Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to help small and medium enterprises to leverage Internet marketing, sales and social media. [11314/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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As recognised in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, internet communications is set to be one of the fastest growing sub–markets within ICT, with potential growth rate as high as 20 percent per annum over the next decade. Therefore, small and medium enterprises need to concentrate on developing this resource as a major tool for their day to day business. Already Enterprise Ireland provides a number of supports to help SMEs in this area. Enterprise Ireland formulated and developed a funding support programme called the eBusiness Management Initiative (eBMI) to assist SMEs in developing their online marketing potential. To date 289 client companies have received support under this Initiative and the approved value of this support is €4.3m.

Additionally, Enterprise Ireland has a dedicated resource called the Internet Marketing Unit. The Internet Marketing Unit is focused on helping client companies to exploit the Internet as a route-to-market, and to assist companies develop a strategy that will shape how they do business online. The Unit provides a range of services, including strategic guidance, workshops and seminars and funding support. This Unit also runs a number of eMarketing and Social Media events for clients each year. These events have become extremely popular and are always full to capacity. The Unit regularly publishes case-studies and other online marketing collateral through Enterprise Ireland's website.

Another initiative, the Internet Growth Acceleration Programme (iGap), has been launched by Enterprise Ireland in conjunction with the Irish Internet Association (IIA), which is an intensive management development programme aimed exclusively at high potential internet/games companies. This programme has been very successful and is now in its third year. To date, 62 companies (122 promoters) have completed the iGAP programme. The fourth iGAP will be launched in October 2012. iGAP has, over the last 36 months, equipped promoters within the Irish internet/Games industry with the practical tools needed to formulate aggressive international growth plans and scale their businesses. iGAP incorporates practical learning from world-class serial entrepreneurs, it is delivered over six monthly modules and covers fundamental topics integral to building a global internet business. The modules are combined with more intensive support from an implementation coach who supports the participating companies as they complete their programme milestones.

The County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) provide a range of grants to eligible micro-enterprises, which can cover all business costs directly attributable to growing and developing a business, as well as training and one-to-one mentoring initiatives to assist individual businesses develop as appropriate to their remit and the needs of the business. In addition, where appropriate opportunities present to offer additional services, the CEBs act in conjunction with other organisations, such as Google in their recent "Getting Business Online" to make additional services and supports available. In 2011 CEBs provided over 100 training seminars in the "Getting Business Online" initiative, resulting in the creation of almost 900 new business websites.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to ensure that small and medium enterprises can benefit from the savings and increased productivity arising from the use of cloud computing. [11312/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Action Plan for Jobs, which was launched last week, outlines the opportunities that can be exploited arising from the growth of cloud computing. These include stimulating the take up and use of cloud computing by small business, the development of the ICT enterprise sector, stimulating the emergence of start up companies providing technology services using cloud computing and, positioning the public service as a key driver in the use of cloud computing technology. The Action plan also acknowledges that challenges relating to data protection, information security, reliability of service and the availability of high speed broadband must be addressed if the benefits of cloud computing are to be fully realised.

The Cloud computing Group that I established last year will continue its work by supporting the growth and jobs potential of cloud computing and addressing the challenges outlined above. The Action Plan for Jobs identifies actions which are designed to ensure that SMEs can benefit from the opportunities offered by cloud computing including:

· Supporting industry groups (e.g. Irish Internet Association) to develop and deliver a practical tool kit to assist SMEs in assessing the adoption of Cloud Computing for their business;

· Examining the potential for demonstration projects in cloud computing to promote Ireland as a centre of excellence for this technology, providing a reference site for Irish companies, while potentially lowering costs and improving services;

· Developing a Cloud Computing Procurement Standard with industry experts through an NSAI Standards group;

· Ensuring that the ICT Skills Action Plan incorporates needs associated with the development of Cloud Computing in Ireland; and,

· Delivering a Cloud Computing Technology Research Centre in order to support an industry led research and innovation agenda in this area.

With regard to the final bullet point, I can confirm that a Cloud Computing Technology Centre is being established jointly by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. After an open consultation process with industry partners, a steering committee has begun the work of developing a detailed research agenda. This agenda formed the basis for the Initial Research Programme which will be undertaken by Dublin City University, University College Cork and Athlone Institute of Technology and will formally commence in the coming weeks.

This research is particularly valuable in that, it not only includes considerations of the technical expertise and requirements to develop effective cloud computing platforms, but also incorporates the business acumen required to build new business models, end user requirements and novel ways to commercialise these platforms at the very outset of the research programme. This approach will continue to inform and drive the development of the ongoing research into this increasingly economically advantageous area. While this phase is running in 2012, an open competition will be held to establish a Host for the formal Technology Research Centre, which will allow for a significant scale up in activity over a 5 year period.