"There are a lot of good technical groups in Ireland," says IE-NOG founder member John Lyons, citing the Irish Computer Society and the System Administrators Guild as two such examples. "However, they lack representation for network engineers."
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IE-NOG is an informal, independent organisation for those interested and involved in IP networks, providing them with a forum where ideas and information on networking can be exchanged freely and allowing network engineers to keep up-to-date with all the newest technologies. The group hopes to aid in the development, design, maintenance and operation of IP networks in Ireland, which it says will ultimately make the country more attractive to overseas investors.
According to Lyons, IE-NOG aims to represent network engineers across a number of areas, giving them an outlet to hold presentations and talks. "This sector currently encompasses people from internet service providers, enterprise, small and medium enterprises, and research and education sectors," he explains.
New to market
Set up by Lyons and co-founder David Burke, the group is only a recent addition to the tech world. It was established in February 2005, and its first meeting took place in July at the Irish Computer Society's office in Dublin. About 40 members attended the inaugural meeting, which saw a number of professionals involved in IP networking speak about new developments and emerging technologies. Topics covered at the event included MPLS, triple play networks and traffic analysis.
Both Lyons and Burke have backgrounds in network engineering - Lyons is employed by Magnet Networks, while Burke is a former employee of Esat BT (now BT Ireland). "There are a lot of people whose jobs are solely networking," explains Lyons. These are the people who IE-NOG is primarily aimed at, although it is not limited to network engineers only.
Open environment
The idea of a forum for network engineers is not exclusive to Ireland; there are several international groups in existence, including the UK Network Operators Forum (UK-NOF). "It's a proven model in the rest of the world," explains Lyons.
At present, the organisation has managed to attract about 100 members, a number its founders are hoping to increase in time. IE-NOG is planning to have quarterly meetings, inviting industry experts to address its members. "It's an unusual organisation," says Lyons. "We try to reflect an open environment for discussing protocols and technologies, which, considering in some cases we are composed of members from competing commercial companies, can be challenging."
Networking for success
Aside from the opportunity to learn about new technologies and trends, the IE-NOG group provides other benefits to its members. "There is a social networking aspect," according to Lyons.
Because networking is a relatively small industry in Ireland, it can help for those involved to meet face to face and get to know each other. Developing personal relationships through the organisation can prove useful to network engineers if they have any problems in the future. IE-NOG meetings can be a valuable way to expand contacts and learn about new opportunities.
With an increasing amount of overseas investment in technology companies in Ireland, there are growing employment opportunities for aspiring network engineers. IE-NOG can provide a forum to make contacts with potential employers and to increase knowledge about the world of networking.
Raising the profile
The fledgling group may be in its early stages, but efforts are underway to develop it further. In an attempt to raise the group's profile, IE-NOG has linked up with organisations such as INEX (the Irish Neutral Internet Exchange) to host meetings. INEX is a well-known organisation in the tech world; it helps provide reliable IP traffic exchange facilities for Irish and international internet service providers. This alliance gives IE-NOG a lot of extra publicity, Lyons says, with a number of INEX members attending the events.
Lyons is due to speak at a UK-NOF event on 27 September; he hopes that this added publicity will ensure the Irish group's name becomes even more recognisable.