Mr Irranca-Davies visited the Parents and Children Together (PACT) project, run by EverybodyOnline and held at South Liverpool Personnel, which runs a series of taster sessions to help local parents access the internet, learn new skills and find out how technology could improve their lives.

Following this he went onto St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College for Business and Enterprise in St. Helens to hear about the Community Grid concept, which provides the local community with easy-to-use, low-cost, low-energy home access to the internet and other computing resources.

Commenting on the projects he had seen Mr Irranca-Davies said: “The two projects I have seen today are great examples of how we can make the latest technologies accessible to people who, without projects such as these, would not have access to the internet and other computer resources.

“By teaching parents basic information about the internet they can make sure their children are safe online as well as finding out how they can use the internet for day-to-day chores such as online shopping and online money management. I hope other areas can learn from this innovative project.

“All too often we hear about the expense of the equipment and technology needed to connect to the internet being a barrier for many people. Thanks to the Community Grid project over 600 homes in St. Helens and Liverpool will have access to software applications and the internet.

“By providing people with all the connectivity, hardware, software, licensing and maintenance overheads Community Grid is removing these barriers and giving people the access they need.

“The PACT project and the Community Grid should be congratulated for their innovative projects which are helping people in the North West of England become more digitally included.”

The Community Grid digital inclusion project is led by AIMES, (a spin out of the University of Liverpool) and its technology partner, e-communications specialist OciusB2, more information here.  It is part of a wider initiative, the Digital Inclusion & Enterprise Programme (DIEP), which aims to roll the service out to over 5,000 households in Merseyside.

Special Runners Up Kirsty Crook and Urban Street Stars Juniors won £50 each

To celebrate the success of ICDC’s digital inclusion project, Alt Valley Vision, a community talent contest was held for anyone over the age of 8 who lives, works, studies or plays in the Alt Valley area of Liverpool.

Auditions were held in the community during half term week and each audition was filmed and is available to view on Alt Valley’s Got Talent website for all to see.

The final will took place during the Alt Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday 22nd June, with guest judges, Professor Phil Redmond and Joanna Jones Director of Bananafish Management, a successful TV, theatre and film casting agency based in Liverpool.

• The AIMES Community Grid project. Acknowledged as a leader in its field, AIMES is leading the Digital Inclusion & Enterprise Programme (DIEP), established as a result of the Government’s 2007 “Digital Challenge”. Mr Irranca-Davies will visit St Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College for Business & Enterprise in St Helens where pupils and parents have been using the managed computing service provided by the Community Grid project since May 2007. As part of the wider DIEP, strategically supported by the GMDDA, AIMES will provide access for around 5,000 homes in the Greater Merseyside region via the Community Grid system over a 2 year period from May 2008.

• The EverybodyOnline Liverpool 8 project is another highly successful digital inclusion initiative focusing on internet and digital technology support for parents. It includes use of the internet, and day-to-day skills such as shopping and banking online, and email. Mr Irranca-Davies will visit a PACT (Parents & Children Together) session at South Liverpool Personnel in Liverpool to speak to users direct.

Mr Irranca-Davies’ visit underlines the importance placed on the Digital Inclusion agenda at Parliamentary level, as Professor Dennis Kehoe, Director of AIMES, explains: “Digital inclusion is a crucial enabler of economic regeneration and growth. Internet access can transform cities and communities, providing improved access to employment, education and health information. The internet can also help to combat isolation and increase a sense of community. We’re delighted to be able to demonstrate our digital inclusion work to Mr Irranca-Davies in person.”

The AIMES digital inclusion project provides a fully managed internet access service to users, a key element in its success and sustainability. AIMES and its technology partner, e-communications specialist OciusB2, provide broadband internet access, a range of software packages, all equipment required, plus training and support to users of the Community Grid. The first 125 homes are now live and for the first 12 months, the service is provided free of charge.

The event builds on the success of the 2007 i-techpartner Academy at Daresbury Innovation Centre where over 120 delegates attended, including researchers, small businesses, innovation experts and investors.

