Branham300 - 2010 Introduction
Last year was a tough one, but it capped a successful run for the ICT sector
By Darren Anderson
2009 closed out an extremely successful, albeit obviously turbulent, decade for the Canadian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. The economic environment that developed in late 2008 and remained for much of 2009 resulted in a mix of opportunity and hardship for the industry’s leading firms; the Top 250 companies appearing on this year’s Branham300 generated a combined $71.32 billion in revenue, down six per cent compared to 2008, but up 43 per cent compared to 2003, the first year Branham compiled its Top 250 list.
Last year was a transitional period for the Canadian ICT industry. For the first time in seven years, the Top 250 crowned a new number one company. As Nortel Networks underwent aggressive restructuring, which eventually led to the sale of most of its major operating units, Research In Motion (RIM) capped off an impressive decade in which it produced double-digit revenue growth in all but one year to surge to the top of this year’s Top 250 listing.
Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and currency fluctuations also played a prominent role in this year’s listing. Several leading Canadian players leveraged their healthy financial positions to expand inorganically and, as a result, climbed the list, while 13 companies generating approximately $500 million in revenues in 2008 could not return to the Top 250 in 2009 due to M&A activity and changes in organizational structure. The strong Canada-U.S. exchange rate, which fluctuated upward throughout the year to close almost 20 cents higher than in 2008, affected companies on the list considerably. Early forecasts indicate that the appreciation of the Canadian dollar is to continue into 2010. With more than half the companies on the list generating 20 per cent or more of their business south of the border, Canadian firms will face increased competition moving forward, as the currency advantage they enjoyed for much of the past 10 years likely will not be present as the industry enters a fresh decade.
The revenue threshold for this year’s Top 250 increased approximately 20 per cent to $7.05 million. In addition, the companies appearing on the Next 50 listing experienced an incredible 2009, increasing cumulative revenues by 24 per cent over last year’s group. Each of these factors illustrates that the Canadian ICT industry has a lot to look forward to, as there is an exciting group of technology companies emerging as the leaders of tomorrow, ready to take the Canadian ICT industry into 2010 and beyond. For additional details on the Branham300, including the complete list of all companies recognized in 2009, please visit www.branham300.com or www.backbonemag.com/top300.
PDF version (3MB)
By Darren Anderson
2009 closed out an extremely successful, albeit obviously turbulent, decade for the Canadian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. The economic environment that developed in late 2008 and remained for much of 2009 resulted in a mix of opportunity and hardship for the industry’s leading firms; the Top 250 companies appearing on this year’s Branham300 generated a combined $71.32 billion in revenue, down six per cent compared to 2008, but up 43 per cent compared to 2003, the first year Branham compiled its Top 250 list.
Last year was a transitional period for the Canadian ICT industry. For the first time in seven years, the Top 250 crowned a new number one company. As Nortel Networks underwent aggressive restructuring, which eventually led to the sale of most of its major operating units, Research In Motion (RIM) capped off an impressive decade in which it produced double-digit revenue growth in all but one year to surge to the top of this year’s Top 250 listing.
Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and currency fluctuations also played a prominent role in this year’s listing. Several leading Canadian players leveraged their healthy financial positions to expand inorganically and, as a result, climbed the list, while 13 companies generating approximately $500 million in revenues in 2008 could not return to the Top 250 in 2009 due to M&A activity and changes in organizational structure. The strong Canada-U.S. exchange rate, which fluctuated upward throughout the year to close almost 20 cents higher than in 2008, affected companies on the list considerably. Early forecasts indicate that the appreciation of the Canadian dollar is to continue into 2010. With more than half the companies on the list generating 20 per cent or more of their business south of the border, Canadian firms will face increased competition moving forward, as the currency advantage they enjoyed for much of the past 10 years likely will not be present as the industry enters a fresh decade.
The revenue threshold for this year’s Top 250 increased approximately 20 per cent to $7.05 million. In addition, the companies appearing on the Next 50 listing experienced an incredible 2009, increasing cumulative revenues by 24 per cent over last year’s group. Each of these factors illustrates that the Canadian ICT industry has a lot to look forward to, as there is an exciting group of technology companies emerging as the leaders of tomorrow, ready to take the Canadian ICT industry into 2010 and beyond. For additional details on the Branham300, including the complete list of all companies recognized in 2009, please visit www.branham300.com or www.backbonemag.com/top300.
PDF version (3MB)
Branham300 Table of Contents - 2010
