Host in Ireland Founder and President, Garry Connolly, and Internet Hall of Fame Pioneer, Dennis Jennings, to Serve as Co-chairs of the Initiative
DUBLIN, IRELAND – March 28, 2017 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Awareness Coalition today announces its launch, as well as the instatement of Internet Hall of Fame Pioneer, Dennis Jennings, as the coalition’s Co-chair, serving alongside Host in Ireland Founder and President Garry Connolly.
The GDPR, which takes effect on 25 May, 2018, is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals within the European Union (EU). The GDPR Awareness Coalition is a not-for-profit, fixed-term initiative designed to assist in raising awareness of the data privacy obligations for companies resulting from the implementation of the GDPR.
The establishment of this initiative was motivated by the growing concern that GDPR awareness throughout Ireland is unbalanced among enterprise, construction and retail sectors. In response to this issue, the GDPR Awareness Coalition has assembled an expanding list of more than 50 engaged Coalition Partners that include GDPR experts, vendors, and legal, fiscal, event and general collaborators, and business associations.
Host in Ireland is a strategic global initiative created to increase awareness of the benefits of hosting digital assets in Ireland, and winner of the Datacloud Europe 2016 award for Innovative Data Center Location.
“Ireland has a very strong and well-respected international reputation for being a leader in the digital asset hosting sector,” says Mr. Connolly. “With many of the world’s leading companies calling Ireland home for their operations in Europe, it was a concern to us when we read some of the recent reports that Ireland had a below-average awareness of the GDPR in comparison to other EU countries. We felt if we could help raise this awareness, we should.”
To help further this initiative, Dr. Jennings will join Mr. Connolly as Co-chair to the GDPR Awareness Coalition. As Ireland’s first and only member of the Internet Hall of Fame, Dr. Jennings was responsible for the decisions that developed National Science Foundation Network (NSFnet), which later evolved into the modern internet. Today, he serves as Chairman and Non-Executive Director of a small number of Irish technology-based companies that address international markets.
“As we near the implementation of the GDPR, this initiative will be a critical contributor to increasing general awareness of the impending implications of this legislation throughout Ireland,” shares Dr. Jennings. “I am very pleased to have been invited to be the Co-chair of the GDPR Awareness Coalition, and I look forward to contributing to the effort.”
The GDPR Awareness Coalition will culminate in a conference / workshop for all interested parties, collocated with the TechConnect Live event in Dublin on 31 May, 2017. For more information about this initiative please visit www.gdprcoalition.ie or connect with the Coalition on Twitter and LinkedIn. To get involved as an active Coalition Partner, please email info@datasos.ie.
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About the GDPR Awareness Coalition
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Awareness Coalition is a not-for-profit, fixed-term initiative designed to assist in raising awareness of the data privacy obligations for companies resulting from the implementation of the GDPR. The GDPR is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals within the European Union (EU). The establishment of this initiative was motivated by the growing concern that GDPR awareness throughout Ireland is unbalanced among enterprise, construction and retail sectors. Coalition Partners include GDPR experts, as well as vendors, legal, fiscal, event and general collaborators. For more information about this initiative or to get involved as an active Coalition Partner, please email info@datasos.ie.