Core Systems was announced as the Northern Ireland winner for the “British Small Business Champions award 2008” at a gala dinner at the Hilton, Templepatrick after beating off stiff competition from five other specially selected local firms.

The company will now go head to head with five other businesses from across the UK as they battle it out for the £10,000 prize at this year’s British Small Business Champions Awards (BSBC) at the national presentation evening to be held at Claridge’s in London on 21st November.

Organised by the Federation of Small Business (FSB), the nationwide competition recognises and rewards thriving businesses throughout the UK that are well run and highly regarded by both staff and customers.

Patricia O’Hagan Managing Director, Core Systems said the company were delighted to be involved with the BSBC Awards. “This is a tremendous opportunity and achievement for Core Systems and we are looking forward to attending the main event in November. The British Small Business Champions Awards are a highly prestigious event and we are overwhelmed to have progressed this far and are immensely proud to be named as Northern Ireland Area Champions especially with such tough competition.”

Photo (Centre) Patricia O’Hagan, Managing Director of Core Systems,
British Small Business Champions Area Winners 2008.
Also pictured are: Alice Prudhoe of Streamline and
FSB Regional Chair John Friel.

Wednesday, 21st May 2008

Patricia O’Hagan, Core Systems Managing Director has been
shortlisted for the prestigious 2008 Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year award in Ireland

ERNST & YOUNG ANNOUNCES 2008 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR® SHORTLIST

Twenty-four companies have been shortlisted across three categories for the coveted 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® award. Over 115 entries were received and nominees were subsequently interviewed by Ernst & Young, followed by rigorous assessment by a 12-strong panel of judges, chaired by telecoms entrepreneur, and previous recipient of the award, Mr. Denis O’Brien.

Eight companies have been chosen in each of the three categories – international, industry and emerging, and cover a cross section of business. An immediate benefit to each of the finalists is an instant access channel to over 200 of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs through strong networking opportunities the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Programme provides.

Announcing the shortlist, Enda Kelly, Ernst & Young Partner-in-Charge of the Programme said “Entrepreneurs play a vital role in economic development and act as invaluable role models for a new generation of entrepreneurs. Our finalists confirm the pattern of previous years of vibrant entrepreneurship present right across the country. All display exceptional entrepreneurial vision, and it is important that we celebrate and recognise their achievement. Their creativity and risk-taking ability acts as the very foundation of our economic prosperity”.

The 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® programme continues to educate around the strategic value of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and this year’s emphasis will be on creating a sustainable environment. The CEO retreat returns to Haiti in June, where finalists, along with previous year’s finalists will work with some of the world’s poorest communities. Here they will impart their knowledge and expertise, to develop the sustainable businesses, set up by last year’s finalists, and, in addition, help create practical solutions to Haiti’s environmental disadvantages – deforestation, soil erosion and water pollution.

“Successful entrepreneurs constantly adapt to changes in the business climate, and now that the age of physical climate change is upon us, these are the visionaries who will make global sustainability a reality, added Kelly. In our part, we will complement the hands-on initiatives in Haiti through the provision of a series of ground-breaking presentations on Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility, led by one of the most prominent figures in the field. These sessions will highlight the enormous strategic value of ‘Green Business’, and hopefully encourage participants to place eco-friendly practice at the core of business operation”.

The 24 finalists in the 2008 programme will be profiled in further detail in the Irish Times over the next six weeks. Each finalist will also feature in a three-part series to appear on RTE in October. The winner will be announced at a televised Awards Ceremony on 23rd October, held at City West Hotel, Dublin. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award is part of a global recognition programme, to identify, acclaim and support entrepreneurs.

The programme is currently run in over 40 countries, across six continents and in 2008 more than 10,000 entrepreneurs worldwide will be nominated. The Irish programme, now in its 11th year, has been identified as one of the strongest worldwide.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® is run in association with The Irish Times, RTE, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland, Trinity Business School and Digicel.

13th April 2008

Core Systems has finger on World Wide Operations

Core Systems has set-up an operation in Santa Rosa, California under the name Tusa Inc. For three years Core Systems has featured in the Deloitte Fast 50, which tracks fast growing technology firms on the island of Ireland.

The Santa Rosa operation will market a number of the company’s products that have been designed specifically for the corrections environment. Among these include its multi purpose interactive kiosk, which provides an interface for inmates to directly access information and make service requests. It will also sell its Biometric Visitor Management system that confirms the identity of people as they enter and leave a facility.

Patricia O'Hagan, Managing Director of Core Systems said, “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new office. This has been an exciting time for Core and its great to have a physical presence in the US. The new office will allow us to bring our renowned technical excellence to a new market and enable us to actively target the American market.

Patricia adds: “We are beginning to reap the benefits of a substantial investment in the development of the new products which are based on contacts with potential customers in key markets such as the US and from our focus on building international partnerships.

To find more about please visit www.coreinfocenter.com