Bárd na nGleann (trading as Bárd), is proud of its achievements. Here are a few articles and press releases that relate to Bárd which were gleaned from news publications. Click on the article titles to go directly to any article:

• The success story of Bárd and Cisco systems. The Gaeltacht meets one of Silicon Valley’s giants.
• Bárd na nGleann secures major deal in Silicon Valley
• Bardwrite signs technical writing deal with Cisco
• Bardwrite celebrates five years with Amdocs
• Bárd named one of Cork's leading employers
• Bardwrite wins contract for TeleTech's OnDemand documentation
• Bárd ranked Number 5 on the 2005 Deloitte Fast 50
• Bárd receives Sage ICT Business Makeover Prize
• Bárd awarded "Company of the Year"
• Gaeltalk wins European award for language teaching
• Bardwrite provides editing to the European Foundation
• Bardwrite wins GME contract
• Freastal chosen to translate high-profile government report
• Bárd recognised for support of Irish language

Tuesday 15th July 2008

Overview:

Bárd’s contract with Cisco Systems, Inc. began in November, 2006 with only two technical writers. Cisco quickly saw that Bárd was just the kind of dynamic, pro-active team they needed. Bárd writers grasped new tools and software quickly and were soon working on multiple product releases. Bárd was able to deliver documentation using multiple formats such as .pdf, Framemaker, Robohelp and HTML.

After only one quarter, Cisco doubled the Bárd team, and added two more in the following quarter. Within 18 months, Cisco’s Bárd team had grown to 13 full-time writers working on a wide variety of Cisco projects.

Our Client:

Cisco Systems, Inc. (www.cisco.com) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco’s Internet Protocol (IP) software is the foundation of the Internet. Cisco designs and sells networking and communications technology and services for corporate, education, and government networks around the world. Cisco provides the world’s broadest line of networking solutions.

Success Story 1: The Interim Frame Strategy.

The Bárd team was chosen to work on a documentation overhaul project and embarked on the Interim Frame Strategy (IFS). The IFS is the overall strategy to develop and deliver a single-source solution for Cisco IOS configuration guides and command references in the FrameMaker environment. This initiative was developed by Cisco to reduce high-cost activities such as book building and maintenance and to provide a scalable solution for sharing and delivering common documentation across organizations that support the various Cisco IOS trains and products.

The Bárd team was soon doing technical writing tasks such as:

• Running Frame Scripts to update documentation in bulk
• Migrating documents
• Creating book wrappers
• Importing new FrameMaker files
• Publishing stand alone features, Configuration Guides and Command References to cisco.com.

The Bárd writers worked on Configuration Guides and Command References across all technologies for many releases and became extremely proficient with all functions.

To work across multiple releases, each document must be researched and updated independently to ensure that nothing is overlooked, a real risk when dealing with a huge quantity of material. Cisco IOS projects have extremely aggressive deadlines so that the Bárd writers must come up to speed quickly and work independently. Despite a very steep learning curve, the writers stayed focused on the results and got the job done on time and on budget.

Success Story 2: Cisco Internship Pilot Program 2007-8

The idea for a Technical Writing Internship was conceived by Tom Fitzgerald, MD of Bárd. Tom recognized the need to develop dedicated, motivated and competent writers with well honed core skills at low cost to the client. As a fast-growing company, Bárd recognized that it needed to ensure that there were sufficient writers available to match its growing demands.

Bárd used EU funding from Údarás na Gaeltachta to train five graduates to the level of Technical Writing Certificates from the University of Limerick (UL) using UL’s e-learning program. Údarás helped to pay the interns while they were in the program. Each intern was assigned a Bárd mentor and a Cisco mentor and they worked twenty hours each week on Cisco projects while working another 20 on studying on the UL certificate program.

Five months into the program, one of the interns, began work on a new Cisco project. Her Cisco boss was surprised and delighted with her progress in what was a very difficult project allowing little support from Cisco.

Cisco Project Manager;
“I just thought I'd let you know how pleased I am with the work that I have seen from your intern. Our team has been overwhelmed with bug fixes that need to go into the release notes for each release. Your intern caught on very quickly, and I was very glad to see what she has accomplished with so little input from us.”

Following the completion of the certificate, the interns were able to go to work for Bárd as fully qualified technical writers. As a result of the success of the intern program, Cisco wants to double the number of interns for 2008-9.

Friday, March 28 2008
NEWS ITEM REPRODUCED FROM THE IRISH EXAMINER - written by Niamh Hennessey

"US trade mission earns €29m"

A WEST Cork firm has secured a major deal in Silicon Valley, as part of a trade mission to California, which secured €29 million worth of new business for Irish companies.

Under the deal, Ballingeary-based firm Bárd na nGleann, will provide detailed technical support to California-based Lam Research, a major player in the semi-conductor industry.

