MMID has just completed the production of the Knock Museum audio tour. Made available in seven languages through easy-to-use portable audio-guide devices, the audio commentary developed by MMID takes the visitor through a fascinating walk through the exhibition.

"We found MMID to be efficient, creative and easy to work with. The end product is a system that is perfectly tailored to the needs of Knock Museum and greatly enhances the visitor experience. New additions to the collection can be easily added at any time which ensures that the system will have a long life span." Grace Mulqueen, Knock Museum

At Knock Museum visitors can find out exactly what happened in Knock on August 21st 1879 and what Knock means to the one and a half million pilgrims who make their way here every year.

To hear excerpts of the audio tour and see how it all works, please visit the MMID TV section of our website at http://www.multimedia-instruction.com

ICONICS is a world leader in industrial automation based near Boston, USA. Driven by the ICONICS team, the interactive video series currently being developed by MMID is an innovative marketing tool which will be used by the company's global sales force and customers.

The aim of the project is to provide existing and prospective customers with an interactive information source, specific to their business needs. Hosted on-line, the solution comprises of a short introduction after which the user can tailor the rest of the presentation on-the-fly based on his/ her role in the enterprise and the industry in which she/ he operates.

"Working with Multimedia Instruction and in particular with Marc Roosli, was a very positive experience. Their understanding of not only our marketing needs but also the needs of our market were outstanding, and the quality of the piece is beyond our expectations" - Clive Walton, Managing Director, ICONICS UK.

For a sneak preview of the solution, have a look at the Beta version at www.iconics-uk.com/video

If you are a regular reader of our newsletter you will remember the series of e-learning modules MMID developed over the last couple of years to help young people with Down Syndrome acquire Internet and E-Mail skills. It is in this capacity MMID was invited last month to give two Internet & E-mail workshops to young adults with Down Syndrome at the occasion of the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress hosted by Down Syndrome Ireland in Dublin.

The theme for the Congress, chosen to stress the fact that people with Down syndrome and their families develop right throughout their lives, was "Lifelong Living and Learning". MMID was delighted to be offered the opportunity to share its experience in this area. The workshops proved to be very popular with technology being a favourite with young adults with Down Syndrome.

MMID's sister company CPD College has had its busiest summer to-date with its Primary Teachers 'EPV days' programme. This year, a total of 12 courses to choose from were run over the Summer break. The on-line delivery format proved to be very popular with teachers nationwide as it allows the flexibility and freedom to study at their pace from anywhere,

CPD College is also running on-line Continuous Professional Development courses for other professionals such as Solicitors, Childcare workers, Energy Assessors, Construction professionals and more. Check out http://www.cpdcollege.com for more.

What better occasion than the world-exclusive preview of clothes and furniture from the screen's most legendary blonde, Marilyn Monroe to take holographic projection out of the realms of science fiction and bring her back to life? MMID recently took on this very challenge – bringing science fiction technology to one of Ireland’s most prestigious venues, Newbridge Silverware's Museum of style Icons in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

Known for her TV ads for Guinness or Pepsi, London-based Suzie Kennedy - the world’s top Monroe lookalike - was flown to Waterford where she was filmed against a special backdrop. Hollywood style lighting from the golden era was skillfully reproduced in the studio and the resulting footage was edited into a loop for projection against a patented holographic film applied to a transparent surface.

The stunning result can be seen at the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons located onsite at the Newbridge Silverware, Visitor Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Open 7 days and entry is free. www.newbridgesilverware.com. For a sneak-preview of the footage, visit our new MMID TV section at www.multimedia-instruction.com

125 years ago Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin, John Wyse Power, John McKay, J. K. Bracken, Joseph O'Ryan and Thomas St. George McCarthy met in a back room at Hayes'Hotel in Thurles, County Tipperary and founded what would later become the world's largest amateur sporting association - the GAA. Witness the re-enactment of this historical meeting and the events that led to it through the exciting MMID-produced audio-visual show and installations located at the restored Cusack family cottage at The Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, County Clare. Special events to mark the 125th anniversary of the Association will be held in Carron in July. For more about the centre, visit www.michaelcusack.ie or visit our new MMID TV section at www.multimedia-instruction.com to witness the meeting for yourself.

