VERMONT’S DIGITAL FUTURE
SOFTWARE CYBERSECURITY GAMING E D U C AT I O N H E A LT H C A R E A D VA N C E D M A N U FA C T U R I N G IT SOLUTIONS
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TECH VOLUME 3
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NAME A STATE THAT’S HOME TO TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INVENTION — AND A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE
ANSWER: VERMONT
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ermont is famous for its farms, maple syrup, scenic beauty and outdoor recreation – all of which make it a great place to live and visit. But the state is also gaining a reputation for its technology business sector, featuring dynamic, fast-growing and innovative companies. Studies have pegged the Green Mountain State as the second most entrepreneurial in the country and also the most inventive, as measured by the number of tech business start-ups and volume of patent activity per capita. Techie.com recently named Burlington one of the nation’s 10 most promising tech hubs. In a National Public Radio interview on his American Futures Project, writer James Fallows of the Atlantic described the Burlington area as “a little tech empire.” Vermont’s expanding technology business sector contains a diverse array of companies delivering cutting-edge products, software and services to customers worldwide. They provide high-paying jobs, bring money into the state and generate tax revenue — in a way that’s compatible with Vermont’s thriving downtowns and working landscape. In short, technology is a critical and clean component of the Vermont economy and provides a crucial growth opportunity for the state. In this edition of Tapping Tech, we introduce you to some of the companies — from large, established firms to small start-ups — that are leading the way. — JEFF COUTURE, vtTA Executive Director
COMPANY PROFILES Introductions to some of Vermont’s fastest-growing and most innovative tech enterprises, organized by sector SOFTWARE Dealer.com and Global-Z International PAGE 4 CYBERSECURITY Leahy Center for Digital Investigation at Champlain College and Pwnie Express PAGE 8 GAMING Birnam Wood Games PAGE 12 EDUCATION Middlebury Interactive Languages PAGE 13 HEALTH CARE BioTek Instruments and OpenTempo PAGE 14 JORDAN SILVERMAN
Tapping Tech is brought to you by the Vermont Technology Alliance and the Vermont Technology Council, with support from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and our advertiser sponsors. The vtTA is a business association — formed by entrepreneurs for the benefit of entrepreneurs — with a mission to support, promote, celebrate and grow technology businesses and jobs in Vermont. The vtTA sponsors and promotes technology programs and events, creates opportunities for networking and collaboration, and advocates on behalf of Vermont’s technology business sector. The Vermont Technology Council was founded in 1994 to support technology-enabled economic development, and it serves as the statewide board for the National Science Foundationsponsored Vermont EPSCoR program. The VTC also creates the state science and technology plan, and has helped found organizations such as the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, Vermont Academy of Science and Engineering, and Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center. The Vermont Technology Alliance and the Vermont Technology Council created this publication to showcase the state’s growing technology sector and its importance to Vermont’s economy. Connect with them at vermonttechnologyalliance.org and vttechcouncil.org.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Logic Supply and Eastman Benz PAGE 20 IT SOLUTIONS C2 and Network Performance, Inc. PAGE 24
INSIDE THE ECOSYSTEM Overviews of the ecosystem that fosters and supports Vermont innovation EVENTS PAGE 6 SPACES PAGE 10 EDUCATION PAGE 16 IT ALL ADDS UP PAGE 18 The Economic Impact of Technology CONNECTIVITY PAGE 22 COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT PAGE 26 Joining the vtTA INDEX OF VERMONT TECH COMPANIES PAGE 28
Tapping Tech: Vermont’s Digital Future was produced by Seven Days and published in April, 2014. TA P P I N G T E C H :
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The Dealer.com staff at the company’s headquarters
DriVing teCh DoLLars to Vermont COMPANY Dealer.com LOCATION Burlington WEBSITE dealer.com
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urlington, Vermont, is home to dozens of software and tech companies, but none has taken off as fast as Dealer.com. This turbo-charged start-up went from zero to 800 employees in just 15 years — and that has had a big impact on Dealer.com’s hometown. It all started at Mark Bonfigli’s Earthcars dealership in Williston in the late 1990s. Mike Lane dropped by in search of a new ride, and their conversation soon turned from cars to computers; Bonfigli was testing and prototyping the business concept at Earthcars that would become the genesis for starting Dealer.com. That led to a meeting over burgers and beers with Lane’s friends, Rick Gibbs, Ryan Dunn and Jamie LaScolea. In 1998, the five of them went to work at the company that would become Dealer.com. Their online inventory tracking and lead management system quickly gained traction. With help from Vermont HITEC, which provided assistance with training, Dealer.com scaled up its operations in Burlington’s South End. The company’s momentum was driven by demand from dealers eager to connect with customers online, but it was also fueled by Dealer.com’s evolving corporate culture. “Go big or go home” was one of the company’s core values. Today, Dealer.com provides digital marketing solutions and services to auto dealers around the world. Its sales were up 25 percent in 2013, a year in
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which it generated $230 million in revenue — almost all of it from clients outside of Vermont. The company plays big, too. “We will embrace life, work hard and enjoy the ride,” goes the mission statement. “Having a great time is mandatory.” To that end, Dealer.com invests heavily in its “earthlings,” as it calls its employees; the term is a throwback to Bonfigli’s earlier enterprise. When the company renovated the vacant Specialty Filaments plant on Pine Street in 2008 to house them, it included space for two organic cafés, a rooftop terrace complete with a mini golf course, and an on-site fitness facility, where employees can receive chair massages and take free tennis lessons. Dealer.com also subsidizes employee lift tickets to local mountains and throws spectacular company parties geared toward showing appreciation for employees and customers. All of that earned it a 2009 Best Places to Work award from Outside magazine. Its rapid sales growth has allowed Dealer.com to create hundreds of jobs and funnel money back into the local economy through taxes, wages and money spent on local vendors. But it also attracted industry attention: In March, 2014, New York-based Dealertrack Technologies finalized its acquisition of Dealer.com in a transaction valued at nearly $1 billion. Dealertrack will base its digital marketing management in Burlington at the Dealer.com headquarters. The company is equally committed to its Corporate
SOFTWARE
Gov. Peter Shumlin with the Garders
“Everything we do is about
COURTESY OF DEALER.COM
JILL BADOLATO, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM OWNER, DEALER.COM Social Responsibility Program, officially launched in 2013 but in practice since the beginning, and managed by its original marketing director, Jill Badolato — “employee number 35.” “We are a big part of this city,” Badolato declares. “It’s important to make sure we’re giving back.” And they are. Referencing her annual report, Badolato points out that 550 Dealer.com employees did volunteer work on company time in 2013 for a total of 4,400 hours of service. The company distributed 66 community grants and aided 38 different local organizations, including the South End Arts and Business Association and the Intervale Center. The company’s annual Woody Classic tennis tournament raised $58,000 for the King Street Center kids. In addition to community service and fundraising for nonprofits, Dealer.com employees also collected two tons of electronics to be recycled and refurbished through the company’s first E-Waste Day. And the company displayed the work of 19 different local artists on the walls of its corporate HQ, which resulted in 42 art sales. Why invest so heavily in the community? Badolato says employees love it. “The number of employees who say ‘thank you for doing this’ is off the charts.” But it’s also about making Burlington a desirable place to live, which helps the company attract and retain good employees. “Everything we do is about making Burlington a place where people want to live and work,” she says. That’s good for the rest of us, too.
COURTESY OF GLOBAL-Z INTERNATIONAL
MAKING BURLINGTON A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE AND WORK.”
DeLiVering the message
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ermont’s technology industry extends far beyond Burlington. When U.S. companies such as Orvis, Victoria’s Secret and Coldwater Creek want to reach their overseas customers, they turn to Bennington-based Global-Z International. The 25-year-old, family-owned company specializes in international contact data hygiene. Its 17 employees ensure that clients’ global address data is accuCOMPANY rate to guarantee that overseas diGlobal-Z rect mail communications are sent International to the right people, on time and on LOCATION budget. Bennington That’s more complicated than it WEBSITE sounds — postal codes, data capglobalz.com ture regulations and address formats are constantly changing. Global-Z employs technical experts as well as a research and development staff familiar with the geographic, linguistic and cultural issues of each country to keep the company’s proprietary software updated. They enable clients to assemble an accurate demographic profile of their overseas customer base in real time. It’s a valuable service for companies with millions of international customers across several continents. Other firms manage contact data for U.S. customers, but “our solutions serve the global market better than anybody else’s can,” says sales and marketing assistant Paul Harris. International expertise is part of Global-Z’s DNA. The family-owned company was started by Russian-born Leonid Garder; his wife Sasha, who grew up in France and Switzerland; and their son, Dimitri. The family finally settled in southern Vermont after leaving New York City; they started Global-Z in their garage. The company is poised to grow in 2014, Harris explains, as overseas markets become increasingly valuable to its clients. “It’s a super-busy year for us,” he says.
QUICKFACTS U.S. high-technology employment is projected to grow more than 16% between 2011 and 2020. Employment growth projected for software developers is 57%. — Bay Area Council Economic Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics
The greater Burlington area is ranked 4th among small U.S. cities for high-tech GDP concentration. — Milken Institute
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EVENTS
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Looking for a tech job? Got a great idea for a start-up? Want to meet hackers, coders and digital media mavens? You’ll find them at these annual Vermont events.
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Vermont Tech Jam at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington
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INSIDE THE TECH ECOSYSTEM
Merchants Bank President Mike Tuttle presents the 2013 Vermont Tech Jam Innovator and Ambassador Awards to Pwnie Express and FreshTracks Capital
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CATHY RESMER
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Champlain Mini Maker Faire at Shelburne Farms
2012 Hack VT contestants
VERMONT TECH JAM: This job fair and tech expo, organized by Seven Days and the
Vermont Technology Alliance, draws dozens of growing companies, large and small, to exhibit alongside educational institutions that offer training in tech fields.
