Client News

Ericsson to hire 250 at its R&D Campus in Athlone to support 5G growth and continued investment in Cloud Technologies

Káno Communications recently worked with global telecommunications giant Ericsson as it announced plans to hire an additional 250 staff at its Irish Research and Development Centre in Athlone, in support of the company’s ongoing development of innovative cloud-native products that orchestrate, automate and power its global 5G portfolio.

One of Ireland’s largest employers within software development, Ericsson has had a R&D presence in Athlone since 1979. The Athlone facility, which is the global R&D headquarters of Ericsson Digital Services OSS (Operations Support Systems), currently employs 1200 people, with an additional 200 staff at its Dublin base.

Denis Dullea, Head of Research and Development at Ericsson Athlone said: “This announcement underscores our global reputation as a world-class R&D software development centre. Our team here already play a critical role in the development of Ericsson products, services and solutions that enable Ericsson to deliver limitless connectivity that makes the unimaginable possible.

“We are hiring an additional 250 software developers, engineers and architects with cloud-native skills to enhance our capability to deliver the benefits of cloud-native technologies to our global customer base via our RAN, Management, Automation and Orchestration offerings.”
Mr Dullea added: “The investment is also good news for Athlone and the wider Midlands region, where Ericsson is one of the largest employers. With strong ongoing partnerships with the IDA, the Irish Government and the recently established Technological University of the Shannon
(TUS), we are excited to continue attracting and nurturing the best and brightest Irish and international talent to the heart of Ireland.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said: “This is really great news. Ericsson is expanding further, adding 250 new jobs to the 1400 the company already employs here. These new jobs are in new areas in cloud-native technologies, providing some really exciting opportunities for the Midlands. It truly is a vote of confidence in Athlone and Ireland as a whole that such an internationally renowned company has chosen to make this investment. Thank you to Ericsson for their continuing commitment to our country and the Irish-based team who I know were crucial in the decision to bring this investment to Ireland.”

Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy TD said: “I am delighted with Ericsson’s announcement to add 250 roles at its R&D Campus in Athlone. These highly skilled roles in software development, engineering and cloud technologies are a very welcome development for the region and this expansion reaffirms the Midlands as a centre of excellence in the ICT sector and cloud technology. Ericsson is a well-established presence here in Athlone and its continued success and investment in its R&D Campus is a testament to the fact that Westmeath, and indeed the Midlands as a whole is a great place to do business. I want to wish the staff in Ericsson all the very best in this exciting new chapter.”

Kano’s Corporate Communications team worked with Ericsson to amplify this announcement, securing widespread coverage at a national, international and local level, including RTE (TV, Radio & Online), Irish Times, Irish Independent, Silicon Republic, Tech Radar and many more.

 

 

Client News: Iceland Ireland Cracks Easter With Giant Creme Egg Dessert

It’s a crackin’ time at Káno client Iceland Ireland this Easter, with everything shoppers need to have a truly egg-cellent time this holiday. Let’s be honest, Easter is all about the sweet treats and Iceland Ireland have it cracked this year with the launch of the exclusive Cadbury Creme Egg dessert.

The supersized Cadbury Creme Egg Dessert makes chocoholics and fans of this iconic little egg dreams through! Dinner guests will be rushing to the kitchen to grab a spoon to break open the smooth, creamy, and iconic Cadbury’s Creme Egg. Hidden inside is the sweet white chocolate mousse which surrounds everybody’s favourite part, the classic creme egg fondant in the centre.

The supersized Cadbury Creme Egg Dessert and Iceland Ireland’s entire Easter range is available in all 27 stores nationwide.

BEYOND COOL: ANGEL DELIGHT LAUNCH SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM TUBS

For the first time ever, the classic dessert brand is launching two soft serve flavours including Strawberry and Butterscotch. Exclusive to Iceland Ireland, Angel Delight flavours available now across all 27 stores nationwide. With Easter just around the corner, these new tasty additions are set to be a hit!

The new ice cream has been inspired by the famous airy texture of the original nostalgic mousse-like dessert, which was first sold back in 1967. Available in Strawberry and Butterscotch flavours, the 800ml tubs are designed for sharing and are sure to please ice cream fans who can pick up a tub for just €4.50.

Emma Murphy, Marketing Manager at Iceland, said: “We are delighted to bring yet another iconic brand to our freezers, Angel Delight. We’re confident customers will be heading straight to Iceland’s ice cream freezers to take a trip down memory lane and try out those old-time favourite flavours once again.”

