ICT Industry News

Radian6 Launches Powerful Social Media Engagement and Monitoring Console For Brands And Agencies

johnsgunn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:26:14 -0400

Author

Leena Rao

Source

TechCrunch, Published Mar 10, 2010

Source Url

http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/10/radian6-launches-powerful-social-media-engagement-and-monitoring-console-for-brands-and-agencies/

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Brands are engaging in the conversations that are taking place on social media sites now more than ever. But in order to tap into the social conversations that are taking place on the web, brands and agencies need to have a powerful tool to track, measure and engage sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and others. One of the leaders in the social media tracking space, Radian6, is launching a new Engagement Console to streamline this process.

A desktop client built on Adobe AIR, the engagement console lets your both track and engage in the conversation taking place on blogs, videos, forums, boards, Twitter, Flickr, Google Buzz, LinkedIn, Facebook fan pages, public discussion groups, and mainstream news sites. The site also allows for assigning of tasks from within the platform, enabling users to access workflow from within the client.

You can customize a tracking grid of social media sites by breaking out your conversation into stacks by broad or specific topics, tagged customer lists, or even user assignment. Stacks can also be separated out by media type.

Th workflow feature allows you to tag, assign, and route posts to team members, and track the status of the assignments. Any conversations a user engages in, whether it be on Twitter, Facebook or with a co-worker, will be recorded for both the user and the administrator. And of course, the console allows you to Tweet, reply, retweet, and send direct messages, shuffle through user profiles, and follow new contacts right from the platform. Similar to many of the consumer focused social media clients out there, Radian6 allows for unlimited accounts and includes a URL shortener.

With respect to Facebook, the client allows users to respond to status updates, wall posts, comments, and “likes”. Users can also view news feeds for Facebook friends, and see new photos or videos that have been uploaded from within the console. The dashboard also provides analytics from within the console, such as post volume, and engagement stats.

Radian6 has had considerable success in terms of serving big-name clients. The company is currently helping over 10,000 brands track social media sites, including Comcast, MTV, Dell, UPS, GE and Microsoft. And this engagement console has all the bells and whistles to make any brand marketer content. The console, we are told, will be in private beta until April. That being said, there are plenty of other offerings for companies and agencies to track social media and this is a competitive space. Radian6 faces competition from a number of startups including Scout Labs, Visible Measures, Viralheat, HootSuite and PeopleBrowsr.

Innovatia Inc. boosting its workforce

johnsgunn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:30:44 -0400

Author

Reid Southwick

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Wednesday March 10th, 2010

Source Url

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/978980

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‘We need to go where we need to go to get the right candidate,’ says David Grebenc, co-owner and COO of Innovatia Inc.

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Innovatia Inc., a Saint John technology firm, is half-way through a hiring blitz as it looks to expand its workforce by as much as 25 per cent within a single month.

The company is on the hunt for highly skilled staff to provide technical support and trouble-shooting for information technology networks and the associated hardware and software.

It started looking in late February and hired about 30 employees so far, with plans to take on another 20 to 30 by the third week of this month. The firm is searching across the province and even the Truro, N.S., area.

"If you look at the number of people that we're bringing in under a fairly short period of time, and given the skill level of people we are looking for, we need to go where we need to go to get the right candidate," said David Grebenc, co-owner and chief operating officer.

The company employs about 240 full-time staff in New Brunswick, throughout Atlantic Canada, Ontario and south of the border. This means an additional 60 employees would boost its workforce by a quarter.

The new staff will provide service for one of Innovatia's latest clients, although the firm declined to disclose the name, saying only it is a North American technology company.

Grebenc said he was impressed with the recent hires, who come from a range of backgrounds. Some are university and community college graduates, some are taking on a second career and others are recent immigrants, he said.

New employees can work at home, depending on their qualifications, or they can opt to work out of the company's offices in Saint John, Fredericton or Edmundston. Innovatia may open a new office in the Truro area if the company finds enough people there, Grebenc said.

