Boulder-Longmont area tops tech list
Trade group ranks metro areas for software employment
The Boulder-Longmont area received a first-place ranking by the
Software and Information Industry Association
for the fifth time on Thursday when the group released its top 25 metropolitan
areas for software employment in 2003.
"I'm very impressed but not at all surprised," said Su Hawk,
president of the
Colorado Software and Internet Association.
"It is yet another sign of the great success that embodies the tech
industry in Colorado."
Rankings are based on the number of software employees, divided by the area's
total population. That calculation then is compared to the nationwide ratio.
Some industry authorities say the ranking reflects the area's defining
role in a market they say is finally on the rise.
"Technology employment will help lead the way out of the recession and
Boulder County and Longmont are very well-positioned to take advantage
of that," said John Cody, president of the
Longmont Area Economic Council.
"All of the indicators are pointed in the right direction for us."
Hawk said she has been encouraged by reports of growth among many of the
state's software companies.
"I'm hearing a number of people talking about hiring and expecting revenue
increases of 10, 20, 30, maybe 40 percent over what they did last year," she
said. "When you increase revenue like that, you increase staff."
She lauded institutions such as
the University of Colorado,
the University of Denver and
the Colorado School of Mines,
whose programs provide local employers with qualified job candidates.
"These universities and colleges have gotten very smart about developing
curriculum for truly comprehensive degrees that are immediately
accessible," Hawk said. "They've integrated different elements in the
curriculum to make graduates very recruitable and knowledgeable."
Anne Griffith, vice president of corporate communication and
research director for the Washington, D.C.-based SIIA, has been compiling her
association's top 25 list since 1998. She believes location and the
wealth of technology companies in the area are a formula for success.
"Boulder is a highly educated area and a hot spot ... for technology
employees," she said. "They are drawn there because it is a cool place
to live."
The number of software jobs in Boulder and Longmont has remained
relatively stable, Griffith said, despite the substantial cutbacks
high-tech companies have faced over the past three years. Jobs dropped
from 14,520 in 2001 to 14,250 in 2003.
David Moll, the chief executive officer of Boulder-based
Webroot Software,
said the area's tech resources served as a shield for
companies like his while the tech industry faced crippling blows.
Moll, pointing to growing startups such as @Last Software in Boulder, is
optimistic about the future of the area's tech firms.
"I don't think there are too many communities where we would have been
able to sustain our company, that could supply us with the capable,
skilled and dedicated employees we needed," he said.