Focussing on the areas of web services, mobile applications, web 2.0, software as a service and more, the eServices Forum will be of interest to you if you are:

• an innovative ICT/digital small business looking to grow your business
• a researcher from a university or research institute looking to commercialise your research
• a venture fund or business angel looking for investment opportunities in eServices
• an expert in technology transfer, innovation or business growth

The event is being held on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th June, more information on our previous story or on the i-techpartner website

http://www.btwireless.bt.com/availability_liverpool.html

BT has worked in partnership with Liverpool City Council to deliver the network. They are also working together to investigate a range of applications to improve key services addressing areas such as traffic management, environmental services and tourism. Included at launch is a facility that allows citizens and visitors to Liverpool free access to the City Council web sites, Liverpool Business and What’s on 08 – free to anyone logging on to the wireless service in the Wireless Liverpool area (Charges apply for BT Openzone and require Wi-Fi enabled equipment for usage).

Getting Started

• Starting your Wi-Fi experience couldn’t be simpler. Finding a hotspot is straightforward: BT Openzone provides several ways to help customers locate their nearest Wi-Fi access point. Customers can log on to http://www.btopenzone.com/find and input their postcode or town to pull out local hotspot locations.
• BT Openzone offers a variety of payment methods to suit individual needs. You can choose from 1 hour to 24 hour vouchers which are a great way to try the service for a small price, to pay per minute for occasional ongoing usage and subscriptions for regular ongoing usage.
• You can also buy vouchers through providers such as local company, BOZII, who provide access to many different wi-fi networks worldwide through one account.
• If you’re a BT Total Broadband customer opt into the BT FON community and you will get an allocation of inclusive minutes and if you’re a BT Business Broadband customer, you too have access to 250 inclusive BT Openzone minutes as part of your package.

INTERACTIVE MEETING ROOM TECHNOLOGIES?

Competing in fast moving environments amidst strategies of globalization and an increasing emphasis on your organizations corporate social responsibility, can you afford to fall behind in the race to the meeting room? Introducing the revolutionary “green room” which utilizes the latest video conferencing technologies to enable you to differentiate your business from the competition as a flexible, forward-thinking and innovative organization and continue to stay one step ahead of the competition as they follow in your digital footsteps.

Operating within the traditional business environment it was perfectly acceptable to book out the meeting room for an internal meeting which all staff could attend and be back to work in the time it takes to walk down the staircase or across a corridor. However, as businesses grow and have operations across their domestic markets as well as international operations, there are new barriers to communication for the traditional meeting.

The Rapid green room embraces video conferencing and meeting room technologies to enable organizations to conduct meetings with clients and customers in the next office, town or country in real time without the time or financial costs of office disruption. In addition, with the emphasis on corporate social responsibility, the use of video conferencing technologies reduces your carbon footprint and assists in the implementation of your organizations environmental strategy, a fast developing hygiene factor for the twenty-first business.

This FREE session will provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to run and participate in interactive meeting rooms.

This session is for those organisations who are new to interactive meeting room technologies and those who already have an awareness to keep you up-to-date with the latest industry developments.

You will come away with:-

• The knowledge of what interactive meeting room technologies entail
• The comprehension to implement and run an interactive meeting room and compete effectively with your competition utilising the latest interactive technologies
• Understand practical and efficient ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint and save your business thousands of pounds
• Benefit from an extra working week of productivity added to your annual calendar
  Protect yourself against corporate liability issues and achieving work life balance

Guest Speaker: Colin Birchall, Director of Digital Interactive Technologies at Rapid Technologies

To book your place at this FREE MERIT event, click here

ICDC Liverpool Digital, 2nd Floor, Babbage House entrance, Edge Lane, Liverpool, L7 9NW

The Information Revolution is transforming the nature of business. The ITIL® framework has become the most widely accepted approach to managing IT service quality and costs in a context of ever changing business requirements and increasing expectations.

Adopted and adapted by organisations of all sizes and sectors around the world, ITIL has become the de facto standard for IT Service Management.

At this FREE event Mark Flynn, founder of ITIL Consultancy organisation, Felix Maldo Ltd, will explain the nature of the ITIL material and qualifications – ITIL origins and credentials, scope, key concepts and the benefits, costs and risks of adopting an ITIL approach.

Following on from this event MERIT will be running the ITIL® V3 Foundation certificate training course. For further information visit http://www.merit.org.uk/training

For the ITIL experienced in the audience, this will be a useful introduction ITIL V3 which was launched earlier this year.

ITIL ® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.