CHAMPLAIN MINI MAKER FAIRE: Artists, inventors and tinkerers — aka “makers” — gather to showcase their creations at this volunteer-run Shelburne Farms festival.
HACK VT: A 24-hour programming competition hosted by MyWebGrocer invites participants to use data provided by the state to create apps for Vermont.
INVENTION2VENTURE: Researchers and entrepreneurs collide at this annual conference hosted by the University of Vermont’s Office of Technology Commercialization, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies and the Vermont Technology Council.
BURLINGTON RUBY CONFERENCE: A team of local volunteers hosts this languagespecific coding conference; in 2013, it drew 150 programmers from all over the Northeast. LAUNCH VT: The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and its Burlington Young Professionals group organize this business-pitch competition, with help from FreshTracks Capital.
NATIONAL DAY OF CIVIC HACKING: Volunteer “civic hackers” from Code for BTV host this two-day hackathon to build digital tools for nonprofits and municipalities.
STORYHACK VT: Participants have 24 hours to create a narrative using multiple digital media platforms during this volunteer-run hackathon for creative types. VERMONT CODE CAMP: Volunteers from the local computing community host this daylong, hands-on conference for freelancers and local programming professionals. WOODSTOCK DIGITAL MEDIA FESTIVAL: Artists and digital media makers mingle with potential investors at this celebration of all things online.
PEAK PITCH: Entrepreneurs court venture capital investors while riding up the mountain on a ski lift as part of this Vermont-style start-up support session organized by FreshTracks Capital.
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CYBERSECURITY Jonathan Rajewski, LCDI Director, works with student Julie Desautels
QUICKFACTS
— Burning Glass, a Boston-based labor market analytics firm
U.S. companies and public sector organizations raised outlays on computer security to an estimated $89.1 billion in the fiscal year that ended in October 2013, more than double the 2006 level. — Ponemon Institute
In 2014, security practitioners selected the cybersecurity courses and degree programs at Norwich University in Northfield as the second best in the country. — Ponemon Institute
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Listings for cybersecurity positions rose 73% from 2007 through 2012, 3.5 times faster than postings for computer jobs as a whole.
training CoLLege stuDents to Fight CYBer Crime
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explains director Jonathan Rajewski, an asigital devices such as laptops sistant professor in Champlain’s Division of and smartphones store massive COMPANY Information Technology and Sciences. The amounts of data, from emails and Leahy Center trim 32-year-old with close-cropped hair texts to photos and GPS coordifor Digital looks more like an FBI agent than a profesnates. That information can be helpful to Investigation sor. In fact, he’s a member of the Vermont police when the owner is a crime victim, or at Champlain Internet Crimes Against Children Task a perpetrator. But understanding what to College Force; in 2011, Forensic 4cast named him look for and accessing it — not to mention Digital Forensic Investigator of the Year. keeping up with all the apps, operating sysLOCATION Rajewski explains that “some prettems and privacy issues — takes time. Burlington ty big cases in Burlington and throughThat’s why many Vermont police deout Vermont” have made use of his stupartments and law firms seek help from WEBSITE dents‘ research, though that’s as much as the Leahy Center for Digital Investigation lcdi.champlain.edu he can reveal. Many of the recent high-proat Champlain College. This professionfile murder cases in Vermont have includal laboratory, established with a $500,000 ed evidence derived from digital forensics Department of Justice earmark secured by investigations. Senator Patrick Leahy, specializes in mobile forensics, The students assist law enforcement in a variety of digital evidence management, data recovery and law-enways. The LCDI staff studies digital devices and experforcement training. It’s one of the reasons SC Magazine iments with ways to extract data — these studies can chose Champlain’s digital forensics program as the Best take “40 to 80 to 100 hours,” Rajewski notes. They also Cyber Security Higher Education Program in 2013. The LCDI is run by Champlain faculty and staffed by monitor battery usage, because devices consume varying amounts of power depending on which apps are open. 50 undergraduate and graduate students. “The LCDI is If someone were driving while wearing Google Glass, for an educational center focused on helping students get real-world practical experience while they attend col- instance, their studies might be able to show whether the wearer was using apps while on the road. lege,” says Robin Abramson, provost and chief academic The students publish their research on Champlain’s officer. “The things we’re doing at the LCDI will help not Computer & Digital Forensics blog, which documents only students, but Vermonters throughout the state.” their efforts to pry inside iPhones and a Smart TV from LCDI clients include federal, state and local law-enSamsung, as well as their experiments in recovering forcement agencies, as well as private companies and data from cloud-based services such as Google Drive, nonprofits. “Right now, we’re their research wing,”
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DeFenDing Data
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I DIDN’T HAVE TO GO TO CALIFORNIA to be involved in something like this.” GABE KOSS, SENIOR ENGINEER AT PWNIE EXPRESS Dropbox and SkyDrive. Rajewski says they get thousands of hits a month, mainly from other data security professionals. The LCDI also helps clients develop cybersecurity plans. Data breaches can be costly; a 2012 study by NetDiligence reports “the average insurance cost per breach was $3.7 million, up sharply from last year’s study where the average insurance cost per breach was $2.4 million.” And the LCDI hosts trainings for lawenforcement officials. A session on iPhones, for example, might explain something as basic as how to put the phone in Airplane Mode, to prevent anyone from accessing it wirelessly. Rajewski notes that the LCDI is able to offer all of these services at a reduced cost, because it relies on student labor. Unlike the graysuited administrator, the kids show up for work wearing jeans, hoodies and piercings. It’s a worthwhile trade-off for them, though — more than 90 percent of Champlain’s digital forensics grads get job offers within the first few months of graduation. The largest cybersecurity consulting companies come to Champlain College on an annual basis to compete for its students. The lab has been so successful, it’s expanding. According to David Provost, senior vice president of finance, “the LCDI will add on to its existing 900-square-foot space in the next year, doubling the number of computer stations available.” Rajewski is also collaborating with BTV Ignite, which seeks to develop apps that use Burlington Telecom’s gigabit internet connection. He hopes to leverage the lightning-fast network to create a “forensic cloud,” which will be piloted in Burlington and then rolled out to select US Ignite partner cities. “We want to put Burlington on the map,” he says.
orried about hackers compromising your company’s servers? Cybersecurity start-up Pwnie Express, founded in 2010, proposes that the best defense is a good offense. Pwnie derives its name from the hacker slang term “pwn,” which rhymes with “own” and refers to a humiliating defeat. The company’s website uses the term in a sentence: “Don’t get pwned by network hackers.” Its Pwn Plug 2 looks like a harmless Wi-Fi router, but it’s actually a powerful “drop box” that, once installed, lets companies try to penetrate their own firewalls to discover their vulnerabilities. COMPANY Hackers have been rigging drop Pwnie Express boxes to penetrate networks for years. But Pwnie commodified LOCATION this technology and put it in the Berlin hands of the good guys. The company built a standardized peneWEBSITE tration-testing tool that retails for pwnieexpress.com just $1,100. It gives corporate security professionals the ability to monitor network security remotely, which saves on costly and time-consuming site visits. In other words, the Pwn Plug 2 makes penetration testing “much, much, much cheaper,” says Senior Engineer Gabe Koss. As a result, Pwnie has been lauded in the industry press, and received the 2013 Vermont Tech Jam Innovator Award. More than 1,000 customers worldwide now use Pwnie’s products, from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies and security service providers. The company began when founder Dave Porcello started making early drop box prototypes in his Barre basement and offering them for sale on his blog. Strong demand encouraged him to expand his operations, so he, Koss and Robert Awk founded Pwnie. The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies incubated the company and, in 2012, helped Pwnie secure $600,000 from the Vermont Seed Capital Fund and a Boston investor. In 2013, Pwnie raised over $5 million in Series A funding; the Vermont Seed Capital Fund is its only local investor. Pwnie now has 15 employees, who are split between the company’s offices in Boston, Berlin, Vt., and the Karma Bird House in Burlington, where Koss is based. The 30-year-old Montpelier native and UVM grad notes that the company has kept its R&D operations in Vermont, as well as its shipping, manufacturing and customer service staff. All of the company’s products are still assembled in Berlin; South Burlington’s Logic Supply builds the shell for the Pwn Appliance, a unit that’s larger and more powerful than the Pwn Plug 2. Koss is proud of the company’s Vermont roots and hopes Pwnie Express can help attract more cybersecurity talent to the state. “It’s cool to know that I didn’t have to go to California to be involved in something like this,” he says. “I want to see jobs like this be the norm in Vermont.”
The Pwn Plug 2
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STEPHEN MEASE
INSIDE THE TECH ECOSYSTEM 10
Local 64
The Karma Bird House
Coworking spaces, business incubators, makerspaces and hackerspaces are hubs of entrepreneurial activity — and they’re popping up in vacant downtown spaces all over Vermont. They give freelance professionals a place to work, offer start-ups access to low-cost office space and provide inventors with access to shared tools such as 3-D printers and laser cutters.
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COURTESY OF KARMA BIRD HOUSE
SPACES
Generator Board of Directors: Denise Shekerjian, Doug Webster, Chris Thompson, Ken Howell, Generator Director Christy Mitchell, John Cohn, Doreen Kraft, Pauline Law, Michael Metz and Dan Harvey
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THE GENERATOR: The new Generator makerspace, located in the Annex of Burlington’s city-owned Memorial Auditorium, offers members studio space, classes and access to equipment.
