Business News Cyber security firm goes Stateside By Philip Parkin
A cyber security firm is poised to embark on an ambitious overseas expansion next year. MetCloud, based at Chamber
House, Edgbaston, plans to open an office in Maryland next March. It is the first step in an ambitious
plan to employ around 250 people in the USA, where the firm hopes to develop links with the National Security Agency, at Ford Meade, Maryland. MetCloud also hopes to build up
a significant client base in the US, which founder and chief executive Ian Vickers says would be a rare achievement for a UK-based business.
‘This will be a huge success story for the Midlands’
In addition, the company is
developing its own cyber security artificial intelligence (AI) platform in conjunction with Birmingham City University, which will revolutionise its work in battling the growing menace of viruses and malware. All of this is a far cry from
MetCloud’s beginnings, when it employed seven people in an office in Bristol. A move to Birmingham followed
in 2001 and the company now employs 19 people. The decision to open an office in
the US came after Mr Vickers was part of a delegation to Maryland organised by the Department for
Award winning: Ian Vickers and Amanda Jukes of MetCloud with some of the awards the company has won in recent months
International Trade (DIT) and Midlands Engine. Since then, the State of Maryland
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK, with the intention of supporting greater integration between businesses operating on both sides of the Atlantic. The Maryland Economic
Development Agency is helping MetCloud open its American operation, but funding is also being sought from UK-based investors. The initial office will be on the University of Maryland’s College
First trams reach Centenary Square
Trams have begun arriving in Centenary Square as part of testing for the Birmingham Westside Metro extension. A series of overnight trials have been taking place on the newly-laid
track from Grand Central to Centenary Square in preparation for the launch of passenger services this month. West Midlands mayor Andy Street was on board as a tram completed
one of its first journeys from Grand Central. He said: “It was very exciting to see the testing of the tram, showing
just how close we are to finishing construction on the extension of the West Midlands Metro line to Centenary Square. “This project is on time and will, in December, be bringing passengers
to the International Convention Centre (ICC), HSBC Bank and the Library of Birmingham. “This latest addition to the line, which will soon be heading out along
Broad Street towards Edgbaston, offers residents a genuinely viable alternative to the car in Birmingham city centre.” Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “This is an important moment in the project and it is fantastic to see that it is
now in the final stages of completion, meaning those living, working in or visiting Birmingham can now anticipate the extension of fast, clean, reliable and eco-friendly trams throughout more of the city.” These latest tests follow a series of successful trials to Victoria Square in
August, which marked the first time in the UK that a tram used battery power to run along a modern line specifically built without overhead wires.
December 2019/January 2020 CHAMBERLINK 25
Park campus, but will be followed by the opening of a major office in Baltimore in December 2020. Mr Vickers said one of the
attractions of Baltimore was the plan to turn the rundown Port Covington area into a rival to California’s Silicon Valley, but focusing on AI and data analytics rather than the development of apps. He said: “This will be a huge
success story for the Midlands – there are very few organisations that have gone across to the US and have been successful,
especially in our sector.” Among clients that MetCloud is
targeting are those in highly- regulated sectors, such as financial services businesses and those operating in the legal field, all of whom store sensitive information and must guard against viruses and malware. During the past year, MetCloud
has won 13 major business awards, including ‘Innovative Vendor of the Year’ from Comptia, also known as the Computer Technology Industry Association, a leading trade organisation for the IT industry.
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