At this FREE presentation, Antony Morse of O2 will look at the current mobile services, the challenges in accessing office systems in the field and introduce some new services designed to assist with other aspects of out of the office communications. Antony will be on hand to offer advice and support on how to guide your business through the steps of mobilising your office. The presentation will take a closer look at the range of services currently available:

• Field force automation – Workflow
• Digital Pens
• Satellite Navigation
• Fleet Management, Tracking, Full and Basic
• Sales Force Automation – Client Data Bases
• Basic Workflow – Email job allocation
• Converged Devices – Multiple applications
• Email

Guest Speaker: Antony Morse of O2

Booking details here: http://www.merit.org.uk/events/showevent.asp?recordid=137

This seminar will help you determine which of the Adobe Creative Suite 3 versions are right for you and your business:

• Get to know the creative toolset with Adobe InDesign CS3 for page layout, Photoshop CS3 Extended for specialized image editing, Illustrator CS3 for vector graphics creation, Flash CS3 Professional for interactive design, Dreamweaver CS3 for web design and development, and Acrobat 8 Professional for Adobe PDF workflows.
• Learn about the unparalleled integration of the products, designer- developer workflows and best practices.

Academy Class (http://www.AcademyClass.co.uk/) – Your local Authorised Adobe Training Centre and Adobe’s leading Product Managers lead this free seminar at Peter Jost Enterprise Centre, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF on the 24th August 2007.

This will be a first come first serve basis and seating is limited. Don’t hesitate, reserve your seat today!

Remember space is limited so sign up now to avoid missing it! Best of all – It’s free!

To register visit our website: http://www.academyclassco.uk/events.asp

Blue Fountain Systems has been awarded the Best Small Supplier Innovation Award , in recognition of its work as the provider of the blueSchool™ application to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.

blueSchool™,which is used by schools throughout Stockport, has been developed using open source software technologies to deliver a web based virtual learning interface for teacher and student communication. The application is made up of e-mail, a content management system, website and calendar which are all accessed via a single log-in. The next release of the application will also include Moodle, the very successful course management system and will fully support the “Building Schools of the Future” program currently being implemented by central government.

Grahame Steed, Managing Editor of /GO/ magazine, congratulated Blue Fountain Systems on its award and celebrated the success of the day:

“In the rush to achieve increasingly difficult goals, with the associated challenges and ever-changing requirements, it can be easy to overlook the good news stories. Ccongratulations must go to Blue Fountain Systems and all those who were recognised for their achievements – on this evidence, the future of public procurement is in safe hands.”

Aidan McGuire, Sales Director of Blue Fountain Systems Ltd., said : “We are really pleased to have won this award and are delighted that the blueSchool™ application has been recognized as being at the leading edge of web based IT systems for schools.”

Aidan explained : “The fact that the blueSchool™ application is an open source solution sends a clear message to everyone working within procurement that open source applications are robust and secure enough to meet the needs of the public sector.”

Mike Partridge, Head of Education (E-services) for Stockport Local Education Authority said “Stockport Schools E- Learning Network working in partnership with BT/LDL chose Blue Fountain and open source technologies to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for schools email, web hosting and web site content management.”

Aidan McGuire commented “We are currently talking to Liverpool Direct, who we partnered in the original project, about rolling out this award winning and incredibly cost effective solution to schools across Liverpool.”

This is the second award that BFS has been awarded in less than six months, having won the Supply Chain Management Category of the 2006 British Computing Society (BCS) Information Management Awards.

Aidan McGuire, Sales Director commented; “One win is great news but winning two awards sends an incredibly strong signal to everyone that open source software can and does deliver in the most critical IT arenas.”

Liverpool Hope University is to become the first British academic institution to offer a degree in Microsoft technology.

The BSc Honours degree in Microsoft.NET Technologies will give students skills in desktop, server and mobile technologies.

The course will take its first intake of about 25 students in September 2008, and will give them cutting edge technology expertise in the world’s most widely used computer software.

The new degree is a direct response to the dominance of Microsoft in the world of commerce and business.

Undergraduates on the course are prepared for a career in any area of information technology, but are given additional depth of expertise in Microsoft.NET technology.

Hope’s School of Computing is part of its Business and Computer Sciences Deanery. Founded five years ago it now has 900 students and 65 staff at the Childwall campus.

Dr John Brinkman, Dean of Business and Computer Sciences said: “The Microsoft.NET degree is an example of our strategy to deliver courses and, by extension, students who not only have a sound understanding of the core principles of their discipline, but also have skills which are directly relevant to the world of work.

“We have worked hard to increase our links with the Merseyside business community and courses like this are a direct result of our understanding of the world outside academia.