This deal will secure jobs into the future at the nine year old west Cork firm.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin said the deal was proof that Bá'rd and its team of 35 employees are now leaders in the field of writing and editing technical documents for some of the worlds top high tech companies.

Bárd na nGleann is among nine Irish firms to announce major deals during the Enterprise Ireland organised Trade Mission to California's Silicon Valley, which is being led by Minister Martin.

The Government said yesterday that through Enterprise Ireland it will support the development of companies such as Bárd and assist them to break into new markets.

"Such expansion is vital if we are to continue delivering jobs into communities such as Ballingeary into the future," said Minister Martin

"There are firms like Bárd throughout Ireland which have developed specialised services for which there is a worldwide demand," he added. "Such cutting edge expertise has ensured that Ireland is now the 10th largest investor in the US with our companies employing over 80,000 people in the States"

Friday, December 15 2006
by Emmet Ryan, ENN
A new technical writing deal with Cisco, worth over 250,000 euros, will instigate Cork firm Bárd to create six new jobs in the coming months within its technical writing service, Bardwrite. The contract will see Bárd create the jobs over the next five months.

This, together with another recent deal with TeleTech, will see the number of staff employed by the Béal Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary) company increase to 35 from its current level of 25. This deal will last until the end of Cisco's fiscal year next summer and Bárd hopes it will lead to further jobs being created down the line.

"Our intention is that this is the beginning of a long relationship," said Tom Fitzgerald, managing director of Bárd. "Cisco is one of the biggest technology companies in the world and we have spent the last five years patiently cultivating our relationship with them. They are very picky about who they work with."

Bárd was named Cork SME of the year in 2004 and placed fifth in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 in 2005, opened up new avenues for the business. The company's business manager Léonie Ní Charthaigh said these achievements "made it logical that we would start working with the bigger global players, and Cisco has been on our horizon for quite some time."

The new project with Cisco will be headed up by Sinéad Coughlan. "I've been waiting for this one for a while, and I'm very excited at the opportunity that it offers," she said. "I'm fully aware that we won this contract in competition with global players, and am looking forward to a fruitful long-term relationship with my counterparts in Cisco."

Click here to read more about Bárd na nGleann in the Electronic News Net.

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Bardwrite recently celebrated five years of successfully outsourcing technical documentation for Amdocs CRM Product Development Unit. Amdocs is the leading provider of software and services to enable integrated customer management and the intentional customer experience.

In November 2001, Bardwrite, a service of Bárd na nGleann, headquartered in Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), Co. Cork, Ireland, won this key contract against keen competition in Silicon Valley. Bardwrite writers are located mainly in Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary) and regularly work with Amdocs CRM system professionals in California, Israel, Cyprus, and India, providing technical documentation services on materials ranging from online help and application user guides to very technical manuals that include installation, configuration, and customisation guides.

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Bárd was acclaimed as one of Cork’s leading employers by the Business Cork magazine at an awards ceremony on October 23, 2006. This award recognises Bárd as an employer that has made exceptional strides in the areas of employment levels, company turnover, company profitability, social responsibility, employee satisfaction, and commitment to work/life balance.

Bárd has adopted several family-friendly work practices for its employees. Its ethos stresses “family before work”, not the “work before family” attitude that prevails in most corporate work environments. These practices include teleworking, flexi-time, personal days off, etc. Bárd has found that recognition of its people’s personal and family needs engenders an environment of appreciation and cooperation, increases productivity, and in the long run, makes hard-nosed business sense.

Recognition was also given to the physical environment in which Bárd has chosen to operate. Its headquarters in the Muscraí Gealtacht is based in one of the most peaceful, scenic, rural locations in Ireland. In this setting, Bárd employees can avoid the stress of city commuting—with the only gridlock caused by local livestock being driven on the road (and even at that, these well-trained West Cork cattle will usually step aside if asked nicely).

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Bardwrite has been contracted to develop the documentation for TeleTech's newest software and services offering called OnDemand. Teletech is internationally known as a supplier of hosted contact center solutions. With OnDemand services, TeleTech is offering other companies the ability to acquire solutions that leverage the expertise and experience of TeleTech in the contact center industry.

The contract with TeleTech will initially create 6 new positions within Bárd's technical writing service, Bardwrite. The new project will be headed by Thom Illingworth. "The challenges that this project provides are very exciting," he said. "Bardwrite will provide high-quality documentation that TeleTech clients expect to accompany the state-of-the-art technological solutions TeleTech provides for contact centers."

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Bárd na nGleann, a technical writing and Irish language services company, trading as Bárd was ranked Number 5 on the 2005 Deloitte Fast 50, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Ireland on the 24th November 2005.