LABORATORY B: Burlington’s volunteer-run hackerspace offers community classes in soldering and coding. It also hosts forums about topics such as “crypto-currencies” — think Bitcoin. OFFICE SQUARED: Jen Mincar owns and runs Burlington’s oldest coworking space, on Main Street; it recently expanded to a College Street location.
LOCAL 64: Lars Torres, director of Vermont’s Office of the Creative Economy, founded Montpelier’s downtown coworking space. It attracts a cross-section of tenants, including video-game designers and online-marketing professionals. VERMONT CENTER FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: VCET is currently incubating several agricultural, manufacturing and tech-based businesses at its Burlington and Middlebury offices. THE KARMA BIRD HOUSE: This building, at 47 Maple Street, Burlington, once belonged exclusively to JDK Design but is now home to freelance programmers, small businesses and tech start-ups, including Pwnie Express and Birnam Wood Games. Vermont Office of Creative Economy Director Lars Torres reports that coworking spaces are currently forming in Newport, White River Junction, Springfield, Brattleboro, Middlebury and Vergennes. TA P P I N G T E C H : V E R M O N T ’ S D I G I TA L F U T U R E 1 1
GAMING COMPANY
Birnam Wood Games
LOCATION Burlington
WEBSITE
birnamwoodgames.com
OLIVER PARINI
Matt Brand, Mike Hopke and Marguerite Dibble of Birnam Wood Games at the Karma Bird House
starting up Vermont’s ViDeo game inDustrY
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QUICKFACTS The global wireless games market will reach $14.4 billion by 2017. — PricewaterhouseCoopers
58% of Americans play video games; 36% of gamers play games on their smartphones; 25% play on their wireless devices. — Entertainment Software Association
The first Green Mountain Games Festival at Champlain College in February, 2014, drew 31 exhibitors and more than 250 students and community members.
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irnam Wood Games employs the latest digital tools, but the Burlington-based video game studio takes its name from a 400-year-old source: Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In the play, the English army camouflages itself with branches from Birnam Wood during the final assault on the Scottish castle. BWG founder and CEO Marguerite Dibble likens that historic stealth attack to the way video games are battling novels, TV and movies to emerge as the 21st century’s dominant artistic medium. The svelte and poised 24-yearold is an unlikely general to be leading the charge. A native of the tiny Bennington County town of Landgrove, Dibble wasn’t even allowed to play video games, or watch much TV, as a kid. After graduating from Burr and Burton Academy, she attended Champlain College to study video game art and animation. That’s where she met the other members of her team; BWG formed after graduation. The goal? To stay in Vermont and be part of an emerging gaming industry that counts just a few other developers in the state. BWG has produced several titles so far. Its most recent release, funded by Boston-based publisher Gameblyr, is an infectious strategy game called Pathogen — available on tablets and mobile devices for $2.99. Industry reviewers have given it high marks: “Pathogen’s simpleyet-addictive gameplay is augmented by terrific presentation, with visuals that make it feel like you’re playing on a computer from a 1980s sci-fi movie,” wrote Andrew Webster for the Verge. Pathogen won Best Online Game in the Mass Digi Games Challenge and is one of several titles nominated by PocketGamer for Best Casual/Puzzle Game of 2013. But as with many art forms, critical and commercial
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successes don’t always go hand in hand. BWG pays its bills primarily by taking on commercial work. The studio has applied its expertise in gamification to projects for companies such as Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and JDK Design. Seven Days hired the studio to create Runoff, an educational game that demonstrates how rain barrels can reduce stormwater runoff into Lake Champlain. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center helped design Runoff; visitors to ECHO can play it in a vintage arcade cabinet outfitted by Logic Supply of South Burlington. According to BWG’s database, Runoff has been played more than 10,000 times since it launched in the summer of 2013. A forthcoming commercial project has a similar, socially responsible goal. BWG collaborated with Burlington-based Superconductor on 8BitFit, a free, fitness-tracking app. “It uses game mechanics to motivate you to exercise,” Dibble explains. The app helps users earn points for running and walking, for example. “Instead of interacting with the game through a joystick,” she says, “you’re interacting through your personal fitness.” Dibble admits that juggling all of these projects while making intelligent, artistic games — and making payroll — is a constant challenge. “It’s absolutely insane,” she says. That’s one reason she’s working with local advisors and angel investors; she’s hoping to raise a couple hundred thousand dollars to fund the creation of a commercially driven game that will generate steady revenue. That, she says, will help pay for more creative projects and let BWG continue to employ Champlain College gaming grads. “It’ll keep more good talent in the area,” she says.
EDUCATION
Breaking the Language Barrier
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arlez-vous Français? For nearly 100 years, university students, diplomats and business leaders have come to Middlebury College to learn to speak French and other foreign languages. The Middlebury Language Schools, established in 1915, have an international reputation for high-quality instruction. Now K-12 students can benefit from Middlebury’s proven language learning methods, too — using digital tools developed by Middlebury Interactive Languages. The company, founded in 2010, is a joint venture between the college and K12 Inc., a Virginia technology firm that creates online learning solutions. Middlebury Interactive receives guidance from the school — its chief learning officer is Middlebury Interactive Aline Germain-Rutherford, who is also direcemployees Reuben tor of the French Oswald, Ben Simmons, School and associCOMPANY Stacey Rainey, Rachel ate vice president Middlebury Interactive Connor, Erin McCormick of the language and Languages and Reinhold Lange graduate programs. work at the company LOCATION But it employs its headquarters Middlebury own linguistic and software experts, WEBSITE three of whom middleburyinteractive.com found the company through primarily with schools and school districts. Teachers the Vermont Tech Jam. use the company’s media-rich tools to supplement exMany of its 45 Vermont employees are Middlebury isting instruction, offer additional language levels such College grads. “A lot of folks want to come back,” ob- as advanced placement courses, or even to add programs serves chief strategy officer Stacey Rainey. Those who re- where none existed before. turn to the quintessential Vermont college town work That was the case at the K-8 Coventry Village School, in a spacious, brightly painted office just a few minutes’ one of 29 Vermont schools that participated in the comdrive from campus. pany’s Vermont World Language Initiative in 2013. This There they’ve developed French, Spanish, German, pilot program gave Vermont schools discounted access Chinese and Latin courses for K-12 students using the to Middlebury Interactive courses, as well as four days college’s immersive language pedagogy and teaching of teacher training that were subsidized by the college. methodology. Courses for the youngest learners involve The initiative helped Coventry establish a French proplaying games and listening to stories and songs; offer- gram, which enabled some students to learn to commuings at the high school level develop students’ reading, nicate for the first time with French-speaking relatives writing, speaking and listening skills through activities in Québec. and videos. Today more than 170,000 students at 1,200 And Middlebury Interactive isn’t just offering digischools across the country use Middlebury Interactive’s tal courses. The company also runs immersive summer digital courses. language academies for teens, similar to Middlebury The venture provides a way for the college to capitalCollege’s summer programs, at three liberal arts collegize on its rep and benefit from the online-ed boom — the es. The company added a Chinese academy in Beijing school owns a 40-percent stake in the company — but in 2013, and an academy in Spain starts in June, 2014. it’s also a response to a real need. Demand for all of these services is strong, says Rainey. Fluency in a language other than English is increasing- The company initially expected to double in size by ly valuable in a global economy. And studies show that 2015, but met that goal in a year — a sign that college the younger kids start learning, the better. Meanwhile, president Ronald Leibowitz was onto something when cash-strapped K-12 schools across the country are elimhe guided the school into this partnership. inating foreign language programs; just 58 percent of In a 2010 note to the community explaining the new middle schools offered language instruction in 2008, venture, he wrote: “To be an innovator and a leader, we down from 75 percent in 1997. must continue to take smart risks and adapt to changUnlike Rosetta Stone, which markets language soft- es — in this case, the opportunities technology has to ware to consumers, Middlebury Interactive works offer.”
QUICKFACTS 7.1 million postsecondary students take at least one class online. — Grade Change: Tracking Online Education in the U.S. 2013
In 2012-2013, the Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative partnered with 76% of the state’s high schools to offer online classes, many of which would otherwise be unavailable in small, rural schools. Recent course offerings include AP Calculus, Latin, Intro to Green Energy Design and 3-D Modeling to Print.
