BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA
grow
TECH
COMPANIES
here
Information and Communications Technology
+ Wireless
BRITISH COLUMBIA
A LEADING
CREATIVE HUB
at the forefront of technology
Connect to the future of communications technology with the
dynamic companies that are leading the technical advances of
a growing industry. British Columbia’s leading researchers and
developers in information and communications technology
and wireless (ICT/W) are at the forefront of new developments
in technology and design.
British Columbia’s growing commercial
technology sector includes thousands
of ICT and wireless companies and a
talented workforce that are delivering
industry-leading hardware and software.
Working with world-class research facilities
and top-ranked universities they are
developing innovative wireless products
and mobile platforms.
With a highly developed research infrastructure, an
established network of experienced communication
and software professionals, low business costs, a
supportive government, and close ties to both the
United States and Asia, British Columbia offers great
opportunities for businesses to invest, partner, or
purchase products and services.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
•• Skilled labour force
•• Strategic gateway location
•• Low corporate and personal income taxes
•• Targeted tax incentives
•• Competitive costing
•• Green, low-cost power
•• Excellent public infrastructure
•• High quality of life
•• Competitive tax regime
Advance with
communications
technology and software
from British Columbia
THE ADVANTAGES OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S ICT SECTOR
British Columbia’s technologists have built an innovation
ecosystem with a strong cluster of ICT and wireless
companies, software developers, and researchers.
An ICT hub
While thousands of British Columbia companies are
involved in design, manufacturing, and engineering of
wired and wireless communications, we are also home
to world-class research facilities, top-ranked universities,
startups, and established businesses.
Exceptional talent
Researchers, developers, and business professionals
work together in British Columbia in an efficient and
low-cost ecosystem that helps startups get off the
ground and lets established companies manage their
bottom line.
Global players
Industry giants such as IBM and Microsoft, and
British Columbia leaders like Sierra Wireless and Telus,
have created one of the world’s leading ICT and
wireless industry clusters here.
A strategic location
Direct access to the United States creates major market
opportunities, while our links to growing markets in
China and India create the potential for rapid growth
in the future. Easy transportation and communications
give efficient access from British Columbia to the
technology centres on the U.S. west coast and key
markets in Europe and Asia.
Supportive government
Our business-friendly government and low taxes let
British Columbia’s technology sector compete effectively
for business with other major North American centres.
Support for small technology businesses and startups
promotes a thriving business culture.
Liveability
Our welcoming cities and communities are one of the
main reasons that British Columbia is a global magnet
for the world’s top talent.
Vancouver is instantly recognizable for its spectacular
location: a city on the ocean with majestic mountains
just 20 minutes to the north. Chosen by Financial Times’
fDi Magazine as the top large city in the Americas
and the third most liveable city in the world by the
Economist Intelligence Unit in 2015, Vancouver is also
consistently rated a top destination for travelers.
“British Columbia’s reputation is as an innovator, as a leader.
Our companies help set the trends that the rest of the world follows.”
Alan Shuster, Executive Vice-President, Blast Radius
“British Columbia has a wealth of educated talent in a fairly confined space compared
to Los Angeles where the talent is more expensive. Our location on the border and the
west coast is very conducive — being on the ocean with the mountains, the quality of
lifestyle and the school systems make it a very attractive place. When people immigrate
here, they tend to want to stay here and raise their families. British Columbia and
Vancouver have attracted a lot of top talent from around the world.”
Howard Donaldson, DigiBC
Industry Profile
More than 2,667 ICT companies and 1,150 digital media & wireless companies, with a workforce of
more than 37,050 highly educated and experienced employees, make up British Columbia’s ICT
and wireless sector. Based in three primary clusters in the Vancouver region, Vancouver Island, and
the Okanagan Valley, they produce annual revenue of over $12 billion per year. British Columbia’s
25 public post-secondary institutions, including 11 universities and three technology institutes,
train over 3,000 engineering and computer science graduates a year.
Our ICT and wireless sector initially provided services
to the communications industry, then grew to become
market-leading innovators in a worldwide market. British
Columbia businesses today provide software publishing,
computer systems design, engineering services,
computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing,
and both wired and wireless telecommunications.
A LEADER IN ICT SERVICES,
RESOURCES, AND HARDWARE
British Columbia is home to one of the world’s leading
information and communications technology clusters.
Companies located in British Columbia include:
International giants such as:
•• Amazon
•• Cisco
•• Ericsson
•• IBM
•• Intel
•• Microsoft
•• Samsung
•• SAP
Home-grown leaders such as:
•• Absolute Software
•• ACL Systems
•• Avigilon
•• BuildDirect
•• Cymax
•• Hootsuite
•• MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd
•• Norsat International Inc
•• NGRAIN
•• Sierra Wireless
•• Telus Communications
•• Vision Critical
Companies in British Columbia have direct connections
and quick access to the world’s dominant technology
companies at U.S. development centres in Silicon Valley
and Washington state. A deep pool of highly educated
workers, broad resources, and comprehensive services
create a stimulating and positive atmosphere for
innovative business.
