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Saint John firms named to national rankings of IT up-and-comers New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal Monday, March 26, 2007
Established in 2004, Ambir combines experienced IT talent in the region with a "Flatworld Network" of partners. Specializing in strategic project management and software development services, Ambir has offices in Saint John and Fredericton and has grown to employ 23 people. "Ambir Solutions has got a unique idea of creating a global network of consultants to go after outsourcing opportunities," said Branham chief executive officer Wayne Gudbranson. "There's a lot of discussion around outsourcing in Vietnam and the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China). "It's a pretty small world and organizations are looking for IT professionals. That work will be outsourced and (Ambir is) building a network of consultants to do that," said Gudbranson. "They're very small, but it's a very innovative concept given the nature of the global service delivery climate." "We're obviously thrilled to be recognized by Branham," said Jeff Sheehan of Ambir's leadership team. "The list is obviously very prestigious and viewed highly. We're just really proud to be part of that. We've worked really hard to build a team and bring together a business proposition which obviously has some traction to it." Meanwhile, Saint John-based Mariner, established in 2003, also managed to crack the overall ranking at No. 221, thanks to revenues of $4.5 million in 2006. That represents 105 per cent growth, which chairman Gerry Pond hopes to repeat again this year. "It's exciting recognition by an organization that evaluates IT companies that some of us down here on the east coast of Canada are on the move," said Pond. Mariner, which has 60 employees, specializes in consulting around Internet protocol TV, and also does software development around IPTV and other systems. "IPTV, that's a hot area," said Gudbranson. "Very soon, you and I, from anywhere "... will be watching movies on our laptop or our BlackBerrys. "In the next year to two years it's going to become fairly ubiquitous out there, where you can use Internet protocol to consume any kind of entertainment that you're looking for," he said. "In the future you'll be able to walk anywhere and watch a movie or an NHL hockey game." Ambir and Mariner are both part of the propelsj network's launch32 campaign, which set out in November 2004 to see 32 new information and communication technology companies in Saint John in 36 months. "Here you have two companies - one three years old and one two years old - that were part of the launch32 group with this particular status," said Pond. "We can do this in New Brunswick, we can grow companies. "I don't want to sound arrogant about it, but I think it's proof it's there for the taking. And we've got some more coming that we hope will get in the same category and growth pattern. That's what it's all about, it's confirmation that we can do it." With the launch32 total at 16 companies, Pond acknowledged that the initiative is a bit behind schedule. "We don't have very many more months to get to our target," he said. "We're behind but we'll put on a little bit of a run to the end "... We might fail the final grade, but we'll get 'E' for effort." Moncton-based Whitehill Technologies Inc. was New Brunswick's top overall company with revenues of $27.2 million, which boosted it to No. 95, up from No. 143 a year ago. Whitehill also cracked a companion list of the top 25 software companies. Meanwhile, Fredericton's CARIS Geomatics Software Solutions jumped to No. 121 from No. 132 on revenues of $17.75 million. Nortel Networks of Brampton, Ont. took the top overall spot with $12.55 billion in revenue, followed by Celestica of Toronto ($10.22B) and Montreal- based BCE ($7.62B) as the top three stayed the same from last year's list. © 2007 Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick) |
Two New Brunswick companies have gained national recognition as firms to watch in the information technology sector. Ambir and Mariner Partners, Inc. have both been named to the Branham Group's Top 25 Canadian IT Up and Comers list. The list is part of the Branham300, which ranks Canada's 250 best IT companies, alongside 25 up-and-comers and 25 top multinationals operating in Canada. The self-proclaimed "who's who in Canadian IT" is now in its fourteenth year. The top 250 are ranked in terms of gross revenue while the up-and-comers are in a subjectively ranked group of innovative young companies in hot IT markets.