Technology: The Week in Technology

PR Week UK, Friday, 05 March 2010, 12:00am,

Speed has promoted Ruth Jones to head a new practice that will focus on fast-growth technology markets. She will aim to develop strategies for companies moving into the next tech cycle, including areas such as virtualisation, cloud computing and unified communications. Speed has staffed the practice with a team of five consultants.

Ownergy, the renewable energy systems company, has brought in Hotwire to launch the business and drive forward its UK PR programme. The company was established by Philip Wolfe, former head of the Renewable Energy Association. Ownergy assists consumers and organisations to select, install, finance, register, manage and maintain tariff-earning renewable energy systems.

Ian Williams, former deputy editor at The Inquirer, has been recruited to head technology media at tech shop Lewis PR. He had been a journalist since 2005 and will cover social media as part of his role.

Media Safari has been called in by iStorage, a specialist in portable data storage and digital encryption, to increase awareness around data loss in the UK and raise the profile of its range of portable hard drives. Media Safari's brief will initially involve proactive and reactive media work, with a focus on business and IT communities to draw attention to the increasing frequency of data loss.

Karen and Paul Allen, former Bell Pottinger and Ruder Finn associate directors, have this week launched their own comms shop, Rise PR. The agency will include a technology division, as well as consumer and corporate, as part of its remit. The husband and wife team have 26 years' PR experience between them.