After years of collaboration, two Barrie high-tech firms are merging to provide more efficient and lower-cost information technology (IT) solutions for area businesses.

“The fundamental reason for the partnership is the shared values and complementary skills we bring together to make sure our customers needs are met,” says Derek Vair, president of The Software Group Limited, which is merging with the web-solutions companies iboza.com and iboza.net.

“This is the culmination of a seven-year relationship and it’s the natural next progression,” adds Steve Haire, who will become president of the newly formed Iboza Ltd.

A former Bell Canada employee, Vair started his pre-internet company to help large companies (like major retailers and transportation companies) tap into Datapac, the national computer network developed by Bell to move large amounts of information inexpensively.

“We’ve evolved as the internet has evolved,” he says, having incorporated efficient IP connectivity and security products and services into the company’s offerings.

In the past year, iboza.com/net has also increased their service capabilities, moving their hosting environment to a high-tech data centre in Toronto to provide customers with heightened security and reliability. The move forward with The Software Group will also allow the new company to provide enhanced computer virtualization and networking services for clients, meaning in-house or off-site servers can be replicated inside the new infrastructure to multiply capacity without the cost of additional computers.

Virtualization leads to hardware-cost reduction, a reduction in the people necessary in-house to take care of the network, less floor space (for the server room) and less hydro – so it’s a green solution as well, the duo agree.

“The Toronto centre is a hardened facility,” adds Haire. “It’s secure, has redundant connections to the Internet, and is uninterruptible.”

It’s an all-in-one management system for IT networks, where the technology and creative teams work together.

“The whole point is to not have a single point of failure,” says Vair.

Michele Lawson; Huronia Business Times