CenterBeam has been cloud-computing since the company’s inception in Silicon Valley in 1999, says Anthony C. Hardt, an executive vice-president at the company. The firm sells its services primarily to clients in the United States but it supports end-users in 49 countries on six continents. CenterBeam is nominated for a New Brunswick Export Achievement Award. Cloud-computing, says Hardt, executive vice-president of CenterBeam Inc.'s North American Solution Center, essentially means providing IT support services over the Internet. (photo credit: Matthew Sherwood/Telegraph-Journal)
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CenterBeam supports end-users in 49 countries
Christine Dobby
Telegraph-Journal, published May 24, 2010
SAINT JOHN - Anthony C. Hardt says CenterBeam's Saint John-based helpdesk has offered "cloud-computing" services since before the term even existed.
The term came into popular use in the last few years, he says, but CenterBeam has been doing it since the company's inception in Silicon Valley in 1999.
The company hosts the necessary data and services on its servers, rather than maintaining them on its customers' premises, Hardt says. And clients pay only for the services they need on an as-required basis.
"Our model is based on providing remote support," he says. "This works for mid-sized companies in corporate America. The economics don't make sense for them to have a full IT team."
Hardt has a bachelor of science in data analysis and worked in information technology at J.D. Irving, Limited, for 17 years. In 2003, he was recruited by CenterBeam, which provides managed IT services, to start its Saint John operation. Since then, it has grown to over 130 employees, representing almost three quarters of the San Jose, Calif.-based company's workforce.
The company sells its services primarily to clients in the United States, says Hardt, but it supports end-users in 49 countries on six continents, most of which are satellite offices or subsidiaries of the American companies.
CenterBeam is in the running for a New Brunswick Export Achievement Award. The winners will be announced on May 27 in Fredericton.
Hardt says that language issues can be a challenge when providing services to customers in so many parts of the world. Although most of its clients are American, some of the company's end-users are non-English speakers.
In general, however, he says CenterBeam's Saint John staff, the majority of whom are from New Brunswick, relate well to the company's American clients.
"We're very much aligned with the United States. We understand their culture, we're influenced by their culture, and we relate to that," says Hardt, who often hears staff members bantering with clients about the previous night's game.
CenterBeam has been steadily expanding its Saint John workforce. In 2009, it hired 22 employees and Hardt says he expects hiring will continue "as required."
Over the last six years, CenterBeam has seen 25 per cent year-over-year compound annual growth. And the Saint John operation is central to the company's success - 98 per cent of its revenue comes from the services provided here.
Hardt expects the company will maintain or better that rate of growth and says the outlook for the future is "terrific."