Ireland Shoots To Become Shared Services Center Of Europe

Ireland isn't going to be the next Calcutta or Mumbai. It isn't trying to be the back office customer care contact center Mecca of the Western world. Which is probably just as well.

What it does want to do is build its position as a leading European provider of the next business stage up from contact centers - contact center plus, if you like - offering serious technical support and a whole range of services way beyond giving simple solutions to straightforward customer inquiries. Some are operated by outsourced suppliers but most in Ireland are managed by the companies they serve.

Here, staff are dealing with the entire internal communications system for vast, multi-national operations. They are handling not only traditional Helpdesk calls, but providing technical support to their own staff and business-to-business, dealing with HR issues like recruitment and sick leave, payroll systems, company accounts as well as in-company communications about policy and strategy, staff and customer information and the intranet function.

In its now sophisticated telecoms sector, Ireland boasts 66 contact centres for a range of companies that include 3Com, American Airlines, AOL, Dell, eBay, GE Insurance, Google, Hewlett Packard, IBM, MBNA, Oracle, Starwood Hotels, Symantec and Xerox - and that's just an arbitrary sample.

These centres - Europeans call them Shared Services Centres, but most Americans will be more familiar with the term Managed Services - are where Ireland sees its growth potential, though the Irish have no intention of turning their backs on ordinary contact center investments serving banking and catalog customers for example.

Technology is changing the product. Just answering the phone isn't enough these days. To be successful, the centers need to serve the world in a host of functions.

A Customer Backlash May Boost Ireland's Efforts

A recent survey of 1,000 UK adults by contact center industry analysts ContactBabel found that 142 had switched supplier because their existing one used an offshore service, while three in four said they felt more negatively towards their supplier if they used offshore agents.

Steve Morrell, principal analyst at ContactBabel said in the report: "If UK businesses do not address the concerns of their customers, the level of customer defection will increase and their profits will decline further. "

Therein lies a problem - and for Ireland, an opportunity. In India, university graduates, attracted by the prestige of contact center jobs, earn perhaps ten times the average wage but still cost their employers only a tenth of a European or US-based operation.

Hypothetically, that means a typical bank with 12 million customers and revenues of $400 per customer each year would save over $17 million by replacing 1,000 of its expensive call centre staff with 1,000 in India. The downside is that same hypothetical bank would need only about one per cent of its customers to defect to another bank in protest to have lost all those savings instantly.

"Ireland is the only native English-speaking member of the Eurozone," points out Brendan Haplin, International Media Manager at the IDA, the Irish government agency which seeks inward investment from around the globe. "Ireland offers a first class advanced telecommunications infrastructure that includes vital bandwidth and hosting capacity, and we back this all with solid IDA support, both financial and practical."

The Appeal? Language and Low Taxes?

The landscape in Ireland - corporate and cultural - has attracted far more than its fair share of not only European but US business as well. "Ireland has changed radically from 10 or 20 years ago," Haplin says. "We now have between 60 and 70 shared services centers that are multi-lingual, pan-European and trans-Atlantic."

We're talking about major companies the size and scale of IBM or Dell. On the whole, these organisations are extremely happy with the quality of staff, the quality of life and the delivery of service they have found in Ireland. They bring in selected technical experts from the States and then use locally selected personnel to develop and expand the skills base.

These big operators are evidence of success, not only because they stay there but because they can point to significant cost reduction, increased efficiencies, better quality customer service and a real drive in sales which ultimately delivers better returns to shareholders.

Ireland, adds Haplin, offers an appealing package, complete with low corporate tax of just 12.5% It works hard to minimise bureaucracy and instead to engineer a low-risk, quick start-up, high-performance knowledge economy. "We have a well developed environment for call center and shared services operations because we have all the basic ingredients in place: the skills and knowledge, the experience and availability of IT-literate and multi-lingual staff and the global strategic fit that provides facilities for companies to 'follow the sun' on a 24-hour model."