Kitesurfing is Ireland's fastest growing sport and, if you have seen kitesurfers in action at your local beach, you'll agree that it is easy to see why. Gliding on the water at speeds sometimes reaching 40mph and jumping above the waves at heights greater than a 3-storey building, Kitesurfing definitely comes under the extreme sports category but is nonetheless accessible and safe with adequate training.

This is the message qualified BKSA instructor, Lawrence Boland, wants to bring across at Ireland's newest Kitesurf School, Kiteskool, based in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. MMID developed a suite of marketing materials including a website, brochure and poster to help him convey his message. The website features an integrated weather, wind and wave height forecasting system to help you plan your next outing! Book your lesson on-line at www.kiteskool.com

At MMID, we have decided to make a large selection of our video work accessible for viewing to everyone through our website at one convenient location - MMID TV. You know what they say: "a picture is worth a thousand words". What about an hour of footage at 25 pictures per second then? Think of the impact a video section could to have on your own website. Click here, tune in and sit back.

If you thought it's all doom and gloom think again for there may well be light at the end of the tunnel. That's right - Want to create a new visitor attraction? ... Or an audio tour of your town perhaps?... Or upgrade your web presence but don't have the necessary cash flow requirements?

We have been talking to some of our customers who were faced with just this problem. They turned to their local enterprise or community development company for help.

Some of our customers have already availed of the following local funds so why don't you?

• The Enterprise Boards' e-commerce initiative, "Empower", with up to 50% available to qualifying micro-enterprise projects for web developments which include an e-commerce element.
• The LEADER Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. 50-90% assistance for qualifying tourism-related projects.

Please don't hesitate to contact us today if you have a project in mind and we'll help you get in touch with the most relevant funding agency.

MMID is delighted to announce that following the success of the computer basics, internet and e-mail self-paced eLearning courses commissioned by Down Syndrome Ireland under the BenefIT scheme (over 3000 free modules downloaded at dsi.multimedia-instruction.com to-date), we have been invited to run a computer skills workshop for young people with Down Syndrome at the World Congress 2009.

The theme for this year's event, which will be hosted in Dublin, will be "Lifelong Living and Learning". This theme has been chosen to stress the fact that people with Down Syndrome and their families develop right throughout their lives, constantly encountering new experiences and personal demands, in circumstances that can be both challenging and fulfilling for each individual, family and community.

The official Waterford County tourist information site, waterfordtourism.ie, has been developed in partnership with Waterford County Council staff over a 12-month period and has been featured in our newsletter before but we thought that the latest addition to the site deserved a mention.

Everybody in Ireland has heard about the 'sunny south-east' but is it really true? Is the south-east really sunnier than any other place in Ireland? Well now you can find out for yourself in real-time on the newly designed site homepage and see how weather data affects the site's look and feel!

The Fáilte Ireland Tourism Learning Networks is a professional development programme aimed at tourism-based businesses. The programme is delivered nationwide by local training providers. MMID has recently completed the development of a central 'members only' extranet to support the providers with a central documents repository as well as promoting cross-networks communication. Features include bogging tools, forum, e-mail news & events notifications and access to on-line Harvard Business School publications.

Due to the changing nature of the global economy, being proactive and responsive is more important than ever and digital media represents the most flexible promotional support available - its contents can constantly be updated and tailored to meet the demands and expectations of its targeted audience.

One such proactive company, FastForm Research, is embracing digital promotional material at all levels - from communication with its board members to its worldwide distribution network. FastForm uses digital media to support an ever-evolving product in a constantly changing marketplace. MMID's 48 hours turnaround time DVD and CD replication services empowers FastForm in their efforts to provide quick information dissemination and response.

You might have noticed that our newsletter regularly features visitor centre projects such as The DELL focal point, The Michael Cusack Centre or more recently Lifetime Labs in Cork.

Whilst some of the highlights will still be featured on this newsletter, a separate newsletter with more specific industry and other project-related news targeted at Museums and Visitor Centres can now be accessed on our website at http://www.multimedia-instruction.com/main_pages/museums.htm.

Following on the success of the Internet and e-mail skills courses developed by MMID for Down Syndrome Ireland, the organisation has recently been awarded funding from the office of the Taoiseach under the BenefIT scheme to develop a further four e-learning courses as well as a web portal to serve as a repository for the modules.