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HEALTH CARE
BuiLDing a Better LaBoratorY COMPANY BioTek Instruments LOCATION Winooski WEBSITE biotek.com
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espite the double whammy of government sequestration and a new excise tax on medical devices, Winooski’s BioTek Instruments had a good 2013. The 45-year-old, family-owned firm designs and manufactures microplate spectrophotometers — high-tech diagnostic instruments that allow researchers to analyze blood and tissue samples and test for diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. Sales were up, and BioTek increased its BioTek Laboratory Manager market share. Why? President and CEO Briar Paul Held works on tissue Alpert cites two factors. First, the company cultures at the BioTek laboratory introduced a new product, the Cytation3, a combination microplate spectrophotometer and microscope. “These kinds of machines were once only available to “It’s basically a microscope in a box,” says Alpert. “But multi-billion-dollar companies,” Alpert explains. “Now it’s a very sophisticated box.” they’re available to biotech start-ups. An army of reThe Cytation3 allows researchers to analyze their searchers is getting access to an affordable tool.” samples and then take images of them using a highIn the fall of 2013, SelectScience, an independent powered microscope, all in the same machine. This twoworldwide scientific review website, gave the Cytation3 in-one device saves lab space and simplifies the scientific its Scientists’ Choice Award for Best Drug Discovery process by enabling researchers to use one set of samples Product. The instrument also won the New Product rather than two. Innovation Award at the MipTec conference and exhibiAnd it’s a lot cheaper than its competitors. Alpert says tion in Basel, Switzerland. And it’s a finalist for the 2014 that before the Cytation3, Edison Awards, which recognize “innovation, creativity companies would have to and ingenuity in the global economy.” pay between $250,000 BioTek’s second big revenue driver in 2013 was overand $1 million to get seas expansion, according to Alpert. All of the compaequivalent functionny’s design and manufacturing is done by its 241 emality. Cytation3 costs ployees in Winooski. But BioTek also employs 130 sales in the $40,000 to and service workers in 10 overseas subsidiaries, in plac$80,000 range. es such as China, France, Germany and India. In 2013,
The Cytation3, a cell imaging microscope, developed by BioTek COURTESY OF BIOTEK INSTRUMENTS
BioTek opened offices in Japan and Taiwan. Alpert says it’s imperative that the company establish teams across the globe to sell these Vermont-made products. “Locally based BioTek personnel are able to offer the customer a superior level of technical expertise, service and support that simply can’t be accomplished remotely,” he explains. Overseas sales currently account for about half of BioTek’s approximately $100 million in annual revenue. Alpert, who owns and runs BioTek with his brother,
COMPANY OpenTempo LOCATION Williston WEBSITE opentempo.com
YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE FILLING THE PIPELINE.” OLIVER PARINI
BRIAR ALPERT, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BIOTEK Adam, attributes the company’s longevity to innovation. If BioTek hadn’t invested heavily in developing the Cytation3, he reasons, revenues would have been down in 2013. “You have to constantly be investing in the future of the company,” Alpert insists. “You have to constantly be filling the pipeline.” For BioTek, that means investing in products, but also in people. “We pay people well,” says Alpert, and the company also picks up the tab for their education. A number of employees have gone back to school on the company’s dime to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UVM, St. Michael’s College and Champlain College. Alpert’s father, Norman, was the firm’s founder and a University of Vermont physiologist. BioTek’s global reach hasn’t loosened its local roots. “We’re hiring Vermont vendors,” says Alpert, citing Winooski neighbor Eastman Benz, whose employees produce circuit boards for the company. “We literally purchase millions of dollars of parts and service in Vermont.” BioTek has also sponsored the Vermont Tech Jam, as well as a local high school robotics team. “The moment you stop making these forward-thinking investments,” he says, “you sign the company’s death warrant.”
Brooke Stahle, director of Peri-Op Services, and resident Lyle Gerety at Fletcher Allan Health Care.
MATTHEW THORSEN
“You have to constantly be investing in the future of the company.
sCheDuLing suCCess
H
ospitals are high-tech environments as far as patient care is concerned, but for many of them, managing doctor and nurse schedules is still a low-tech process. The complexities of accounting for clinical requirements, staff specialities and certifications, as well as vacation requests and union rules, mean that hospitals still frequently build their schedules by hand. That inflates staffing costs, which typically make up more than 50 percent of a hospital’s operating budget. Williston-based OpenTempo views this challenge as an opportunity. The rapidly growing company, founded in 2006 by CEO Rich Miller, has designed software that automates the health care staff scheduling process. “We make sure you have the right physician, the right nurse, the right tech in the right place, at the right time,” says John Jordan, vice president of sales and marketing. Given soaring health care costs and falling reimbursements, this is an area where the right technology can have a big impact. It has in the operating room at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. Building a schedule for its 160 nurses used to take a health care professional about 80 hours a month. OpenTempo’s software cut that to just eight hours a month, a tenfold reduction that equates to less time on paperwork and more time on patients. The Fletcher Allen anesthesiology department also uses OpenTempo, as do a growing number of academic and clinical clients across the country, including Mass General, MD Anderson, Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois. As a result, since January 2013, the company has expanded from a handful of staffers to nearly 30 employees, including one recruit from the Vermont Tech Jam. Many of its new hires have come from recently downsized companies such as GE Healthcare, IBM and PKC/Sharecare, and are being retrained thanks to a Vermont Department of Labor grant. OpenTempo’s software provides a tremendous ROI for large health care systems with hundreds of employees to manage. And Jordan points out that many of them haven’t upgraded yet. “These organizations need a way to control their operating costs while maintaining excellent patient care,” he says. “It’s almost shocking how much green space there is in this market.”
QUICKFACTS From 2001-2010, the U.S. bioscience industry grew by 6.4%, adding more than 96,000 jobs. — Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Industry Development Report
Mobile health technology usage is growing rapidly in the U.S. Analysts predict that the size of the worldwide mobile health market will reach $23 billion by the end of 2017. — Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, in its Health in China and the United States report
H E A LT H C A R E
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CATHY RESMER
EDUCATION
INSIDE THE TECH ECOSYSTEM
Lizzie Michael and Alexa Herrera at the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont
Vermont’s colleges and universities run a number of STEM-related programs, but they’re not the only places to find tech training. Here are some other organizations offering kids and adults an on-ramp to the information highway.
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SARAH WILLIAMSON
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Girl Develop It Code and Coffee participants
SARAH WILLIAMSON
Setting up the Maker Bot at a meeting of the Burlington 3-D Printing and Modeling Group.
GOVERNOR’S INSTITUTES OF VERMONT: GIV runs weeklong summer programs for
high schoolers in engineering, information technology and digital media, as well as winter weekends devoted to astrophotography, IT, engineering and advanced mathematics.
GIRL DEVELOP IT BURLINGTON: The local chapter of this national nonprofit offers introductory programming classes for adults. They’re aimed at women, but open to all, regardless of skill level or gender.
FIRST ROBOTICS: Middle and high school students build robots and compete in tournaments through this national league; UVM hosts a competition every spring. ARTDUINO MAKER CAMP: The organizers of the Champlain Mini Maker Faire put
together this weeklong summer day camp at Shelburne Farms for kids ages 10 to 18. It combines electronics, microcontrollers, writing, movement and music.
BLU-BIN 3-D PRINTING: Burlington’s 3-D print shop, located at 20 Church Street, holds weekly workshops for all ages on 3-D printing and computer-aided design. YOUNG HACKS ACADEMY: This summer day camp for kids ages 9 to 14 teaches programming fundamentals at 10 Vermont sites, including Hyde Park, Newport and St. Albans. TARRANT CODE CAMP: UVM hosts this weeklong summer session for K-12 students and educators, organized by the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education. Offerings include computer art, game development, mobile app development, robotics and web development.
HOUR OF CODE: In 2013, this nationwide campaign promoting computer science
education inspired more than 110 Vermont schools to offer K-12 students an hour of computer programming instruction. Self-guided Hour of Code tutorials are available online at code.org.
USER GROUPS: Programmers who want to stay current can join one of dozens of local volunteer-run user groups, including the Burlington 3-D Printing and Modeling Group. Find a list of them at techjamvt.com.
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IT ALL ADDS UP
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 18
Why should we care about the health of Vermont’s tech sector? BECAUSE IT HELPS DRIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ACROSS THE STATE.
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Vermont Technology Alliance member companies report a 25% INCREASE in employment on average between 2012-2014. — VTTA DATA
For every software developer hired, vtTA member companies add 6 NONTECHNICAL POSITIONS in fields such as sales, marketing, administration and accounting. — VTTA DATA
2X
Vermont technology jobs pay up to 70% MORE than the average Vermont wage. Software developers earn twice as much as the Vermont average. — VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WAGE DATA
States actively investing in and utilizing broadband networks are seeing stronger economic growth, better connected communities and enhanced quality of life. — TECHNET
“Our tech industry is a significant multiplier in our economy. It has spawned a culture of innovation that has resulted in many booming businesses, millions of dollars of development and other capital investment, and a cascading effect of jobs within our communities.”
TA P P I N G T E C H : V E R M O N T ’ S D I G I TA L F U T U R E
— GOV. PETER SHUMLIN, 2014 BUDGET ADDRESS
VERMONT’S TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS SECTOR HAS A SOLID FOUNDATION AND A PROMISING FUTURE. HOW CAN WE HELP THE STATE ADVANCE ITS TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY? Continue investment in Vermont’s broadband connectivity Tech companies require a strong broadband and mobile infrastructure. » With robust broadband connectivity, tech business can be done anywhere in Vermont, bringing jobs to the state. » Vermont has made progress, but more needs to be done to achieve competitive, statewide broadband, including: ą Setting targets for faster broadband speeds at lower prices ą Improving performance, access and choice in the state’s most rural areas
Market Vermont as a home for technology business and careers Vermont’s thriving technology business sector may be one of the state’s best-kept secrets. » Vermont’s rural image sometimes creates the impression that it is not a home for tech entrepreneurs and jobs. But you can be a tech entrepreneur or have a great tech career and experience Vermont’s great quality of life. » Promoting Vermont’s vibrant technology business sector can attract high-tech business and high-tech employment.
Expand opportunities for technology business financing and investment Vermont tech companies say they find it difficult to get business financing. » Many tech companies deal with intellectual, not physical, property, which can make it harder to secure collateral for a large loan. » Providing access to financing creates jobs and helps small technology companies succeed. » The creation of programs and incentives that enable and encourage loans and investment for technology enterprises will drive economic growth and jobs for Vermont.