"Our mindset here is that wherever we can find people we will employ them," he said.

"Our preference is to have them in a work environment, but where people can't move and they have the right skill sets and they have the right attributes for working at home, then we're open to that, for sure."

The company provides knowledge management and training services to companies across the globe.

Grebenc and Roxanne Fairweather, president and chief executive, bought the company from Bell Aliant Inc. (TSX: BA.UN) last fall for about $1.5 million.

Grebenc said the firm isn't finished expanding and that it's working on a number of other contracts that could require more employees in the future.

Rogers ups the ante in Internet war with faster speed

johnsgunn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:28:33 -0400

Author

Rebecca Penty

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Wednesday March 10th, 2010

Source Url

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/978989

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FibreOp was launched with last July by Bell Aliant’s president and CEO Karen Sheriff and Premier Shawn Graham. FibreOp gives download speeds of 60 megabits per second and upload speeds of 15 megabits per second.

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Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX:RCI.B) is ramping up its Internet offerings in Saint John and Fredericton while in the midst of a legal battle with Bell Aliant (TSX:BA.UN) over advertising claims to superior high-speed service.

The cable company now says it can offer the two cities download speeds that outpace Bell Aliant, which sought a court injunction last month in New Brunswick to prevent Rogers from laying claim to the "fastest and most reliable" network.

The firms are scheduled to appear before a judge at the Fredericton Court of Queen's Bench on March 25; Neither of the firms' allegations have been proven in court.

Rogers now says it can offer existing Ultimate Internet subscribers service download speeds of up to 70 megabits per second and upload speeds of up to two megabits per second, at no extra charge.

"Now we're just saying we've beefed it up and now we're at 70 megabits (per second)," says Rogers spokeswoman Andrea Sardinha.

The company provided download speeds of up to 50 megabits per second when it launched its Ultimate service last December in Saint John and Fredericton, competing with Bell Aliant's FibreOp Internet offering.

The DOCSIS 3.0 N gateway - Rogers' new wireless box that goes inside each home subscribing to the Ultimate service - adds an additional 20 megabits per second capability to the 50-megabit-per-second cable entering from outside, the company says.

Bell Aliant says FibreOp gives download speeds of 60 megabits per second and upload speeds of 15 megabits per second.

FibreOp was launched with fanfare last July by the company's president and CEO Karen Sheriff and Premier Shawn Graham, whose government is contributing $1 million to the project and renewing two service agreements with Bell Aliant worth $60 million.

The telecommunications firm said at the time it would roll out FibreOp to 70,000 homes and businesses in Fredericton and Saint John and later broadened the project to include several other New Brunswick communities.

Bell Aliant spokeswoman Brenda Reid says Rogers may have made changes to its service and advertising because of the legal challenge.

"They have actually changed their advertising so they no longer claim they have the most reliable network," Reid says.

"We know that they have recently launched a service that gives download speeds of up to 70 megs. To us, as well, that appears to be in response to our litigation."

Sardinha says the firm is continuously upgrading its service and the faster download speeds are not in connection with the court fight with Bell Aliant.

"We're always trying to improve the network," Sardinha says. "I guess it's coincidental."

She says Rogers changed its advertising to reflect a court order in British Columbia after Vancouver-based Telus Corp. (TSX:T) won a case against Rogers.Rogers pulled ads saying it had Canada's most reliable wireless network after the ruling.

Before the Bell Aliant action last month, Rogers' New Brunswick website advertised its high-speed Internet as the "Fastest and Most Reliable. Period."

Now, the firm says it has the "Fastest and Most Reliable Speed."

Roberta Fox, senior partner at Fox Group, a telecommunications, networking and call centre consultancy in Mount Albert, Ont., says Atlantic Canadian provinces are being used as a testing ground for advanced Internet services.

Physical and logistical advantages in Atlantic Canada such as fewer roads, buildings and people are favourable for deploying new technology, she says.