MMID is currently developing Know your Computer, Mouse Skills, Keyboard Skills and Screen Skills. The four new courses are aimed at young people with Down Syndrome and focuses on basic IT skills for the less experienced. Club DSI, the new Down Syndrome Ireland youth portal, will not only give parent, tutors or students easy access to a total of 11 courses but will also provide a safe communication platform for young people with Down Syndrome to interact with each other. More on this exciting project in the next issue.

MMID has completed its first project for Cork's Lifetime lab. The visitor attraction boasts two large educational interactive installations. Over 40,000 children have already used the facility to-date. The first installation focuses on Waste whilst the second one focuses on Water. Multimedia Instructional Design was commissioned to repair and enhance the current exhibits in making them more robust and user-friendly. This is further evidence of the broad range of skills at MMID. More about Lifetime Lab at www.lifetimelab.ie

John Treacy was born in Villierstown, County Waterford, and went on to win a silver medal in the men's marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Waterford County Council is organising a 10 mile run with the support of the athlete. MMID was asked to develop an identity for the event for use across a variety of media including T-Shirts, Signage, Print and the web. Waterford County Council has also officially launched the Waterford Tourism Website (also designed by MMID) this month. More about the John Treacy 10 Mile Classic and Waterford Tourism at www.waterfordtourism.ie

MMID has developed five new courses for this year's series of on-line summer courses for primary teachers delivered through CPD College, an MMID subsidiary. The existing range of courses has also been updated with many new resources bringing this summer's range to 12 engaging courses to choose from. More on CPD for Primary Teachers on the newly re-designed CPD College website.

MMID is also delighted to announce that following the outstanding success of the CPD College Jolly Phonics course for Irish Primary Teachers, Chris Jolly, Sue Lloyd and the team at Jolly Phonics are working with MMID to further develop this course for international delivery.

For all of you looking for a little Christmas Cheer in this frosty December, MMID has just completed this year's ESB Christmas animated e-card. While it doesn't come with mulled wine you can almost smell it. A page turner, literally, this 7th edition features the latest in particle generation physics with programmatically generated realistic smoke and snow effects. Watch it here.

Since MMID extended its services to visitor centres and museums in 2006 it is rapidly becoming a reference in this space. We are pleased to welcome Lifetime Lab amongst our customers.

Lifetime Lab is located at the old Cork City Waterworks which was responsible for supplying water to the city of Cork over the past 3 centuries. It is a unique attraction for visitors of all ages with a modern interactive exhibition, themed playground, beautifully restored buildings and equipment and scenic views over the River Lee.

MMID has been commissioned in a phased project to maintain and add to the existing interactive exhibits which consist of life-size 'Teletubbies-like' fantasy machines that Children can interact with to learn more about waste, water and our environment.

CPD College, an MMID subsidiary, has recently launched a new series of Professional Development Courses for Solicitors which may be used for Law Society CPD purposes. Solicitors in Ireland are required to complete 10 hours of Continuous Professional Development per annum, two of which may now be completed on-line from the comfort of their own home or office with CPD College. With six engaging courses to choose from in the area of Law and Management/Professional Development they will be of great interest to busy solicitors who can't find time to travel.

Keen on using the latest social networking tools to bring its members closer together and well informed, the Business Studies Teachers' Association of Ireland (BSTAI) approached MMID last month with a view to redevelop its website. MMID decided to build a solution based on the ever-popular Wordpress platform, developing and integrating a suite of custom tools to address the specific requirements of BSTAI. "Everything on the site is interlinked. For instance, when a user writes a new post (news item), he or she can also decide to display it in the events calendar and automatically start a discussion topic relating to that post in the forum. Also, members can register to receive automated notifications by e-mail every time there are new additions to the site. The system checks at midnight everyday if there have been new items added and groups them together into a nicely formatted e-mail news digest" says Marc Roosli, Creative Director at MMID. The site is due to be launched later this month. Click here for a sneak preview.

That's it, it's official, MMID has moved its headquarters. Based in Waterford since 2000 MMID has moved to Enniscorthy, County Wexford in an effort to centralise its operations with subsidiary company CPD College. Administration in the Enniscorty office is now headed at headquarters by Maria Fitzpatrick whilst the design and development teams will continue working from their respective bases in Dublin, Waterford and Longford.

