Software society takes on trappings of Silicon Valley

The contrast could not have been more stark. High up on the walls of the hall in Kilmainham, the wigged, 18th century gentlemen gazed down from their portrait frames on Ireland's lords and ladies of the bits and bytes gathered below.

Over filo-wrapped salmon, wine, candles and noisy chatter, the members of the Irish Software Association toasted themselves and their achievements at last Friday's annual awards dinner and dance. And with 285 of them packing out the hall - with late requests for tickets regretfully refused for the sold-out event - it is clear that the State now has both a technology community as well as an industry.

In his after dinner speech, Minister of State for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Noel Treacy, listed an impressive array of statistics: the number of indigenous software companies grew by 44 per cent in 1997; 81 per cent of Irish software companies export their products; nearly 20,000 people are employed in the sector; Ireland is the largest per capita exporter of software in the world. The industry will be one of the largest in the State by next year.

Some back-patting for the industry, and you could practically touch the self-satisfaction from the people who know full well they are the economy-drivers these days. Then, there was some back-patting for the Government from Mr Treacy.

Finally, time for the much-anticipated awards. Past winners say the benefits in capturing one of the awards are intangible rather than direct, and of more import in identifying them as leaders within domestic circles rather than to their markets abroad. But there's enormous pleasure in being given that recognition.

This year, Young Company of the Year went to Galway-based Aimware, which makes software which helps software developers manage their projects. Dublin security software maker Baltimore Technologies, the company which created the digital signature software used by President Clinton and The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in September, took Company of the Year. Dublin-based Euristix, which makes telecommunications products, won the Marketing Achievement Award, and the Individual Achievement Award went to Mr Declan Murphy, formerly of Enterprise Ireland and now an industry specialist with the OECD.

Perhaps they guessed the Clinton coup would make them the front runners for their award. Whatever the case, Baltimore demonstrated better than any that the Republic's growing Silicon Valley-style community is ready for some Silicon Valley-style gestures. They arrived, and departed, in stretch limousines.