And provincial governments in the region are "pro-technology," having subsidized high-speed Internet, Fox adds.

"You're really the only place in Canada that has the newer services to have this PR/marketing war."

The region is also good for testing services because it's smaller, she says.

"It's always easier to start something small and see if it's going to work."

Taking a hands-on interest in startups

johnsgunn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:26:16 -0400

Author

John Pollack

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Wednesday March 10th, 2010

Source Url

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/978986

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‘It’s important for our entrepreneurs to understand what it takes to raise venture financing,’ says Peter Clark, regional investment manager with GrowthWorks Atlantic Inc.

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FREDERICTON - As an investment manager partially responsible for a $35-million fund Peter Clark likes to hear about great businesses with innovative products.

GrowthWorks Atlantic Ltd.'s regional investment manager for New Brunswick is even happier when experienced and knowledgeable people run those startup businesses.

"They're the ones who are going to be leading and building the companies," he says, adding he likes to get to know entrepreneurs long before he makes an investment.

Clark's job is to help companies his firm has invested in and finding new leads, so he is constantly networking and talking to people about their businesses.

He wants to help more New Brunswick entrepreneurs thrive not only to further economic development cause, but also because it creates more investment opportunities.

GrowthWorks Atlantic - which focuses primarily on IT, life sciences and cleantech - is paying for leaders of six startup companies, all part of Propel ICT Inc.'s accelerator program, to attend the R3 Gala in Fredericton with Clark next week. Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneurial guru Guy Kawasaki will be the keynote speaker at the event and Clark has read some of his books and seen him present before.

"He's obviously experienced in the area of startup companies and what it takes for them to raise venture financing.

"It's important for our entrepreneurs to understand what it takes to raise venture financing," Clark says.

The event will also give him a chance to get to know the six entrepreneurs in a more relaxed environment where no one is trying to negotiate a deal.

"I'm just looking to understand their backgrounds and what makes them passionate about what they are leading," he says. "And where they see the company in the near future."

Having come to the venture capital business from "the other side of the table," Clark says he knows what the startups are going through.

Before joining GrowthWorks, Clark was involved in expanding multiple businesses, some of them very small. Most recently he was vice-president of finance and corporate development for Woodstock-based Barrett Xplore Inc., until 2006.

The biggest piece of advice he has for startups is to know their market - what the customer wants and what they are willing to pay for it.

"Too often early stage companies define a product they want to build and not necessarily what the market is willing to pay for," he says. "Make sure your customer or potential customer is involved in the (development) process."

For a software company this could mean rolling out a beta or first version and getting feedback while constantly developing. When this model doesn't work, startups need to get sample customers to give feedback throughout development, Clark says.

"Don't wait until the product is perfect before you take it to market," he says. "The only one that will tell you it is perfect is the customer and they need to be involved the whole way."

When it comes to making the $500,000 to $4-million investments that GrowthWorks Atlantic does, usually over multiple rounds for the larger amounts, Clark is also looking for companies to have a competitive advantage, whether it be intellectual property rights or a certain market share, as well as opportunity to expand nationally or internationally.

The people running the companies Clark is interested in for investments need to have "a track record and knowledge in the industry they're operating in," he says.

The company also looks for investments that can provide a good return over a five-to-eight-year term.

To help ensure that happens Clark takes a hands-on interest in the startups helping them identify potential new markets, employees and directors.

The $35-million Atlantic fund is part of the more than $700 million in assets GrowthWorks WV Management Ltd. manages nationally. This means Clark has a greater pool of talent to draw from to help his New Brunswick companies.

"We're accountable to our shareholders to generate venture capital returns," Clark says explaining why he spends so much time helping the companies his firm invests in. "We have a background in business and helping businesses grow, and using our experience and our network to complement the network the (business) owner has to really accelerate the business."