Please note our new address and phone number:

Multimedia Instructional Design Ltd
Enniscorthy Enterprise & Technology Centre
Milehouse Road
Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Tel: 053-9230344
Fax: 053-9237577

Rainbow Education has been supplying teaching resources to Irish schools for over a decade. Currently revolutionising the way teachers teach and children learn, the Interactive Whiteboard is taking classrooms by storm.

Rainbow Education recently commissioned MMID to develop a CD-Rom which explains what an Interactive Whiteboard is and what it does in an engaging manner. The CD-Rom features a 3 minute broadcast-quality advertisement and is packed with over two hours of concrete teaching examples easily accessible from both the CD-Rom and on-line. It is hoped that the CD-Rom will save Rainbow many hours, traditionally spent on the road, demonstrating the Interactive Whiteboard technology.

Economic doom and gloom has cast a long shadow over the Irish business landscape. And to top things off, we had the first ever October budget in the history of our state - maybe doom and gloom is an understatement!

Never short of ideas, award-winning visual communication agency Totem has decided to give their customers the opportunity to vent their spleen on the Minister for Finance and some smug economists this Halloween! Beautifully illustrated by Totem and developed by MMID, The Totem Halloween Shooting Game can be accessed at www.totem-interactive.com/halloween - best score wins one nights bed and breakfast in a Deluxe Terrace Room and dinner for two in the Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Co. Waterford. (MMID customers please refrain from outscoring Totem customers!)

www.waterfordtourism.ie is County Waterford's official tourism portal. An interactive mapping system developed by MMID based on the ever-popular Google Map system has recently been added to this ultimate tourism resource managed and updated by Waterford County Council. Click here and begin exploring The Crystal County.

Congratulations to FastForm Research, a long-time MMID customer, who has just signed a distribution deal with US firm DJO to sell its Multi Cast product.

DJO, which is one of the largest medical device distributors in the United States, will distribute the Multi Cast product, which offers an alternative to plaster of Paris and fibreglass casts, to hospitals and clinics in the US, Europe and Japan. "The contract with DJO offers us an exceptional opportunity initially to market our first product - the short arm cast - but DJO's established channels will also enable us to distribute our follow-on suite of splinting and orthopaedic products which are currently in the pipeline," said Fastform Research chief executive David Sheehan.

Time being of the essence in today's global economy, MMID has added a new secure media library system to the FastForm website to give DJO representatives worldwide access to the training video produced by MMID last month specifically for DJO.

Concluding a two year European project in which MMID has played a central role as the coordinator and lead partner representatives from all institutions involved met in Nicosia (Cyprus) at the end of September in the context of the Annual Conference on Innovative Learning Environments.

The multiple intelligence framework for the design of virtual classes project was presented to an audience of international scholars, educators, policy makers and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Culture. Ideas about multiple intelligences and e-learning were shared and the challenges in using technology for educational reform discussed.

There are seven institutions involved in the project with partners from France, Cyprus, Turkey, the UK and Ireland. Pictured on the right is MMID Director Frank McNamee

Established in 2001 by Irish business man Denis O’Brien, Digicel is the largest mobile telecommunications operator in the Caribbean and a recent new entrant to the Central American mobile market. After just seven years of operations the Digicel Group has extended its operations to 23 markets with over 6 million subscribers in the Caribbean, Central and South America region and is one of the fastest growing cellular companies in the world. Digicel's investment in the region accounts for more than US$2 billion and directly employs more than 4,000 people.

MMID recently won the contract of developing internal material for Digicel regional managers. "The company recognises that its staff and management team are largely responsible for Digicel's success to date" commented MMID Director Frank McNamee, adding "Digicel's unique culture is driven by dynamic entrepreneurial style. We are pleased to bring our instructional design expertise to Digicel and help our new customer in fostering its dynamism".

MMID's multimedia installation at the Michael Cusack Centre, Carron, County Clare has received tremendous feedback from visitors who have seen it over the last three months.

The centre will be open seven days for another month until the end of the west coast tourism season after which it will be opening periodically during the winter months.

If you haven't seen the exhibition yet, here is a chance to see what the fuss is all about. We have put together a short 'making of' documentary that covers the concept behind - and the execution of - this innovative interactive multimedia visitor experience. Two formats are available: play in your browser (sharper) or play as Windows Media Video (faster).

