Sault high-tech companies honoured.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: SAULT STE. MARIE

Sault Ste. Marie's IT sector is rapidly maturing and becoming more sophisticated with a new wave of entrepreneurs with big ambitions.

"It's been encouraging," says Tom Vair, executive director of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, who operates a business incubator for fledgling IT start-ups.

"We've started to see some of our small companies look outside the community for expansion and we see some entrepreneurs coming in the doors with the mindset of serving the North American market versus Northern Ontario."

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's (SSMIC) third annual event was sold out for its Oct. 25 SSMARt (Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Region) Awards.

More than 100 attendees were expected for the event dedicated to honouring regional companies and influential individuals for their innovative use of technology and contributions to the technology sector.

Representatives from the Ontario Centres of Excellence and ITAC (Information Technology Association of Canada) were expected to attend.

"We're spreading out our wings and inviting people from outside the community which is great to see," says Vair.

This year's awards will feature speeches from former Sault natives who are major movers with Research in Motion (RIM).

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Rosalynn Medaglia is the marketing director for AT & T at RIM where she oversees all marketing strategies and product market launches for one of RIM's largest carrier partners.

Angelo Fasulo, RIM's director of carrier management, is responsible for the company's relationship with Rogers Wireless Communications. He's worked in the Asia-Pacific and has advanced RIM's success in...