Radian6 expands to Halifax

BY QUENTIN CASEY – THE TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL | link to original article

HALIFAX – One of New Brunswick's blooming technology companies is expanding to Halifax, thanks to a financial incentive from the Nova Scotia government.

On Thursday, Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province's business development agency, announced its two most recent catches – including Fredericton-based Radian6 Technologies Inc.

The Nova Scotia government is giving Radian6 a five-year payroll rebate, worth up to $652,459. In return, the tech company is pledging to hire 40 full-time employees in Halifax, mainly in its sales section.

Launched in 2006, Radian6 provides software that allows companies to track how they are discussed on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. By tracking the cyber dialogue, companies are able to respond to what customers and detractors are saying.

In just four years, Radian6 has secured a long list of clients, including some of the globe's biggest corporate names, such as 3M, Adobe, Canadian Tire, Dell, General Electric, Kodak, Microsoft and Pepsi.

“The market is really, really hot for social media monitoring. And it's still early in the game,” said Radian6 vice-president David Alston on Thursday.

“We've got a lot of momentum behind us and we want to take advantage of that.”

According to Alston, the company was drawn to Halifax's labour and “talent” pool.

“We're certainly finding lots of great people in New Brunswick, but we also knew there would be another large labour pool of really talented folks in Halifax,” he said. “It's close to our operations here in New Brunswick and it's easy for us to commute back and forth.”

Expanding to Halifax, said Alston, allows the company to fill its ranks in a larger centre, while keeping Radian6 firmly planted in the Maritimes.

Based in Fredericton, the company also has an office in Saint John.

“In expanding a business, you often reach a point where you have to ask: is it easier to bring in folks or go to where the folks are?” Alston said.

Radian6 currently has about 150 employees, and has added roughly a new worker each day for the past two to three months, Alston said. That rapid expansion, he said, could continue for the next six months.

Thursday also saw Nova Scotia Business Inc. announce a second tech sector catch: eEye Digital Security.

The California-based company develops information technology security software. The firm, which has offices in Arizona, Germany and the United Kingdom, will use its Halifax location for research and development.

The company, which plans to hire 40 workers in Halifax, is receiving a five-year payroll rebate worth up to $808,500.

“This is about more than just growth in the tech sector,” said Stephen Lund, the president and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc., in a release.

“eEye's relocation of its R and D operations and Radian6's expansion sends a strong message that Nova Scotia has the capacity through our universities, talent and growing IT community to be home to innovative, global and competitive companies.”