Tapping Tech in Vermont

Jeffrey J. McMahan, Esq. - Contributor 

The creative economy is boiling away in Vermont and high-paying jobs are sugaring out.   Alright, that’s a poor play on words to introduce you to Tapping Tech, the 32 page booklet about Vermont’s technology industries brought to you by the Vermont Software Developer’s Alliance (vtSDA).   (In the interest of full disclosure, I recently joined the board of vtSDA, but cannot claim any responsibility for the great work that went into Tapping Tech).  Tapping Tech, which profiles twelve Vermont-based technology companies, was put together by vtSDA to highlight the high tech industry in Vermont and its substantial contribution to our economy.   Formed just five years ago, vtSDA is a trade association with a mission to foster the software industry in Vermont.  vtSDA already has about 64 member companies.  These 64 companies created about 300 new jobs in Vermont in 2008 and 2009 and expect to create about 150 jobs by the end of 2010.  vtSDA believes, however, that its current membership constitutes only 20% of the software programming jobs in Vermont and less than 10% of the technology companies in Vermont.  So these numbers represent just a fraction of the technology economy in Vermont.  And, vtSDA is not the only organization working to foster technology companies in Vermont.  The newly formed Vermont Biosciences Alliance (VBSA) is focused on medical technology companies in Vermont and is working with vtSDA to build on their momentum.

Check out Tapping Tech and to see some of these companies live and in person, plan to attend the Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam the third annual edition of a conference that is part tech company exposition and part job fair.  Vermont 3.0 will take place at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington on October 15-16, 2010. 

Tapping Tech, vtSDA, VBSA and Vermont 3.0 – proof that Vermont exports a lot more than syrup and ice cream – let’s see what sugars out. 

Jeff McMahan