January February March April May June July
August September October November December
JANUARY: On the Cognicase
The year started auspiciously for Cognicase with positive Q4 results and bids for Applied Terravision and AVI Software Inc. By the end of the year, the shoe was on the other foot: the stock tumbles and Cognicase becomes an acquisition target for rival outsourcer CGI
Jan. 16: Microcell maneuvers for profitability
The carrier lays off 180 employees in an effort to remain competitive with Bell and Telus. It’s the last round of pink slips, Microcell promises, after 194 were let go the previous fall
Jan. 21: RCMP extends PKI certification
Municipal and provincial police receive $1 million in funding for security software. The stipend is part of a post-9/11 fund and is spent on product and services from Addison, Tex.-based Entrust Inc.
Jan. 25: Ontario plans its own privacy law
Dissatisfied with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, the province drafts a new law which mandates more rules for hospitals
FEBRUARY: 1X marks the spot
Hailed as 2.5G, the next stage in the wireless telephony revolution, Bell kicks off its 1XRTT over CDMA platform in Toronto, then slowly rolls it out across the country throughout 2002. Telus and Rogers will follow
Feb. 5: CGI scores IT hat trick with three insurance firms
CGI renews contracts with Pilot Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and CGU Group Canada Ltd.
Feb. 14: Criminal justice system overhauls IT
The federal government says it plans to spend the next three years and $4.75 million to finish up the Canadian Public Safety Information Network
MARCH: Vital signs
March Networks, Aliant Telecom, We Care Health Services and Canarie announce the results of what may be the largest telehealth project in Canadian history. Prognosis: promising
March 11: Mobile phone precursor dies in Newfoundland
Aliant Telecom shuts down its Improved Mobile Telephone Service after a decades-long run, then promptly increases the coverage of its cellular digital packet data network to 70 per cent of Atlantic Canada
March 12: Compuware sues IBM over software code
David takes on Goliath, accusing Big Blue of abusing its mainframe market dominance and misappropriating intellectual property
APRIL: How the West was merged
Bell Canada and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. form a $1 billion company called Bell West Inc. to make some headway against Telus Corp. Bell West comprises the assets of Bell Intrigna and the Alberta and British Columbia offices of Bell Nexxia
April 22: Computer Associates ends channel competition
At CA World, CEO Kumar introduces a new channel program to lay to rest squabbles between its direct sales force and resellers
April 29: National registry to track electronic health record projects
Canada Health Infoway plans to monitor solutions under way across the country and those planned for the next 18 months
MAY: Goodbye, Compaq
It started in Sept. 2001 and eight months later it was finally over. With a sigh of relief, HP completed its acquistion of Compaq in an US$18 billion deal, the largest high-tech merger on record. Partners wondered where it would leave them and the industry at large wondered if this might be IBM all over again
May 6: Synnex acquires Gates/Arrow
Deal will make Canadian reseller landscape less competitive, VARs say
May 8: Harry Zarek rides again
Norigen took a gamble on the IT market by buying Compugen’s services division and lost. Zarek lands on his feet and buys it back
May 13: Broadband users oppose Bell’s bit cap strategy
Internet limits simply a way to increase margins, user group president says
May 15: Teleglobe prepares turnaround strategy
Cast off from BCE, the troubled firm makes another round of layoffs, shuffles its management team and leaves the hosting business behind
JUNE: Engineer vs. Engineer
The Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) issues a press release warning that the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers is on the warpath again about IT professionals who use the name “”software engineer.”” What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Apparently, stalemate
June 24: Ontario mulls changes to software tax
Consultations with industry identified options to improve policy, province says
June 25: Amazon outsources for Canadian expansion
Jeff Bezos comes to Toronto to promote the launch of Amazon.ca, but Canada Post will be doing all the heavy lifting
June 27: Microsoft partner guides users on Software Assurance
Licensing Wizard debuts one month before July 31st deadline
JULY: IBM meets PwC
