IT security firms to be indexed
A national index of Canadian technology companies working in the advanced security sector is being created by several associations banding together for that purpose.
The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) has teamed with the Canadian Alarm and Security Association (CANASA) and the Canadian Association of Information Technology Professionals (CIPS) to create a database of Canadian security companies within the next year. The index will deal exclusively with the application of IT in the security industry.
The CATA Alliance is still working out the details of how the actual database will be made available, or what fees, if any, will be charged. The database will focus on 14 categories including biometrics, authentication and encryption. It will be based on security solutions that use information and communications technology to meet a range of security applications and customer needs. The project will also involve profiling each security company in an effort to understand the types of products being offered. Companies must be based in Canada.
Montreal-based Huguette Guilhaumon, managing director of CATA Alliance Quebec, said the proposed database fills a void in the industry and creates knowledge management of the security resources available in the country.