2025: Annertech’s year in review
After more than two decades in journalism, Alison now collaborates with Annertech's clients to ensure that their content is the best it possibly can be.
What a year 2025 has been! From scooping up awards to welcoming new faces and launching some incredible projects, Annertech has been buzzing. Our team, spread across Ireland, the UK, and beyond, has been working flat out, and we thought it was high time we took a look back at all the fantastic things we accomplished. We’ve had a busy, brilliant year, and we are excited to share all of our highlights.
2025 was a great year for Annertech projects
Digital Transformation Awards: Winner
The Online Planning project won the coveted Most Collaborative Public Sector Project award at the ceremony in October.
Digital Media Awards: Finalist x 2
We were shortlisted for Best Agency at the Digital Media Awards, and our work on the Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland site was shortlisted for Best Website.
Ireland eGovernment Awards: Finalist x 2
Two key Annertech projects made the finals in the Ireland eGovernment Awards:
The National Cancer Registry Ireland site was a finalist in the Open Data category.
The Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland site was a finalist in the Sustainability/Green category.
National Digital Awards: Runner-up
Oxfam Ireland’s fantastic website won the runner-up award for Digital Impact.
Spiders Awards: Finalist
We were shortlisted for the Best in Universal Design category at the Spiders awards for the localgov.ie website.
Annertech company news
Behind the scenes, we’ve been working hard on making Annertech an even better place to work and partner with.
We celebrated company milestones and personal achievements – and some of those were done in person, as we connected with members of the Drupal community and our own distributed team.
New faces and familiar friends
Our team is our heartbeat, and we were thrilled to welcome some new members this year, from seasoned developers to delivery managers and project managers:
- Developer Alina Basarabeanu and Project Manager Fatima Mahmood joined us in June.
- Fiona Spellman joined our Managed Services team as a new Delivery Manager in July.
- It was wonderful to welcome back developer Mark Davies in September!
Going for growth
In January, our Managing Director Stella Power was selected to participate in the 2025 Going for Growth programme, a prestigious initiative supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG to empower female entrepreneurs.
This collaborative, peer-led experience has provided Stella with invaluable mentorship and a network of like-minded leaders as she continues to scale Annertech and drive our mission forward.
Read about the programme
LocalGov Drupal developer role
In June, we were thrilled to announce that Annertech won the tender for a part-time Drupal developer role within the LocalGov Drupal project itself.
This saw our own Frontend Developer Tony Barker take on key development responsibilities, with input from Fullstack Developer Christopher Torgalson.
This position reinforces our deep commitment to the LGD community and ensures the platform continues to go from strength to strength.
Find out moreMilestones
We also celebrated a massive milestone in September: Annertech turned 17 years old!
Our hard work culminated in the launch of the newly redesigned annertech.com website on 6 October.
The new website featured hues of blue and yellow – reflecting our commitment to Drupal and LocalGov Drupal. The building block theme is not only a nod to the building blocks that go into creating website pages. It reflects simplicity, fun and creativity – elements we try to bring into every project.
Annertech Days
This year saw two Annertech Days – where Annertechies get together to chat about all things Annertech and connect with each other. The first took place in Athenry, in the west of Ireland, in March 2025, and the second took place in Vienna, in the days preceding DrupalCon Europe, in October.
Annertech Days: Athenry
In March we gathered in Athenry, near Galway City, for our first Annertech Days for 2025. It was a fantastic chance to brainstorm, collaborate and have a good laugh in person. Athenry is also the home of our Director of Technology, Alan Burke, and we had a blast finding our way around his ‘hood.
We also tried our hand/s at some percussion work. Thanks to the team at Athenry Music School for leading us in such a fun session. We sounded great - although don’t ask the hotel staff; they might have a different take on it.
This was an incredible few days, which saw us breaking out into working groups to work on Annertech tasks that make things run smoothly and work better.
We accomplished a lot in a short time, and left Athenry feeling invigorated and closer as a team.
Annertech Days: Vienna
The second Annertech Days for 2025 happened in the days leading up to DrupalCon Europe, and saw about 30 Annertechies heading into Vienna a few days before the annual Drupal conference.
Once again we broke out into our working groups. We also broke out into scavenger hunt groups, and had a rather competitive teambuilding event through the Vienna Prater.
