The Irish Internet Association's new head says it's 'too important to let die'

THE IRISH INTERNET Association (IIA) has been revamped – and is aiming to be a key voice for small Irish companies.

That is according to the organisation’s new interim CEO, who said that the organisation has a strong tradition of supporting online businesses and should not be allowed to fold.

In November, Fora reported that the organisation faced a vote over its survival after stakeholders were warned it had “no cash, no staff, no assets, no office and no plan”.

After members agreed to keep the IIA going, the organisation launched a complete strategic review with the aim of finding a new purpose.

Formed in 1997, the IIA is a non-profit body for internet businesses in Ireland. Its website claims over 300 member companies, including the likes of Accenture and Dell.

It has provided training services for many firms, hosted events and lobbied government for pro-internet policies.

Overhaul

As part of the rejuvenation plan, the IIA’s board has been completely overhauled – and the new management group recently launched its revived vision.

Speaking to Fora, the association’s interim CEO, Alex Gogan, said that the IIA is now aiming to rejuvenate itself “back to the way that it used to be”.

“We had a strong membership going back 20 years ago, with good networking events; but the crash didn’t help, since members were tackling money issues and things had to be cut,” he said.

“When I heard that the organisation was in trouble, I thought that I have to get involved and make it a success the way it used to be. It is critical that there is a strong voice for internet companies in Ireland,” he said.

Gogan said that the organisation will now focus on providing information about “best practises on the internet and what you should look out for when buying internet services”.

He added that the IIA will focus on advocacy and education, adding: “We have scheduled meetings with government parties to make sure that they know that we are here and that we will have a loud voice.”

The IIA is planning an ‘e-commerce roadshow’ to educate small company owners about what internet products could be useful to their business, and it aims to have a minimum of eight networking events throughout the year that will be free for members.

The IIA plans to engage with politicians

It also plans to launch into Northern Ireland, put together a ‘think-tank’ that will look at the opportunities for Irish companies in the wake of Brexit, and start a regular quarterly magazine that will provide useful information to members.

Sound financial footing

Draft accounts for the IIA for year to the end of 2015 show that the body had a deficit of €22,340 from the year, up from just under €6,400 in 2014.

However, Gogan said that the financial situation of the organisation has improved as more companies have renewed their memberships and the organisation has introduced a system of ‘sponsorships’, where people can pledge their financial support to the body.

“It has put us on sound financial footing for the year,” he said.

Gogan said that the single most important thing for members is “that they know who we are and that we are working for them”.

“A lot of the current board has put in a lot of resources on a pro-bono basis to make sure that the IIA succeeds,” he said. “The organisation’s message is too important to let die.”