Enrolment down in ICT programs

Rowser — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:10:57 -0400

Author

Larry Sampson

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Monday March 8th, 2010

Source Url

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/976497

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I would have thought a business segment that was growing twice as fast as the Canadian economy, has some of the highest starting salaries in the country, and let's people help solve some of the society's important issues would have high-school grads beating down the doors to get in.

Apparently, I'd be wrong.

Across Canada, enrolment in ICT degree programs is down. A 2008 study prepared for the Information and Communications Technology Council, found Canadian undergraduate university enrolments have dropped 30 per cent since 2002.

According to the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission, the situation in New Brunswick is similar, with a decline of over 30 per cent in computer science undergraduate enrolments.

While computer science enrolment at UNB is up slightly this year, it is still running at barely 50 per cent of peak. And this in a sector where the Conference Board of Canada says unemployment runs around two per cent, has 89,000 positions to fill in 2010, and where the median salary for a CS grad with less than a year's experience is more than $40,000. Go figure.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, global trade in ICT goods and services was valued at $US3.7 trillion in 2007, and IDC Canada is projecting 75,000 new ICT businesses and 5.8 million ICT jobs globally over the next four years.

If we want to play in that game we're going to need lots of smart young people choosing careers in ICT. And it's not just companies in the IT sector that will need them.

Every business in New Brunswick makes use of technology in some manner, and larger organizations employ hundreds of graduates from computer science, engineering and community college IT programs. If we can't find the requisite talent, all sectors of our economy will fall behind the U.S., Europe and China in productivity and innovation.

New Brunswick does not (yet) have the kind of brand that MIT, Waterloo or Stanford universities do. As a consequence, we will not be able to attract enough students or knowledge workers to the province to meet demand, so most of our supply needs to be home grown, and as the numbers show we aren't there yet.

Given the stakes, all of us - parents, educators, and leaders in business and government - need to do a better job of understanding what's happening here, and figuring out what we need to be doing about it.

As a business-person, the prospect of trying to compete with companies from the U.S., Europe and China with one hand tied behind my back because I can't find the people to match their advances in innovation and productivity, gives me the willies.

As a parent, I kind of get it. We spend enough time as it is prying our kids away from video games, FaceBook, and YouTube - the last thing we want for them is a career where we think they'll be chained in front of a computer all day.

And as someone who has worked in the ICT sector his whole life, I just don't see it. Because careers in ICT aren't about mindlessly droning away in front of a keyboard.

They're about greening the planet by taking carbon out of natural gas before combustion or helping large consumers of power reduce their carbon footprint by being smarter about how they use energy. They're about finding better ways for autistic children to connect to the people around them, and they're about helping emergency aid workers save lives in a place like Haiti - all of which are things ICT grads are helping to do today, right here in New Brunswick.

Larry Sampson is the executive director of the New Brunswick Information Technology Council, and vice-president of Knowledge Management for Acron Capability Engineering. His column appears every second Monday.

New Brunswick's leadership challenge

johnsgunn — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:44:11 -0400

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Telegraph-Journal, Published Wednesday February 24th, 2010

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http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/964056

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Nancy Mathis, head of the Wallace McCain Institute and New Brunswick Roundtable on Leadership, has taken up a Herculean mandate, writes columnist David Campbell.

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Have you ever wondered how a small New Brunswick company with humble beginnings could have risen to become one of the largest frozen food manufacturers in the world or how a small New Brunswick university could be ranked year after year as Canada's top undergraduate university by Maclean's magazine?

Or how come back in the 1990s a little province such as New Brunswick could have developed a model for government service delivery (Service New Brunswick) that has been emulated across Canada and beyond?

In each of these examples, there were obviously many factors and circumstances that contributed to the successful outcome but there was at least one common theme - leadership.

The same can be said about New Brunswick's long standing and intractable problems. Why has New Brunswick not been able to match the national level of population growth for a single census period since Confederation? Why, according to the 2006 census, does New Brunswick have the lowest level of post-secondary educated people of the 10 provinces in Canada? Why has our biggest export over the years been our talented young people? Why are there no New Brunswickers competing at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver?

