Fairfield County Business Journal 070416

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2 | ROADSIDE BUSINESS July 4, 2016 | VOL. 52, No. 27

14 | MEDICINE'S DIGITAL FRONTIER

YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

westfaironline.com

Stamford lands CyberShark BLACKSTRATUS CITES TECH-SAVVY REGION AS A DRAW

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN

C

kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

BlackStratus CEO Dale Cline listens to Gov. Dannel Malloy’s remarks at the June 28 grand opening of the company’s new Stamford office. Photo by Rob Wilson Photography

louds are usually viewed as looming trouble in the business world, unless one is referring to cloud-based technology. Fortunately that’s just what cybersecurity firm BlackStratus is all about. Even more fortunate is the fact that the company, headquartered in Piscataway, N.J., chose Stamford as the site for its new technology, CyberShark. “We were looking for a good location for CyberShark and were really impressed with Connecticut,” said BlackStratus CEO Dale Cline. “Financially, we were presented with a very attractive package through the DECD

(Department of Economic and Community Development).” The DECD awarded the firm $5.5 million to build its new security operations center in Stamford at 9 W. Broad St., whose grand opening on June 28 featured Gov. Dannel Malloy and DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith. BlackStratus was one of the pioneers of security information and event management (SIEM) technology, which provides companies with the ability to understand what’s going on over their entire network and alerts them whenever a suspicious event that could be cybersecurity- or compliance-related occurs. BlackStratus’ clients include such firms as Cisco and British Telecom. » CYBERSHARK, page 6

MVP proves its mettle

STATE PROGRAM HAS SPENT $7.5M TO ASSIST MANUFACTURERS BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com THE STATE’S MANUFACTURING VOUCHER PROGRAM, part of its Manufacturing Innovation Fund, is proving to be so successful that it has already granted nearly three-quarters of its budget to

companies looking for help in investing in technology to maintain its presence in Connecticut. According to Catherine Smith, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), as of the end of June the MVP has spent about $7.5 million

of the $10.5 million set aside for the program. “We’re very pleased,” Smith said of MVP, noting that the voucher program is a partnership of the DECD and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. “It’s a popular program in that it allows manufacturers access to money for new, productive technologies, workforce training and to give a leg up to small and midsize manufacturers who are downstream from the larger manufacturers to remain competitive and attractive to potential employees.” MVP was the first pro-

gram that the Manufacturing Innovation Fund (MIF) board approved upon its formation in December 2014. “Over the next few years, Connecticut’s small manufacturers are going to be asked to increase their production to meet the needs of larger companies,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in announcing the voucher program, calling it “a tool that will assist them with purchases of new equipment, jumpstart research and development activities, as well as training. “The state is here to assist these companies in any way we

can to ensure they are competitive and ready to meet the future demands,” he added. Since its launch, the MVP has awarded 214 grants to more than 180 advanced-manufacturing companies. Of those, 71 percent have bought equipment, 17 percent have used the money for training and 12 percent for new software. Eligible companies can apply for vouchers of up to $50,000 for the purchase of specialized expertise that will help improve operations, including marketing, compliance and other technical expertise. Participating » MVP, page 6


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