Encourage educational programs and opportunities for a tech workforce Tech companies look for employees who have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, but who can also write, reason and work collaboratively to solve problems. » The vtTA and VTC believe it is important for Vermont to educate, attract and retain a workforce ready for tech careers. This requires: UÊ ÃiÀÊÌ iÃÊ> }ÊÌiV ÊV «> iÃÊ> `Ê6iÀ ̽ÃÊÃV ÃÊ> `Ê } iÀÊi`ÕV>Ì Ê ÃÌ ÌÕÌ Ã UÊ Õ ` }ÊÌiV V>ÀiiÀÊ>Ü>Ài iÃÃÊ> }ÊÃÌÕ`i ÌÃÊ> `Ê«À Û ` }Ê-/ L>Ãi`Êi`ÕV>Ì ]ÊÌÀ> }Ê> `ÊÊ internships for students and adults UÊ,i`ÕV }ÊÌ iÊ ÕÌ }À>Ì Ê vÊ6iÀ ̽ÃÊÞ Õ }ÊÌiV ÊÌ> i ÌÊÜ iÊi V ÕÀ>} }ÊÌ iÊ }À>Ì Ê vÊ new tech workers to the state TA P P I N G T E C H : V E R M O N T ’ S D I G I TA L F U T U R E 1 9
Vincent Flores works on a computer at Logic Supply’s office in Burlington
Designing Computers that Won’t Break DoWn COMPANY Logic Supply LOCATION South Burlington WEBSITE logicsupply.com
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he U.S. Coast Guard tracks ships entering American seaports using digital sensors that are positioned along both coasts. But the landlocked state of Vermont supplies the computers that relay this vital security information to a central command post. They’re designed and assembled at Logic Supply in South Burlington. Founded in 2003 by Roland and Lisa Groeneveld, the growing 50-employee firm specializes in designing and building small, reliable computers that function in rugged environments. The Coast Guard units, for example, are exposed to high humidity and salty sea air. Logic Supply makes computers that are dust-proof, shock-absorbent, water-resistant and able to function in extreme temperatures. Its products run everything from route management software in garbage trucks to baccarat tables in casinos, from hurricane-hunting Coast Guard helicopters to cranes that can hoist molten steel five stories above the ground. Some clients install its computers on factory floors, where dust, dirt and debris threaten to overwhelm other models. “It can be as simple as a desktop computer,” says CEO and President Roland Groeneveld. “A computer that just doesn’t die.” The company achieves that reliability by designing fanless computers with no moving parts. The resulting hardware simply has fewer opportunities to fail. Logic Supply doesn’t sell these highly engineered computers directly to consumers — its clients are private companies such as Microsoft, Archer Daniels Midland and Caterpillar, and governmental agencies including
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NASA and the U.S. Navy. Logic Supply’s products are in use on every continent except Antartica, though that could soon change: A customer is currently testing a unit for use at the McMurdo Station near the South Pole. Logic Supply also sells computers to companies that package its products for sale with other systems. A tour of the engineering shop on the first floor of the company’s two-story HQ turns up containers full of panels emblazoned with various brand names — employees affix different versions according to each client’s instructions. Groeneveld notes that the company’s products are both “unique” and “versatile.” Its market niche isn’t the only thing that distinguishes Logic Supply; the corporate culture is also somewhat unusual. The privately held company has a flat organizational structure that encourages interdepartmental collaboration. And its culture of transparency extends to salary information, which is shared with everyone on staff. Most notably, Logic Supply embraces tinkerers. “Geeks are the lifeblood of our organization,” reads the career page on the company website. “If you have ‘Tinkerer’s DNA,’ we want your passion, your ideas and your ability to make things work.” As a result, the company is a big supporter of Vermont’s maker community — it participates in the Champlain Mini Maker Faire and sponsors maker spaces at Champlain College and Memorial Auditorium, as well as the Vermont Tech Jam and two high school FIRST robotics teams. It also holds microcomputer workshops in which staffers teach participants to build their own small computers.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
ARE SORT OF LIMITLESS.” MATTHEW THORSEN
ROLAND GROENEVELD, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF LOGIC SUPPLY
“Ultimately, for us, it’s about local awareness, bringing in fresh blood,” says Groeneveld. It can be hard to find talented employees locally, he adds, though the company did recently hire an engineer who was laid off from IBM. In addition to its Vermont HQ, the company maintains a small office in Taipei, to manage its Asian supply chain, and an office in the Netherlands, Groeneveld’s home country. Four employees work there and serve Logic Supply’s expanding European Union market. Groeneveld says he sees a lot of growth potential there. He also expects growth in the company’s development of networked systems — what futurists refer to as the coming “Internet of Things.” Logic Supply has already installed a wireless RFID system that tracks shipping containers full of produce from South America. If a Logic Supply computer in one of the ports along the way senses from a transmitter in one of the containers that the shipment has been en route for too long, it assumes the food inside has spoiled and reroutes it to a different destination. Groeneveld predicts that these intelligent systems will help drive Logic Supply’s Vermont expansion — the company recently received a Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Award, based on meeting certain milestones in employee growth, and plans to double the size of its building over the next few years. Says Groeneveld: “The potential applications are sort of limitless.”
MATTHEW THORSEN
Karl Benz works on a circuit board at Eastman Benz
“The potential applications
assemBLing the essentiaLs
N
early every electronic device contains a printed circuit board with various components soldered on. Vermont technology companies can assemble their own circuit boards, but creating an in-house manufacturing department is complicated and expensive. And outsourcing COMPANY assembly out of state or overEastman Benz seas presents a variety of different problems. LOCATION Enter Eastman Benz. The fiveWinooski year-old contract manufacturing company assembles circuit boards WEBSITE for clients who need a few pieces eastmanbenz.com quickly for building prototypes or a few hundred units a month to satisfy low-volume production needs. Its customers include more than 30 local technology companies, engineers, and inventors. The company’s two founders, Dan Eastman and Karl Benz, met while pursuing engineering degrees at Vermont Technical College. They later worked for IBM and various other companies. In 2008, Microprocessor Designs in Shelburne asked Eastman to produce some circuit-board prototypes; the East Hardwick native and his friend Benz started laboring away at Eastman’s kitchen table on nights and weekends. They soon realized they could turn this side job into a full-time gig, and went into business together. Today the company’s five employees assemble hundreds of printed circuit boards, cables and electromechanical devices every month in their 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. All of the employees are engineers, a fact that separates Eastman-Benz from its competitors. Benz notes that it’s important to have engineers talking to engineers when assembling a new product for the first time or troubleshooting technical issues that inevitably surface when dealing with complex products. Eastman Benz has grown steadily — Eastman predicts the company will double in size this year, and within five years will be generating $8 to $10 million in annual revenue. It might be filling a small-volume niche, but, as Eastman observes, “We have big plans.”
QUICKFACTS Manufacturing has a larger multiplier effect than any other major economic activity — $1 spent in manufacturing generates $1.35 in additional economic activity. — Manufacturing.gov
On average, 1 new manufacturing job creates 1.6 additional jobs in local service businesses. Jobs in high-tech manufacturing industries, which require workers with high skill levels and pay above-average wages, generate 5 local service jobs. — Manufacturing.gov
A D VA N C E D M A N U FA CT U R I N G
21
CONNECTIVITY
INSIDE THE TECH ECOSYSTEM
the digital future using physical infrastructure — fiber and Wi-Fi — as well as community resources. These companies and networks help them plug in.
COURTESY OF JIM LOCKERIDGE
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Vermonters connect to
Members of Code for BTV and the Civic Cloud Collaborative at the Big Heavy World office in Burlington
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INFRASTRUCTURE FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS, COMCAST, SOVERNET, EC FIBER, VTEL, GREEN MOUNTAIN ACCESS, BURLINGTON TELECOM: These are among the leading
companies providing broadband service to residential and business customers in Vermont.
FIRSTLIGHT FIBER: This Albany, N.Y.-based company acquired Vermont-based TelJet in 2012. It owns a fiber network that provides high-speed data, internet, colocation and voice services to many Vermont businesses and institutions.
WINDSTREAM COMMUNICATIONS: This Arkansas-based company is leading provider of advanced network communications to Vermont businesses, including broadband, cloud computing, data center and managed services.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES BROADBANDVT.ORG: This online resource is a cooperative effort of the Vermont Center
for Geographic Information, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, the Vermont Department of Public Service and the Center for Rural Studies at UVM. It’s an online source for information on Vermont broadband services and initiatives.
BTV IGNITE: A national partnership between the city of Burlington and US Ignite promotes the creation of new apps that take advantage of Burlington Telecom’s unique gigabit-persecond capacity.
CODE FOR BTV: Affiliated with the National Code for America, this group of volunteer “civic hackers,” captained by Bradley Holt and Jason Pelletier, builds digital tools for municipalities and nonprofits. Its Civic Cloud Collaborative project recently won a grant from the Knight Foundation. INVENTVERMONT: This inventor-led organization provides information and resources about everything from product development and patenting to marketing. STARTUPVT: Part of the Startup America Partnership, this organization seeks to strengthen Vermont’s start-up ecosystem by bringing entrepreneurs together and helping them find the resources they need. VERMONT DIGITAL ECONOMY PROJECT: This initiative, part of the Vermont Center for Rural Development, helps rural communities build their digital infrastructure by hosting digital training programs for employees of municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits. VERMONT OFFICE OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY: Software, gaming and design are
among the tech industries the OCE promotes through its regular email newsletters and video profiles.
VERMONT TECH JAM WEBSITE: Seven Days maintains techjamvt.com and compiles a weekly email newsletter featuring tech news, jobs and local events.
VERMONT TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE: The vtTA connects its members through a
monthly email newsletter, as well as mixers and Lunch and Learns. Topics have included “Women in STEM” and “Vermont’s Economic Development Plan.”