“We believe a particular strength of the Deanery is the breadth and depth of industrial and commercial experience which the staff bring to bear, with many of them having spent considerable time in industry before entering the field of research and teaching.

“This has a direct impact on the quality and kind of teaching we offer, with courses which offer real utilitarian value to both students and employers.”

More information here: http://www.hope.ac.uk/content/view/203/41/

Recent Government statistics show that one third of adults in the UK have never used the Internet and 45% per of households are still without Internet access. According to the Future Foundation, if this trend continues 23 million adults are at risk of losing access to fundamental services like medical information and education by 2025, if they continue to avoid modern technology. Lucy Campbell, EverybodyOnline Project Co-ordinator for Liverpool 8, is working to ensure all members of the community in Liverpool 8 get access to technology and the skills to use it.

Include Neighbourhood Director, Erika Rushton says: “EverybodyOnline is delivering on every level in Liverpool 8. People who are excluded from educational opportunities, cheap flights, and online shopping can now access them. The band of local volunteers, have become IT experts, and all our community organisations are online. In just one year the project has assisted 14 people into employment – this is real community investment, investment in the people, and organisations that make Liverpool 8 work”

EverybodyOnline is unique in its approach, rather than simply bringing in technology and walking away, Lucy has been working with the community to remove issues that prevent access. For example, encouraging local schools to utilise their facilities by inviting the local community to use their computers.

Lucy says, “The project has really been welcomed by the local community. For some people, being able to use the internet has been a life changing experience, enabling them to do things that they never thought were possible. What I would really like to see now, is the success of the project being rolled out into other areas across the city. ”

The EverybodyOnline project is an initiative run by the national charity Citizens Online and is supported by BT. It aims to help communities overcome any barriers they may have to technology so residents can take advantage of the wealth of opportunities digital technology and the Internet has to offer.

Peter Connor, North West Regional Manager for BT says: “BT is delighted to support the Liverpool 8 EverybodyOnline project. New technology can improve people’s lives, but access to it is not an end in itself. It is only useful if it can open doors to the things that really matter to people, such as education, jobs, shopping, business opportunities, entertainment and contact with the people that they care about. Led enthusiastically by Lucy Campbell, this impressive project has captured the talent, imagination and ambitions of people of all ages in Liverpool 8, opening up the wealth of opportunities that digital technology and the internet has to offer.”

Plans for the next 12 months include the launch of the community portal, a Net Technicians course, a local heritage project, a guide to healthy living on the internet, and themed taster sessions. Furthermore, the project is now looking to secure funding from key partners within the Liverpool region, with the view to having a further three projects up and running by this time next year.

For more information please contact Lucy Campbell on 07793742349

But many small businesses still haven’t discovered how to use ICT proactively within their business to automate time-consuming processes. But others have. So there is a real danger they are losing their competitiveness if they remain complacent and don’t act.

All too often computer users experience ICT frustrations that result in wasting valuable time. Smarter small businesses are now dusting off the manual, getting their staff properly trained or engaging an ICT expert to improve productivity using the computer sat on their desk.

Eddie Reed of city centre-based kitchen manufacturers Capricorn is somebody who did just that. “Investing in hardware and software is not a box-ticking exercise, and your business is magically transformed. You need to sit down and analyse where your time goes and make sure your investment has directly tackled a business challenge.”

Capricorn have seen their productivity and business processes rocket after engaging some outside help. “IT is like a journey. Your PC is your car, and you know where you want to go. But if you don’t know how to drive, you may get there eventually, but you may crash!”

So if you know how to use the gear stick, the clutch, and accelerator, you can get there quicker. Too many small businesses struggle to get beyond basic word processing, accounts packages, basic email and spreadsheet use. Liverpool company Solveo are aiming to change all that.

Eddie continued: “Since we have worked with Solveo our productivity has dramatically improved. The impact they’ve had has been worth its weight in gold. It has centralised our company information, leaving us with a more streamlined, efficient way of working.”

“Our business has grown significantly over the past 2 years. We already had the IT infrastructure in place but needed to look at our systems and how we use them. We now have the same staff producing the same work in less time and with improved accuracy”

There are hundreds if not thousands of ways of getting typical small business tasks done in a fraction of the time.

Do the following sound familiar?

• “My document looks great on the screen, but when I print it all goes wrong”
• “My calculations aren’t calculating”
• “I need a report for a meeting, and quickly, but I’m stuck”
• “I’m in the middle of a mail merge but forgotten what to do next – help!”