Again, each of these issues has a specific set of circumstances that have influenced the outcome but there can be no doubt that leadership - or the lack thereof - has also been a common theme.

What makes good leaders? How come some universities, companies and governments rise to the top while others struggle with mediocrity? Do good leaders just randomly emerge or are there things that can be done to deliberately build leadership capacity?

That is the Herculean mandate taken up by Nancy Mathis, the energetic head of the Wallace McCain Institute and the New Brunswick Roundtable on Leadership.

The Roundtable was established by the institute to "enhance New Brunswick's leadership capacity both in quality and quantity and to ensure that the province has a reliable leadership supply now and for the future."

The group of about 30 younger and more seasoned people from industry, government and education are set with the task of addressing this rather complicated mandate.

Henry Mintzberg, the McGill University-based professor and expert on management and leadership, believes too many organizations are relying on a mythical version of heroic leadership. Mintzberg's point is an important one when considering how we can build the leadership that will transform New Brunswick into a dynamic and leading economy.

I think a lot of people are sitting around waiting for a charismatic leader to ride into town on a white horse. At the Roundtable on Leadership the name Frank McKenna kept coming up in conversations throughout the day.

What we really need in our government departments and agencies, in our companies and in our universities and community institutions is an infusion of empowered leaders - throughout - from the entry level manager to deputy minister or CEO. Women and men who are not satisfied with mediocrity and who strive day in and day for better outcomes.

I am not suggesting that leadership doesn't start at the top. Successful organizations are guided by a strong vision and good leadership. But it is becoming increasingly clear to me - particularly in government and academia - that deep structural change will only occur when there is pervasive support for the vision throughout the organization. The profit motive is a powerful signal for change in the private sector. No such mechanism exists in the public and academic sectors.

Moses coming down from the mountain with the tablets of stone and issuing edicts won't work. We need to take everyone in the organization up the mountain and convince them of the need for change. That, it seems to me, is where we start the conversation on leadership.

David Campbell is an economic development consultant based in Moncton. He writes a daily blog, It's the Economy Stupid, at www.davidwcampbell.com.

Bell Aliant to outsource about 100 Atlantic Canadian jobs

Rowser — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:51:12 -0400

Author

Reid Southwick

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Saturday February 20th, 2010

Source Url

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/960388

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Bell Aliant will try to find other work for affected employees, though they don’t know yet how many will be left without jobs. Photo by: Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal

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Company transferring its internal information technology operations to CGI Group Inc. in Quebec and Ontario

Bell Aliant Inc. (TSX:BA.UN) said Friday it will outsource about 100 Atlantic Canadian jobs as the telecommunications provider continues to face pressures to cut costs.

The company is transferring its internal information technology operations to CGI Group Inc. (NYSE:GIB; TSX:GIB.A) which already carries out this work in Quebec and Ontario.

Company officials will try to find other work for affected employees, though they don't know yet how many will be left without jobs, said spokeswoman Brenda Reid.

"We are going to be finding other opportunities for them within the organization and we're starting on that immediately," Reid said, adding the firm will make final decisions within the next 12 months.

"At the end of the day, there may be some that will leave the organization, but we'll work through options with them: the normal kinds things like retirements or that sort of thing, but at this point in time those details remain to be seen."

Reid couldn't say how many affected employees work in New Brunswick.

The consolidation comes after Bell Aliant cut about 500 management positions a little more than a year ago, shedding about 140 jobs in this province.

And there will be more job losses to come as the company continues to struggle in a competitive market, warned telecom analyst Eamon Hoey.

"They are not only competing against Eastlink and Rogers, but they are competing against organizations that provide service over the Internet, like MagicJack," Hoey added, referring to the USB device that connects landline phones to the web.

Bell Aliant has not been immune to the industry-wide decline in phone service subscriptions, but the firm is appropriately investing in its broadband networks to remain competitive, said Mark Goldberg, an Ontario analyst.

