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14
May 12

BLUEFACE ELEVATOR COMPETITION LAUNCHED

Submit an amazing idea to elevator@blueface.ie now to be in with a chance of winning €50,000 worth of services for your business!

Exciting day for us at Blueface today as we officially launched our ‘Blueface Elevator’ competition! This competition invites Irish-based start-ups with innovative ideas to give a three-minute pitch of their big idea, with a massive prize valued at €50,000 for the most original idea that also has strong commercial potential. The competition will be held in Carphone Warehouse stores around Ireland from mid-May onwards and the final will be held on the 14th of July at Carphone Warehouse Grafton Street, Dublin 2. There, seven finalists selected from the nationwide search will compete for an amazing prize that includes telephony services, mobile handsets and tablets, advertising, public relations and legal advice.

Blueface Elevator is open to start-ups, entrepreneurs and businesspeople with innovative ideas in any sector of business. Eligible companies must be less than five years old and any products or services being pitched must either be in beta or have spent less than one year on the market.

To apply, entrants should submit a 100 word overview of their business idea, their contact details, and the date/location they wish to apply for to elevator@blueface.ie. The closing date for initial submission is 20th June but entrants are advised to submit their proposals as early as possible, to ensure that they get an opportunity to present their idea at one of the competition locations.

For more information about the application process, please contact elevator@blueface.ie.

Blueface Elevator will take place at locations nationwide on the following dates:

  • Saturday 19th May Carphone Warehouse DROGHEDA Scotch Hall @12-2pm
  • Saturday 2nd June Carphone Warehouse GALWAY Shop Street @ 12-2pm
  • Saturday 9th June Carphone Warehouse CORK Patrick Street @ 12-2pm
  • Saturday 16th June Carphone Warehouse KILKENNY MacDonagh Junction @ 12-2pm
  • Saturday 23rd June Carphone Warehouse LIMERICK Crescent Shopping Centre @ 12-2pm
  • Saturday 30th June Carphone Warehouse DUBLIN Dundrum @ 12-2pm
  • Saturday 7th July Carphone Warehouse CARRICK on SHANNON @ 12-2pm

Make sure you come along to an event near you, either to present or just to get a look at some of the great entrepreneurial and business ideas on show!

Blueface Elevator 2012 is made possible by a number of key sponsors; Blueface, Carphone Warehouse, Newstalk FM and Heneghan PR. Blueface would be happy to hear from local companies who would like to get involved in support or sponsorship. To contact us, please contact Janelle at Blueface on 01-5242017 or email elevator@blueface.ie.

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04
May 12

Blueface and Carphone Warehouse combine to create complete business solution.

Peter Scott, MD Carphone Warehouse and Alan Foy, CEO Blueface pictures in the IFSC store

Blueface strikes major deal with Carphone Warehouse.

Blueface Mobile, Ireland’s first dedicated business mobile service, announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Carphone Warehouse, to resell its service throughout the Carphone Warehouse retail estate of 83 stores nationwide.

Blueface, which is the only wholly Irish-owned mobile and converged telephony company, delivers both a landline and mobile service on the Blueface cloud platform. This new partnership with Carphone Warehouse will allow business owners to source a great value mobile phone and landline offering from Blueface at their local Carphone Warehouse store.

Alan Foy, CEO of Blueface, said: “We are very pleased to announce this deal with Carphone Warehouse, which has a very strong presence in key locations throughout Ireland. This new partnership will give Blueface the opportunity to become available to more businesses throughout the country. The strategic partnership between Blueface and Carphone Warehouse means far greater access and nationwide reach for our service.” 

Peter Scott, General Manager of Carphone Warehouse, said: “We are looking forward to working with Blueface, which we believe offers real value to business customers. This will be the first dedicated business service that Carphone Warehouse is offering to our customers, making it an exciting and innovative new departure for our business.”

Blueface will be available to businesses throughout the country through the Carphone Warehouse retail estate from 14th May 2012. Blueface will announce its range of innovative, business friendly call plans in the coming days before the launch.  In overview, Blueface will deliver fully converged mobile and landline offerings from as low as €30.00 (ex VAT) per month.

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11
Apr 12

Trinity Business Student of the Year Award 2012

Thursday 22nd March, Dublin: Patrick Lynch was announced as the winner of the 2012 Trinity Business Alumni/Bank of Ireland Business Student of the Year for his outstanding contribution to college society life, community engagement and entrepreneurial activities, at reception at the House of Lords, in Bank of Ireland College Green.

