By IAN ROSS
Sault Ste. Marie's IT sector is rapidly maturing and becoming more sophisticated with a new wave of entrepreneurs with big ambitions.
"It's been encouraging," says Tom Vair, executive director of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, who operates a business incubator for fledgling IT start-ups.
"We've started to see some of our small companies look outside the community for expansion and we see some entrepreneurs coming in the doors with the mindset of serving the North American market versus Northern Ontario."
The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's (SSMIC) third annual event was sold out for its Oct. 25 SSMARt (Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Region) Awards.
More than 100 attendees were expected for the event dedicated to honouring regional companies and influential individuals for their innovative use of technology and contributions to the technology sector.
Representatives from the Ontario Centres of Excellence and ITAC (Information Technology Association of Canada) were expected to attend.
"We're spreading out our wings and inviting people from outside the community which is great to see," says Vair.
This year's awards will feature speeches from former Sault natives who are major movers with Research in Motion (RIM).
Rosalynn Medaglia is the marketing director for AT & T at RIM where she oversees all marketing strategies and product market launches for one of RIM's largest carrier partners.
Angelo Fasulo, RIM's director of carrier management, is responsible for the company's relationship with Rogers Wireless Communications. He's worked in the Asia-Pacific and has advanced RIM's success in that region.
Both will speak on the business and marketing principles and challenges faced in the IT industry, along with their experiences working in a large technology company.
Categories include IT Company of the Year, IT Student/Graduate of the Year, Best Website Award, IT Executive of the Year, IT Project of the Year and IT Youth of the Year.
Some talented and innovative past award winners include local internet marketers Lucidia Studios who have increased their work with hotel giant Fairmont Properties.
"They're certainly one that's shooting up the charts," says Vair. "The sophistication of the technology and the maturity of the businesses is starting to increase, which is great to see.
"(Sault companies) are building up a track record of experience with the confidence to go into these larger shops and offer a package that is attractive to businesses. Certainly IT skills are becoming more in demand across the board and they are able to come to table with good pricing, skill-sets and in meeting the market in terms of what people are looking for."
