” What does it mean to innovatively use social media?

To be innovative is to devise a new method or process for delivering something of use, application or value. To be innovative in the realms of social media is no different. However the environs of social media networks enables brands and marketers to use them in new and innovative ways.

At 11890, we have developed a new method of delivering our directory enquiry service on Twitter that no other directory enquiry or yellow pages service provider is currently doing. A user can tweet @11890, include #11890 and receive their requested number with a link to a map. For example, if a user tweets asking for the office number for Bord Gais Energy offices in Dublin, the response would be

“Bord Gais Tel: 012335000 [Map and Directions] http://11890socialsearch.mapandmore.com/2ngA  #11890″.

This is a new service idea and is unique way of using social media to meet the needs of our online audience and provide value to them as customers of 11890.

We also have a custom built listening and monitoring system whereby search stacks are added to a Twitter account and Tweets are crawled and filtered back to our dashboard. Referred to internally as our “Twitter Machine”, we monitor and identify engagement opportunities or scenarios where we can provide a solution.

11890 on Twitter are approaching the 1,000 followers mark and would love to have more happy users of the service on Twitter. Follow and use the free service for all your Directory Enquiry needs!   ”

Cauwill is proud to have provided the 11890 social engagement solution.

The new 0100100 service has been rolled out to engage with the growing number smartphone users in Finland. Currently Nokia, Samsung and Apple are the top 3 manufactures and have a total of 70% of the market. Similar to the rest of Europe the number of smartphones is growing strongly in the Finnish market with Apple and Android devices growing the most in the past year.

The rollout has enjoyed a strong response during the soft launch and 0100100 attribute the success to its accuracy and continual development of additional benefits.

Stefan Anderson, Business Development Director of Sentraali said “The service allows us to offer even more relevant value to our 0 100 100 customers. 0 100 100 is typically used on the move therefore the locations and route information is essential. We are pleased to cooperate with Cauwill. Now we are able to offer a new experience for easy navigation – people can easily find the requested company’s or address’ location and routes from their own location.”

Ronan Skehill, Managing Director of Cauwill Technologies Ltd. said “We are delighted to announce the rollout of PinPoints with the Finnish directory enquiry 0100100. Combining the accurate search of the 0100100 and PinPoints brings Finnish directory enquiries to a superior customer service level.”

Mr. Skehill continues “The new PinPoint service works seamlessly with mobile navigation which is ever increasingly available on smartphones. The new service also works with non-smartphones by providing all the important information in single convenient mobile webpage.”

About Cauwill

Cauwill Technologies Ltd. providing value added services to directory enquiries and yellow page publishers. The company’s PinPoint system enables mobile callers to access relevant business information and allows the caller to navigate to the location using their mobile phone. Cauwill was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Limerick, Ireland.

About Sentraali

Sentraali is a contact center company delivering multi-channel customer service solutions, help desk and web support services, sales and loyalty services, information and exchange services. Sentraali also produces a directory assistance and mobile search services, for example 0 100 100 and 118 Services.

Eniro Sentraali Oy is part of the Nordic Eniro Group. Sentraali employs approximately 500 employees. The company’s offices in Helsinki, Kajaani, Suomussalmi, Pori and Joensuu, Finland.
For more information, visit www.sentraali.fi

For Cauwill Technologies press enquiries please contact

Ronan Skehill

Cauwill Technologies, HEAC, Moylish, Limerick, Ireland.

Telephone: +353 61 448 540 Email: ronan.skehill@cauwill.com

Smart move by 11890 following €200,000 investment

Call 11890 Ltd, the Irish Directory enquiries company has announced that it is now providing all smart-phone users in Ireland with free geo-code links with each of their business directory enquiries. The €200,000 investment by the Company successfully completed a testing phase during 2011 prior to today’s announcement.

Put simply this means that estimated 750,000* smart-phone users in Ireland can now access their phone map service specifically for their directory enquiry and gain useful information such as directions and distance too as well as travel time.

The first Directory Enquiry Company in Ireland to offer this service to customers, 11890 has already enjoyed a strong initial response to this free added value offering with click through rates of approximately 5% during the soft launch phase.

Commenting, Nicola Byrne, Managing Director, Call 11890 Ltd said, “In this day and age it is all about clearly adding value for your customers without increasing cost and of course continuing to differinate yourself from your competitors. Equally smart-phone penetration continues to grow and we were keen to be able to offer 11890 customers the ability to utilize the smart-phone technology for their directory enquiries.”

Call 11890 Ltd engaged with Cauwill Ltd, a Limerick based technology startup to develop this service for its text messaging service. For this initial phase the geo-code service is available for businesses only. 11890 currently estimates’ that sixty percent of businesses in Ireland listed with them are now geo-linked and the Company aims to increase this ratio to eighty percent early in 2012. Since the service became operational 11890 has noted that the Irish public has not lost their appetite for socializing despite the economic cutbacks with Hotels and Restaurants the most accessed links by directory enquiry callers.

Ronan Skehill spokesperson for Cauwill Technologies Ltd said, “We are delighted to work with Call 11890 Ltd, as there is a natural fit with the services we provide and Call 11890 Ltd. PinPoints allows 11890 callers to see the location on map and using the installed mapping applications 11890 callers can get turn-by-turn directions to the requested business. The technology works with all smartphones including iPhone, Nokia, Windows Phone7, BlackBerry and all Android phones.“

The first EIDQ Innovation Challenge was held when seven organisations pitched their innovative ideas to the audience. Participants evaluated each presentation on the basis of aspects like feasibility, return on investment and appeal. The results were as follows:
1. NameThatNumber, adaffix GmbH
2. Pinpoints, Cauwill Technologies
3. Call Analytics & Optimization Solution (Thread™), Soleo Communications Inc.

[source: www.eidq.org]

About PinPoints:

Cauwill’s product, PinPoints, solves the global problem of describing a location and any content relevant to that location. It’s a service for directory enquiries that has a need to describe a location or destination for its callers. A caller may access the PinPoint via SMS. The PinPoint makes the best use of the technology available, detecting and integrating with whatever mapping software is available whether that is mobile or desktop.

The really clever thing about PinPoints is that we deliver a rich mobile app experience without the need for callers downloading or installing apps. Currently PinPoints works on over 40,000 different handsets. PinPoints is currently used by directory enquiries 11890 in Ireland and 0100 100 in Eniro Finland.

The EIDQ Association Autumn 2011 Plenary Meeting was held in Prague on 10-12 October where an audience of around 70 participants enjoyed a very busy agenda which focused on the theme, “Our Data: a vital asset!?“. All aspects of data were explored in a series of presentations and an interactive break-out session which studied seven different issues concerning data, the results of which were presented to the whole meeting. Other subjects included advertising, innovations and special presentations on how to get around Google Places post Panda (by Andrew Shotland) and the Group Buying Explosion (by Greg Sterling).

At the plenary Cauwill was also announced as a full member of the EIDQ.

According to the response 1 in 4 people in the UK called a Directory Enquiry service in the last year. From those that called a Directory Enquiry Service in the last year we asked them to complete a survey about their usage.
A key finding is that over 55% of callers call Directory Enquiries at least once a month and just over 22% call once a week.
As an alternative to ringing Directory Enquiries to find a number people use:

• Online Search Engine (29%)
• Phone Book (25%)
• Online Directory Enquiry (18%)
• Mobile Internet Search (15%)
• Mobile App (13%)

It is surprising to see that mobile apps didn’t feature higher as perhaps expected – it could be an indication that app fatigue has set in for search apps.

The gender breakdown of people calling is 54% women and 46% men with majority of calls being made from home (45%). Interestingly 37% of all calls are made in a car or out-and-about while only 18% came from the workplace. Another finding of the demographic is that 62% of callers that completed the survey are under the age of 40.

2011 has seen a huge shift in number of smartphones in the market and this is reflected in the survey results with 59% of mobile calls now coming from smartphones. The breakdown of types of smartphones is also interesting showing Android (36%) as the number one platform followed by iPhone (28%), BlackBerry (27%) and Nokia in fourth (9%).

When asked what would encourage them to call more often – the top two responses were lower call rates and Directory Enquiries providing additional content like Address, Opening Hours, Map, Web & Email address of the requested business.

Survey conducted online (August 2011) by Survey Sampling International Ltd. on behalf of Cauwill Technologies.

For more information and solutions for Directory Enquiry/Assistance providers please visit www.cauwill.com/dadq

This years theme is “Our data: a vital asset!?” – The EIDQ members will be exploring the types of data, how it is sourced and what works well.

Finally, the EIDQ is launching the inaugural EIDQ Innovation Challenge. The Innovation Challenge is an excellent opportunity for value-add and service companies to pitch their ideas to an audience of the key DQ players in Europe.

We are pleased to announce Cauwill has been selected to present their Product PinPoints.

Moylish based Cauwill Technologies was established in 2009 by two talented University of Limerick PhD graduates Ian Rice and Ronan Skehill. Their product, PinPoints allows an address to be converted into a map and directions that can be immediately inserted in emails, SMS, forum posts and on social media sites. After taking home the Best Emerging company title in InterTradeIreland’s All-island Seedcorn Business Competition, the company has gone from strength to strength and recently partnered with Tourism Wales to allow visitors to Wales navigate to their hostels/B&S/hotels using PinPoints technology and their mobile phone.

PLC Ingredients, from Raheen, develops dairy based food ingredients with special functional attributes and their product range includes diary flavours, dairy blends and liquid cheese.  The company was recognised as an ambassador by InterTradeIreland for its commitment to innovation having developed two new products through its FUSION programme. The income generated from sales of these products is anticipated to be 126% higher than originally forecast due to the success of the project.

Limerick based IT company Goshido has developed software to help teams manage and execute complex projects more effectively and has grown significantly since winning a share of InterTradeIreland’s All-island Seedcorn Business Competition prize fund.

Also recognised as a Business Ambassador for Limericks, is Central Solutions which has built a successful business based on innovation. Through InterTradeIreland’s Innova programme, the firm partnered with Newry water treatment company FM Environmental to develop a turnkey IT solution for waste water compliance monitoring and management. As a result of the project, the companies have established a joint venture ‘InvistaTech.’ Ken Stockil, Central Solutions Director explained: “The support we received from the InterTradeIreland’s Innova Programme has been instrumental in helping us build a world class product for the water industry from our Limerick base.”

Speaking at the Business Ambassador event, Mr. Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commented, “Government does not create jobs, people and businesses do; and the role of government is to create an environment in which those businesses can prosper. I am determined to do everything I can to reduce costs, improve access to finance and encourage innovation so that good businesses can expand and create the jobs that our economy and society so badly need. If there is one thing Ireland – north and south – does not lack it is enterprising, creative, hardworking people, and I look forward to working with them to discuss what government and small business together can do to get people back to work”.

Over 65 companies from across Ireland attended the event with government representatives, including Ministers of State, TDs and Senators. Local representatives in attendance on the day included Niall Collins TD and Kieran O’Donnell TD.

The group of InterTradeIreland Business Ambassadors were also invited to meet President Mary McAleese at an exclusive reception at Áras an Uachtaráin to make their achievements, where she described the companies as ‘Champions of the future and leaders of change.’

Also speaking at the event, InterTradeIreland Chairman Dr David Dobbin said: “We have supported companies right across Ireland, in every county and constituency and we are extremely proud of the examples of enterprise and innovation that are represented by our group of InterTradeIreland Business Ambassadors. We hope that through highlighting the achievements of these successful local SMEs, we will inspire other Limerick businesses to take advantage of cross-border trade and collaboration opportunities.”

Since 2003, InterTradeIreland’s has helped more than 16,500 companies with cross-border information and services and supported over 2,000 SMEs through its trade and innovation programmes. As a result, in excess of €610 million worth of business value been generated including that from current projects still to complete. In addition, over 930 jobs have been created or sustained through its programmes. For every €1 invested in InterTradeIreland, it provides a ten-fold return in business development value.

Speaking at an event to mark the achievements of individual companies, President McAleese said: “InterTrade has set ambitious goals for 2013. They are your statement of intent and your assertion of faith in those who share this island to problem solve their way intelligently out of this chastening period of difficulty. Thank you for being champions of the future, leaders of the change and pathfinders to progress. I wish you every success and fulfilment as the island of Ireland begins to generate the momentum of shared economic endeavour that alone can reveal this island’s fullest potential to and for all its citizens.”

The sixty-five businesses acknowledged at the Dublin event bring the total number of InterTradeIreland Business Ambassador companies to 100 across the island, joining the existing 35 representatives from Northern Ireland. The ambassador companies were nominated as firms that have successfully embraced innovation, developed new cross-border markets or secured venture capital through InterTradeIreland’s support.

Source: InterTradeIreland

The theme for this years EIDQ plenary is “The Evolution of Information Services” with several sub-themes including Data, Advanced Services, Successful Strategies and Business Cases.

Ronan Skehill from Cauwill be giving a talk entitled “Smartphones and Directory Enquiries?”. Topics covered will include

• Rise of Smartphones and Location Services.
• Latest statistics on smartphones and looking beyond 2011.
• The Future of Mobile Navigation and the roll in Directory Enquiries.

If you’d like to meet with us – please drop us a line or call us on +353 61 448 540

Here is a little about Mark.
There can be few people in the Information Services sector who have as broad an experience as Mark.
Mark is the archetypal genial Scot who has spent 20 years in the industry, experienced in working with mobile applications and technology platform providers to deliver innovative mobile local search products and solutions.