This culminated in a delicious dinner at the incredible dieAllee restaurant. We’re still talking about the ribs.
ISO certification
We received our ISO 27001 Certification this year! We're really proud of this achievement.
Being “ISO certified“ signifies that our systems, processes and procedures meet the requirements of a specific ISO standard, with ISO 27001 setting the standards for information security.
“ISO certification will give our clients the confidence that Annertech can keep their data and systems safe,“ says Stella.
Out of hours support
We finalised our out of hours support service and stood the service up from 1 November, ensuring that our clients have the option of having critical cover 24/7.
Notable events
Getting out and about to meet the community is a huge part of what we do at Annertech, and 2025 was a record-breaking year for our events calendar.
From sponsoring major conferences to taking the stage at camps across Ireland and the UK, we’ve loved sharing our expertise and learning from our peers in the open-source and public sector worlds.
Farewell to Drupal 7 and hello to Drupal CMS
The first notable events of 2025 were Drupal-related.
January saw a major moment for the community as Drupal 7 (finally!) reached End-of-Life. We’re still helping clients migrate their websites to Drupal 11, but if you're still procrastinating about moving your Drupal 7 website, get in touch sooner rather than later!
The launch of Drupal CMS in January marked a “new dawn“ for the platform, introducing a user-friendly, low-code experience that empowers marketing teams to build ambitious websites with ease.
Annertech was incredibly proud to contribute to this milestone, with Stella serving on the Advisory Council and Tony leading the vital Media Management track to help bring this game-changing initiative to life.
Read more about Drupal CMSNational Open Source Innovation Summit
In February, Stella joined a panel of global experts at the National Open Source Innovation Summit in Dublin to discuss addressing the open-source skills gap.
She highlighted how freely available technology can break down barriers to digital inclusion, reaffirming Annertech's commitment to building a more open and accessible internet for everyone.
Digital Government 2025
In February, we returned to Croke Park for the Digital Government 2025 conference, where we served as both a sponsor and a featured speaker.
Our Director of Delivery, Mike King, teamed up with Tipperary County Council's Ruth Maher to present “LocalGov Drupal: Great for councils; great for citizens“, sharing first-hand insights into how Ireland’s first LGD site has transformed service delivery.
Read about the conference
Local Government Partnership Network North
In May, Team Annertech headed to Manchester for the Local Government Partnership Network (LGPN) North event. As sponsors, we spent two days at the Hilton Deansgate connecting with public sector leaders to discuss how digital innovation can transform service delivery.
Stella noted that sponsoring the event was about “investing in the future of open, collaborative digital services“. It was a fantastic opportunity to share our tools and skills with like-minded people who are as passionate as we are about building better, more scalable digital experiences for communities.
DrupalCamp England
In March, we were delighted to be a part of the very first DrupalCamp England at the University of Cambridge.
As a Bronze sponsor, Annertech supported the event's mission to reinvigorate the local community, with Tony serving as one of the lead organisers.
Beyond our presence on the day, we were especially proud to sponsor two scholarships, covering travel and accommodation for next year’s event to ensure Drupal remains accessible to new voices.
As Stella noted, “sponsoring scholarships means we can support people who wouldn't otherwise be able to attend“, reinforcing our commitment to growing a diverse and vibrant Drupal community.
Read about the conferenceLocalGov Drupal Camp London 2025
In July, we were delighted to head to Westminster for LocalGov Drupal Camp London 2025. As proud Gold Sponsors of the event, Annertech had a major presence, with Tony and Director of Managed Services Anthony Lindsay taking to the stage to officially introduce Annertech as a new LocalGov Drupal development partner and thank the community for such a warm welcome.
It was a fantastic, sun-drenched day of collaboration where we caught up with the core team and fellow digital pioneers. A real highlight was cheering on Kevin Ching from the Solihull team as he announced their new website launch to the community – a project we were incredibly proud to have delivered earlier in the year.
LocalGovCamp South West 2025
In June, we made our way to Taunton in the UK for LocalGovCamp South West 2025. As proud sponsors, we were thrilled to see such a strong focus on the future of local government, from the rise of AI and cyber innovation to the complexities of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
Mike and Anthony hosted a lively “Ask Me Anything“ session, diving into the nuts and bolts of the LocalGov Drupal framework.