A Population Increase Bodes Well for Employers

While Ireland may merit a spot on a company's shortlist of potential offshore locations today, what about tomorrow? Will the right talent - an enough of it - be available? According to Dr William Harris, Director General of the Science Foundation of Ireland, the answer is a resounding 'yes.' "The key element in creating knowledge is intangible assets such as expertise, insight, talent, passion, imagination and persistence.

"Investing in such abilities, we believe, is the best predictor of success Ireland could have," Harris adds. "Ireland has a wealth of young talent ready to make science and engineering the next great wave of Irish innovation."

Ireland is one of very few European countries showing an increase in its population, and some 260,000 people, 12.6% of the total workforce, are employed in business services. While the population of workers declines in other countries, boding real problems up ahead, Ireland looks to growing a youthful talent pool on a par with that of the US.

[SIDEBAR] The Irish Landscape: Poised To Compete

Ireland has changed and changed dramatically. Gone are those sad depictions of lovelorn girls waving their tearful goodbyes to men who were set for a life in the New Worlds of America or Australia? They'd make their fortunes and return to build a castle and raise a family in Kilkenny.

In the last couple of decades the Celtic Tiger has been thrusting its way through the jungles of the world economy. He's getting plumper, healthier and more voracious with every paw print he makes.

The Environment Is Hospitable

The quality of life is a fabulous balance of stunning scenery and great leisure options. Golf courses, angling, cycling, camping, hiking and finding deserted bays along the rugged coastline are just a few possibilities to ponder.

Real estate is cheap (except in central Dublin) and land plentiful. Gasoline is about half the price it is in the UK and corporate tax of 12.5% sits alongside the US's 39.5% or the UK's 30% Though Value Added Tax runs at 21 per cent, it won't have much of an impact on companies whose profits are based on export outside the EU and the government has simplified the paperwork. If 85 per cent of your goods or services are for export, then you will be exempted, so you don't have to fill in forms to reclaim VAT.

The Irish are renowned - and rightly - for their warm welcome, and that extends not only to a pint of Guinness with a passing stranger but to those who have come to stay longer.

Unlike some of their European neighbours, the Irish don't resent the arrival of migrant workers but welcome them with open arms as a real and useful addition to the native skills base.

Location and Politics Provide a Counterbalance

Air travel is reasonable but needs more development. The main airport is close to Dublin and offers about 100 direct destinations worldwide. There is a second international airport at Shannon and smaller mostly short-haul facilities at Cork, Belfast and Londonderry. Most international flights are out of Dublin or Shannon.

In terms of moving goods, ferry services are strong but the distance from mainland Europe makes them slow. Although a crossing from Dublin to Holyhead on the Welsh coast is less than two hours, Normandy is 19 hours away. From Belfast and Larne in the north, there are faster crossings to Scotland and England.

A long history of a sluggish, agricultural economy meant Ireland was slow to move into the 20th, never mind the 21st, century. Outside of a few main cities, it remains a wonderfully unspoilt but also under-developed rural society.

Ireland came into the European Union with Objective One status, meaning that its under-developed economic state entitled it to a whole package of major infrastructure grants to help it move forward rapidly. Its heavy rural culture saw the benefits of the Common Agricultural Policy, instantly enabling farmers to access guaranteed markets and guaranteed prices for their produce, even if a lot of it did end up dumped on butter mountains and in milk lakes. Almost half of the EU's entire 44.5 billion Euro budget is spent on agricultural subsidies of one kind or another.

The maze of minor country roads lend Ireland much of its charm but aren't much use for heavy lorries carrying large loads of produce to marketplaces across the world. European Union money helped extend a main road and motorway infrastructure that was essential for economic growth.

All of this helped encourage new investors from other countries to set up facilities in Ireland. The government encouraged them with appealing packages that drew in the likes of Dell, Xerox, Baxter International, Hertz and a host of others before they even got onto contact centers.

But all that Eurozone assistance has gone now. The surge of the Celtic Tiger, the reality of economic growth, has forced Ireland to move from being subsidised by the European Union to being a subsidy provider to other emerging nations, including some of the 10 new countries whose joining has taken the European bloc to 25 in total.

