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It’s one smooth operator – KitKat Chunky Caramel hits Irish shelves
Crisp KitKat wafer meets smooth caramel to create off the chart levels of deliciousness – it can only be the brand new KitKat Chunky!
Launching in August, the latest edition to the Chunky line-up features a thick layer of runny caramel atop the brand’s classic wafer, all covered by KitKat’s trademark smooth milk chocolate.
Maria McKenna, Confectionery Marketing Manager at Nestlé Ireland said: “A new KitKat Chunky is always one of the year’s most anticipated confectionery launches, and we think fans will be delighted with our latest innovation.
“Caramel is a much-loved flavour among Irish consumers, and we’ve taken it to the next level by combining a delicious layer of runny caramel with our crisp KitKat wafer to create a taste sensation. When we trialled the newest Chunky flavour, we got a rapturous response, so we can’t wait to hear what everybody thinks!”
The limited edition KitKat Chunky Caramel 43.5g bar and multipack ranges will be available from supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide from early August.
Since launching in 1999, KitKat Chunky has delighted fans with its exciting limited editions, including Salted Caramel Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Cookie Dough, Coconut, Chocolate Fudge and New York Cheesecake.
Like the rest of the KitKat range, Chunky is made with 100% certified sustainable cocoa. More widely, the KitKat brand is striving to become carbon neutral by 2025; and Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland is aiming to halve the carbon footprint of its local fresh milk supply by 2026. This involves helping farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices that will help protect and restore natural resources such as soil, water and biodiversity around their farms over the years to come while continuing to produce the best quality milk for Nestlé products.
IBM Grants $500,000 in-kind to City of Dublin Education Training Board to Boost Cybersecurity Preparedness
City of Dublin ETB one of 10 recipients globally as part of the IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants programme
As schools become more dependent on technology, ransomware attacks against schools are increasing. To help schools worldwide proactively prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, IBM today announced the first eight recipients of the 2022 IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants, totaling USD$5 million in in-kind services, including $500,000 to the City of Dublin Education Training Board. Each grant will sponsor IBM Service Corps volunteers to address the selected school districts’ cybersecurity resiliency.
With cybercriminals continuing to view schools as compelling targets, IBM’s 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report* revealed that the cost of a data breach averages $3.86 million for education institutions. While the report found that 49% of data breaches the industry experienced were caused by a malicious attack, nearly 30% occurred due to human error, emphasising the need for proper cybersecurity training and education in schools.
The IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants program, now in its second year, received more than 120 applications from schools across the U.S. and will award six school districts with grants. This year the program is also expanding overseas with grant recipients in Ireland and UAE being announced today, and with recipients in Costa Rica and Brazil to be announced at a later date.
“Ransomware operators are increasingly setting their sights on schools and colleges, putting more pressure on these institutions to prioritise their cybersecurity. The impact of cyberattacks on schools also cascades down to students and their families, and so can have a significant impact on the wider community,” said Deborah Threadgold, IBM Ireland Country General Manager. “IBM is proud to be able to support schools through this initiative and I’m delighted that City of Dublin ETB will be one of the recipients. The team at IBM Security here in Ireland are looking forward to partnering with City of Dublin ETB over the coming months to build cyber resilience and address any gaps in cyber security planning and preparedness.”
Commenting on the partnership announcement, Blake Hodkinson, Director of Further Education and Training at City of Dublin ETB said, “Cyber security is of huge importance to City of Dublin ETB. In recent years, particularly after Covid-19, digital teaching, learning and data have become increasingly important to us and our learners. We have over 48,000 learners and anything that might inhibit from delivering on our primary functions is a key concern.”
“The new partnership between City of Dublin ETB and IBM will help us protect our learners and staff from unwanted cyber threats impacting on the educational services we deliver. It will allow us to confidently continue to develop innovative digital learning techniques. It will also reassure learners that their data is safe with us. This partnership is a significant step forward for City of Dublin ETB and we are delighted to be chosen as the programmes first European partner.”
The grant applications that IBM received shed light on the schools’ levels of cybersecurity awareness, preparedness, and training, confirming that there is always a growing need for improved security education and skills across industries and around the world.
Key findings from applications included:
- Targets of Cyberattacks – One in four applicants has experienced a cybersecurity breach or ransomware attack, indicating that cybercriminals are taking advantage of the sectors’ security constraints.
