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The centre, which is a unit within the North's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's Industrial Research and Technology Unit (IRTU), has been established to demonstrate the different information and communication technologies available to businesses, particularly SMEs.
"Companies, for instance, will be able to compare and contrast the capabilities of ISDN and ADSL," the centre's manager, Dr. Trevor Forsythe told ElectricNews.Net. Others areas covered by the centre include wireless technology, e-commerce packages and e-security.
"We want to show businesses what they can make use of now and what will be available to them six to 12 months down the line," added Forsythe.
The centre, which is the first of its kind in the North and was launched by Northern Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Reg Empey, has spent STG70,000 of its STG200,000 setting-up fund on new equipment and, according to Forsythe, intends to spend the same amount again on equipment over the next 12 months. "We want to ensure that the companies have access to leading-edge technology and machines." The centre's annual budget is expected to be around STG200,000.
Forsythe said he would be initially targeting the North's top 1,000 indigenous companies for the free service with between 500 and 600 expected to visit in its first year. "We want to make sure that the companies who can really benefit from this service can get access to it," he said.
According to Forsythe, many Northern Ireland companies are still not convinced about the ability of the Internet to aid them in business. "A lot of businesses are unsure and unclear about what the technology can actually do for them. We are hopeful that the centre can stimulate them and show them just how much they need to get involved in e-business."
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