If your IT department is busy, or you don’t have one, you spend time trying to resolve the problem yourself. It can be long winded but what’s the alternative?

In an ideal world you’d have an ICT expert on hand to help with all of those niggling queries that seem to eat up your day. That’s where experts like Solveo can help make it happen. Jenny Gallagher believes small businesses get an instant return on their investment. “Small businesses realise that their time is better spent delivering their product or service. And what better way to make that happen than have one of our experts working through day to day queries with them?” she says.

How useful would it be if you could have an experienced IT problem solver at your Desk, in under a minute, looking at your query and working through it with you? What if you could have monthly remote training session designed to develop your business processes by helping you use your computer smarter? And what if you could have unlimited answers to your queries? What if this was available for all staff, for all queries? If this sounds appealing get in touch with Jenny Gallagher on 0151 2271817 or email jennygallagher@solveo.co.uk

Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Community College and Blackburne House, have formed Mersey Skills Network, a consortium that will be the first point of call for business training. Companies are urged to apply quickly, the funding offer lasts just 12 months. Businesses from sole traders to firms employing up to 250 staff are all eligible.

SkillWorks provides up to 60% of the costs of the costs of employee training for companies in all sectors across the Merseyside region. All of the partners in the Mersey Skills Network consortium have an excellent track record in successfully distributing Skillworks funding and delivering training to businesses across the region for the past four years.

Kevin Griffiths, Mersey Skills Consortium Project Manager said: “With partners of this calibre, Mersey Skills Network is in an excellent position to improve and develop the skills base on Merseyside and contribute to the region to remaining competitive in global market. All four consortium members have previously worked independently to support Skillworks and are all experienced in assisting businesses to maximise the training offer. This further funding is a superb opportunity and I urge all eligible businesses to take advantage of the funding.”

Ian McKay, a Reception Officer at Merseyside Police Federation, achieved his Customer Service Level Three NVQ this year. He commented: “Gaining this qualification has improved my confidence.”

The course was funded by Skillworks and Federation Centre Manager, Paula McIntosh-Kemp says: “Skillworks has been really useful as we don’t have a big training budget. It has funded training for most of our staff from food hygiene courses to higher degrees.”

“I’m delighted with the achievements of our employees and I’m keen to continue using Skillworks funding to further support our staff development programme.”

Find out more at the Mersey Skills Network website: http://www.merseyskills.co.uk/

There’s nothing worse than going to a business event where you come away less inspired than when you arrived. That’s why the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) have invited business presentation specialists, Junction YK, to introduce the latest technology and internet solutions that are bringing major benefits to companies, in all industries, today.

In association with GMDDA, there are two How ‘Intelligent’ is your Business? morning events taking place in Merseyside:

• Thursday 10 May 2007 (aimed at creative sector businesses)
  from 9.30 am – 12.00 pm
  at TATE Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BB
• Friday 18 May 2007 (relevant to all businesses)
  from 9.00 am – 11.30 am
  at Village Hotel, Pool Lane, Bromborough, Wirral, CH62 4UE

Using a combination of presentation, video, animation, live interviews and audience interaction, each event introduces some of the latest tools which businesses are using in an open, impartial and jargon-free way.

Each event is packed full of real examples from businesses, which demonstrate how:

• Scriptwriter and film director Fiona Maher significantly increased her profile with MySpace and YouTube
• By supplying its workforce with handheld computers, Wallasey-based drainage company, Auger Solutions, has dramatically improved its customer service and increased productivity
• An upholstery designer reduced phone charges by over £1,000 a month by making phone calls and holding video conferences with overseas clients and manufacturers over the internet
• A microbrewery has increased sales by selling over the internet offering an efficient, 24 hour service to their customers and reaching into a wider customer base
• A wholesale greengrocer saved £70k in operational costs with an online order placement system for customers

The presentation is backed up with an exhibition of suppliers and advisors, so you can find out exactly how to exploit the opportunities you think are right for your business. Breakfast will be served at each event.

Nine events have already been held in the North West, and this is some of the feedback from the delegates…

“It has opened my eyes to new and future technology”
“Very relevant and brought to life superbly with video case studies”
“Excellent formula, content and networking”

So, get inspired at the How ‘Intelligent’ is your Business? event and make sure you keep up to date with the latest ‘intelligent’ solutions.

For further details and to book online, visit: http://www.intelligentbusiness.org/