- Absence of Readiness – The majority of school districts say they do not have a cybersecurity plan in place and have not received any cybersecurity training, increasing the security risk posed by human error.
- Lack of Resources – Just 20% of districts has personnel dedicated to cybersecurity.
IBM Service Corps volunteers are expected to be working with the schools to help them proactively prepare for and respond to cyber threats. Depending on each school’s needs, the engagements may include the creation of incident response plans, ransomware playbooks, updating technology, cybersecurity training for school communities, and more.
“We’re excited that the City of Dublin ETB will be participating in this global programme as part of IBM’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to help schools strengthen their security postures in response to the growing threats in the education space,” said Deirdre Kennedy, CSR Leader IBM Ireland. “At IBM we’re committed to supporting schools around the globe via our education and volunteer programs in order to help create equitable impact.”
The 2022 IBM Education Security Preparedness Grant recipients are:
- City of Dublin Educational Training Board – Ireland
- Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence – UAE
- Cupertino Union School District – Sunnyvale, CA
- Rossville Cons. School District – Rossville, IN
- East China School District – East China, MI
- Newburgh Enlarged City School District – Newburgh, NY
- Goffstown School District – Goffstown, NH
- Prince William County Public Schools – Manassas, VA
About IBM SecurityIBM Security offers one of the most advanced and integrated portfolios of enterprise security products and services. The portfolio, supported by world-renowned IBM Security X-Force® research, enables organisations to effectively manage risk and defend against emerging threats. IBM operates one of the world’s broadest security research, development, and delivery organisations, monitors 150 billion+ security events per day in more than 130 countries, and has been granted more than 10,000 security patents worldwide. For more information, please check www.ibm.com/security, follow @IBMSecurity on Twitter, or visit the IBM Security Intelligence blog.
IBM Corporate Social ResponsibilityIBM’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives enable IBM’s technology and talent to address society’s challenges at scale. Pro bono consulting initiatives such as IBM Service Corps, which demonstrate the power of technology when combined with humanity, enable employees to assist communities with economic development, education, safety, sustainability, and more. To learn more about IBM’s CSR and companywide Good Tech initiatives, please visit IBM.com/impact.
IBM Service Corps deploys teams of IBM volunteers worldwide who perform multi-week pro bono consulting engagements to help the prosperity and well-being of communities, helping them apply technology and related know-how involving projects that touch education, environmental sustainability, and public health and safety. Since 2008, IBM Service Corps has engaged over 4,000 employees in teams to undertake 456 projects in 54 countries.
* Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022, conducted by Ponemon Institute, sponsored and analysed by IBM
Last call for healthy lunch heroes!
Schools across Ireland encouraged to register for leading school nutrition programme
Healthy Heroes Lunch Club, one of Ireland’s leading primary school nutrition programmes, created by teachers and behaviour change experts, has issued a call for schools to register as soon as possible as places quickly fill up. Now in its tenth year, Healthy Heroes Lunch Club is an initiative supported by the Irish Bread Bakers Association . The programme offers children the opportunity to foster valuable leadership, teamwork and communication skills, all while learning to change their eating habits for the better. To-date, almost 300,000 pupils across the island of Ireland have taken part in the programme, and teachers are being encouraged to sign up for this year’s intake.
According to Food Technologist and a Chartered Scientist Oonagh Monahan, who supports the programme, the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club empowers children to make healthy food choices, that can stay with them for life.
“The friendly, supporting environment of the classroom is the perfect place to help improve children’s knowledge of the nutritional value of the food they eat. Incorporating healthy eating habits as part of our everyday lives is one of the most impactful steps we can take, and the earlier we begin the better.”
The school lunch box should provide about 25% – 35% of a child’s energy and nutrient needs. Yet studies have shown that packed lunches are deficient in “healthy” foods and tend to be high in sugar, saturated fat and salt, while low on starchy foods and fibre.”
Broadcaster and Healthy Heroes Lunch Club Ambassador Marie Crowe knows all too well the importance of a healthy school lunch.
“As a mum of three boys I am acutely aware of how difficult it can sometimes be to make sure they head out the door with a healthy lunchbox every day. The Healthy Heroes Lunch Club programme is fantastic as it educates both children and adults on the best options that offer both great taste and nutritional value. It also fosters a lovely sense of mentorship with those children in fifth and sixth class as they play such a crucial part in helping younger students with the programme. “
For more information on how schools can get involved in the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club, visit www.healthyheroes.ie or email healthyheroes@realnation.ie.
