Xref: utzoo comp.misc:2021 can.jobs:190
Path: utzoo!ncc!lyndon
From: lyndon@ncc.UUCP (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,can.jobs
Subject: Re: Software Industry in Canada -- general remarks and questions
Summary: There is some "quiet" work happening in Western Canada also
Message-ID: <10075@ncc.UUCP>
Date: 29 Feb 88 19:52:56 GMT
References: <5358@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <562@myrias.UUCP> <1988Feb28.215236.25318@lsuc.uucp>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Nexus Computing Inc.
Lines: 52


 clewis@lsuc.uucp (Chris Lewis) writes:
  
> Some of the larger companies:  BNR is doing all kinds of programming on
> all kinds of machines.  And probably has several thousand software people
> across the country.  Then there's Amdahl, IBM, CDC, Northern, the oil
> companies, and Provincial and Federal governments.  All of which have
> very large numbers of software people working for them.  Along with
> the Banks etc.  All of the aforementioned companies are doing UNIX
> work (to a greater or lesser extent) in Canada.  Some pretty "high-techy"
> too - compilers, O/S ports, database systems etc.

There is some interesting work happening in western Canada as well.

* Myrias Research

	Will soon be shipping a 256 (?) processor parallel system.
	I don't know about the hardware design, however the majority
	of the software (OS, compilers, etc) is being developed in
	house, and they have been looking for numerical analyst types
	to convert existing numerical applications to their environment.

* IDACOM

	Design and manufacture various communications protocol analyzers.
	Some people claim their among the best in the world. The
	Japanese gov't seems to agree as their PTT has signed a fairly
	substantial contract with them.

* Teletronic Communications

	These guys have designed a very state of the art WAN system
	that runs over existing cable TV equipment, integrating
	voice, video, and data.

The above three companies are located in Edmonton. There is also Develcon
and a few others. Of the three, Myrias does the most "advertising", spread
between the careers section of the major Canadian newspapers and USENET :-)

The majority of people I know who work for these companies were either
involved with the startup of the company, or hired through word of mouth
referrals, and have quite a bit of related experience. Most of these jobs
are not suited to freshly graduated university students, and a lot of
headhunters still don't know what UNIX is... It's not surprising most of
the hiring is done "underground."

Besides, NOBODY from California wants to move north to a job that
requires them to spend two hours after work shoveling through the
snow in the parking lot trying to find their car (let alone trying to
start it at -40C :-)

--lyndon