Building on the success of the Learning & Development Intranet portal developed by MMID, DELL is planning to expand the system and bring it to the next level to cater for the company's ever-growing course offering. "The unique 3D navigation has been the key to the success of the portal. Thanks to an intuitive user interface training-related information is only one click away for the 80,000 employees worldwide" said Marc Roosli, Creative Director at MMID; "we are always looking forward to working with DELL and thrive on the challenges they bring us and their vision in implementing innovative solutions" he added.

MMID has just completed the new Vicious Cow website - digital home of Irish artist Kiki. The site features an extensive gallery of oil and acrylic paintings on both canvas and MDF grouped into collections. More unusual artwork such as potato prints also find its place in the aptly named fish & chips collection!

A content management system (CMS) based on Wordpress allows the artist to upload new artwork on a regular basis and keep her fan base updated thanks to the built-in RSS feeds subscription and exhibition schedule system. An e-mail is sent to the subscriber base anytime a new piece of artwork or upcoming show is added to the site. The process is fully automated and doesn't require any input from the artist. Visitors are also encouraged to comment on individual artwork. Comments moderation is also catered for by the system. An innovative image tagging system allows the visitor to search the artwork database intuitively by typing any keyword - be it a colour, style, medium or subject - or by using the tag cloud.

MMID has started developing sites based on the Wordpress technology over a year ago now and the feedback to-date from companies of all sizes has been fantastic. Apart from its obvious strengths in managing bloggs and other news-related content , its suitability as a rock-solid CMS is not to be undermined. Wordpress really makes content management a breeze - even for the not so technical minded.

Primary teachers have completed their EPV days summer course with MMID subsidiary CPD College in great numbers over the last 3 months. Back in November by popular demand for one month only are two CPD on-line courses for primary teachers - 20 hours to be completed between November 1st and 31st.

The Jolly Phonics course examines phonics as a central foundation in teaching children to read while the Interactive Whiteboards course focuses on establishing ICT as a powerful teaching and integration tool.

Both courses have been the most successful courses on offer this summer and will continue, without a doubt, to be of very valuable resource for teachers looking forward to bringing newfound expertise to the classroom.

Building on the success of DELL's Learning and Development Framework, which has been live for over a year now serving 80'000 employees worldwide, MMID is currently expanding the system to support DELL's latest models. An innovative organic animated menu structure contrasting with the now famous 3D 1-click menu developed by MMID is complementing the system to give access to DELL's ever growing resources in an intuitive manner.

"A revolutionary multimedia experience illustrating the life and times of the founder of the GAA has been launched at the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, Co. Clare. A unique mid-air holographic projection, never seen before in Ireland, features a floating ghost-like image of Cusack who greets visitors to the nineteenth century Burren cottage" Reads an article in Saturday's Examiner introducing the new multimedia 'Cusack Experience' launched last Friday by Dr. Martin Mansergh, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works and the Arts - marking the latest phase in a EUR 1.2 million project which has seen the restoration of the Cusack family cottage and the development of a new Visitor Centre.

"Although it is a 19th century cottage set in a superbly beautiful Burren landscape, we came down in favour of a 21st century solution for a new generation. We enlisted the services of Multimedia Instructional Design from Waterford who have produced a hi-tech presentation that already has enthralled those who have seen it. They have created a bit of magic" Commented Martin O'Loghlen - Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre in an Irish Times article.

If you are planning a trip to County Clare, don't miss out on this fascinating interactive experience. Visit www.michaelcusack.ie and plan your family day out now.

CPD College, MMID's on-line college, is rapidly establishing itself as a leader in on-line education for professionals. The current summer courses offering for Primary Teachers is proving to be an outstanding success. The interactive nature of the courses provides teachers with a convenient way to study from home at their own pace.

MMID used HoloPro's patented Holographic Projection Screen technology to bring Michael Cusack to life in the Classroom part of the Michael Cusack Centre in Co. Clare. A special photographic film is illuminated with a laser beam and a single hologram, also called a holographic optical element (HOE), is formed. A HoloPro screen consists of many thousands of such HOEs and none is identical with any other on the screen. Though they all look alike, each one of them contains different information, namely from which angle the light is redirected to the viewer. Consequently, the light of the projector is optimally redirected from many thousands of spots. This is the first time this technology has been used in a visitor centre in Ireland and the result is simply stunning.

