Broadband links to the information highway is the key to Cape Breton entrepreneurs competing in a global economy, a strategic marketing and management consultant said Tuesday. Branham Group president and CEO, J. Wayne Gudbranson of Ottawa, offers consulting services to technology companies that develop the products and deliver the services. The company has a unique relationship with the province and Nova Scotia Business Inc. “I like the vision of Nova Scotia; they have a strategic imperative that could easily allow them to emerge a close fifth among provinces in the information communication technology sector. It’s helping local businesses grow and at the same time attracting big brands here. “The two of them together allows you start to build an ICT cluster and then you can start marketing that to achieve worldwide global exposure.”

Gudbranson told the 30 people who attended the session the export market offers real opportunity. While everyone is looking to Alberta and any oil-rich area for growth, Gudbranson said smart people should start looking to other growth areas. This digital broadband economy will see regions like Cape Breton and the province can actually rebound in that kind of cycle, he noted. Halifax is starting to develop the rudiments of developing an ICT cluster. Once these companies are entrenched in a place like Halifax then they can be encouraged to broaden their base to other areas of the province. “There is a global delivery service model in place and we have to be part of that network, a spoke in the worldwide wheel.” ...

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