Robinson praises contribution of network management

Northern Ireland's network management companies have been praised for their strategic contribution to the local economy.

Bruce Robinson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has stated that network management plays “a vital role” in the development of a modern knowledge-based economy - an economy which is characterised by “the exploitation of know-how, skill and creativity, all of which depend on one of Northern Ireland's best assets, its people”.

Mr Robinson was speaking at the Northern Ireland Network Management Symposium at the W5 Centre in the Odyssey Complex, an event hosted by the Institute of Electrical Engineers in collaboration with Nortel Networks, Fujitsu Telecom, BT and Openwave, to celebrate the emergence of Ireland as a centre of excellence for network management.

He said: "Northern Ireland has a strong cluster of world class network management companies and it is right that we celebrate their abilities and achievements.

"Our focus is on attracting knowledge-based inward investors and we know through experience that potential investors learn more from and take more cognisance of the experiences of investors already located here. We are therefore well placed with our cluster of companies with positive experiences to relate.”

The current market conditions and the downturn in the telecommunications market have caused difficulties throughout the world. However, it is thought that the availability of high-speed telecommunication will become increasingly important to businesses as new applications are developed and the level of e-business and e-commerce increases.

"We are therefore ideally placed with the strong cluster of network companies able to take advantage of the hoped for increasing demand," the Minister added. (CL)