HoloPro also offers an interactive version of the technology transforming this amazing transparent screen into a giant touch-screen making it ideal for information points in a wide area of applications.

There’s hardly a person in Ireland who hasn’t heard of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Such is the popularity of hurling and Gaelic football that almost every parish has its own club. It’s an important part of what it means to be Irish and the games are now played around the globe. Despite its iconic status, the story of the founder of the GAA remains largely untold... until now.

MMID was commissioned earlier this year to design & develop a multimedia experience which would bring to life the fascinating story of Michael Cusack.

Set in the very cottage Cusack grew-up in, the exhibition spans across three rooms. In the first area, 'The living Quarters', the visitor is welcomed by Michael Cusack sitting by the fire. Cusack tells us how it was like to grow-up in the Burren in the mid-nineteenth century before prompting the visitor to bring some turf to the classroom next door just as he would have done as a pupil in Carron National School.

In the classroom, Cusack remembers his life as a pupil and tells us about how he became a teacher and went on to found his own academy. Here we discover his passion for Gaelic Games and follow the captivating journey which would lead him to the founding of the GAA in Hayes' Hotel, Thurles in 1884.

The visitor is invited to witness the historical meeting in the third room which has been redecorated as Hayes's Commercial Hotel & Posting Establishment for the occasion. The meeting is followed by an old newsreel projection retracing the GAA's history until today's Croke Park - a testimony to the founder's vision.

Featuring professional acting talents powered by cutting-edge holographic glass and computer control technology, the project was delivered in just under three months and is now open to the public. A unique mid-air holographic projection, never seen before in Ireland, will soon be completing the installation with a floating ghost-like video of Cusack.

Visit the Michael Cusack Centre's website at www.michaelcusack.ie and plan your trip to Carron now.

Waterford County Council recently launched its official tourism portal for County Waterford. Designed by MMID, the portal is an integral part of the new Waterford County Council website which is managed in-house by the County Council team through TerminalFour content management system. The tourism site is visually attractive and has its own visual identity whilst remaining true to the rest of the County Council site. A unique template system allows the site administrators to quickly create micro-sites with a professional look and feel for current tourism initiatives. The Sean Kelly Tour and the Waterford Festival of Food were the first two such initiatives to avail of the facility.

Bausch & Lomb Ireland is launching its new corporate intranet this week. Developed in the first quarter of this year by MMID the new Intranet is a platform which encourages the creation of content by the workforce for the workforce. Following initial training sessions in April and May, Bausch & Lomb employees started adding their own content to the site.

Essential documents and information can now be found in a central location but the company is also making the most of this innovative system - broadcasting internal news via B&L Web TV, Bausch & Lomb's own news channel. International news feeds, weather forecasts, special staff offers, competitions, live site calendar and time zones are displayed along with the user-created information in a dashboard-type layout which every user can customise to his/ her needs.

Only one month has gone by since the launch of this year's series of DES approved EPV on-line summer courses by CPD College (MMID's on-line college platform) and the take-up has been phenomenal. The Jolly Phonics course is leading the way, representing over 60% of the total enrolments.

Jolly Phonics was created by a UK primary teacher, Sue Lloyd, in 1977, after the realisation that the whole language approach used in her classroom was not reaching a small group of children. As part of an experiment, these children were taught structured blending of words. They were taught to listen carefully to the sounds in the words, identify the sounds and relate them to the letters. As a result, these students who were previously demonstrating difficulty in reading and writing made significant progress. After many years of research, Lloyd was encouraged to compile 'The Phonics Handbook', which was published in 1992. It was immediately embraced by teachers worldwide.

Of course CPD College offers other EPV courses that spread right across the curriculum. Visit www.cpdcollege.com for more about our range of on-line Continuous Professional Development courses.

It's no secret that DELL is amongst the most innovative companies around. DELL's training portal (EMEA Learning & Development Framework) designed by MMID is a great example of how DELL embraces technology to develop their people.

From the outset, DELL was eager to use leading-edge design with an exciting multi-layer 3D navigation system so it was no surprise when DELL looked at how they could leverage a global mine of information -Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia - to increase their employees' knowledge. Earlier this month, MMID implemented an innovative dual search engine system on the training portal. Not only can the user search for any words contained in the site (as you would expect a traditional search engine would do), but now he/she can get Wikipedia search results & definitions all within the same page. For instance, if a user want's to know how to deal with stressful situations, typing "stress" brings back all courses relating to Stress Management available to him/her as well as a list of stress-related topics contained within Wikipedia. Moving the mouse over a topic displays a short outline of what is contained in the Wikipedia entry. Who said the knowledge economy was only a buzz word?