How Wimbledon is keeping its eye on the ball with IBM tech
Our client IBM has been the official technology partner of Wimbledon for more than 30 years, analysing every shot and more at world famous the All England Tennis Club.
Silicon Republic recently visited Wimbledon during the championship tennis to see first-hand the longstanding partnership between the world’s oldest technology company and the world’s oldest tennis tournament.
Vish Gain visited Wimbledon to get a sneak peek of how IBM is using data and AI to help the tennis tournament engage with fans in its ‘pursuit of greatness’.
“It’s not every day that you get to visit Wimbledon and walk around its hallowed courts during the tournament. An even rarer cohort of individuals gets to visit the underground bunkers where the behind-the-scenes action happens. I was lucky enough to do both last week.
Walking into the premises of the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d watched Wimbledon matches growing up, but witnessing one live was a different ball game altogether, excuse the pun.
But my trip to Wimbledon wasn’t just about watching the action as it happened, but to dig deeper. And by digging deeper, I mean visiting the underground data rooms run by Wimbledon’s technology partner, IBM.
IBM has been a tech partner of Wimbledon since 1990. Since then, the two have been linked inextricably, trying to innovate new ways of engaging Wimbledon’s worldwide audience and using technology to live up to its motto: ‘In pursuit of greatness.’
Data analysis, automation and artificial intelligence are just some of the technologies developed by IBM and its partners that are being deployed to make watching Wimbledon, both in-person and from afar, a more meaningful experience.
“It all starts with the data,” Kevin Farrar, IBM UK sports partnerships lead, told me. “We’ve built this platform of innovation with the club to turn massive amounts of data into engaging and meaningful insights for the fans.”
Farrar works with a team of experts who, in collaboration with other technology partners, collect and process the immense amounts of data generated throughout the tournament.
“We’re collecting the test stats. There’s the direction of serve, how the ball is returned, backhand or forehand, the rally count, how the point is won, if it’s a forced or unforced error,” he whispered to me in a room full of experts wearing headphones watching the matches closely.
This information is collected from thousands of data points, which are then combined with data from other sources, such as Hawk-Eye’s electronic line-calling technology, to produce meaningful insights that are fed into the Wimbledon website and to global broadcasters.
Wimbledon and the IBM Power Index
The fruit of this behind-the-scenes work by IBM is best displayed on Wimbledon’s official website, where live updates on matches are combined with AI-powered match insights to make the sport exciting for those not within the premises.
This year, for example, has seen the introduction of the IBM Power Index, an AI-powered daily ranking of player momentum before and during Wimbledon. Using Watson, IBM’s powerful natural language processing system, the Power Index analyses player performance, media commentary and other factors to quantify momentum.
“A lot of people just watch tennis once a year – they watch Wimbledon. They’ll know the big names, but they won’t necessarily know the upcoming players. The Power Index gives a mechanism for them to sort of identify players that are hot at the moment,” Farrar said.
Users of the Wimbledon website or smartphone app can view the Power Index and click on any player they find interesting and want to keep an eye on. They can track the player’s progress and get personalised updates based on what or who they’re interested in.
“It’s an algorithm that takes both structured data and unstructured data,” Farrar explained. “The structured data is the scores and match results. But it’s also looking at the media buzz through trusted data sources, to see what the media is saying about the players.”
The Sherlock-like Watson (although named after early IBM CEO Thomas Watson) is also able to use vast amounts of data and expert input to predict which of the two players in any given match has a higher chance of winning. Fans on the app can weigh in too and see how far they stand from the AI estimate.
Serving the fans
Farrar said the reason IBM is doing all this is to engage with fans interested in both technical details as well as the “drama and beauty of it all” through a visual experience. In the 2021 championships, Wimbledon reached approximately 18m people through its digital platforms.
“Sports fans love debate. So, putting something out there in terms of a prediction that Watson has come up with, they’ll have their own views and their own win factors in their mind. It’s about engaging the fans in that social debate and asking them, ‘Well, what do you think?’”
For Deborah Threadgold, IBM Ireland country manager, the relationship between Wimbledon and IBM is a great example of what the company’s strategy is all around.
“When you look at the data piece, when you look at the automation piece, and the security and how it is all sitting on that platform, and how that’s allowing them to innovate, then that’s exactly what IBM brings to all of our clients,” Threadgold told me.
