A Waterford-based company aims to become Ireland's latest Internet success story. But the people behind Circle Network, which was founded in November and has already secured $10 million in funding from US investors, are not about to join the growing band of dot.com millionaires.
That's because the company actually manufactures something. Its product, touch screen-operated Internet kiosks, will be seen at 650 locations in the Republic and 350 in the UK by the end of June.
"I don't think we'll be overnight Internet millionaires," confirms chief executive Paul Ryan. "Although it is an Internet product, it's physical infrastructure. We're actually putting something on top of all the fibre that's being made."
The "e-kiosks" made at the company's Dungarvan plant, which employs 45, give consumers on-street access to the Internet, where they can send and receive e-mails, order goods and services or simply browse. Using them requires no prior knowledge of computers or the World Wide Web.
Circle Network was founded by four young Irish people - Mr Ryan, Ms Maggie Timoney, Mr Stan Nangle and Mr Mitchell O'Brien - with strong links to the European Internet and telecommunications industry. Mr Nangle and Mr O'Brien are from Waterford.
The initial concept developed from a winning proposal to the Department of Public Enterprise for part-funding, under an EU scheme, to develop and deploy 50 e-kiosks in the south-east.
There's a demand for the service because Internet usage in the Republic is still "extremely low", says Mr Ryan. "Only about 25 per cent of Irish people use the Internet. The vast majority of people don't have access." The idea was to create a product which would make the Internet available without any up-front investment by the consumer.
The company aims to be the biggest provider of Internet kiosks in Ireland and Britain. It is also supplying to Spain and Portugal and is targeting several eastern European states. It hopes to have 10,000 kiosks throughout Europe within two years.
The company's website is at www.circle-network.com