The competition, open to 4th year business students in Trinity College, is coordinated by Trinity Business Alumni (TBA) in association with the Business School in Trinity College which shortlists finalists from nominations received by staff and students of the College. The Bank of Ireland sponsors and supports the event and has been associated with the competition for the last fifteen years.  This year there were six finalists for the Business Student of the Year Award.   These finalists were Conor Campbell, Laura Demery, Sophie Higgs, Colum Horan, Patrick Lynch and Elena Sugrue.

Pictured in the House of Lords College Green; Richie Boucher (CEO of Bank of Ireland Group), Patrick Lynch (TBA Business Student of the Year) receiving his certificate from Alan Foy (President of the Trinity Business Alumni and CEO Blueface), Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast.

Richie Boucher, CEO of Bank of Ireland Group, outlined that Bank of Ireland was delighted to be involved with the TBA Business Student of the Year Award and that he enjoys celebrating the achievements of such outstanding students.  Richie outlined that the “Bank has supported the Award for 17 years and is proud to be connected with Trinity College, the Business School and the Trinity Business Alumni”. He wished the students well with their future endeavours.
Robert Smyth of the Trinity Business Alumni congratulated each of the finalists and applauded their leadership qualities.  Robert provided an insightful account of each finalist’s interview with a brief biography. Robert outlined that “Each of the candidates impressed and wowed us in their own right- we met six leaders last Wednesday and I am delighted for each of them in their achievement”.  He added that the TBA is looking forward to welcoming each of the finalists as members following their graduation.

Announcing the winner, President of the Trinity Business Alumni, Alan Foy commented: “Each finalist has demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial leadership qualities and achievements by balancing academic and extra curricular activities during their time in Trinity. There is no doubt that we will see these students leading our commercial and not-for-profit organisations in the years to come. With this talent, we should have confidence in Ireland’s future”.  Alan encouraged the finalists to have faith in their abilities and to pursue their major career objectives with persistence and confidence.

The Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast speaking at the reception congratulated Patrick and the other finalists on their achievements and highlighted the importance of becoming involved in student and community life.  “I know that these students being honoured today have a broad range of interests, including music, sport, art, travel, languages, volunteering, and politics. They embody, in their range of extracurricular achievements, Trinity’s values of interdisciplinarity, deep learning, and independent, critical thinking.  The Provost also recognised how Trinity alumni remain an integral and an important part of College.  He thanked the TBA and Bank of Ireland for organising the awards and recognising the contribution of business students in such a fitting way.

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29
Feb 12

Blueface Mobile. Officially launched by an Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD spreads the word about Blueface Mobile with Blueface CEO, Alan Foy.

Wednesday the 22nd February marked the beginning of an exciting new venture for us as ‘Blueface Mobile’ was launched by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny at a much-anticipated event staged in the elegant surroundings of the Hibernian Club on Stephens Green, Dublin. The launch was very well attended and guests included a number of high-profile figures from the Irish telecommunications and technology sectors.

Blueface Mobile is the first mobile service tailored exclusively for business users in Ireland and reflects the realities of modern business both at home and abroad. We have been working on the service and all of the features that go with it for over two years and we are confident that we have designed a package that will actively assist businesses to grow and improve their communications. Blueface Mobile customers will be able to choose from both pre- and post- pay options, and will be able to purchase SIM cards and/or handsets independently as required.

Speaking at the event, CEO of Blueface, Alan Foy, emphasised that the core aim of Blueface Mobile is to empower Irish businesses by  delivering an innovative telecoms service that is better and more cost efficient than anything else currently on offer in the market. He went on to comment: “Blueface Mobile represents one of the new innovations in telecommunications. Today we can offer a business grade mobile service with features and services unparalleled in the Irish market. Blueface will deliver a truly unified telecoms proposition and will manage business communications across landline and mobile in a fully converged, unified way – one voicemail, one call management portal and one bill are just for starters.”

We were delighted to have An Taoiseach Enda Kenny as our guest of honour on the day and he very perceptively identified Blueface as part of the “emerging generation of Irish entrepreneurs who are embracing modern technology, seeing opportunities and creating ventures that have the capacity to enhance competitiveness, and create jobs”.