Maggie Stanfield is a national and international business journalist with extensive knowledge of customer services provision around the world. Contact her at: maggie@writtenwords.eu

Fire Suppression - How To Choose A Fire Suppression System For Your Server Room, Data Center Or NOC

Looking to install a new fire suppression system? Replacing an old Halon system? Or, perhaps upgrading your old system? This can be a daunting task. Today, fire suppression systems come in a variety of chemical compounds, an array of both basic and sophisticated notification devices, and a variety of sizes. I will introduce you to the many dramatic changes passed by the National Fire Protection Association, due in large part to innovative firms searching for better and inexpensive ways to protect computers and other electronic equipment.

Innovation is usually the result of changes in the way business is conducted. Reasons why new and innovative fire suppression systems are being developed include the following:

Water sprinkler systems can cause catastrophic damage in a computer environment.
Older fire suppression systems may not be environmentally friendly.
Today's computer server environment is much more compact. A significant increase in storage capacity alone has allowed a significant decrease in the amount of space required to house computer equipment, telecommunications, and server equipment.
Older systems and subsequent technologies may be too expensive to purchase and install.

The number of smaller companies has increased throughout the world, dictating a change in the way we protect our essential data and equipment. A significant number of firms lease space in office complexes. Over ninety percent of firms that lease space find it too expensive to purchase and install most systems. And, most firms do not want to install a system that becomes a permanent fixture which cannot be removed when a lease expires, additional space is required, or a firm needs to expand or downsize.

Now there is a way to replace older fire suppression systems, update existing equipment, replace sprinkler heads, and purchase the protection you need for your critical data and computer systems. Now you can increase or decrease a fire suppression system without a major expense. New systems can be uninstalled and reinstalled because they are not permanent fixtures. Your investment can travel with you just like your data center or server room equipment.

The evolution of fire detection and suppression systems has been dramatic. There are fire suppression agents that are toxic when inhaled and those that are certified "green." You can choose from a clean agent gas, water or aerosol. Some systems require a floating floor and significant space to reside, while others mount on available wall space.

There are systems that require little cleanup (the clean agent gasses), and those that need a whole cleaning crew and a few days worth of elbow grease. That leads to - you guessed it - server down time. From minimal to extensive, in the case of even the smallest fire, some systems can leave you twiddling your thumbs until you are back in business. Next step - recharging your fire suppression system, and the time and costs associated with that process.

I hope to simplify things here. I have been advising companies on computer room fire suppression for many years. This first hand experience of selling fire suppression system solutions for most size rooms and enclosures has shown many firms the benefits of utilizing newer technology when protecting valuable assets.

Let's start by summarizing the features of each type of automatic fire suppression system used in most data centers, NOCs and server rooms today. Then, I'll get into specifics that you will want to consider before choosing fire suppression equipment and a fire suppression company.

First, Understand the Types of Fires You Could Encounter

The National Fire Protection Association has classified fires into four types, determined by the materials or fuel being burned:

Type A: Fires with combustible materials as its source, such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics

Type B: Fires in flammable liquids, oils, greases, tars, oil-base paints, lacquers, and flammable gases

Type C: Fires that involve electrical equipment

Type D: Fires with ignitable metals as its fuel source

In a typical server room fire, a combination of Types A, B and C can be found. An effective fire suppression system will be rated for all three types.

Often the source of a fire in a server room is not detected until after the fire has been extinguished. Therefore, installing a system that can handle A, B & C Types is a safeguard against an unexpected disaster.

Substances Used in Fire Suppression: Gas, Water and Aerosol

1. Gaseous or Clean Agent Fire Suppression

Gasses used in fire suppression systems are typically Halon, CO2 or environmentally-friendly clean agents such as Inergen. These gases do not extinguish a fire by smothering it, but rather by displacing oxygen or inhibiting a chemical reaction that is essential to the fire's survival.

The popular fire suppressant Halon is so detrimental to the environment that both Europe and the United States banned manufacturing of the gas in 1995. It is mentioned here only because many Halon systems installed before the ban was enacted are still in operation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) encourages the use of non-ozone depleting fire suppression agent alternatives, and in 1990, the US EPA established its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) to evaluate new chemicals and technologies for the replacement of ozone depleting substances. As a result, many companies are installing alternative clean agents that are environmentally friendly.