Nestlé Ireland renew charity partnership with Dublin Simon Community

Nestlé Ireland has renewed its partnership with Dublin Simon Community, which offers services and supports to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.

The partnership will involve the donation of Nestlé food and beverage products to support the work of Dublin Simon Community in delivering emergency accommodation and long-term housing for individuals and families. In 2020, Dublin Simon assisted over 7,600 families and individuals with over 1,900 securing short-term accommodation with or due to Dublin Simon support or referrals.

Over the last number of years, Nestlé Ireland has provided over 4 million cups of Nescafé coffee and 200,000 KitKat bars to support Dublin Simon across a range of service delivery to people in need of emergency and long-term accommodation. Kieran Conroy, Nestlé Ireland Country Manager said that “Nestlé is proud to support Simon’s work in the heart of the community where it helps those who are homeless or at risk through providing medical treatment, recovery, counselling and other vital services”.

Sam McGuinness, CEO Dublin Simon acknowledged Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to Dublin Simon’s vision to make home a reality, commenting “as a vital supporter of our Food for Simon programme, Nestlé Ireland has provided our clients, residents and services with essential products, leading to significant cost-savings of over €250,000 which have allowed us to focus funding on the life-saving housing, treatment and key working services that need it most”.

ICS Mortgages had over €530m in new mortgage drawdowns in 2021

Káno Communications recently supported ICS Mortgages to highlight its significant growth in the Irish mortgage market in 2021 where the Irish non-bank lender saw a 143pc year on year increase in drawdowns.  With a total of over €530 million in mortgages extended in 2021, ICS Mortgages estimates that its share of the Irish mortgage market increased to 5.05% by the end of the year.   

According to Chief Executive Fergal McGrath, ICS Mortgages increased its total loan book by over 25% to more than €1 billion during 2021, representing a significant performance underpinned by the lender’s innovative mortgage products for both owner occupier and buy to let markets.  

“As a majority-Irish owned non-bank lender in the mortgage market, we are purely focused on providing mortgages and on delivering real value to our customers via market-leading competitive rates and product innovation. We are really pleased that Irish consumers have responded to our offerings in such growing numbers.  

“As a specialist mortgage-only lender we are continuing on our growth journey and having now exceeded our initial goal of 5% share of the mortgage market, our goal has been revised upwards to supply over 10% of Irish mortgages within the next three years.   

“We look forward to building on this significant performance in 2022 and beyond. Everyone at ICS Mortgages is committed to continuing to deliver market-leading price, service and innovation for Irish home buyers”.   

Kano’s Corporate Communications team worked with ICS Mortgagers to amplify this announcement with both consumers and key stakeholders, securing significant coverage in the Irish Times – link – RTE – Link the Irish Independents – Link and with other specialist outlets   

The Kano press office also publicised the lenders ambitions for growth through the securing of quality coverage across national newspapers and radio. 

 

Nestlé establishes Income Accelerator Program to address inequality and achieve full traceability in cocoa production

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and drink company has unveiled a major plan to advance sustainability and tackle child labor risks in cocoa production. It will invest €1.25 billion by 2030, more than tripling its current annual investment, this new effort will help transform the supply chain of Nestlé and the broader industry.  

The plan is centered around an innovative income accelerator program which aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa-farming families in Africa, while also advancing regenerative agriculture practices and gender equality.  Nestlé’s new plan also supports the company’s work to transform its global sourcing of cocoa to achieve full traceability and segregation for its cocoa products. 

Speaking on the announcement, Nestlé’s CEO Mark Schneider said: “We believe that, together with governments, NGOs and others in the cocoa industry, we can help improve the lives of cocoa-farming families and give children the chance to learn and grow in the safe and healthy environment they deserve”. 

In an effort to tackle child labour risks, the programme will see a cash incentive of up to €474 a year for the first two years paid directly to households involved in cocoa farming for certain activities such as enrolling their children in school. After the first two years, the funding will drop to €237 a year and continue at this rate. With Nestlé’s new approach, cocoa-farming families will now be rewarded not only for the quantity and quality of cocoa beans they produce but also for the benefits they provide to the environment and local communities. These incentives are on top of the premium introduced by the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that Nestlé pays, and the premiums Nestlé offers for certified cocoa. 

The coverage secured for this announcement in Ireland included the Irish Times (link), RTÉ (link) as well as across crucial trade and industry media.