Aura Internet Services: At the cutting edge of online business

"Online advertising is a certain growth area by virtue of the fact that so many people are now shopping online for a wide sphere of products," Claire Cunningham assures us. Claire is the managing director of one of the region's most promising companies. Herself and fellow Carrickmacross girl, Breda McGuigan, founded Aura Internet Services 12 years ago at the infancy of the Irish internet and web design revolution. Newly qualified university graduates, Claire and Breda were in at the start of this new worldwide communications revolution. After a short time working in the sector in Dublin they moved back to their native Carrickmacross and established Aura Internet Services and soon built up a lively business profile in web design and educational training that has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for businesses in the Border region. It was a signal landmark when the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, recently performed the official opening of the new hi-tech premises of the company in Carrickmacross. Claire and Breda are one of the local success stories; they epitomise the new generation of ambitious, talented women (and men) who have brought an idea to life with so many consequential benefits for a large number of people. Aura Internet Services is now the longest established website design and development companies in the North East. They are also a FÁS registered training organisation and an approved supplier on the Bord Bia e-marketing panel. Their work is undertaken to international quality standards - indeed several of their clients have won many awards for their products, service and other areas of excellence. These include the Finea firm, Mr. Crumb (www.mrcrumb.ie) and Silver Hill Foods in Co. Monaghan (www.silverhillfoodslife-env.com). Another interesting client is Carrickmacross Lace. This unique Irish lace dates from the 1820s and is embedded in the romantic and cultural history of the area. International designers as well as royalty have commissioned Carrickmacross Lace from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana and the present day celebs who order online at www.carrickmacrosslace.ie. Getting your toe on the ladder is always difficult and Claire and Breda got their first break when Cavan/Monaghan Leader commissioned them to do their new website. Putting up a website was a novel thing to do at the time and in fairness to those far seeing people who ran the Leader Programme in these two counties, they knew the potential that the internet and that the web would play in the whole sphere of communication and promotion in the years ahead. The girls were exceptionally good at their jobs and the company developed steadily as a leading player in the provision of internet services. Interesting websites that Aura have done for their clients in this area include one for County Cavan Tourism (www.cavantourism.com), which has been performing an excellent marketing job for the county in a cost effective manner. Another much accessed Cavan website is one for Terra Ltd based in Bailieborough, which manufactures Irish cream liqueurs. Check it out at www.terra.ie. P. Clarke & Co. are household names in the construction and road building fields. Based in this area, they employ around 400 people in Ireland and Britain. One can check out their successful business interests and current projects at www.clarkeltd.com. Aura Internet Services, which employs a staff of five highly qualified personnel, also specialise in the development of e-commerce solutions for SMEs and large companies from Antrim to Cork. They also do IT consultancy work and run online marketing and web design courses for enterprise boards in several counties. According to Claire Cunningham, web design and e-commerce are growth sectors as Irish companies take advantage of online marketing opportunities to sell across the Border and export to Britain, USA and other markets. Looking at the upcoming potential for growth, Claire states that the London Olympics and the EUFA Football Championship in 2012 are a great opportunity to boost exports using online marketing to promote Irish crafts, food business, service sector and tourism. Her fellow director, Breda McGuigan who specialises in graphic design points out that a retail business can expand using a well designed website without incurring the significant cost of another premises. According to Claire and Breda: "It is critical that the government continues its focus on the knowledge economy and supports the development of internet strategy in the SME sector. Continued e-commerce grant aid and internet strategy development from the enterprise boards and Enterprise Ireland is vital to ensure that Irish companies optimise their use of online marketing." Claire makes the point that many retailers are now selling online including jewellers, pharmacists and food suppliers. The younger generation, the early adapters, use the internet widely to carry out a wide range of financial transactions and they are now being followed by an older generation who are gaining greater proficiency and are taxing their cars on line among other activities. She says the decision by Ryanair to concentrate their ticket selling operation on line has been a factor which has driven the need to acquire a greater knowledge of the internet amongst a larger section of the population. Aura Internet Services provide a comprehensive training programme including the delivery of training to enterprise boards in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Leitrim. Breda and Claire also have an impact on IT policy both locally and nationally working with groups on broadband issues. Claire is the chair of Chambers Ireland Digital Policy Committee and regularly comments on national IT policy. She previously served on the Information Society Commission and is a director of the Monaghan County Enterprise Fund. Breda McGuigan is a member of the Irish Internet Association, secretary of the Carrickmacross Chamber and a director of Plato Blackwater in which owner managers from both sides of the border come together to share experiences/resources, stimulate new ideas and support each other. Both girls were educated at St. Louis secondary school, Carrickmacross. Claire has a Bachelors in Social Science from University College Cork and a Masters in Social Policy from University College Dublin. She also holds a Higher Diploma in Computer Science from UCD, a Diploma in Legal Studies from the Dublin Institute of Technology and a Certificate in Training and Further Education from the National University of Ireland. Breda has a Masters degree in Interactive Multimedia from the Dublin Institute of Technology and a Certificate in Training and Further Education from the National University of Ireland. She also has an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design from DIT and a Diploma in Advertising, qualifications that equip her well to help companies identify their needs and ensure that those get translated to their own online brand. Looking ahead, Claire believes that here in this country we have to resolve the whole broadband issue. Improved broadband allows users to send much wider files and enables businesses to avail and exploit the full benefits of the internet. One area of growth, she says, is online advertising and this is set to grow and grow as people check the internet for the type of products they are seeking and via their credit card can buy the item that they require and have it delivered. When asked if the IT sector was also hit by the current economic crisis, Claire Cunningham says that the IT sector hasn't suffered to the same extent as other areas of the economy. Computers are now so embedded in the life of every business large and small that the sector is now an integral part of the fabric of our lives, she says.