Not to be outdone by HP’s acquisition schedule this year, IBM makes a play for PricewaterhouseCoopers. The US$3.5 billion takeover strengthens Big Blue’s services offerings and is eventually folded into its Business Innovation Services unit
July 8: Airport authority hangs up on wireless dispute
The carriers lose their battle over lease renewals and will see power cut to their facilities
July 23: An outsourcer outsources: Xerox shuffles EDS’s papers
Workplace processes evaluated under $14 million contract
July 25: An MCSE by any other name
Microsoft concludes a year-long investigation into the legal and ethical use of the term “”engineer”” in its certification program
AUGUST: Gates for a day
In his first visit to Toronto in four years, Bill Gates outlines his Web services vision. “”We’re rebuilding with XML to the core,”” Gates tells developers and partners. He later labels IT in the classroom a failure
Aug. 6: Meet Canada’s first privacy plaintiff
Matthew Englander uses PIPEDA to take Telus to court for printing his number in the phone book
Aug. 18: Sun admits mistake, relaunches 32-bit server
A decade after cancelling the line, McNealy sees new life in the market
Aug. 28: Criminal surveillance may force ISP upgrades
A Department of Justice proposal could make providers store user data for six months and disclose it to authorities
SEPTEMBER: City under seige
The legal inquiry into Canada’s biggest IT scandal almost gets underway. The City of Toronto reputedly paid twice the original asking price to leasing company MFP Financial Services for software and hardware. The bill added up to more than $85 million. On the first day, however, the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) asks to suspend the proceedings while it pursues a criminal investigation
Sept 10: 9/11 anniversary haunts Networld + Interop crowd
“”It’s a little weird being away from our families,”” exhibitor says
Sept 19: Canadian collaboration firms team for content
Having failed to buy PC Docs and Accelio, Open Text purchases Centrinity as it evolves from groupware into managing unstructured data in the enterprise
Sept. 23: Key3Media cancels two Canadian Comdex shows
A shrunken IT industry means fewer venues to exhibit new products, as events in Montreal and Vancouver are chopped
OCTOBER: Pirates? Us?
Technology in Government Week celebrates project milestones like Ontario’s five-year, $200 million journey to upgrading the systems that handle welfare. In the private sector, the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft releases an annual report that names Maritime provinces as the biggest pirates
Oct. 16: Expedia buys Montreal firm for hotel booking portal
Newtrade acquisition brings Web services-style offering to travel site
Oct. 21: Siebel, Microsoft forge three-year interoperability deal
Rumours began flying that Bill Gates and co. were set to acquire the CRM specialist, but the agreement only cemented an ongoing relationship designed to reduce application complexity
Oct. 24: Database may offer evidence in U.S. sniper hunt
An information sharing conference in Washington coincides with the capture of suspects in a series of shootings south of the border
NOVEMBER: When will the bleeding stop?
The pros and cons of outsourcing dominate the CIO Summit agenda, while the vendor community congregates for what may be the last Comdex Fall ever. As the industry continues its search for signs of a recovery, IDC says a slight increase in PC sales isn’t grounds for optimism
Nov. 4: IBM purchase adds to content management expertise
Ottawa-based Tarian’s tools to be integrated with DB2, Websphere
Nov. 6: Smart Toronto, Liberty Village amalgamate
IT associations begin to feel the same consolidation pinch as the vendors who make up their membership
Nov. 21: No criminal wrongdoing in leasing deal: OPP
After two extensions, the police give the go-ahead that will see the Toronto inquiry resume the following month
DECEMBER: Come Mel or high water
It’s all eyes on Toronto mayor Mel Lastman as he describes a megacity staff unable to cope with the due diligence required to evaluate its own hardware and software needs. Elsewhere in the public sector, the long-awaited Romanow report encourages access to patient care, potentially boosting telehealth projects
Dec. 10: Canadian coalition forms to fight CD media levy
The Retail Council of Canada responds to one of the most contentious issues in IT. Nearly every major vendor lines up to support it
Dec. 12: War on Iraq could cripple Internet: IDC
The research firm’s annual forecast for 2003 includes some unexpected predictions on terrorism and IT
Comment: [email protected]