With a depth of experience in telecommunications,
software development, computer services,
manufacturing, and wholesaling, British Columbia’s
ICT sector has developed service specializations in:
•• Broadband, satellite, and fibre-optic applications
•• Software and app development
•• Design and engineering
•• Hardware manufacturing
•• Networks and data
WAVEFRONT
Wavefront is Canada’s not-for-profit wireless business accelerator and knowledge centre. Located in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Wavefront helps innovative companies grow their businesses through a nation-wide presence, long-term support,
deep wireless expertise, and strategic partnerships that are second to-none. Through high-impact connections, dedicated wireless
expertise, valuable technical and physical infrastructure, and direct access to overseas markets, Wavefront helps enterprising
companies deliver advanced products and services to their customers around the world.
A LEADER IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
Over 1,150 companies in British Columbia are active in
all areas of the mobile ecosystem, including operators of
mobile systems, platform providers for the creation and
delivery of apps, and manufacturers of wireless devices.
They account, in part, for over 16,500 jobs and $3 billion
in revenues.
Building from a large and growing wireless market in
Canada, British Columbia’s wireless firms are considered
global leaders in several areas, including machineto-machine and Internet of Things technologies,
mobile commerce, next-generation network (NGN)
technologies, nanomaterials, and power amplifiers:
advances that will reduce the size, weight, and power
consumption of wireless equipment.
Creative innovation with world-class research facilities
and top-ranked universities make British Columbia
wireless companies a dynamic business opportunity.
BENCHMARKING
BRITISH COLUMBIA
According to fDi Intelligence data from
the Financial Times Ltd., Vancouver and
British Columbia compare very favourably
against other benchmark locations such
as Calgary, Portland, Seattle, San Jose, and
San Francisco:
•• Vancouver offers the lowest operating costs, with
distinct advantages compared to San Francisco and
San Jose.
•• British Columbia offers the most favourable tax and
incentives for the operation of a wireless technology
centre, almost double that of San Francisco, San Jose,
and Portland.
•• British Columbia offers a more favourable regulatory
environment than locations in the U.S.
•• Vancouver offers a clear advantage as a connection to
major overseas markets, more than Portland, Seattle,
and San Francisco.
•• Vancouver outranks Calgary, San Jose, Seattle,
Portland, and San Francisco in terms of desirability
as a location for international staff.
•• British Columbia offers a better general business
environment than most other benchmarked locations.
Join ICT companies from around the world developing
next-generation technologies, innovative products,
and mobile platforms in British Columbia.
Education and
research institutions
Strong connections and a collaborative culture in
British Columbia’s research and academic institutions
and commercial sector have built a dynamic and
forward-looking technology cluster.
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
British Columbia’s 25 public post-secondary institutions
comprise 11 universities, 11 colleges, and three
educational institutes. Over 3,000 engineering and
computer science graduates are awarded credentials
annually in B.C. In addition, many private education
institutions and training centres offer education in
communications and wireless technology.
Our leading computer science institutions include:
•• The University of British Columbia Departments
of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer
Engineering, and the Institute for Computing,
Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS)
•• Simon Fraser University Department of
Computing Science
•• British Columbia Institute of Technology
School of Computing
•• University of Victoria Department of
Computer Science
MOBIFY
Mobify, a Vancouver company founded in 2007, is
a pioneer in the field of responsive web design —
that is, software that adapts complex websites for a
growing range of web devices, whether computers,
smartphones, or tablets, or for different operating
systems.
Mobify took advantage of the Wavefront
commercialization centre in 2009 and 2010, where the
company refined its business model and accelerated
its product development to bring three apps to
market. By developing sophisticated software that
automatically formats website pages for a wide range
of devices, Mobify saves companies the expense of
recreating their online systems for a myriad of different
devices.
With a strategy that successfully attracts worldwide
customers such as Toyota, Garmin, Wired magazine,
Starbucks, and British Telecom, Mobify’s software
drives hundreds of millions of dollars in mobile
revenue.
“While Silicon Valley is a unique ecosystem for building Web companies,
Vancouver is a great place for developing world-class technology.”
Igor Faletski, Chief Executive Officer, Mobify
GLOBAL RELAY
Global Relay has grown from one of the first cloud
email systems in 1999 to become a global technology
company providing records management for the
financial industry.
Founded in Vancouver, the company identified a
need in tightly regulated industries such as finance
and healthcare for highly secure electronic message
archiving (such as email archiving), instant messaging,
compliance, and supervision records.
The company provides a specialized service by
combining technology with compliance, legal, and
audit/eDiscovery services.
From its Vancouver headquarters, it now serves 17,500
customers worldwide, with regional offices in New
York, Chicago, London, and Singapore.
Privately held, it has become a profitable, successful
innovator meeting worldwide needs from its home
in British Columbia’s technology centre.
RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Research support organizations help companies to
develop leading wireless technologies and have earned
British Columbia a reputation for being a hotspot for
research and development worldwide.
•• NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program
provides advisory and funding services to help
businesses accelerate growth through innovation
and technology.
•• Canadian Foundation for Innovation supports
private-sector innovation and investment in the
knowledge economy.
WIFARER
ICT AND WIRELESS
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
Several Centres of Excellence support the development
of innovative communications and wireless
technologies in British Columbia.
•• Wavefront — Canada’s Centre of Excellence for
Wireless Commercialization and Research.
•• Radio Science Lab @ University of British Columbia
researches the theory and practice of wireless
communications system design.
•• Telematics research lab @ Simon Fraser University
focuses on testing contemporary and emerging
telematics technologies.
•• RF/Microwave Mobile Communication Lab
(MCL) @ Simon Fraser University researches
physical and data link levels of mobile and
personal communications.
•• Communications Networks Lab @ Simon
Fraser University analyzes traffic modelling and
characterization and network performance.
•• Internet Engineering Laboratory (IEL) @ British
Columbia Institute of Technology focuses on the
design and management of advanced networks.
Wifarer helps people find their way around complex
buildings using indoor positioning technology that
the company’s founder developed — the indoor
equivalent to GPS.
Founded in Victoria in 2010, Wifarer has developed
a robust portfolio of intellectual property related to
indoor positioning and navigation, and has received
numerous awards for their innovations. In 2012, the
company launched their solution at the Royal BC
Museum to global acclaim: it was the first in the world
to use standard commercial WiFi to derive accurate
indoor location.
At the heart of Wifarer’s solution are their proprietary
algorithms, which work with a venue’s existing WiFi
(or Bluetooth LE beacons) to determine the indoor
location of a visitor’s smartphone. Client venues use
Wifarer’s Content Management System to manage
their Android and iOS apps — they build directories,
edit maps, and attach rich media to indoor locations.
People around the world download these apps and
use them to navigate and explore airports, museums,
shopping centers, stadiums, and hospitals. Wifarer’s
analytics dashboard also provides client venues with
insight into pedestrian traffic flow and dwell times,
allowing them to optimize operations and improve
visitor experience.
•• Distributed Systems Group @ University of British
Columbia conducts research on the control of
collections of computers on fixed and wireless
networks.
•• The School of Computing Science @ Simon Fraser
University focuses on applied research in systems,
networking, and computer architecture.
“There are tremendous opportunities for growth. First of all, increasing amounts of
capital come here from both Asia and California. Secondly, there’s a great base of talent.
You have great natural resources, great people and you’ve got a supportive government
that wants you to come and invest in British Columbia — that makes it very attractive.”
Paul Lee, Managing Partner, Vanedge Capital Partners
Leading British Columbia ICT and Wireless Companies
British Columbia has over 2,667 companies providing goods and services in the ICT sector and another 1,150 in the digital
media and wireless sector. Join these leading communications technology companies that are based in British Columbia.
•• Absolute Software Corp — Firmware-embedded
•• MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd —
•• Alpha Technologies Ltd — Power systems for
•• Norsat International Inc — Satellite, microwave,
endpoint security
communications industries
•• Avigilon — High-definition video surveillance systems
•• Clevest — Software for mobile workforce management
and smart grid operations
•• Creation Technologies Inc — Electronic
manufacturing services
•• Elastic Path Software Inc — Ecommerce software
•• Hootsuite — World-leading social media
management platform
•• Incognito Software — Broadband software for
IP communications
•• iQmetrix — Back-end and front-of-house retail
management for the wireless industry
Global communications and information
M2M, and broadband products and services
•• QuickMobile — Enterprise mobile meeting and
event apps
•• ResponseTek — Enterprise level customer experience
management (CEM) software
•• Sierra Wireless Inc — Hardware, software, and
services for machine-to-machine communications
•• Star Solutions — Cellular network infrastructure
•• TeraSpan — Innovative fibre optic deployment to
buildings and homes
•• Vision Critical
— Cloud-based customer
intelligence platform
ASSOCIATIONS
C Technology Industry Association
B
(BCTIA) — supports technology companies
in British Columbia
-Net British Columbia — provides information
T
and business services to technology companies,
industry suppliers, and individuals within the
British Columbia technology industry
ancouver Enterprise Forum (VEF) —
V
offers networking contacts for technology
companies
he Vancouver Island Advanced
T
Technology Council (VIATeC) —
connects people, knowledge, and resources in
the technology sector on Vancouver Island
CONTACT
Ministry of International Trade
999 Canada Place, Suite 730
Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada V6C 3E1
Phone: 604 775-2100
Fax: 604 775-2197
[email protected]
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication at
the time of writing; however, the programs referred to, and data cited,
are subject to change.
All figures are in Canadian dollars.
Printed: January 2016
www.BritishColumbia.ca