Blueface Mobile will initially be offered exclusively to existing Blueface customers, to add to their existing services and to thank them for their loyalty to Blueface over the last few years; the company is proud to have a low client turnover rate and the development of Blueface Mobile has been strongly influenced by the input and feedback of our customers.

Over the coming months, Blueface will extend Blueface Mobile to new customers and we are also very excited to be going into partnership with the most trusted retailer in the Irish mobile market, Carphone Warehouse. To us, this partnership reflects one of the key elements of the Blueface brand; empowering customers to get better services and cut their costs by offering them a more intelligent telecoms solution.

If you would like to get some more information about how Blueface Mobile could help your business, check out our website at www.blueface.ie or give our Sales team a call on 01-524 2000.

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27
Jan 12

Blueface is getting ready to launch a unique Business Mobile service

Blueface are about to launch a mobile offering to compliment its landline voice service offering businesses throughout Ireland a low cost integrated mobile and landline service.

Blueface will present SME’s with a new and pioneering mobile solution, further enhancing their flexible, low cost offering. Businesses in Ireland can now look forward to low cost, unlimited call tariffs, and a communication service from Blueface which provides unique features such as ONE voicemail, ONE call history and ONE Bill across your landline and mobile service.

Further details of the offering from Blueface will be announced in the coming weeks, with ‘Blueface Mobile’ becoming available to both business and residential customers from first quarter, 2012.

In the meantime, you can register your Interest in Blueface mobile service. Just take a minute to send us your contact details and we will be in touch with you shortly.

Best wishes,
The Blueface Team

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11
Jan 12

Blueface Announces €1m R&D Investment and 12 New Jobs Investment Part-Funded by Enterprise Ireland’s R&D Fund

Blueface, Ireland’s leading cloud telephony company today 10th January announced a €1m investment in Research & Development to enhance their next generation IP telephony and services platform and drive export activity.  The investment, which will create 12 new jobs, is being part-funded by Enterprise Ireland’s R&D Fund.

This R&D initiative involves the design and development of the next generation of Blueface’s IP Telephony platform and will serve both direct and managed service customers in Ireland and the UK. The project will enhance the Blueface proposition and provide customers with a range of innovative voice features, applications and services.

Frank Ryan Enterprise Ireland, Minister Richard Bruton, Alan Foy Blueface

Since it was founded in 2004, Blueface has built a strategy of delivering cutting edge, innovative telephony solutions and achieving cost advantages for customers of all sizes.

Blueface has a strong history of R&D since its inception and has built an excellent track record of supplying innovative services and features to meet the communications needs of businesses and carriers alike.   The ongoing investment in R&D ensures that Blueface remains at the cutting edge of the IP telephony domain.

Alan Foy, CEO, Blueface commented, “Our new R&D programme will assist us to enhance our product portfolio, create sustainable jobs and to continue to generate and develop innovative telephony solutions for our customer base in Ireland and the UK.  Enterprise Ireland’s support for this initiative will directly help us to achieve those aims, underpinning our business growth both here and abroad.”

Congratulating the company, Minister Bruton said: “Initiatives such as this one by Blueface are exactly what is required if we are to achieve the levels of growth and employment that is needed to rebuild the economy and get jobs growing again.  I congratulate the company and all those involved in an undertaking that will progress the company to the cutting edge of their sector.  Enterprise Ireland’s R&D Fund provides support to Irish companies and it is my intention to continue to encourage the development of indigenous Irish firms through Innovation investment. In this way we can build up a portfolio of internationally successful and competitive Irish business that will contribute to the future of the economy“.

Enterprise Ireland classifies Blueface as a “scaling client” meaning it is has particular potential for rapid and steady growth to quickly achieve international scale.

Greg Treston, Head of Scaling with Enterprise Ireland said: “This strategic investment by Blueface will enhance their offering and help them boost their export sales.  Enterprise Ireland is delighted to help finance this ambitious and forward-thinking initiative.”

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29
Nov 11

Blueface and Panasonic strengthen relationship further.

Blueface, Ireland’s leading internet telephony provider has teamed-up with Panasonic Solution Company Europe (PSCEU) to provide an exclusive new offer on the Panasonic KX-TGP500 cordless SIP phone system that brings together the advantages of modern internet HD VoIP voice calls, business phone functionality and easy web based administration.  The exciting new offer means that when customers purchase one KX-TPA50 handset, they will get a second handset free of charge. The KX-TGP500 SIP phone system is an ideal telephone solution for SME’s and sole traders operating in a small office home office (SOHO). The system can be used for business calls with the second handset serving as the dedicated household phone.

