INTERNET ENTREPRENEUR Eoin Costello has launched his latest venture, a web development service called Omniserve, months after selling his previous business.
Mr Costello’s web hosting business, Novara, was acquired by broadband provider Digiweb last April for an undisclosed sum.
To date €150,000 has been invested in launching Omniserve, which claims to be able to build a website for a customer in 60 minutes, including getting it added to Google’s index of free search results. Omniserve has developed a system called Google Rapid Inclusion, which Costello claims can get a site a preliminary listing in Google results in seven minutes, with full indexing within 24 hours.
Omniserve aims to have 1,000 small businesses online in its first year of operation and the company, which employs three staff, says it will create 20 new jobs.
The firm charges €399 for the creation of a website. Additional charges apply for registration of an internet address and hosting, which is provided by Digiweb.
Customers fill out their requirements on the web. They are then contacted by Omniserve which connects to their PC using remote conferencing software. The website is built as the customer watches. Using software from a German firm, customers can edit their own site once it has gone live.
“Remember in economics in school they told you services couldn’t be exported?” Mr Costello asked. “This shows that services are eminently exportable.”
Omniserve estimates that there are 45,000 small businesses in Ireland without a web presence. Customers to date range from car tuners to traditional Irish bands.
Omniserve has had support from Enterprise Ireland in the form of feasibility and employment grants, but Costello says 90 per cent of the money invested has been his own.
