August 2016: Comtrade

Dejan Cusic, Comtrade

A new partnership with Ryanair and support for emerging Irish businesses has brought Comtrade into focus on the FDI scene.

It has been a busy few months for Slovenia-based software engineering provider Comtrade. In May, the company announced a major deal with Ryanair, as Comtrade developed the airline’s myRyanair booking and travel platform.

It was an enormous project by any standards: 36,000 developer hours went into it, supporting 106m annual passengers. The system can fill four Boeing 737s every minute without crashing, and speeds up customers’ booking process by over 20%.

“Ryanair is a forward-thinking company with a clear understanding of the digital world and the role it wants to play in it,” explained Comtrade’s Dejan Cusic, solutions and services business director for Ireland and the UK. “The team recognised the changing needs of the airline’s customer base and myRyanair is the perfect solution; establishing Ryanair as a cutting-edge trailblazer with the customer experience at its heart.

“At Comtrade, we provide only the top experts and engineers to develop pioneering technology for the companies of tomorrow. That is why we could deliver and release such an outstanding product on such timelines. With Ryanair’s vision and our world-class engineers, we have created something truly special that will enhance the travel experiences of millions of people every year.”

The company was established in 1990, and has grown its network of offices across 11 countries in Europe and North America. Its Irish base is in Stillorgan, in south Dublin. Ryanair’s CTO, John Hurley, was full of praise. “With the team’s expertise, innovation and unwavering professionalism, Comtrade has helped Ryanair lay the foundations for the future,” he said.

MyRyanair was shortlisted for ‘Private Sector Project of the Year’ at the Tech Excellence Awards, and it underwent rigorous testing in the run-up to launch. “We specialise in assisting companies with their digital transformation and our work with Ryanair is the perfect example of what we can do,” said Cusic. “We not only developed the myRyanair platform, we are working with Ryanair on an ongoing basis as they make the transition to becoming a technology-led travel innovator.”

At Comtrade, we provide only the top experts and engineers to develop pioneering technology for the companies of tomorrow

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

The technology firm has also been building its presence within Ireland’s business community, as it hosted Business & Finance’s Ones to Watch Breakfast Briefing in The Merrion Hotel in July. The event is aimed at supporting early-stage enterprises, and Business & Finance profiles four such emerging businesses in every issue. The event was well-attended by emerging entrepreneurs and provided an opportunity to celebrate their enterprising spirit and achievements since establishing their companies, as Dejan acknowledged.

“Every day I am awestruck by the number of exciting tech companies that are currently emerging from Ireland. To have so many of those companies together in one room was fantastic and I have no doubt that while this year they are the ones to watch, in the coming years we will see them scaling up the Top 100 list.

“At Comtrade, we give small and large companies the tools and support they need to grow and innovate faster. I look forward to working alongside some of the inspiring business founders I met at the Ones to Watch event and helping them achieve their goals.”

The company has also been building links with students, hosting the Edit Summer School at the Tallaght Training Centre – its first such event in Ireland. The free IT summer school is now in its 20th year worldwide, and took place on seven campuses in 2016. It returns to Dublin next year.