VERMONT TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL: The Council serves as the statewide board for the National Science Foundation-sponsored Vermont EPSCoR program, and runs vermont.internships.com, which matches employers and student interns. TA P P I N G T E C H : V E R M O N T ’ S D I G I TA L F U T U R E 2 3
C2 founding partners: President & CEO Carolyn Edwards, VP of Engineering Melissa Dever, VP of Managed Support Todd Kelley, VP of Enterprise Infrastructure Martin Thieret
keeping Vermont Companies CompetitiVe COMPANY C2 LOCATION Colchester WEBSITE competitive.com
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eeping up with technology is a challenge for every organization that employs it. Choosing the right software vendors, e-commerce platforms and cloud computing options requires a level of expertise that’s increasingly difficult to find. That’s why many Vermont businesses and institutions turn to C2 for help. Founded in 1993 by four Vermonters who met while working for Digital Equipment Corporation, C2 uses top-of-the-line technologies to help its clients become more competitive. Its 78 employees attain and renew their industry certifications to stay up to date with the latest tools. They work closely with leading vendors such as Microsoft, Dell, VMware and Sitecore to craft digital solutions for some of Vermont’s best-known multichannel retailers, including Orvis, Seventh Generation and Keurig Green Mountain. But as cofounder and vice president of engineering Melissa Dever points out, the C2 team doesn’t just talk about tech. They start by
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discussing the clients’ business goals. “We want to know: What are you trying to achieve?” she says. For example, she offers, Massachusetts-based stationary company Crane & Co. wanted to produce wedding invitation proofs more quickly so that couples and their parents wouldn’t have to wait six to eight weeks to see a sample invitation. A conversation with Crane’s leadership led C2 to develop the company’s Personalized Design Studio. Its easy-to-use interface connects directly with the company’s back-end production management systems and allows salespeople at Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Macy’s to enter invitation information and produce proofs immediately. The couple can test different fonts, colors, themes and styles right there in the store. The system, first designed in 1997, saves Crane time and helps close sales more quickly. “It’s more rocket science than you’d think,” quips Dever. When Keurig Green Mountain was looking for a way to double web sales and
IT SOLUTIONS Standing: Chris Hill, Eric Hart and Matt Beckert of NPI; seated: Trish Scott and Chuck Stevens of Ascension Technology Corporation
MATTHEW THORSEN
OLIVER PARINI
increase membership in its coffee clubs, C2 built the company a new e-commerce site using Sitecore Content Management and Commerce Server from Microsoft. This platform supported multiple sites, resulting in a dramatic increase in web sales. It became a major cornerstone for the company’s digital marketing campaigns and new product introductions. Once C2 builds these systems, it can continue to support and overhaul them when new tools become available, says cofounder and CEO Carolyn Edwards. “It’s our job to understand how to leverage new technology,” she explains. “We use it to help our clients keep their businesses current.” In addition to architecting front-end solutions, C2 also helps clients streamline internal operations. For Saint Michael’s College, that meant updating the school’s email platform using a Microsoft Exchange Server. For Renewable NRG Systems, it meant a significant upgrade to internal infrastructure, a new SharePoint intranet for internal information sharing, as well as an external website supporting customers worldwide. C2 also provides infrastructure and mission-critical support services. When a customer’s Vermont-based data center flooded during Tropical Storm Irene, Martin Thieret – C2 cofounder and vice president of enterprise infrastructure solutions – headed to Waterbury. “I was handed a plastic bag with a muddy server in it,” he recalls. The replacement equipment was no longer available commercially, but Thieret was able to leverage C2’s client relationships to find the parts to get a crucial database back online. “You can’t build these relationships when you need them,” he says. “You have to have them already.” C2 is also building relationships with the next generation of tech talent. The company runs a highly developed internship program and typically hires up to 10 college students each summer, some of whom become fulltime employees after graduation. In 2013, C2 took on a pro bono gig — helping the Vermont Technology Council develop a new internship portal for the state. The Tech Council’s new, free-to-use site, vermont.internships.com allows other Vermont companies to connect with students seeking internships. C2 also supports a variety of other projects that foster the state’s burgeoning tech scene. The company has been a sponsor of Hack VT and the Vermont Tech Jam, as well as Girl Develop It, which offers low-cost coding classes to professionals working in other fields. C2 employees have spoken to students at the STEM Academy at Essex High School and are involved in launching the Coder Dojo BTV, a volunteer-led coding club for kids ages 7 to 17. Those investments share the goal of developing C2’s — and Vermont’s — future workforce, ensuring that Vermont companies can keep competing.
making the net Work
S
helburne’s Ascension Technology Corporation makes 3-D tracking devices that guide medical instruments inside a patient’s body. But when the company needs IT guidance and support, it relies on Network Performance, Inc. The South Burlington company helped Ascension design its IT network, which NPI supports with remote monitoring and management. The technology management firm has been working as an advisor to Vermont companies for 25 years. Cofounders John Burton and Eric Hart have built COMPANY information infrastructure in a Network variety of businesses around the Northeast. Burton says he and Performance, Inc. Hart quickly realized that there LOCATION was a business opportunity in South Burlington helping smaller companies navigate technological challenges. WEBSITE “They really need somebody on npi.net their side,” he explains. Today, the two manage a 14-person team that provides technical, administrative and consulting expertise to small companies with 10 to 100 employees. NPI’s diverse client list includes other tech companies, such as Ascension and Revision Military, as well as Darn Tough, Bond Auto Parts and Wake Robin. NPI’s staff work inside the company’s secure facility, nestled on a road behind the GE Healthcare complex; its lobby is separated from the offices by a door with a computerized lock. Visitors must sign in and don badges — Burton explains that NPI needs to abide by the same security protocols that govern its military and medical-industry clients. To serve their needs, NPI offers what it calls its “Canopy” service, which provides: 24/7 emergency response; repairs guaranteed 365 days a year; license and warranty tracking; stocking of spare equipment; disaster recovery; and regular IT review and strategy check-ins. NPI’s staff also provides technology management guidance and advises clients on ways to increase returns on their technology investments. “It’s not the fun stuff, really,” Burton observes. It’s just the stuff that keeps in-house IT people too busy to do proactive work on the company’s behalf. Eliminating that burden is what NPI does best — so that its clients can focus on what they do best.
QUICKFACTS The U.S. IT industry makes up 28% of the U.S. economy, and 88% of the nation’s IT industry is made up of businesses with between 1-19 workers. — CompTIA, the IT industry association
The IT industry provides higher salaries than most other industries, with technical workers earning an average of $81,000 per year. — CompTIA, the IT industry association
IT SOLUTIONS
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COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT
NOW IT’S TIME TO…
Here are some of the ways to get involved with the Vermont Technology Council and the Vermont Technology Alliance.
FIND AND OFFER INTERNSHIPS THROUGH VERMONT.INTERNSHIPS.COM Students know that internships lead to jobs and Vermont companies realize the value of internships as a recruitment tool — about 70 percent of students who complete an internship receive a job offer following their internship placement. That’s why the Vermont Technology Council helps connect in-state businesses with motivated, capable students for tech internships. Businesses provide the opportunities, students provide the talent, and the online Vermont Internships platform brings the two together. VERMONT.INTERNSHIPS.COM is free for both students and employers. Students can search, view and apply for internships and find career resources. Employers can post internship positions, search for qualified students, and find information about starting and building an internship program. Check it out at vermont.internships.com and visit the Vermont Technology Council’s website at VTTECHCOUNCIL.ORG.
JOIN THE vtTA The Vermont Technology Alliance is the voice for the state’s thriving tech sector, focused on: • Promoting the growth of technology businesses and technology jobs • Creating opportunities for collaboration and networking • Sponsoring technology programs, events and special projects • Sharing technology news, information and resources • Advocating on behalf of Vermont’s technology business sector • Providing outreach, information and support to government, business and education leaders • Encouraging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-based education and careers
and
vtTA members are crucial to helping accomplish the goals of the Vermont Technology Alliance, and benefit from its many networking opportunities. Become a member, or support the vtTA as a sponsor. Find out how at VERMONTTECHNOLOGYALLIANCE.ORG.
PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS The vtTA offers programs and initiatives in support of Vermont’s tech community, including: • Vermont Tech Jam: an annual job fair and tech expo that showcases Vermont technology companies, careers and opportunities • Tech Jam Awards: vtTA’s annual awards program recognizing innovative Vermont technology products and people • Lunch & Learn: monthly information and networking sessions featuring guest speakers addressing a range of tech-focused topics • Social Events: the vtTA hosts social and networking events, such as the summer dinner cruise and a year-end social gathering • Tech Community Outreach: the vtTA promotes and supports technology organizations and events
CONNECT WITH THE vtTA Visit us at vermonttechnologyalliance.org and SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Connect with us on social media: LinkedIn: linkedin/VermontTechAlliance Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/VermontTechAlliance Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/VermontTechAlliance Get Tech Jam updates at
TECHJAMVT.COM
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Vermont’s tech economy continues to grow, but the vtTA believes there are more opportunities for the state to truly tap the tech sector and maximize its potential.
By working together to make Vermont a home for tech companies and entrepreneurs, we can keep these high-paying jobs in the state, and attract even more in the years to come.
VERMONT COMPANIES THAT ARE “TAPPING TECH” • 1105 Media/MSDN Magazine
Colchester
Ask-int Tag
Essex Jct
3W Promotions
Hyde Park
Astute Computing, LLC
Waterbury Center
6 Degrees Software and Consulting, Inc.
Burlington
Audio-Video Corporation
Shelburne
7th Pixel
Montpelier
Aurora North Software
Burlington
AADCO Medical
Randolph
Availability Online
Rutland
Accelerated Outsourcing
Bristol
AvantLogic Corporation
Waitsfield
Accolade Group
Waterville
Avocado Design
Williamsville
Accutrace Design, LLC
Williston
Basic Eparts
Charlotte
Acute Technology
Morrisville
• Bear Code
Montpelier
Advanced Illumination
Rochester
Bear Pond Productions
Cambridge
Agilion
Burlington
Bia Diagnostics
Burlington
• Aerie Consulting
Winooski
BioMosaics, Inc.