CPD College, a MMID subsidiary, has recently received FETAC approval As the national awarding body for further education and training in Ireland, the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) gives people the opportunity to gain recognition for learning in education or training centres, in the work place and in the community. Being a FETAC registered provider means that CPD College is now in a position to offer an extensive range of accredited courses which are widely recognised and respected in the workplace.

Following the highly successful Building Energy Rating (BER) Assessor course, MMID is in the process of developing a series of summer courses aimed at Primary Teachers which will be made available through CPD College. CPD College's aim is to bring Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses to professionals in a convenient manner. The on-line format of the courses is ideal for people who can't travel or just can't take the time off. Courses for more professions will be developed over the course of this year.

MMID was recently awarded the contract of designing a new tourism portal for Waterford County. The portal will be an integral part of the new Waterford County Council website which is currently being re-developed in-house by the County Council team using TerminalFour content management system. More on this project in the next edition...

A Leading south-east based global Medical Devices Manufacturer has recently selected MMID to re-develop its corporate intranet. Commissioned by the company's corporate communications department, the company decided to embrace cutting-edge tools to enhance and facilitate communication amongst its 1500 strong workforce.

The site, which is currently being rolled-out in the plant, is MMID's first true 'Web 2.0' delivery. Web 2.0 is a knowledge-oriented environment where human interactions generate content that is published, managed and used through network applications in a service-oriented architecture (as defined by Wikipedia). In short, the new Intranet is a platform which encourages the creation of content by the workforce for the workforce. International news feeds, weather forecasts, special staff offers, competitions, live site calendar, time zones and integrated internal television network meet with second generation (Web 2.0) user-created and automatically generated content to create a 'living & breathing' site with a real sense of community.

MMID competed before Christmas the new FastForm Research website. FastForm Research is a life science company focusing on development, licensing and commercialisation of patented “Smart Polymer” technologies. These platform technologies are integral elements in an innovative range of orthopaedic casts, splints and brace products. The site had to appeal to four specific audiences - patients, practitioners, investors and job seekers. MMID designed a site which would appeal to these audiences without alienating 'outsiders'. Easy cross-browsing of the site also allows the visitor to look at FastForm from different perspectives. A special section of the site has been develop to securely host training and promotional videos (videos also produced by MMID) which, due to the commercially sensitive nature of the product, can be made available for a short period of time on request to select individuals using an expiring password system.

Here is a little Christmas message produced for ESB by MMID for all of you who just haven't had enough Turkey and Ham. For the others, it might just bring back some magic and get you in the mood for next year. Watch it now here.

Currently in production at MMID are two new e-Learning modules for Down Syndrome Ireland. The first module will concentrate on using a popular entertainment site while the second will focus on creating one's own web page. The two courses complement a series of 5 existing courses developed by MMID to teach teenagers with Down Syndrome how to use the Internet and e-mail. Although slightly more advanced in terms of learning content, the new modules will be based on the same usability principles as the previous courses. The courses are due for delivery before Christmas and will be freely available from the Down Syndrome Ireland website.

Usability is not just another trendy word and when it comes to shop floor control systems, usability can mean better productivity through faster and more intuitive operation. This is why a leading global Medical Devices Manufacturer called upon MMID to design the new face of their global manufacturing software. A series of icons and visuals were designed in partnership with software developer Dataworks to integrate seamlessly with existing code. Since the system is rolled-out globally, the interface had to 'speak many visual languages' - helping the operator to take actions without having to read and enforcing visual consistency across the world.

Just in: Leading south-east based global Medical Devices Manufacturer selects MMID to develop it's corporate intranet. Commissioned by the company's corporate communications department, the company will be using cutting-edge tools to enhance and facilitate communication amongst its 1500 strong workforce.

This months, MMID travels to Nicosia, Cyprus where the company has been invited to speak at the International Council for Educational Media 2007 conference. The presentation focuses on an EU project on virtual classes applied in the construction industry. MMID has been involved in several European research projects in association with partners in the UK, France, Germany, Turkey and Germany.