hit with adult learners – no surprise given the great career prospects that await successful candidates. Accounting technicians are important and well-paid employees in a huge variety of industries, including private accountancy firms, manufacturing companies, banks and insurance companies, the health service and local and central government. Many accounting technicians are also successfully self-employed.

Apart from the splendid career opportunities, the course is also a great way to learn the ropes for those who wish to progress to professional accountancy. Graduates become members of Accounting Technicians Ireland and therefore enjoy significant exemptions when it comes to the professional accountancy exams.

This is a great qualification that is highly valued by employers all over the country -even in these difficult times. A recent survey by Accounting Technicians Ireland revealed that almost 95% of their qualified members are in employment – a statistic that would be the envy of the vast majority of professional bodies.

Another attractive aspect of the course is the very minimal academic requirement for applicants: just five passes in the Leaving Certificate. Mature applicants (over 24) who do not meet the academic requirement will also be considered on the basis of their work experience.

The first year of Eden Training’s Accounting Technician  programme is called the Foundation Level. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of accounting and finance. The second year of study is called the Admission Level, where students build on the knowledge gained in the first year. Subjects tackled include Accounting, Law, Taxation, Business Management and IT.

The exams are held in May each year. Repeat exams take place in September. Students have 5 years over which they must complete the exams; however the majority of students would complete the exams during the two-year programme.

Want to know more? Email us at James@eden.ie or call a member of our team today on 01-4953155.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Ireland on 21 December 2011 published the outcome of its audit of Facebook Ireland(FB-I) which was conducted over the last three months including on-site in Facebook Ireland’s Headquarters in Dublin.  The Report is a comprehensive assessment of Facebook Ireland’s compliance with Irish Data Protection law and by extension EU law in this area.

The report is available in 2 parts: the main body of the report, including recommendations and the appendices.

Appendices

ECDL COURSE AT EDEN TRAINING IS BEST IN CLASS

Dublin-based computer training provider receives national award for third time in five years

Eden Training’s ECDL (European Computer Driving License) provision was awarded the ICS Skills Best Private IT Training Centre 2011 at the 14^th National IT Training Conference.  This is the third time in five years that Eden Training has received a Best Practice award.

The Conference was held recently in Dublin’s National Convention Centre and attended by President Mary McAleese and training providers from around the country.

The award cements Eden Training’s position at the forefront of over 1,000 ECDL training providers nationwide. The ECDL is Europe’s most popular IT qualification, and is recognised in 148 countries.

The Conference also celebrated a landmark achievement by presenting the President with the 500,000^th ECDL skills card. Eden Training has successfully delivered the ECDL programme to over 2,000 students.

Addressing the Conference was Mary Cleary, Professional Development Manager at ICS Skills – the organisation that oversees ECDL provision in Ireland.

She described ECDL as ‘a huge national movement’ and as an ‘enabler; it is what gives people the opportunity to advance their careers; to advance their education,’ which can ‘empower people to avail of the advantages that technology can give.

‘We need to value certification over all sorts of other courses which don’t carry any specific validation or measure of success with them,’ she added.

Awards were made according to the following criteria: ECDL activity relative to the size of the organisation; compliance with ECDL standards; innovation demonstrated in implementation of ECDL programmes relative to target groups; and commitment shown to new technology in training and testing.

‘It was a great honour to again have our efforts with regard to ECDL provision recognised,’ said Eden Training Director and award recipient James Bannigan. ‘We feel that ECDL is a crucial stepping stone for those seeking to engage with IT on a personal or professional level. That’s why we’re continually reinvesting in this programme to ensure the maximum possible learning outcome for our students.’

Eden Training’s ECDL programme is of particular benefit to those who want to learn the basics of using a computer.  Each student is provided with an ECDL skills card that records their progression across seven modules: Basic Concepts of IT; Using a Computer and Managing Files; Word Processing; Spreadsheets; Databases; Presentation and Drawing; and Information Network Services (Internet & Email). A completed skills card entitles the student to the ECDL.

For further information please contact:

Programme Coordinator: James Bannigan

Tel: 01-4953155

Email: jbannigan@eden.ie