To identify the Fast 50, Deloitte reviewed company revenues over five years (2000-2004), calculated the revenue growth percentage over the five years, and compared the growth of all the technology companies. Making the list is quite an accomplishment for Bárd. The rural Gaeltacht location of the company adds an additional element of challenge to the award and it shows that with the right team in place and a solid business strategy, companies can use modern technology to overcome any geographical impediment.

Bárd has grown from a single employee in 1999 to become one of the leading IT service providers in Ireland and has shown stunning growth even when compared to companies in urban areas in Ireland and Europe. Bárd provides technical writing services to both local and multi-national companies from its base in Béal átha’n Ghaorthaidh. Bárd also provides a wide range of Irish language services including Irish language translation, global ecommerce sales of Irish language books, and online Irish language teaching.

Founder and CEO, Tom Fitzgerald, attributes the success of Bárd to solid international networking to keep pace with the global market, a team of excellent employees who show a level of work and professionalism that is equal to any in the world. The absence of traffic jams and beautiful surroundings, are an added bonus for the Bárd employees. "Broadband allows us to be in direct contact with our clients on a minute-by-minute basis," says Tom Fitzgerald, "Without it, this kind of business model would not be possible. Bárd has been able to compete against Silicon Valley competitors and win, and our employees are aware of the nature of this global competition and with the Deloitte recognition, they now know that they can face it with renewed confidence."

Bárd has offices in both the Cork and Kerry Gaeltachts. It is headquartered in Beál Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in West Cork and has a subsidiary office in Cill Chúile in Co Kerry. The Gaeltacht location has played an important part in the development of the company. Bárd has several Irish language related business models and all have been successful, against the odds. "I don’t think we would have been nearly as successful," says Tom Fitzgerald, "if we didn’t have the underlying desire to build jobs that support the Irish language and culture around us."

Click here to read more about Bárd na nGleann in the Electronic News Net.

David O'Flanagan and Tom Keenan, of Deloitte and Liam Nellis, InterTradeIreland, congratulate Tom Fitzgerald (second from left), Bárd na nGleann, on being ranked number 5 in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 programme.

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The Lord Mayor of Cork and Sage Ireland presented Bárd with the Sage ICT Business Makeover Prize on November 10, 2005, in Council Chambers, City Hall, Cork. The competition is part of the Connect Cork initiative, which gives local businesses the opportunity to implement a complete ICT solution to guarantee their own competitiveness and continued growth.

The prize is sponsored by Sage Ireland, a market-leading supplier of accounting, payroll, CRM, and scalable business solutions for small to large organisations. As a prize winner, Bárd will receive a 20,000 euro ICT package including hardware, software, and IT training and support.

The distinguished panel of judges for the competition included: Councillor Deirdre Clune, Lord Mayor of Cork; Colm Reilly, Partner, PA Consulting and a member of the Information Society Commission and the eGovernment working group; Tim Healy, Head of Finance Cork City Council; Michael Geary, Chief Executive, Cork Chamber of Commerce; Liam Mullaney, Managing Director, Sage Ireland.

Thomas Fitzgerald (left), Managing Director, Bárd, receiving Sage ICT Business Makeover Prize from Liam Mullaney, Managing Director, Sage Ireland.

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The Bárd na nGleann Group (trading as Bárd) from Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaoidh (Ballingeary) was declared 2004 Company of the Year in a ceremony in Cork City Hall on Friday 4th of February, 2005. Bárd took the honours in the small- to medium-sized enterprise ( 50 or fewer employees) category.

The award is given by the Cork Chamber of Commerce to recognise small- and medium-sized companies in County Cork, Ireland's largest county. The list of eligible companies includes more than 950 members of the Chamber as well as more than 17,100 other possible nominee companies. Judging criteria were based on: 1. Performance/Growth in 2004 2. Innovation and development in product, service, R & D, or marketing 3. Acquisitions/Investments made during 2004 4. Economic, social and cultural benefit to the local economy The Bárd na nGleann group is an information-management company headquartered in the Muskerry Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) in Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), with a subsidiary company, Bárd na nGleann International, located in San Jose, California.
During the presentation of the award, Robin O'Sullivan, president of Cork Chamber of Commerce, said "Bárd is to be commended for growing from one employee in 1999 to a current staff of almost 50 employees between Ireland and the US. The company is a model for small rural companies competing in a global market and providing services to an international client base.'' In presenting the award sponsored by Esat BT to Bárd's Léonie Ní Chárthaigh, Ann O'Leary, Corporate Sales Director of Esat BT, said, "Bárd na nGleann combines highly skilled technical people with local cultural skills in the Gaeltacht and embodies the spirit of "thinking globally" while "acting locally."	Pictured in photo (from left to right): Cllr Sean Martin, Lord Mayor of Cork; Robin O'Sullivan President, Cork Chamber of Commerce; Léonie Ní Chárthaigh, Bárd na nGleann; Maurice Moloney, County Manager, Cork Co. Council; Derry Canty, Deputy Mayor, Cork Co. Council.
The award recognises the work of the Bárd team and the huge growth achieved over the past five years. Bárd 's main business is technical writing for a global customer base. To meet its objectives, Bárd has overcome the challenges of infrastructure in a rural location by working with Údarás na Gaeltachta and Eircom to make Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary) the first village in Ireland to have ADSL Broadband. Bárd has also managed to find excellent employees from around the country who can compete globally while maintaining their rural roots. The management and staff of Bárd see the company as a role model for culturally and environmentally friendly industry for rural Ireland. In addition to its English technical writing services (Bardwrite), Bárd is heavily involved in Irish language services. In keeping with its location in the Gaeltacht, Bárd continues to create markets for Irish language products and services. Return to top