 

For just €99 (ex VAT) buyers receive a Panasonic KX-TPA50 handset along with the KX-TGP500 base unit with one included KX-TPA50 handset. For situations where more than two handsets are required, customers may purchase additional systems with the two for one offer also applicable for multiple purchases.

 

“This is a win-win deal for Blueface customers who can avail of the low-cost and flexible telephone solutions we provide along with the two smart Panasonic user- friendly handsets,” said Alan Foy, CEO, Blueface.

 

“We are pleased to team up with Blueface to bring this unique offer to SMEs and the home office market,” added Bob Mercer, Area Sales Manager at Panasonic. “This initiative is an indicator of Panasonic’s development in the provision of telecommunications solutions and Blueface, who are a forward-looking innovative telecommunications company provide an ideal partner for us.”

 

The KX-TGP500 SIP phone system offer which is exclusive to Blueface customers comes with support for three simultaneous network conversations, support for up to eight SIP registrations and a hands-free speaker phone on cordless handset.

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08
Nov 11

Blueface ranks in Top 20 Fastest growing businesses 2011 – Deloitte Fast 50 awards.

Blueface Nov 16th Special PAYG Offer

Blueface today announced that it ranked number 16 in the 2011 Deloitte Technology Fast 50, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Ireland. Rankings are based on average percentage revenue growth over five years. Blueface acquired a substantial number of business customers during this period, which has helped create significant growth for the company.

The Fast 50 programme, now in its twelfth year in Ireland, ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This year, there are 14 companies from Northern Ireland in the ranking. The average growth rate of the Fast 50 companies named in this year’s ranking is 674%

To Celebrate our 16th Place position we want to give all our business and residential customers a 16% bonus on all PAYG credit purchased on November 16th. Simply log into your account, select the amount of credit you wish to purchase and you’ll immediately receive  16% Bonus on whatever value you top up by. On Behalf of all the Blueface Team we would like to thank all our customers, both new and existing, for their continued support. Let’s hope for even more success next year!

 

 

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26
Sep 11

Landline number for your business on your iphone? There’s an App for that.

3 Ireland partner with Blueface to offer innovative landline product

Blueface introduces Telecom App allowing Three customers to get a landline number on their iPhone

Blueface, Ireland’s leading internet telephony provider has partnered with Three, Ireland’s largest high speed mobile network and mobile broadband leader, to launch an innovative business offering designed to deliver big business service at small a business price. Blueface and Three are today announcing the introduction of the first telephone App in Ireland that will allow business customers, on the Three mobile network, to get a landline number on their iPhone

The launch has been enabled through the use of Blueface’s proprietary IP platform provisioning and billing system.  The new offering is effectively a virtual landline and is a clear example of Blueface’s vision of communications in the cloud becoming a reality. . Providing low cost innovative services to SMEs has been at the heart of Blueface’s value proposition and this is yet another example of delivery against their brand promise to provide a ‘big business phone service at a small business price’. This new service will help small businesses to thrive and drive their business forward at affordable prices by ensuring that they never miss a call and have the flexibility of a fixed service on their mobile phone.
Alan Foy CEO, Blueface commented on the deal: “Blueface is delighted to be partnering with an innovative operator such as Three to launch this unique landline service to small businesses. The Three landline App not only provides business customers with an innovative way of accessing a fixed landline but also enables customers to save costs using Blueface’s low-cost domestic and international call rates. Blueface are continually innovating to provide our SME customers with big business communications services at a small business price, and we look forward to providing even more developments in the near future.”

Eoin MacManus, Commercial Director at Three Ireland, commented on the launch: “This agreement with Blueface gives us a significant advantage over our competitors in the SME market. This simple easy to use service will mean businesses can now have all the benefits of a fixed line number with the flexibility of mobile communications at exceptional value. We are delighted to bring this innovative product to the market and look forward to working with current and potential business customers to offer them some of the best value business communications solutions in Ireland.”