Clean agents derive their name from the simple idea that they do not leave any residue after discharge. This feature makes them ideal for electronics and eliminates cleanup worries.

Another gas used in fire suppression, CO2, is harmful when inhaled at high concentrations (greater than 5% by volume, or 50,000 ppm). The current threshold limit value (TLV) or maximum level that is considered safe for healthy adults for an eight-hour work day is 0.5% (5,000 ppm). For this reason, your facility must be vacated before the system discharges.

Unlike CO2, Inergen is non-toxic. However, a discharge of Inergen results in an approximate 3% concentration of carbon dioxide. While initially breathable, it is recommended that the environment be evacuated. Since it is not a liquid under pressure, Inergen requires significant storage space. After a discharge, the environment becomes highly pressurized which could cause damage if not released in a timely manner.

Gas fire suppression systems typically consist of the agent (gas), agent storage containers, agent release valves, fire detectors and warning mechanisms, agent piping, and agent dispersion nozzles. With most gas agents, the environment must be pressurized in order to contain the agent. Installation is complex and costly, and the reward is realized only after discharge, as clean up is as simple as venting the room.

2. Water-Based Fire Suppression

Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems resulted from the evolution from standard sprinklers designed for flooding fires. Much lighter than their older counterpart, water mist systems are effective on Type A and B fires and result in less damage than traditional water-based systems. Still, water mist systems are not ideal for server rooms due to the Type C electrical fires common to this environment. Clean up and safety issues are also a concern when faced with wet or damp electronics. Although effective in the right situations, water mist systems must often be augmented with other fire suppression systems in order to ensure complete coverage in the event of a fire. After discharge, expect down time of a few weeks for a sprinkler system and less with water mist. Often with a sprinkler system, you are unable to take it with you if you are in a lease or are planning to move to new facilities. This could make a big difference in your consideration of a water-based system.

3. Aerosol Fire Suppression

The newest technology in fire suppression, Aerosol Extinguishing Technology, was officially approved and effective in 2005 by the National Fire Protection Association. A clean agent with no post combustion byproducts, aerosols such as the brand Aero-K do not replace the oxygen as CO2 does, do not produce Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) after the fire, and have no environmental impact.

The aerosol consists of ultra-fine particles that are expelled via generators. Upon discharge, the substance creates a fog of suspended particles. Non-toxic and non-corrosive, the agent remains suspended in the environment for up to 60 minutes, virtually eliminating any possibility of reignition. After discharge and a 10-minute hold time, clean up includes venting the room and a light dusting of the surfaces.

Unlike gaseous systems, which operate at pressure and often require extensive piping, aerosol generators are very cost effective to install and maintain and have minimal space and weight requirements. The generators that dispense the aerosol are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate any size environment.

Select A Fire Suppression System with Dependable Safety Features

Safety features can save time, money, equipment, and most importantly, lives. Here are some features that your fire suppression system must have in order to prevent either premature discharge or the opposite - activation delay - when a new fire is either noticed or accidentally started by human error.

Lock Out/Abort Switch -This feature is essential for instances when a service person is in the protected environment and creates smoke, for example from soldering. A lock out/abort switch lets you disable the system with a key to avoid an accidental discharge. Should a threatening fire start while the system is disabled, a worker can use a fire extinguisher for a localized fire or arm the system and use the manual pull station.

Manual Pull Station -If a fire is inadvertently started, or is noticed by someone in the room, the manual pull station allows for immediate discharge without waiting for the system to detect smoke.

Choose a Fire Suppression Company That Will Customize a System to your Unique Needs

Aside from superior customer service, look for a fire suppression company that will make your needs their top priority. The company that bids your fire detection and suppression installation will want to know the size of your room and particular characteristics of your room. This will determine the amount of agent, piping, system space and weight requirements.

A good fire suppression company will consider such factors as the length of time you expect to occupy your current space. If you intend to move within a few years, you'll want to know if the system can be transferred to your new facility and reinstalled cost-effectively. Don't forget to ask about the costs associated with recharging the system, should the system discharge.

