Global E-Commerce: Europe - E-commerce Efforts In Ireland

E-COMMERCE EFFORTS IN IRELAND

Ireland has also emerged as an e-commerce leader in Europe. In 1999, wanting to foster competition and growth in the emerging Internet-based markets, the Irish government deregulated its telecommunications industry and privatized its state-owned telecommunication monopoly, Eircom. The government also forged an alliance with Global Crossing to construct an underwater fiberoptic cable that would enhance the speed and capacity of the country's existing telecommunications infrastructure. These efforts attracted the attention of several high-tech firms, including Hewlett-Packard Co., which opened a European Outsourcing Center in Dublin in December of 1999. At roughly the same time, Novell Inc. transformed Novell Software Ireland Ltd., based in Dublin, into the home base for its European, Middle Eastern, and African e-commerce activities. In addition, Dublin also gained a new Oracle Corp. e-business center; an AOL development center, the only such center outside of the U.S.; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MediaLab Europe, the first international arm of the world renowned technology-based research lab.

The Irish government passed an e-commerce bill, covering such issues as electronic signatures and online contracting, in July of 2000. A few months later, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Cisco, and Wolfe Group joined forced to create business-incubator.com, a small business service designed to help Internet-based startups in Ireland for significantly reduced consulting fees. eBay made its way into Ireland in March of 2001. That year, the Irish government earmarked 75 million euros for broadband network developments throughout the country.