2007: A busy year for IT industry
Here we are again, another new year is underway with the excitement of what’s ahead of us. Still, I can’t help but feel that predictions for the future aren’t as solid as they once were. Few are brave enough to venture guesses as to what year will bring the flying car or the robotic butlers that clouded our dreams in the seventies and eighties.
By science-fiction standards, the new millennium may not have lived up to their expectations, but at the same time the ICT industry is responsible for ground-breaking developments on a daily basis – much of that coming from right here in Nova Scotia. So instead of trying to make our predictions fast enough to beat the innovators at what they do best, let’s take a look back at the major happenings of 2007.
IT Interactive Services Inc. receives Atlantic Innovation Fund
On January 17, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced the investment of up to $67.1 million in research and development projects in Atlantic Canada. According to Minister Peter MacKay, the funding going to nine different projects will “accelerate the speed of commercializing good ideas and products and bringing them to markets around the world.”
IT Interactive Services Inc., the development firm behind GenieKnows.com, was one of the recipients of the Atlantic Innovation Fund and has been slated to receive up to $2 million over a two-year period for the development of their local search engine, GenieKnowsLocal.com.
ITANS launches TechPortJobs.com
In March 2007, ITANS took further steps to support Nova Scotia’s IT industry with the launch of TechPortJobs.com. The website matches IT talent with Nova Scotia-based job opportunities from over 60 employers spanning all sectors. With listings ranging from entry-level to executive, TechPortJobs.com will play an important role in locating talent as the industry continues to thrive.
Prosolum Inc. awarded Bell Aliant contract
In a testament to the value of their products and their sound understanding of the communications industry, software developer Prosolum Inc. was awarded a three-year, $1.6 million contract with Bell Aliant.
Announced on May 25, the deal represents a big step in the relationship between the communications provider and solutions firm. Having already proven themselves effective with measurable results at Bell Aliant, Prosolum Inc. will be the one to watch for next-generation network solutions.
Hibernia Atlantic installs innovative submarine cable link
On November 1, Hibernia Atlantic broke all new ground in the telecommunications industry, offering an international cable link installed underwater between Boston and Halifax. The cable was built and developed in partnership with Huawei Technologies Co. and uses innovative 40G technology to increase the network's capacity fourfold.
The innovative development is a first for the industry and will enable the growing customer demand for streaming video, web conferencing and multimedia sharing that require high-bandwidth capacity. Thanks to Hibernia Atlantic, North American and global investment banks and content providers now have a better network solution.
Nicom IT Solutions joins Microsoft’s Partner Excellence program
On November 26, Nicom IT Solutions, a professional services firm in Halifax, was inducted into Microsoft’s Partner Excellence program. The firm, specializing in web and online application development, had to prove themselves in numerous competencies within the program.
Now, with proven capabilities with advanced Microsoft technologies, Nicom is considered to be “in the big leagues” with a certification of their professionalism and unique abilities to meet customer needs and expectations.
InNOVAcorp I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition
In December, InNOVAcorp announced the top winners in their I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition. First place winner, Marcato Digital Solutions, and second place winner, Stack-A-Buoy Marine Products Inc., were described as “excellent examples of the types of companies that will fuel the future economic growth of Nova Scotia”. The competition reviewed 121 formal submissions, pitches and business plans to identify and support early stage companies with recognizable commercial potential.
Marcato Digital Solutions, developer of a web-based management service for the global music industry, received $100,000 in a combination of cash and in-kind business services and will be entered into the provincial pool to compete for a $100,00 seed equity investment from InNOVAcorp.
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia
As of December 5, Nova Scotia is well on its way to becoming the most connected jurisdiction in all of North American. The province, through its Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative, signed deals with Internet service providers to ensure that all residents will have broadband Internet coverage by the end of 2009.
The initiative will bring broadband to 200,000 residents, 5,600 businesses and 213 schools proving an understanding that the service is “as important today as paved roads, electricity and telephones were in the past.”
TalkIT is a monthly column prepared by the Information Technology Alliance of Nova Scotia, an industry organization committed to the development of the sector through lobbying, networking and training.