Limerick-based tech firm ActionPoint today awarded UL Computer Systems student Jonathan Lloyd first prize for its annual FYP Award in conjunction with UL.
The award, which has been running since 2014, looks for excellence in commerciality and innovation in computer science final year projects, and is open to all fourth year students of Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) degrees at UL.
Projects in 1st and 2nd place are awarded cash prizes, following evaluation from a five-judge panel made up of senior members of ActionPoint's engineering team.
The competition has long been a source of high quality graduate placements for ActionPoint, which provides IT services and custom software to key companies across multiple sectors, including the likes of Chill Insurance, Munster Rugby, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ActionPoint delivered the online passport renewal project for the Department last year, with the (then) Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan calling it “one of the most significant innovations in customer service for the past 15 years “
Jonatan Lloyd’s FYP was a License Plate Recognition system and was commended by ActionPoint’s judges because of its “clean architecture and functionality”. The Judging panel also commented on the “efficiency gains” that this system can offer over existing technology. Mallow Native Keith O’Brien claimed 2nd prize and €250 for his Intelligent Horse Racing Predictor system.
ActionPoint was founded in 2005 by UL CSIS graduates John Savage and David Jeffreys, who were both awarded the prestigious UL Alumni award in Autumn of last year. John Savage, ActionPoint co-founder and CTO has fond memories of his own FYP, having developed an open framework for VR which won national awards from HP and Accenture, as well as the QAD Design Competition. John went on to win the President’s Gold Medal in 2001.
FYP recognition was instrumental in the formation of ActionPoint, and so Savage was motivated to support the university and students through the FYP Award.Speaking about the initiative, John Savage said; “We have very close ties to the University, as graduates ourselves, and of course, we are located on campus, only a stones-throw away from the CSIS building. Over the past decade we’ve grown to almost 100 employees, many of whom are UL graduates. We’re very happy to help engage and support engineers of the future through our FYP competition.”
ActionPoint currently employs close to 100 people at it’s Limerick HQ, and has offices in the UK, Europe and the US. ActionPoint is a Microsoft Gold Partner, Dell Country Partner of the Year 2014 and 2016 and has won the Deloitte Fast 50 award for the past four years in a row. ActionPoint were also awarded Deloitte Best Managed company status for the second year running.