Ekco invests €4m in AI platform

MSP helps organisations protect sensitive data and strengthen governance and training

Trade

Steve MacNicholas, Ekco Ireland

Ekco has invested €4 million in a platform that helps organisations to adopt AI securely while maintaining visibility and control over its use across the business. The platform will encourage safe AI exploration and save businesses €2 million for every €10 million of operating costs by boosting employee productivity.

Ekco’s research has found that a typical business environment may have as many as 28 AI applications in use, leading to a ‘shadow AI’ blind spot for employers who may not know which tools are in use, or how company data is being handled. Ekco AI is designed to address this by helping organisations to see what applications are being used, set clear guardrails, block potentially hazardous applications and reduce the risk of sensitive information being shared on unsanctioned systems.

The platform also supports practical, role-based training on Microsoft Copilot, Claude and other AI tools. Separate awareness training covers data protection, unsafe practices and AI-related risks, giving employees clearer guidance on what they can use and what information they should not share.

Steve MacNicholas, CEO, Ekco Ireland, said: “Businesses won’t truly get value from AI until they and their employees feel comfortable using it and experimenting with it. We have seen that organisations who are generous with AI by equipping their leadership teams and employees with tools that will benefit them, excite them, and which are safe, are the ones who have the fewest issues with harmful AI platforms.

“In reality, today’s CIOs don’t always know what AI platforms their employees are using. Ekco AI gives them that oversight and signals any applications that are potentially harmful.”

Cian Prendergast, CEO, Ekco MSP, said: “Most businesses are no longer asking whether their employees will use AI. They are asking how they can stop that activity becoming a blind spot. A blanket ban is not an effective answer because people may simply continue using the tools they already know. Businesses need to give employees approved options, explain the rules and put controls around the data. That is what Ekco AI is designed to do. Ultimately, our mission is to safely and securely share our expertise with our customers to give them up to 50% strategic advantage over their competitors within a three-year timeframe.”

TechCentral Reporters

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