"The hope has to be that they can drive increased revenues from services such as broadband and IPTV, for example," Goldberg said.

"That is why you see investments in moving fibre closer to the home or, in the cases of Fredericton and Saint John, all the way to the home. And that enables them to compete even better against their cable company competitors for broadband service delivery at higher speeds."

Bell Aliant, like any other telecom, should be looking to shave costs to deliver services to its customers with as little overhead as possible, Goldberg said. Outsourcing internal IT operations as Bell Aliant is doing is an appropriate move, he said.

"It's not that surprising, given the economics associated with it and what might ask, what took them so long?"

KIRA to recognize achievements in N.B. knowledge industry

johnsgunn — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:58:49 -0400

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Daily Gleaner, The, Published Wednesday February 17th, 2010

Source Url

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/956844

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It's time to celebrate New Brunswick's best in the knowledge industry with the call for nominations for the 12th annual KIRA Awards.

This year's event is expected to attract close to 450 knowledge industry professionals from around the province.

The deadline for nominations is March 26.

The awards ceremony will be held on May 6 at the Delta Fredericton Hotel.

KIRA 2010 will honour excellence in New Brunswick's knowledge industry by recognizing companies and individuals.

Hosted by Enterprise Fredericton, KIRA has seven award categories. Visit www.kirawards.ca to see listings and entry forms.

New Brunswick companies and individuals can initiate their entries or be nominated by someone else.

"In New Brunswick, we have lots of amazing work being developed that we should be proud of" said KIRA 2010 co-chairwoman Colleen Benson. "The KIRA Awards give New Brunswick's knowledge industry the opportunity to profile companies and individuals leading the way in entrepreneurship and innovation."

"Receiving a KIRA Award remains coveted in its recognition," said co-chairwoman Carolyn Kervin. "In a vibrant industry such as this one, these awards have truly become a symbol of peer recognition and achievement of the highest standard."

NBer wins entrepreneur competition

johnsgunn — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:57:22 -0400

Author

James Foster

Source

Times & Transcript, Published Wednesday February 17th, 2010

Source Url

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/rss/article/956937

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Alex Belliveau of Moncton won entrepreneur of the year for NB in the Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship competition for his new business The Lawn Enforcers.

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Barachois student Alexis Belliveau from UdeM wins provincial business contest

A Université de Moncton business student will challenge other young Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs at a regional competition after his own business, The Lawn Enforcers, earned him entrepreneur of the year honours for New Brunswick in a national contest.

Alexis Belliveau recently came out on top during the provincial segment of the national Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship competition and next week will represent the province at the Atlantic regional level.

Taking part in ACE has helped him learn new business tips and boosted his confidence, Belliveau, 21 of Grand Barachois, says.

"It's an overall good experience to be able to experience this type of competition," he says.

He's been operating The Lawn Enforcers since 2007, enjoying great growth each year, to the point that he and his partner, fellow U de M business student Antonio Mekary, will likely have to start hiring staff this spring.

"Right now we're both working full time at it, and now we're probably going to have to hire two other people."

The Lawn Enforcers is a lawn care company with 85 seasonal clients who they serve each week, a number that has grown annually. Next, they expect they'll expand into all facets of yard care, plus into snow removal.

Founded more than 20 years ago, ACE is a national charitable organization that teaches young Canadians to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. Through a collaboration between industries and institutions of higher education, the program gives young business minds access to real-world experiences that complement in-class studies.

The 2010 ACE Regional Exposition will be held in Halifax on Feb. 26, with each provincial champion presenting their business to a panel of entrepreneurs and industry professionals who will determine two regional champs who will each receive a cash prize of $1,000 and move on to the final round of competition at the 2010 ACE National Exposition in Calgary on May 12.

"With today's ever-changing economic situation, ACE is proud to continue its work developing leaders, creating connections and impacting communities," ACE president Amy Harder says in a statement.