The new service being offered by Blueface and Three is primarily targeted at the SME market, delivering significant cost savings versus existing services with all the flexibility of a mobile network. With Fixed Line penetration currently at 71%, Blueface and Three see a significant opportunity for growth through delivery of a high quality service at costs significantly lower than those charged by other operators.
It is widely acknowledged that Irish businesses currently pay some of the highest landline costs in Europe with Comreg estimates putting it as much as 40% higher than the UK (€25 compared to €15 in the UK). This new offer combines innovative new technology with an attractive pricing structure. The service is available with Three  Business Solo Plan and can be downloaded from the iTunes app store
Blueface developed the award winning App in connection with Vennetics, an innovator in telecommunication and IT application solutions, using GSM OneAPI specifications. The partnership between Blueface and Vennetics resulted in the companies winning the North / South Collaboration Award at the Irish Times Innovation Awards 2011. The App is not only the first Telecom App of its kind in Ireland, but also a world first in terms of the newly adapted One API specifications as agreed by the GSMA.
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26
Sep 11

Three and Blueface combine to offer big business service at small business prices.

Your Business Landline is now in the palm of your hands.

Get Business Landline calls on your iPhone.

Dublin: Monday 26th of September 2011. Three, Ireland’s largest high speed mobile network and mobile broadband market leader, has together with Blueface launched a new and innovative business offering designed to deliver big business service at small business prices. Three and Blueface are today announcing the introduction of Ireland’s first telephone App delivering a mobile landline service for Three business customers on their iPhone.

This new telecom App is primarily targeted at the SME market, delivering significant cost savings versus existing services with all the flexibility of a mobile network. With Fixed Line penetration currently at 71%, Three and Blueface see a significant opportunity for growth through delivery of a high quality service with a very competitive cost structure.

It is widely acknowledged that Irish businesses currently pay some of the highest landline costs in Europe with Comreg estimates putting it as much as 40% higher than the UK (€25 compared to €15 in the UK). Blueface is a landline app that is free to download with no monthly charges or landline rental, allowing users to make significant savings. It enables you to create a brand new landline number or carry over your existing landline number. With this service, if your customers try to contact you on either your mobile or landline, you can be instantly reached.

Eoin MacManus, Commercial Director at Three commented on the launch: “This agreement with Blueface gives Three a significant advantage over our competitors in the SME market. This simple, easy to use service will mean businesses can now have all the benefits of a fixed line number with the flexibility of mobile communications at exceptional value. We are delighted to bring this innovative product to the market and look forward to working with current and potential business customers to offer them some of the best value business communications solutions in Ireland.”

Alan Foy CEO, Blueface revealed his delight at the deal: “Blueface are delighted to be partnering with an innovative operator like Three to launch this unique landline service to small businesses. The Three landline App not only provides business customers with an innovative way of accessing a fixed landline but also enables customers to save costs by removing fixed cost monthly line rental and by using Blueface’s low-cost international call rates. Blueface are continually innovating to provide our SME customers with big business communications services at a small business price, and we look forward to providing even more developments in the near future.”

This new offer from Three combines innovative new technology with an attractive pricing structure. The App is free to download and there is a once off activation fee of €10 (ex VAT). Charges to make or receive calls are 15c (ex VAT) peak, off peak and weekends. The service is available on a Business Solo Plan with Three costing €75 per month. This includes
unlimited Mobile & Landline ROI and UK calls, unlimited texts for ROI together with unlimited Data. International calls cost 12c EU, 10c US and Canada and 20c Rest of the World. Roaming charges include: EU calls are 25c to make, 11c to receive; making and receiving calls from US are 75c; making and receiving calls from Rest of the World cost 99c and world Data Charges are 99c per MB.

Blueface developed the award winning app in connection with Vennetics, an innovator in telecommunication and IT application solutions, using GSM OneAPI specifications. This partnership between Blueface and Vennetics resulted in the companies winning the North / South Collaboration Award at the Irish Times Innovation Awards 2011. The App is not only the first Telecom App in Ireland but also a world first in terms of the newly adapted One API specifications as agreed by the GSMA.

Three has launched a number of ground–breaking initiatives including Ireland’s first ‘All you can eat’ data offering on both Postpay and Prepay, allowing customers to surf for free, with no excess charges. Three is proud sponsor of the Irish National football team and the Football Association of Ireland. Three’s “Dare to Dream” affinity scheme offers Football Association of Ireland-affiliated clubs across the country the chance to earn cash when their members switch to Three which helps with its support and development of grass roots football

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