They covered everything from how the platform meets WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards by design to how councils can effectively manage documents and migrate data. It was an inspiring day that truly highlighted the collaborative spirit of the public sector.
LocalGovCamp North
In November, we headed to Leeds for LocalGovCamp North, where Anthony and Tony led a high-impact workshop on how LocalGov Drupal solves real-world council problems. They shared practical insights into using the distribution as a rapid, open-source solution that keeps citizens at the heart of digital transformation.
LocalGov Drupal Week 2025
LocalGov Drupal Week was a brilliant opportunity to connect with local government clients and fellow contributors, sharing knowledge and shaping the future of public sector digital services.
DrupalCon Vienna 2025
DrupalCon is the premier gathering for the global Drupal community, bringing together developers, site builders, content strategists, and agencies (like us!) for a week of learning, networking, and fun.
We were thrilled to be in the stunning, historic city of Vienna, and it was a packed few days for Annertech – a Gold sponsor of the event – featuring everything from captivating talks on cutting-edge tech and serious life topics to a fiercely competitive trivia night.
Annertech had a major presence on the speaker schedule of DrupalCon Vienna 2025, and we were so proud to see our colleagues deliver a series of high-impact talks.
Our Annertech booth this year was a real showcase of our newly launched website redesign, annertech.com.
Featuring building blocks – a nod to our Drupal foundation – a pop of LocalGov Drupal yellow, and a marble run that had people arguing over who was taking it home, it was a great place to hang out.
Projects launched
We delivered some amazing digital experiences in 2025!
The Skillnet MMC Accelerate platform
The Skillnet MMC Accelerate platform went live in May, marking a significant step in driving innovation within the construction sector. Designed and developed by Annertech, this complex project involved extensive usability testing and massive design work due to the emerging nature of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
The platform also featured tricky integrations with systems like Qualifax and FETCH to pull course information on to the site, providing a centralised resource to accelerate skills and knowledge in this key industry.
Read the case study
National Cancer Registry Ireland
The new National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) website went live in May after a smooth seven-month delivery from discovery to launch. Designed and developed by Annertech, this project was a fantastic success, encompassing not only the aesthetics and user experience – including tackling integrations with Tableau and Rezoomo – but also vital infrastructure and extensive content work.
The result is a robust digital platform that empowers the NCRI to share critical data and insights effectively for better cancer outcomes.
Read the case study
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
The new Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council website, which went live in June, is a fantastic example of a modern, user-focused local government digital platform.
Built using LocalGov Drupal, the site is designed to make council services and information clear and accessible for residents, demonstrating the power of collaboration within the UK local government sector.
Read more about LGD
Dundalk Institute of Technology
The Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) website, launched in July, represents a huge leap forward, transforming a fragmented digital presence into a modern, unified platform.
Built on Drupal, the new site features a clean design that incorporates the DkIT brand, and a carefully curated information architecture designed to make navigation seamless and user-friendly for staff, students, and stakeholders alike.
This project involved migrating over 13,000 pages and documents to the new centralised system, ensuring a robust and future-proof digital home for the institute.
Read the case study
Road Management Office
The new Road Management Office (RMO) website, launched on 19 September, serves as a digital hub for Ireland’s local authority shared service dedicated to road asset management. The site provides guidance, support, and best practice information for local authorities, offering key services like the MapRoad ICT suite, road licensing registration, and resources related to active travel and public lighting.
Galway County Council
The new Galway County Council site, launched in October at galway.ie and gaillimh.ie, is a fully revamped, bilingual website designed to deliver clearer, faster and more accessible services to residents.
Built on the LocalGov Drupal platform, the site features 100% Irish-language content and modern navigation.
Read more about LocalGov Drupal
Mini projects
Conclusion
As the curtain closes on what has been a genuinely exceptional year for Annertech, we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.
From the major team connections at our Annertech Days in Athenry and Vienna, to securing our ISO 27001 certification and successfully launching complex digital platforms for clients like DkIT, NCRI, and Galway County Council, 2025 was defined by growth, collaboration and delivering quality.
Winning huge new projects and seeing our clients recognised in major awards is a testament to the talent and dedication of our entire distributed team.
We are more confident than ever in our commitment to open source, particularly LocalGov Drupal, and we’re excited about the future of digital services.
After more than two decades in journalism, Alison now collaborates with Annertech's clients to ensure that their content is the best it possibly can be.
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