Local tech firms grow with demand

'Silicon Glen' can be cure for region's under-employment

A friend of mine once told me that once he finished his Ph.D. at Cornell he was going to remain in the Ithaca area.

"How are you going to do that?" I asked, with a laugh. "What are you going to do for a job?"

"I don't care," he said. "I'll sell bagels if I have to." To someone from outside Tompkins County, the idea that someone might do their post-doc at a bagel store might sound a bit absurd, but the reality is that despite the region's low unemployment rate, many people are overqualified for their jobs.

I have been involved in web development, networking, hardware, and technology consulting in the Ithaca area for the past 10 years. During this time, I've observed that there are a growing number Information Technology companies building Web sites, serving networks, developing software, and providing long-term technology planning for their clients. Additionally, these companies seem to be expanding in size.

I've been comparing notes with others who, like myself, run local technology companies, and invariably the message I get is the same: "Demand for services is growing fast and because of that we are constantly adding competent technical staff to keep up with the growth."

The reasons for the increasing demand for technical services are obvious, really. Company owners know they can increase revenues and lower costs through the effective use of technology and the Internet. They're also starting to realize local companies are providing these services in an affordable and convenient manner.

But local technology companies aren't just providing services for local organizations. Some of them (including my own) are receiving a fair amount of sub-contracting work from larger firms based in major Northeast cities. Sub-contracting software development to Ithaca-based companies offers these companies many of the cost-saving attributes of outsourcing while embracing the benefit of frequent face-to-face meetings.

So, who are these local IT companies? A quick search of IthacaDirectory.com shows 15 businesses listed under "Computing and Technology" and 21 under "Internet and Web Services." Here is a brief snapshot of three of them.

Black Box Consulting

Local networking services firm Black Box Consulting has been growing at a rapid pace for the past several years. In their role as an outsourced IT department, Black Box designs, builds and maintains computer networks for all sizes of business. Combining customer service excellence with technical expertise, Black Box has worked with nearly 200 individuals and businesses this year.

Because of increasing demand for their services, Black Box is planning to add two more employees in the coming months, bringing their total staff to nine. Recently, the company has moved from a modest, 250-square-foot office to a roomy 2,000-square-foot suite on the Ithaca Commons - a clear indication of the major growth spurt they're experiencing.

The Computing Center

While some of the technology companies in the area are relatively young, the list of tech firms also includes The Computing Center - the oldest technology services business in the Ithaca area.

The Computing Center, established in 1978, provides consulting, computer driven technologies, engineering, repair services, training and support to businesses, organizations and professionals in Tompkins and surrounding counties. Currently, the company has about two-dozen employees.

According to CEO Larry Baum, "The future growth of The Computing Center will come from adding technical and business oriented service capabilities along with the right personnel to leverage technology to improve organizational efficiencies."

Gorges Web Sites

Compared to The Computer Center, Gorges Web Sites, which had its start in 2005, is a relative newcomer. The firm develops professional, interactive and cost-effective business Web sites and software applications. Their Web sites feature powerful administrative tools and perform diverse business tasks, such as online sales, information sharing, asset tracking and social networking.

Like many other local tech companies, Gorges Web Sites is experiencing rapid growth. From their office on the Ithaca Commons, the Gorges Web Sites staff has grown from two to seven in the last two years. The reason for this growth has been the continued demand from new and returning clients for custom Web site design and expert software development.

Dozens of local tech companies, like the three I've mentioned, are providing an array of high quality technology services throughout Tompkins County and the Northeastern U.S. Not only they are helping to reverse the area's notorious under-employment problem, they may be helping to coin a new name for the region: 'Silicon Glen.'

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Chris Grant is the Chief Operational Officer of Gorges Web Sites in Ithaca. [ithaca Forward] is a young professionals organization partnered with the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. For more on [ithaca Forward], visit www.ithacaforward.org. [iF] runs weekly in The Ithaca Journal.