Burlington
Ai Squared
Manchester Center
BioTek Instruments
Winooski
Aiki Creative
Woodstock
Birnam Wood Games
Burlington
• AJ Rossman
Burlington
BK’s Computing
Barre
Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Colchester
Blu-Bin
Burlington Burlington,
• Alfred James Brignull
Essex Jct
Blue Morpho Technologies, LLC
All-Access Infotech, LLC
Fairlee
• Bluehouse Group
Richmond
All Earth Renewables
Williston
BLZ Services, Inc.
Essex Jct
Allscripts
South Burlington
• Brandthropology, Inc.
Burlington
Alpine Web Media
Shelburne
Breen Systems Management
Vergennes
American Healthcare Software
South Burlington
Brighter Planet
Shelburne
Anything Graphic
Pittsford
Brown Computer Solutions
Bennington
• Appleseed Solutions
Essex Jct
Burlington Bytes
Burlington
Art Services, Graphic Design & Advertising
Hartland
Button Systems
Castleton
Cadenza Systems
Middlebury
Art Seventy, Inc.
Newport
Burlington
Ascendant Data Technologies, Inc.
Hartland
Caleidoscope Communications Company Cambium Group
St. Johnsbury
Ascension Technology Corp.
Shelburne
Capacitor Design Network
Hinesburg
ASIC North, Inc.
Williston
• Care.com
Moretown
High-Tech Programs. High-Tech Pay.
CONNECTING BUSINESS WITH TECHNOLOGY FOR SUCCESS. APPLY TODAY!
ccv.edu Give your career a jump-start and enjoy the lowest tuition of any college in Vermont. 28
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For over 20 years, we’ve been helping businesses be more competitive with technology.
COMMERCE | HYBRID CLOUD | MANAGED SERVICES | COMPETITIVE.COM | COLCHESTER, VT
Vermont Technology Alliance Members Cartographic Technologies, Inc.
Putney
Direct Design, Inc.
• Casenet, LLC
Charlotte
Divergent Technology Group, Inc.
Burlington Perkinsville
Catamount Research and Development, Inc.
St. Albans
Diversified Technology
Springfield
• Champlain College
Burlington
• Chroma Technology Group
Bellows Falls
ClearBearing
Burlington
• Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty
Burlington
• Coler and Colantonio
Burlington
Comcast Cable
South Burlington
Commerce Generation
Burlington
Community College of Vermont
Montpelier
• C2-Competitive Computing
Dog River Business Solutions, LLC
Springfield
Dominion Tech
Colchester
Dot Four
Shaftsbury
Draker
Burlington
Dreamlike Pictures
Burlington
Duelmark Aerospace Corp
Cambridge
• Dunkiel Saunders Elliott Raubvogel & Hand, PLLC
Burlington
DYMPOL, Inc.
Waitsfield
Colchester
Dynamic Business Solutions, Inc.
South Burlington
Comport Consulting Vermont
South Burlington
Eagle Network Solutions
Burlington
Computational Geology, Inc.
Weybridge
Earthlogic, Inc.
Colchester
Computer EZ
Mendon
East Street Information Ltd
Essex Jct
Concept Engineering
Middlesex
Eastern Systems Group
Waitsfield
Concepts NREC
White River Jct
• Eastman Benz
Winooski
Conix Systems
Manchester Center
EC Fiber
Royalton
Control Technologies
Williston
Ecopixel, LLC
Essex Jct
Cottage Industries Ltd
Jeffersonville
Edgeworks, Inc.
Williston
Creative Microsystems
Waitsfield
E-Enable, Inc.
Bennington
• CSL Software Solutions, Inc.
Burlington
Electronic Connection Services
Williston
• Cyprian Labs
West Hartford, CT
• Empower Mobility, LLC
Essex
Data Innovations, LLC
South Burlington
Enhanced Designs
Jericho
Data Systems, Inc.
Burlington
EQ2, Inc.
Burlington
Datamann, Inc.
Wilder
Exetechs
Cornwall
• David Jenkins
Waterbury Center
Exterus
Shelburne
• Davis & Hodgdon Associaties CPAs
Williston
• FairPoint Communications
South Burlington
• Dealer.com
Burlington
Fenner Consulting & Software Development, Inc.
North Clarendon
• Desai Management Consulting
Williston
• FirstLight
Williston
Digital Aurora, Inc.
Manchester
Found Line, Inc.
Burlington
Digital Frontier
Stowe
Four Nine Design
Burlington
Digital Media Creations
Burlington
• FreshTracks Capital
Shelburne
Digitumbra
St. Albans
• Dinse Knapp & McAndrew
Burlington
Dinwiddie Software
Brattleboro
GET YOURSELF CONNECTED! Whether you are a client looking to fill a technical position or a candidate looking to advance your career, look no further than the Technical Connection. In 2013, Technical Connection placed more than 100 technical candidates with Vermont’s top companies. With over 20 years serving Vermont’s high-tech sector, let us assist you today!
continued next page LEARNING HOW TECHNOLOGY WORKS IS IMPORTANT. PUTTING IT TO WORK IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
LEARN MORE AT CHAMPLAIN.EDU
XXX WUUFDIKPCT DPN t vermontjobs@vttechjobs.com
BURLINGTON, VERMONT
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VERMONT COMPANIES THAT ARE “TAPPING TECH” continued
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TA P P I N G T E C H :
Front Porch Forum
Burlington
Galaxyplace, Inc.
Fairlee
Henninge-Industrial Design and Product Development
Burlington
Galen Healthcare Solutions
Burlington
• Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP
Burlington
Hesfield Enterprises, Inc.
Colchester
High Design Creative Group
Proctor
High Design, Inc.
GBIC
Proctor
Burlington
Howard Printing, Inc.
Brattleboro
GE Healthcare
South Burlington
HP Enterprise Services
Williston
General Dynamics
Burlington
Husky Injection Molding
Milton
Gerard T LaVarnway
Northfield
IBM
Essex Jct
• Girl Develop It
Winooski
• Ido Lanuel
Hinesburg
• Girl Zone Corp.
South Burlington
IGG Software
Putney
GIS Consulting Services, LLC
Burlington
Image Softworks
Fairlee
Global Classroom
Essex Jct
• Infinity Software Design
Middlebury
Globalnet Internet Services
Essex Jct
Injenics Consulting
Colchester
• Global-Z International
Bennington
• Innovation Hub
Jericho
White River Jct
Inside Edge Software
Huntington
Gorilla Web Studio
LInc.oln
• InSpo, Inc.
Burlington
Green Mountain Access
Waitsfield
Instrumart
South Burlington
• Green Mountain Antibodies, Inc.
Burlington
Interlock Software
Burlington
Green Mountain Digital
Woodstock
Interrobang Design Collaborative, Inc.
Richmond
Green Mountain Innovations
Williston
Ion Design
Burlington
Green Mountain Network
Burlington
iSystems, LLC
Colchester
• Green Mountain Software Corp
Burlington
IT Services, LLC
Milton
Green Mountain Solutions, Inc.
Alburgh
iTech US, Inc.
South Burlington
Green River Software
Brattleboro
Ivy Computer, Inc.
Waterbury Center
Greensea Systems, Inc.
Richmond
IWD InnovationsYES
Winooski
• Greg Hendrix
Essex Jct
• J. Rosenblum
Calais
Grenon Consulting, Inc.
Colchester
JAG Software, LLC
Shelburne
Gruber Technologies, LLC
Burlington
Jamison Computer Services
St. Albans Bay
GS Precision
Brattleboro
• jbt production services
Burlington
Hark Digital
Burlington
J.E.G. design, Inc.
Rutland
Hawks Mountain Consulting
Chester
Jennifer Boyer Web Design
East Montpelier
HC Sharp Software, Inc.
Thetford Center
JG Communications
Barre
Haematologic Technologies, Inc.
Essex Jct
Jim Winter Consulting
Hinesburg
• John Fodero
Jericho
• Hen House Media, LLC
Williston
• John Pile
Burlington
John Valance, Consultant
South Burlington
V E R M O N T ’ S D I G I TA L F U T U R E
LogicSupply-TappingTect-Ad-2014.pdf 1 3/13/2014 11:43:29 AM
Vermont Technology Alliance Members • Judith Mueller
Burlington
Maven Peal Instruments
East Montpelier
Kaman Composites
Bennington
Max IT
Burlington
• Karen Abrahamovich
South Burlington
MBF Bioscience
Williston
Keep Kids Safe
Montpelier
McHughston, Inc.
Williston
• Ken Horseman
Montpelier
MED Associates, Inc.
St. Albans
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
Waterbury
• Melissa DeBlois
Winooski
Key Communications, Inc.
White River Jct
• Merritt & Merritt & Moulton
Burlington
Kilawatt Technologies
Shelburne
MicroBrightField, Inc.
Williston
KnowledgeWave
South Burlington
Micro-CAD Designs, Inc.
Waterbury
• KSE
Montpelier
MicroData GIS, Inc.
St. Johnsbury
Lab Partners Associates, Inc.
South Burlington
• Microdesign Consulting, Inc.
Colchester
Lake Champlain Productions, Inc.
South Burlington
Microprocessor Designs, Inc.
Shelburne
Laureate Learning Systems, Inc.
Winooski
• Michael Szumski
Montclair, NJ
Learning Objects Network, Inc.
