Digital Northern Ireland 2020
Lighting up Northern Ireland’s
Digital Platform
Executive Director – Dr. Sinclair Stockman
The Digital Opportunity
N.Ireland A Global Digital Hub
Vision – By the end of the decade, Northern Ireland will be
the world’s preferred destination for digital economy
investment.
Not the Biggest, but the Best
Broadband Availability
Leased Line
Speed
10Mb – 100Gb
Symmetric
FTTP
FTTC
Cable
Copper
WiMax
110Mb ↓
30Mb ↑
Asymmetric
16Mb – 80Mb↓
2Mb – 18Mb ↑
Asymmetric
100Mb ↓
10Mb ↑
50Mb ↓
5Mb ↑
0.5Mb – 24Mb
Asymmetric
50Mb↓10Mb↑
10Mb↓2Mb↑
Asymmetric
Costs
Expensive in
relation to mass
deployment
products
Expected to be
economical &
competitive
Competitively
priced
Competitively
priced
Competitively
priced
Economically
priced
Pros
Symmetric
Service /
Future proofed /
Flexible /
Non Contended
Future proofed
expected to offer
much higher
speeds
Future proofed /
80Mb ↓ 2012
15Mb ↑ 2012
Future Proofed
/ Not
dependant on
distance from
the exchange
Good
availability
Good availability
/ Services Rural
areas
Cons
Ancillary Costs
may be
prohibitive
Limited
Accessibility /
Contended service
Reach Dependent
(from Cabinet)
Contended Service
Limited to
Virgin footprint
/ Contended
Service
Reach (from
Exchange)
Dependent /
Contended
Service
Line of Sight
Technology
Contended
Service
Accessibility
Good
Limited to
Operator roll out
plans
>90%
Greater Belfast,
Lisburn, Derry /
Londonderry
only.
98%
Coverage area
limits apply
Internet = changing lifestyle
technology
bandwidth
wires or fibre or wireless
changing the way you do business
lifestyle, communication, fun
people and what they want to do
Bandwidth Connectivity
Why is high bandwidth connectivity so important to
businesses now?
• More than 50% of the world is connected, one way or another one hell of a
big target market
• Interactivity drives economic and social interaction, and our network enables
interaction
• The web is the easiest way to access information and knowledge – knowledge
gives competitive advantage
• Without access to good web connections, many businesses will stagnate or die
• With access to good broadband connections, the world is your market
• You must be connected to participate in global value chains
• ‘Always Open’ Global shop window
• Online spending 39% increase year on year
• Typical savings online, 11 – 30%
• Online 8% of UK GDP (3% of RoI)
• High level of buying confidence
• Men spend more than women!
• OK, but what really are the opportunities for business ……
The train has left the station…
• Internet is a critical foundation to a smart economy
Digital Britain – 1£ : £5 spent on-line
• Internet improves business competitiveness
EU: ½ competitiveness gains in the last 15yrs comes from internet
• Internet improves business innovation
3 out of 5 fastest growing global companies are internet businesses [Fortune]
Opportunity or Threat
Online business is growing,
BUT
• Typically consumers are going online faster than businesses
• A significant proportion (often higher than 66%) of what people buy online is
via a “foreign” supplier
HOWEVER
• This dynamic can be a real opportunity for businesses in small countries
• There are significantly more consumers overseas than in Northern Ireland
• Even if we loose a proportion of NI sales to overseas businesses, we can
win many, many times more business from overseas customers
• We already have some real examples of this in Northern Ireland
• But, to be in the game, your business must be ACTIVELY on line, trading,
not just advertising – a static website is not enough.
Typical non-digital business
opportunities
• Exploiting the Digital Platform in Business – It’s all about
– Greater market reach, both locally and globally
more people spending money
– Business efficiency – admin, logistics, stock, cash flow, Cloud
Services etc
less money wasted
– Enhanced service and product offerings
higher margin products, ‘up sell’, more money in
Business Efficiency and Effectiveness
Market Expansion
Home Working and Playing
Exemplars
Spend Less
Improving customer service means more business
Improving customer service means more business
Small is beautiful…..or is it……….
MCL Insurance Services Ltd. All rights reserved. | 66 Railway Road, Coleraine, Co L/derry, BT52 1PG.
Typical non-digital business
opportunities
• Exploiting the Digital Platform in Business – It’s all about
– Greater market reach, both locally and globally
more people spending money
– Business efficiency – admin, logistics, stock, cash flow, Cloud
Services etc
less money wasted
– Enhanced service and product offerings
higher margin products, ‘up sell’, more money in
Digital business activity
• Application
development
• Digital content
• Digital media
• Mobile applications
• Security applications
• Operations
• Data centres
• Online services
• Financial services applications
• Skill and learning applications
• Health applications
• Gaming
• ………
It’s up to you……Please don’t
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