On September 26, 2005, at a special ceremony in the Law Society, Bárd was presented with the "European Award for Languages" by the Minister for Education and Science for Bárd's Irish language teaching service: Gaeltalk.

The European Award for Languages has been a major event in the languages calendar since 1998 and is simultaneously run in more than 20 European countries. Speaking at the presentation, Minister Hanafin said that "Encouraging more people to learn more languages has huge importance for Ireland and the European Union - not only for economic and professional reasons but also to support the development of European citizenship and to improve our mutual understandings across the European Union."

The European Award for Languages recognises creative and innovative ways to improve the quality of language teaching and learning. This year's eight winners were selected on the criteria of excellence, innovation, and the ability to serve as a model for others. Bárd's language teaching service, Gaeltalk, uses the latest developments in technology and the Internet to meet a worldwide demand for Irish language education.

The Minister commended the range and quality of projects submitted in Ireland, which remains consistently high each year and is testament to the excellent work being carried out throughout the country in the field of language teaching and learning.

Pictured in photo: Back row: Tadgh Ó Suibhne, Gaeltalk; Máiréad Hayes, Gaeltalk; Lianne Ní Chárthaigh, Gaeltalk. Front row: Fionnán Ó Hógáin, Údarás na Gaeltachta; Léonie Ní Chárthaigh, Gaeltalk Project Manager; Tomás Mac Gearailt (Thomas Fitzgerald), Managing Director of Bárd; Mairín Uí Thuama, Gaeltalk; Eamonn Ó Neachtain, Údarás na Gaeltachta.

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Bardwrite of Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), County Cork, has been awarded a framework contract by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The European Foundation, based in Dublin, is the first of the European agencies to be established to work in specialised areas of EU policy by contributing to the planning and design of better living and working conditions in Europe. Bardwrite will provide editing services to the Foundation.

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Bardwrite has won a contract to create all the user documentation for GME's state-of-the-art encrypted communication products (www.gme.ie). The GME mobile phones/PDAs will soon become the "must have" devices among international business travellers and government officials. GME's portfolio of encrypted devices enables secure communication over most standard mobile networks. These technologically advanced devices come equipped with a comprehensive set of applications to ensure that the "road warrior" is not only secure, but also ready to take on any task.

Bardwrite, a service of Bárd, provides technical writing, editing and outsourcing services from its home base in Beál Átha'n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), Co. Cork, and through its subsidiary, Bárd International in Silicon Valley, California. "We are delighted to work with GME" says Tom Fitzgerald, Managing Director of Bárd. "This is a truly exciting product and our documentation will be seen in all the right places. The documentation will complement the style and sophistication of the product and our writers and editors are excited about working on it. We're working with another local company, Mute Grab, who will do the graphic design work"

"Our preference was to work with a local company, but only one that had a sound understanding of the documentation needs of a global market," says Finbarr Ring, Managing Director of GME. "We weren't sure we could find the kind of experience we needed in the Cork area, and we were quite surprised to find an internationally experienced technical writing company in Ballingeary. Bardwrite has been writing for major multinational corporations from the start, so we are more than happy with the partnership."

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Freastal has been selected to translate the "Summary of 2005 Budget Measures." This is a very high-profile document for the Irish government and Freastal is proud to provide this crucial and timely service. This project requires both high quality and fast turnaround time.

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In March 2004, Bárd received the Údarás na Gaeltachta award for supporting the Irish language for 2001-2003. For a second time, Údarás na Gaeltachta has selected Bárd as one of the best companies supporting the Irish language. In the award ceremony, held at the Killarney Court Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry, Údarás na Gaeltachta executive, Sorcha Ní Dhonncha, pointed to Bárd's services: Gaeltalk (teaching Irish throughout the world) and Litriocht (making Irish language books available globally). Ms. Ní Dhonncha also stressed the importance of Bárd having included the local Irish-speaking community in its ongoing work.

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