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Cistel Ranking 7th amongst the top ten IT Security Companies

Ottawa, Ontario - March 13, 2007
As reported in the Backbone Magazine http://www.backbonemag.com/Magazine/Top_10_IT_Security_Companies_07.asp

The Top 10 IT Security Companies have changed significantly since last year. The inclusion of Compugen, an infrastructure solutions provider with emphasis on the IT security space, has helped raise the cumulative revenues compared to last year’s list. However, the inclusion of the $270 million company was not the only factor. Eight of the top 10 companies experienced year-over-year revenue growth of more than 20 per cent, demonstrating the continuing importance of IT security to businesses and consumers. The total revenue for this year’s group of Top 10 IT Security Companies is $425.9 million, an increase of 164 per cent over last year’s list. When we compare the revenue growth amongst the companies on this year’s Top 10 IT Security Companies list, the year-overyear growth only amounts to 9.75 per cent (the current Top 10 companies generated revenues of $388 million in 2005).

Compugen, a provider of IT infrastructure solutions and services, experienced a revenue decline in 2006 of one per cent but still produced impressive revenue results of $270 million (compared to last year’s $272 million). Cistel, a consulting and IT services firm, is another new addition and had year-over-year growth of 37 per cent. The other new entrants to this year’s Top 10 IT Security list are Radio IP Software (a mobile software provider which experienced 77 per cent year-over-year revenue growth) and BSM Technologies (a provider of vehicle tracking and surveillance solutions with year-over-year revenue growth of 154 per cent).

From a geographic perspective, Ontario once again contributes the largest portion of companies—60 per cent this year, compared with 50 per cent last year. Quebec companies comprise 20 per cent of the list (down from 30 per cent last year) while B.C. and Alberta firms once again comprise a combined 20 per cent (equal to last year’s results).

IT security is an ongoing concern for companies. While technologies evolve, new vulnerabilities and threats continue to emerge on a regular basis. Security companies face new tasks each year as they attempt to combat not only viruses, but also the planning that goes into IT-related attacks. A 2006 IBM study identified multiple threats which companies are now attempting to proactively deter, including software holes, flaws in Windows PnP implementation, Graphics Rendering Engine problems and reconnaissance activities by hackers, such as network mapping. This year organizations will see what types of new threats will appear, and what IT security firms can do to fight such attacks. Similarly, Symantec released its 2006 report, Pulse of IT Security in Canada, which highlights important security issues. The report shows how IT security is still rated as a top priority by more than 92 per cent of executives, with 74 per cent of these respondents taking proactive measures. Virus and worm infections are rated as the highest perceived threat, risking loss of data, revenue and productivity.