"Our 2010 Student Entrepreneur Provincial Champions will no doubt contribute meaningfully to the Canadian economy for years to come."

ACE has been a big help in running and growing The Lawn Enforcers, Belliveau says.

"A nation-wide competition like this is really helpful to us young entrepreneurs who are trying very hard to succeed in business while attending university," Belliveau says.

"It is also rewarding to have ACE boost our morale and provide sound business practice in order to be successful."

OnX Enterprise Solutions helps organizations optimize use of technology

johnsgunn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:45:07 -0400

Author

Glenna Hanley

Source

Daily Gleaner, The, Published Thursday January 21st, 2010

Source Url

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/927884

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Ryan Veino of OnX Enterprise Solutions shows off the company logo on his laptop.

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A Canadian IT company that has survived the booms and busts of the high tech industry is starting to put down roots in the Atlantic region with its first branch office in Fredericton.

OnX Enterprise Solutions, an IT solutions provider, established an office here in July and will soon add another in Halifax.

OnX is privately owned, with headquarters in Toronto. First created in 1983, it is one of the older IT companies, with offices in five major cities and in Cambridge, Ont., in Canada and offices in Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and one in the United Kingdom.

The company employs about 250 and uses as many as 100 independent contractors.

Greg Guy, general manager for the eastern region and based in Ottawa, said in a telephone interview there was always a plan to expand into the Atlantic provinces.

"What drove that a little bit faster than even I anticipated was that Ryan (Veino) was working for us here in Ottawa and, like all good Maritimers, wanted to go home."

Ryan Veino, who grew up in Nova Scotia, is a senior consultant and OnX's first representative in the Atlantic provinces. By February there will be a second one, located in Halifax.

Guy said Veino was one of the most senior of technical resources in the Ottawa office so he was the best choice to send to Fredericton.

"We knew he would serve us well and be a great first person on the ground in the Atlantic provinces," said Guy.

For his part Veino said he's happy to be back in the Maritimes. But aside from that he saw that Fredericton had particular potential for his company.

"When we looked at the Atlantic provinces Fredericton was definitely on the map because a lot of other IT companies were starting to locate here or have roots here. I certainly took into account that Fredericton was voted one of the top intelligent communities in the world," said Veino.

The presence of research and development, with organizations like the National Research Council, the universities and government also make Fredericton attractive to anyone in the technology field, said Veino.

Since coming here in July, Veino has already had contact with government representatives, talking about potential projects.

OnX is a multifaceted organization, providing a range of services, mainly to large companies and organizations, including banks, insurance companies, gas and oil companies, universities, hospitals and all three levels of governments.

"The Atlantic provinces customers are the same as customers elsewhere. They're looking for organizations to help them work their way through what is sometimes a pretty complicated decision as far as what to build and how to build it and how to implement it," said Guy.

What enables the company to deliver a broad range of services is its partnerships with other IT companies, many of them already operating in Atlantic Canada.

One of the largest is Cisco, an American-based multinational IT giant. OnX holds a gold certification from Cisco. Other partners are EMC, a storage organization and BM Ware.

"When we are helping a client in coming up with a solution it's always a mix of a technical architect, the technical folks that come up with a design, guys like Ryan, and specific products. So we do a lot of work with Cisco-based solutions," said Guy.

Helping organizations to optimize the use of the technology and infrastructure they already have is one of OnX's areas of expertise. Another is data centres.

"There is quite a bit of advancement in data centre technology over the last couple of years.

"There are ways to design, build and operate them to make them more efficient. That certainly is a sweet spot for us," said Guy.

There may be other companies in this area that do what they do but Guy said OnX picks leading technology companies as partners. And in addition they will always choose the product and solutions that are best for their client.

"We work for our client and they like our unbiased, objective view of technology assessment."

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Forward Thinking is a Thursday feature that explores research and development, as well as new technologies in our community. Send your comments and story ideas to news@dailygleaner.com.