You'll also want to discuss how the system can be expanded if the size of your computer room increases due to growth. And, in the opposite scenario, will you be able to reduce the scale of the system if you downsize?

Each state, city, or municipality has a fire code that must be considered when evaluating the options. Some agencies require sprinklers and others will allow a clean agent system in lieu of sprinklers. Factors such as the type of building construction often impact the codes and requirements. Select a fire suppression installation company that asks all of the right questions about your fire code and other unique requirements such as UL certification for fire suppression equipment.

Fire Suppression Costs

Costs are typically estimated based on the size of the room. This determines the amount of agent needed to put out a fire as well as the equipment and delivery mechanisms required. The agent concentration levels differ depending on the class of fire expected. Make sure you ask about the costs of maintaining the system on a yearly basis and also the life expectancy of the agent/systems so that you are prepared should you need to update periodically for optimal effectiveness.

An Automatic Fire Suppression System Can Lower Your Insurance Premium

If you don't currently have a fire suppression system, consider the insurance cost savings. Insurance companies sometimes offer a Loss Control Survey that, when completed, may offer rate reductions for installing a waterless or dry chemical fire suppression system. A call to your agent and some comparative shopping will give you an idea of what you'll save - typically in the range of 10%-15%. Don't forget to take the tax deduction. With a 10-year shelf life, a product such as Aero-K can be depreciated over its full useful life.

Ron Carboy founded Peripheral Manufacturing, Inc. 28 years ago after a successful carrier with Memorex Corporation. Ron was one of the original sales engineers marketing magnetic computer, video, and broadcast tape. Peripherals has evolved into an internet-based firm selling niche computer products to the IT Industry, Federal Government, Telecommunications, Recycling, and Security Departments. New product introductions include Aero-K, a potassium-based, environmentally-friendly, fire suppression system for the computer, industrial, and automotive industry. Peripheral Manufacturing can be found at http://www.periphman.com and http://www.server-room-furniture.com

How Does a Document Review Center Assist the Legal Process?

In a legal context, document reviewing concerns the examination of files, reports, and other written articles during the discovery phase of the legal process, the phase in which evidence is exchanged by both sides of a case to establish the basis on which the case will turn. Some cases involve little to no document reviewing, such as only the examination of police reports. But others involve document review that requires a special team of reviewers to help attorneys glean crucial information. There are two situations that generally call for a team of reviewers: documents that are lengthy, such as transcripts produced by an unusually high number of deponents, or documents whose contents require specialized expertise to understand, such as scientific materials.

The Benefits of a Document Review Center

Regardless of why an entity needs document analysis, it usually needs it fast, a situation that benefits from retaining review services through a legal support agency that offer review centers with the following benefits: 24-hour a day availability, secured card-key access, manned security stations, redundant power, pre-installed technology, private offices, kitchen facilities, Internet carousels, and office equipment. Law firms and corporations often find a review center by retaining support through a nationwide or worldwide court reporting agency. Unbeknownst to outsiders, top court reporter agencies do more than supply court reporting; they also offer various legal support services, one of which is document review.

The Advantages of Using a Court Reporting Agency

There are several advantages to using a court reporting agency for reviewing, but two stand out in particular: the agencies also offer documents retrieval, which is often the first step in the reviewing process; and they also offer complex litigation services to help with cases that feature one or more aspects that make them more difficult than normal cases, such as a large number of deponents, a narrow time frame within which to be brought to court, or the presence of voluminous and/or difficult to understand material. When entities seek analysis services through reporting agencies, they can receive the aid of complex litigation specialists that will perform reviews at a client location or one of the reporting agency's reviewing centers.

In addition to making sense economically, retaining document analysis through a court reporter agency is also beneficial due to the other services that an agency offers, which could prove beneficial to their clients in the future, such as temporary legal staff placement, various reporting technologies, deposition services, legal software training, case management, and video services, to name a few. To learn more about how an agency's services could improve your file and report analysis, call a nationwide reporting agency and discuss your current and anticipated legal support needs today.

In my research on the ideal legal document review center, I've found that the National Network of Document Review Centers sets the standard.