What is Toluu?
Toluu is a free service for sharing the feeds you read and discovering new ones.		 Get Invite

Beantown Web

The mission of Beantown Web is to provide information about Web Development training and career opportunities in the greater Boston area.


Technology Fast 500 | 2008December 23 2008
TF500_Blue500_2k8.gif

There are more fast growing technology companies in Massachusetts than in any other state, except California.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List for 2008 has been announced and Massachusetts boasts 46 companies.

The Fast 500 ranks the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. Companies are selected based on percentage revenue growth from 2003 to 2007.

Technology Fast 500: Highlights & Trends provides a detailed summary of the 2008 results. A 2008 Technology Fast 500 document (pdf) offers a listing of all 500 companies.

Technology Fast 500

Here are the 46 Massachusetts companies that made this year's Technology Fast 500 list [NOTE: Sign in to your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon to reveal your connections at that company.]:

  1. Starent Networks Corp. | Tewksbury
  2. NxStage Medical, Inc. | Lawrence
RHT IT Hiring Index | Q1 2009December 16 2008
rht_logo.gif

Interviews were conducted with 200 chief information officers (CIOs) from companies in the Boston area with 100 or more employees. These discussions shine a light on their company's hiring plans for the first quarter of 2009.

In the Boston metro area, information technology (IT) hiring projections for the first quarter are as follows:

  • add staff | 15 percent
  • reduce staff | 3 percent

Nationally, the ratio is as follows:

  • add staff | 12 percent
  • reduce staff | 4 percent

So, IT hiring looks promising in the New Year, especially in the Boston metro area.

IT Skills in Demand

According to the Executive Director of Robert Half Technology,

“Investments in Web 2.0 initiatives continue to generate demand in areas such as web development..."

Web development & website design was cited by 42% of CIOs nationally as being most in-demand in their organization. Here are the skills CIOs will be looking for in early 2009:

4

A national press release about the quarterly Robert Half

Boston Market | December 2008December 11 2008

Pessimism about the U.S. economy abounds. Here are just two examples.

AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index

A quarterly survey of nearly 300 leaders in the graphic & Web design community reveals that only one in eight is likely to increase staff during the next six months. The survey generated the lowest readings since its creation in 2005. Details can be found by accessing a press release from AIGA | the professional association for design.

The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook Index

A quarterly survey of chief executive officers (CEOs) of leading corporations were asked the following question (responses included):

How do you expect your company’s U.S. employment to change in the next six months?

  • Increase | 9%
  • No Change | 32%
  • Decrease | 60%

Companies that belong to the Business Roundtable comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock markets and represent a combined workforce of nearly 10 million employees. Access a press release (pdf version) for details.

Boston Market

A close look at the job market for Web technology prof

Boston Tech Layoff TrackerNovember 24 2008

Doom

New England is headed for a "significant recession," according to the Wall Street Journal. Unemployment, currently 5.5% in Massachusetts, is projected to peak at 8.3% in mid-2010. These projections were released by The New England Economic Partnership (NEEP).

Gloom

More than two dozen technology-related companies in the metro Boston area have announced layoffs totaling more than 3,000 jobs. Xconomy, "the authoritative voice on the exponential economy", has begun tracking job losses via its Boston Tech Layoff Tracker.

Hope

top10_it_skills_10_08.jpg

Despite the doom and gloom, work is reasonably plentiful for technology workers with the right skills. According to a monthly report from Dice.com, demand in the Boston area remains reasonably strong for technology professionals with the following skills and experience:

  • .NET
  • Java
  • PHP
  • Web developer

The Top 10 Skill Sets most in-demand at Dice.com are listed here.

Project management experience is valued more than any other skill except for Java. A

2008 State New Economy IndexNovember 19 2008

Despite gloomy economic headlines, the long-term future for technology workers in Massachusetts looks bright, according to two new reports.

2008 State New Economy Index

Massachusetts not only boasts championship sports teams, the state tops the standings in the 50-state New Economy league, according to 2008 State New Economy Index. Massachusetts finished in first place in 1999, 2002, and 2007, as well.

The State New Economy Index focuses on answering one single question: To what degree does the structure of state economies match the ideal structure of the New Economy?

The principal driver of the New Economy is the information technology revolution.

"This 'IT engine' is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, the most promising New Economy advances will relate to a state’s ability to use information more effectively."

A press release is available from the Kauffman Foundation. A more detailed 88-page report (pdf) is available for free download.

Beacon Hill Institute’s Competitiveness Report

A second report reveals that Massachusetts continues to outperform all other states in technology, and ranks first in venture capital per capita, making it the most attractive state for startups. According to this report: