Agile Networks, a multi-award winning network integrator based in Dublin, is today taking on 708 other leading businesses in 33 countries across Europe, in a bid to be named European Public Champion in the European Business Awards.
Now in its eighth year, the European Business Awards is an independent Awards programme, sponsored by RSM International, designed to recognise and promote excellence, best practice and innovation in the European business community.
Agile Networks, which builds and supports complex IT networks for clients like HEAnet and Analog Devices was selected as a National Champion in the competition in 2014. Now, alongside other Irish National Champions such ESB International, Dawn Meats and PayPal, it is competing for the title of European Public Champion, which will be decided by two rounds of public voting which get underway today (January 6th).
A video from each National Champion, telling the story of the company’s business and its successes, is available online at the European Business Awards website www.businessawardseurope.com, and can be viewed and voted for by the public until February 24th 2015.
The National Public Champion from each country will be the company that receives the highest number of public votes. They will then go forward to compete in a second round of public voting to find the overall European Public Champion. Last year over 93,000 votes were cast by the European public.
Separately, a panel of judges, made up of Europe-wide business leaders, academics and entrepreneurs, will review and score the National Champions’ videos and in February 2015, will award the top 100 companies of this group the coveted ‘Ruban d’Honneur’ status. These businesses will then compete in face-to-face interviews to determine the ten category winners of the Awards.
The European Public Champion as well as the overall winners of the ten European Business Awards categories will be announced at a prestigious Gala Event in May.
Darragh Richardson, Managing Director of Agile Networks said: “Agile Networks is privileged, for the second year in a row, to be selected as a representative of the Irish technology sector in this first stage of the European Business Awards. As a National Champion, we’re relishing the challenge of taking on 708 other businesses across Europe contesting the title of European Public Champion. We’re encouraging as many members of the public as possible, to vote for us or one of the Irish nominees this year, to help put an Irish company on the international stage.”
He added: “We’d also like to wish the best of luck to the other enterprises representing Ireland in this year’s European Business Awards; it is a testament to the strength and depth of the Irish business environment that we are so well represented at a European level.”
Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: “The public vote is a very important part of the Awards as it gives these entrepreneurial companies another way of showcasing their achievements to a wider audience across Europe. It was a huge success last year, with over 93,000 votes cast.”
He continued: “This year’s videos show some of the most successful and sustainable companies in Europe and we hope that anyone interested in business will take some time to watch the videos, either from their own country or from other countries, and then cast their vote.”
Agile Networks (www.agilenetworks.ie) is headquartered in Blanchardstown and was set up in 2011 following a management buy-out of Telindus’ Irish operations. Since then, the company has trebled its staff and grown revenues by an average of 105% per year over its first 3 years of business.
The company was announced as Ireland’s 2014 ‘Start-Up of The Year’ as well as ‘Service Start-Up of the Year’ at the annual Bank of Ireland Start-Up Awards in October; in May 2014, Agile Networks reached the final stages of the 2013/14 European Business Awards competition, receiving the ‘Ruban d’Honneur’ and competing in the ‘Customer Focus’ category at the finals in Athens, Greece.
Further information around the public vote for the European Business Awards is available from www.businessawardseurope.com and the hashtag for the competition on social media is #rsmEBA
