FREDERICTON, NB — Hands-free healthcare communication and a wireless laptop solution for energy workers are two of the information and communications technology (ICT) demonstrations being offered by xwave and Aliant at the Think New Brunswick ICT Showcase. ThinkNB is a two-day event promoting local ICT businesses and products to members of the provincial government, academia and industry.

As event sponsors and exhibitors and as longtime employers in New Brunswick, xwave and Aliant are enthusiastic supporters of local expertise and innovation. Employing over 3,000 people in the province, they provide essential network and systems support to the Government of New Brunswick as well as serving the end-to-end ICT needs of numerous government departments and agencies.

“ICT is a vital enabler today—it is fundamental to providing private and public sectors alike with the tools necessary to be productive and competitive,” said Helena Cain, Vice President, Enterprise Sales, Aliant. “ThinkNB is an ideal forum in which to demonstrate not only the measurable benefits of ICT investment and public-private partnership, but also the wealth of industry talent that is here in this province.”

Members of xwave and Aliant will be on hand at the show to demonstrate solutions including:

• The Personal Communication Manager — Aliant’s Personal Communication Manager is a Microsoft Outlook plug in/tool bar that will enable users with a Centrex or IP Centrex telephone line access to full VoIP capabilities while away from the office and enhanced IP call control features while working on their office LAN.

• A workforce management solution — xwave and Aliant worked with NB Power and other partners to develop an ICT enabled workforce management solution. The company has worked with NB Power since 1993 and now provide the utility with approximately 25 different ICT services as well as province-wide data, voice and mobility support.

• Hands-free-communication for healthcare practitioners — Currently in use in Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, this solution was developed in partnership with Vocera Communications with support from the Aliant Innovation Centre in Saint John. It involves a clip-on badge that weighs less than two ounces and gives wearers hands-free communication anywhere within networked facilities.

xwave and Aliant will also be discussing their role as provincial partner-ICT innovator, one in which they actively propel local business growth and community development. They do this through ongoing partnerships with dozens of New Brunswick companies, investing $43.5 million in local ICT firms in 2006 alone. They also do it by partnering directly with the provincial government, installing, for example, advanced broadband, high-speed Internet and wireless networks that connect hundreds of rural communities across the province. Aliant currently makes broadband available to 90 percent of New Brunswick, and has committed $300 million to building and maintaining a next-generation communications network spanning the entire Atlantic region.

xwave and Aliant annually donate over $1 million in financial contributions, in-kind gifts and sponsorships to New Brunswick causes and charities, and of their 8,600 Aliant Pioneer Volunteers—the largest corporate-based volunteer organization in Atlantic Canada—40 percent live in New Brunswick.

Noteworthy provincial ICT initiatives and partnerships include:

• Systems integration for the Department of Health — xwave has been chosen to integrate and maintain various components within the province’s One Patient One Record system. This solution is fundamental to New Brunswick’s e-health strategy, and will enhance care by enabling clinicians to readily access up-to-date patient information.

• A 10-year contract with Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation — xwave supports AHSC’s entire IT environment, which spans 14 facilities and supports over 400 doctors and 4,400 staff. Following AHSC’s nomination, xwave won Company of the Year at the 2006 Canadian Healthcare Information Technology Trade Association (CHITTA) Awards. Healthcare is a specialty market for xwave, and almost half of the more than 200 consultants in its Healthcare practice are located in New Brunswick.

• An Asset Management Solution for the Department of Transportation — Developed in partnership with Fredericton-based Remsoft, Halifax Global, ADI, OPUS International and the University of New Brunswick (UNB), the AMBF is a solution for managing civil-infrastructure assets. It is unique in the marketplace in that it uses mathematical-optimization techniques to plan the long-term management of roads, bridges, ferries and other vital assets. The solution has attracted the attention of transportation officials in the U.S. and Australia. It won a 2007 Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement Award.

• The Corrections Information System (CORIS) — CORIS evolved from offender-management technology developed in partnership with the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety (DPS). CORIS has been adopted by several U.S. states, successfully commercializing DPS intellectual property and generating significant revenue and jobs for xwave; most of the software development and customization for CORIS is carried out through xwave’s Corrections Practice in Fredericton.

Technology export, as demonstrated by CORIS and the AMBF, is another key objective of xwave and Aliant. New Brunswick, in addition to providing a skilled, tech-savvy workforce, offers the advantages of a maritime location and bilingualism, both of which help improve accessibility to valuable markets in Canada, the U.S. and overseas.

xwave and Aliant are among approximately 100 ICT firms exhibiting at the ThinkNB ICT Showcase, which takes place November 20th and 21st at Fredericton’s Aitken Centre. For show details visit http://www.masterpromotions.ca/thinknb-splash.asp