Good News from Canada's Top Tech Companies

Today I attended the launch of the Branham 300 Top Technology list at the Turf Club bar in Toronto, in my capacity as a director of one of the software companies on the list. It was interesting to be there not as a journalist, which is my usual affiliation, but as a bona-fide member of the industry.

The place was packed with representatives from many Toronto software and IT companies. I was pleased to see what good networkers they were – people were constantly (and confidently) starting up conversations with complete strangers in a way I have not seen before at networking events in this city.

The Branham 300 represents a list of the 250 largest Canadian technology companies, both public and private, as well as a list of runners-up known as The Next 50. The list also subdivides into several other lists:
· Top 25 Canadian IT Multinational Companies
· Top 25 Canadian IT Up and Comers
· Top 25 Canadian Software Companies
· Top 25 Canadian IT Professional Services Companies
· Top 25 Canadian IT Hardware and Infrastructure Companies
· Top 10 Canadian IT Security Companies
· Top 10 Canadian Wireless Solutions Companies
· Top 10 Canadian xSP Companies
· Top 10 Canadian Healthcare Solution Companies

According to Branham Group president J. Wayne Gudbranson, the news from this year's industry survey is good. Average sales for the companies in fiscal 2008 rose 18% over the previous year, a higher figure than most people expected. Total sales for the 300 companies exceeded $70 billion for the first time.

More than 40 companies made the Top 250 list for the first time, pushing many familiar names off the ranking - and into the new Next 50 list, created this year just for this reason.

You can read more about the Branham survey and meet lots of exciting Canadian entrepreneurial companies - just click here.

The list is published this month by Backbone Magazine.