Waitsfield
Middlebury
LED Dynamics
Randolph
• Middlebury Interactive Languages
Lee River Software, LLC
Jericho
MInc.ar Consulting
Richmond
Level 3 Communications
South Burlington
MISys Manufacturing
Woodstock
Level 9
Barre
MLF Computer Services
Stowe
Life Elephant
Colchester
Morgan Stanley
Burlington
• Logic Supply, Inc.
South Burlington
Stowe
LORD MicroStrain
Williston
Moscow Mills, Inc./Vibration Solutions North
LPA Design
South Burlington
Moss Computer Consulting
Burlington
Mach 7 Technologies
Burlington
• MSD Consulting
Montpelier
MacInsight
Wallingford
Mylan Technologies
St. Albans
Mack Moulding
Arlington
• MyWebGrocer
Winooski
MacWorks
Winooski
Natworks, Inc.orporated
Northfield
Mad River Web
Waitsfield
NEHP, Inc.
Williston
Manock Comprehensive Design, LLC
Burlington
Nemia Medical Technology, LLC
Newport
Mantissa Technologies Corp
Williston
Net Source of Vermont, Inc.
Grand Isle
Manufacturing Information Systems
Woodstock
Network Performance, Inc.
South Burlington
• NeuEon, Inc.
Burlington
Maponics
White River Jct
New Breed Marketing
Winooski
• Marian Lawlor
Essex Jct
• Mary Evslin
Stowe
• Mary Anne Sjoblom
Essex Jct
Materials Management Systems, Inc.
Thetford Center
• Newgrange IT Consulting, LLC
Shelburne
Newspeak Communications
Charlotte
N Hawley Business Solutions
Milton
continued next page
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VERMONT COMPANIES THAT ARE “TAPPING TECH” continued North Country Communications
Newport
Prompt, Inc.orporated
Alburgh
Northeast Computer Systems
Lyndonville
• Propeller Media Works, LLC
Burlington
Northeast Kingdom Information Associates
Glover
Prosoft Technologies, Inc.
South Burlington
Northern Lights Business Communications
Weathersfield
Publishers’ Assistant
Jericho
• Pwnie Express
Berlin
Northern Skies Observatory
Peacham
Quechee Software
Quechee
• Norwich University Applied Research Institutes
Northfield
QuorumSoft
Winooski
Qvault, Inc.
Essex Jct
Nowirz
Moretown
Radius Network, LLC
Monkton
• NPI
South Burlington
RainWorx Software
South Burlington
NSK Steering Systems-America
Bennington
Ram Design
Marshfield
• Nunki, LLC
New Haven
rb Technologies, LLC
East Montpelier
OCR Solutions
Burlington
RCx Rules
Burlington
One Communication
Williston
• Reading Plus
Winooski
OpenTempo
Williston
Realpage, Inc.
Williston
Original Gravity Media
Burlington
• Red Leaf Software, LLC
Colchester
Ormsby’s Computer Store
Barre
Renaissance Digital
Hartland
P&C Software Services, LLC
Jericho
Jericho
Panther Interactive
Burlington
• Renaissance Information Systems, Inc.
• Par Springer-Miller Systems
Stowe
Rent-a-Geek
Burlington
Paradigm Consulting Company
Bethel
• Renewable NRG Systems
Hinesburg
Patient Engagement Systems
Burlington
Research Proteins, Inc.
Essex Jct
PC Med
Newport
Results, Inc.
Essex Jct
• PerfectJob, LLC
Essex Jct
Revision
Essex Jct
Peter Wolf Photo-Graphics
Jericho
Burlington
Pfizer
Montpelier
• RingMaster Software Corporation
Phil Tenenbaum Computer Assistance, Inc.
Rutland
• Robert Snapp
Essex Jct
• Roger Tubby
Stowe
Phoenix Chemistry Services
North Ferrisburg
Williston
PhRMA
Washington, DC
Ronco Communications & Electronics, Inc.
• Physician’s Computer Company
Winooski
Rose Computer Technology Services, Inc.
South Burlington
• PIEmatrix
Burlington
• Route 802
Williston
Pine Computers
South Burlington
ROV Technology
Brattleboro
PKC Corp
Burlington
Sacco Company
Williston
Polhemus
Colchester
Saxe Communication
Burlington
Pragmatic Technologies, Inc.
Burlington
SBE, Inc.
Barre
• Precision Bioassay, Inc.
Burlington
Second Law
Burlington
Precision Contract Manufacturing
Springfield
• SecurShred
South Burlington
Segar Consulting
Marlboro
SemiProbe
Winooski
LOOKING FOR AN
INTERNSHIP? Check out our exciting new internship website at vermont.internships.com today for easy, fast internship searches and employer posting opportunities.
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VTTECHCOUNCIL.ORG
TT-VtTC.indd 1
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4/4/14 5:58 PM
Vermont Technology Alliance Members Senix Corporation
Hinesburg
TwinState Technologies
Colchester
Seven Days
Burlington
• Union Street Media
Burlington
Shad, Inc.
East Montpelier
Universal Micro Systems, Inc.
Waitsfield
ShareCare
Burlington
University of Vermont
Burlington
Small Dog Electronics
South Burlington
Upper Access
Hinesburg
Smallrock Software, Inc.
Colchester
Utility Risk Management
Stowe
Softstart Services, Inc.
Middlebury
UTC Aerospace
Vergennes
Solbakken Technology Partners
St. Johnsbury
• UX Design Edge
St. Albans Bay
• SoRo Systems, Inc.
South Royalton
ValleyNet, Inc.
Royalton
Sound Innovation
White River Jct
• Vantage Point Recruiting
Westbrook, ME
• Sound Toys
Burlington
vbGraphics
Burlington
Southern Vermont Computer Systems
Manchester Center
Vector New England, Inc.
South Burlington
Verizon Wireless
South Burlington
Sovernet Communications
Bellows Falls
Standards Technology Group
Williston
Spectrum Design
Bennington
Stanley Technical Services
Hinesburg
Sterling Hill Productions
Waterbury
• Sterling Valley Systems, Inc.
Stowe
• Stone Environmental
Montpelier
• Vermont Biosciences Alliance
South Burlington
Vermont Business Manufacturing
South Burlington
Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies
Burlington
Vermont Center for Geographic Information
Waterbury
Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Barre
Vermont Circuits
Brattleboro
Vermont Database Corp
Stowe
• Vermont Design Works
Winooski
Vermont EPSCoR
Burlington
Vermont Films
Brattleboro
• Vermont HITEC, Inc.
Williston Montpelier
Straight Forward Software, Inc.
Burlington
• Stromatec, Inc.
Burlington
Summit Technologies
Williston
Surplus Traders
Alburgh
• Susan Skalka
Burlington
• SymQuest Group, Inc.
South Burlington
Synecology
Randolph
Synergy Now Harmony Information Systems
Essex Jct
Vermont Information Consortium, LLC
Systems & Software, Inc.
Williston
Vermont Information Processing, Inc.
Colchester
Systems Ideas, Inc.
Montgomery Center Shelburne
Vermont Internet Marketing Consultants
South Newfane
• Teamswork, LLC Tech Group
South Burlington
Randolph Center
• Tech Marketing
Hinesburg
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center
Tech Vault, Inc.
South Burlington
Vermont Panurgy, Inc.
South Burlington
• Technical Connection, Inc.
Burlington
Vermont PC Solutions
Jericho
Technology Consultants, Inc.
South Burlington
• Vermont Small Business Development Center
White River Jct
Teconic Computer Services, Inc.
Rutland
Vermont Systems, Inc.
Essex Jct
TeleMedTest, LLC
Stowe
• Vermont Tech Guy
Colchester
Teligence Partners
Shelburne
Vermont Telephone Co, Inc.
Springfield
• Tertl Studos, LLC
Montpelier
Vermont Transformer, Inc.
St. Albans
Tesi Innovations
Colchester
Vertek Corp
Colchester
The Data Farm
Huntington
Viewboost
Townshend
The Kingdom Connection
St. Johnsbury
Vishay Tansitor, Inc.
Bennington
The Mac Doctor, Inc.
New Haven
Vivid Technologies
Burlington
The MIS Group
Essex
Vtel Internet
Springfield
• The Silverbeard Corp.
East Fairfield
VTweb Internet Services
Rutland
The Top Floor
Middlebury
WH Group
Richmond
Third Branch Technologies
Montpelier
St. Johnsbury
Tippson, LLC
Burlington
Weidman Electrical Technology, Inc.
• Tom Cook
Essex Jct
• Windstream
Burlington
Monkton
Wolpin & Associates
Bristol
Burlington
Woodward Design
Brattleboro
Milton
Yizri, LLC
Burlington
Triad Design Service, Inc.
Williston
Zandar Corp
Essex Jct
Triangulus
Burlington
• Tom Larsen Toonuva Games TransParent Computers
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S P O NSOR S PROUDLY SUPPORTING THIS EDITION OF TAPPING TECH
Agilion
C2
Bear Code
Champlain College
Brandthropology
Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman
DINSE/ KNAPP/ McANDREW
Community College of Vermont
First Light
Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs
Dinse Knapp & McAndrew
Gallagher, Flynn & Company LLP
Keep Kids Safe
Merchants Bank
MyWebGrocer
INDUSTRIAL & EMBEDDED COMPUTING
Logic Supply
34
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• NeuEon Inc.
Physician’s Computer Company
Par Springer-Miller Systems
Stone Environmental SymQuest Group, Inc. Pwnie Express
Vermont Biosciences Alliance
Windstream Communications
Technical Connection, Inc.
Vermont Technology Council
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