“So even here in Ireland, whether you’re in the sporting industry, or much more broadly, whether you’re in financial services, public sector, whatever it may be, all of those tools and those mechanisms, you can actually reimagine how that works into your own industry.”
Of the four cornerstone annual tennis tournaments, Wimbledon is by far the most traditional with the richest history. It has been played since 1877 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
“Our challenges here is to get that balance right between the tradition and heritage of the club, and the way they present themselves with technology and innovation,” Farrar said. “The brand is very important to them, and we make sure that that remains the case while still innovating every year.” “
A global first for Ireland with launch of Riot games’ remote broadcast centre set to reach a worldwide audience of 145 million
Riot Games, the most player-focused game developer and publisher in the world, has expanded its footprint in Dublin with an official opening for the first of three Remote Broadcast Centres (RBCs) making up Project Stryker, an innovative approach to global broadcast production powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will transform live esports productions on a global scale.
Based in Swords, the European headquarters for Riot’s Project Stryker is the culmination of an €18.5 million investment by the world’s leading esports company that will increase capacity for Riot’s esports content and events while also lowering operational costs, and ensure top-tier quality and consistency across all esports productions, delivering a best-in-class viewing experience to 145 million fans around the world.
At the opening on Wednesday 20th of July , Riot Games announced Project Stryker will employ a further 120 people in addition to its 165 employees in Ireland.
The esports industry is expanding rapidly with current projections that the sector will hit almost *€1.7 billion in 2022.
John Needham, President of Esports at Riot Games said, “This is truly an exciting day for Riot Games and the future of esports. Project Stryker has come a long way from a visionary concept three years in the making to this incredible state-of-the-art creative space that further extends Riot’s footprint in the city and showcases the deep ties to entertainment and innovation found in Dublin. We could not have selected a better location for our European headquarters for Project Stryker.”
Three years in development, the Dublin RBC of Project Stryker serves as a central broadcasting hub for both regional and global live esports productions across Riot’s trio of esports titles: League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports), VALORANT Esports, and Wild Rift Esports. Broadcast feeds from live esports competitions happening around the world can be sent to the Dublin RBC where the content is produced, broadcast, and distributed in multiple languages. Ireland is the first of just three global locations chosen by Riot Games as the location for Project Stryker RBCs. The country is ideally placed as the European HQ for Project Stryker due to the quality of its infrastructure, position in the European market, talent pool and strategic location as part of the esports global ecosystem.
The Remote Broadcast Model offers efficiency in terms of lower operational costs and guarantees a standard of broadcast quality across all content. Under a “follow the sun” approach, the RBCs will facilitate the production and broadcast of esports content 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Located at the former Wright Venue in Swords, regarded as one of Dublin’s most iconic entertainment establishments, Project Stryker can provide over 230,000 production hours annually for broadcast production, engineering, event, audio, graphic design and esports professionals. The RBC is Riot’s second footprint in Dublin, joining its City Centre office that employs 165 individuals specialising in business operations, development, engineering, localisation, and information security.
The 6,000-plus square metre facility is equipped with six control rooms to enable it to broadcast six live events (at an event scale each similar to the Super Bowl ) simultaneously across multiple time zones. Content is edited in real-time, and each broadcast is also translated into the local language, depending on the country in which it is being broadcast.
Allyson Gormley, General Manager, Project Stryker said,
“Project Stryker is a ground-breaking next-generation project that will revolutionise how content is produced and broadcast. The quality of the technologies and the model adopted is a game-changer. Three years in the making, Project Stryker is the culmination of a commitment by Riot Games to continuous innovation and to provide the best possible playing and viewing experience for our fans.
“There has been a tremendous growth in esports, which requires a similar level of skills, commitment, and dedication to what one could call “traditional sports.” The entertainment value, the opportunity for connection and to be part of something bigger are among the primary factors driving the popularity of esports.
“Dublin is now at the forefront of a new frontier and the team will be part of an exciting new chapter in live broadcasting. Our always-on 24 entertainment broadcast model reflects the changing needs and desires of audiences”
“Dublin is an ideal location to support this growth- with an exceptional talent pool, ease of doing business and key strategic position making it the perfect hub for the first of the Riot Games trio of RBCs. The skills required as part of the esports industry are many and the creation of 120 plus roles in Dublin, adding to our existing workforce, reflects the commitment of Riot Games and Project Stryker to Ireland.”
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.