In the mind’s eye, Florida is the tropical paradise of the continental United States. Beaches with snow-white sands and shimmering waters, a wide variety of fishing spots, and a hub for a booming technology sector! Florida’s tax-friendly environment, transportation infrastructure combined with a location that lacks an ocean of competing firms, enables growth for tech firms and, as a result, the local economy. Here is a list of technology companies headquartered in Florida!
1. JHT Incorporated
Raised from the ground in 1990 by service-disabled veterans, JHT, headquartered in Orlando, excels at producing military training solutions. Their success comes embracing multimedia technologies by integrating 2D/3D graphics, animations, and simulations to create engaging training solutions with high memory retention. A product of note, the proxSIMity Advance Touch System, uses touch-based interactions to instruct and train soldiers on how to use, maintain, and repair military technology.
However, their proficiency with simulation training dates to an earlier time. In 2013, JHT was a support contractor for the first version of the Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS) – a training solution instructing sailors on submarine maintenance and operator tasks. JHT’s recent accomplishment was winning a $6.9 million contract to train Navy sailors on the use and maintenance of the NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System.
2. Sykes Enterprises
Sykes Enterprises has been around since 1977, initially operating in Charlotte, North Carolina. At that time, they formed contracts with large corporations providing engineering and design services. In 1993, a year after purchasing a Jones Technology, they moved their headquarters to Tampa.
Now, Sykes Enterprises focuses on delivering an intimate connection between consumers and well-known brands by assisting Global 2000 companies. Sykes accomplishes this task by providing customer relationship management consulting while simultaneously outsourcing technical support agents. However, it doesn’t stop there – since 1993, they have acquired and integrated other companies into their fold. The acquisitions transformed Sykes’ into three businesses – Contact Center Services, Telehealth, and Assistance Services. As a result of having a finger in every pie, their growth has spread into Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the rest of North America.
3. Astadia
Founded in 1997, in Boston, Massachusetts, Astadia serves a vital role in today’s ever-evolving digital world in the form of mainframe migrations and modernizations involving cloud application development and cloud storage. Using their technological expertise, they assist start-up companies by forming concrete developer operations with cost-effect solutions for IT services and cloud-based development. The software can be developed, built, and tested in the cloud, and legacy data can be migrated – migration prevents data loss by copying code from on-location mainframes and transferring it to a cloud server.
Astadia effectively serves as a portal into the digital space for companies – to ease them into a new world of advanced technology and our modern internet. Although headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Astadia’s only other location is in Jacksonville.
4. Tyco Integrated Security
Tyco Integrated Security’s history is ancient – they began as telegraph delivery company in 1874 called American District Telegraph! As of 2016, they are now part of an Irish company, dealing in fire protection, security, HVAC, building controls, and energy storage known as Johnson Controls.
Currently, Tyco Integrated Security is 10,000 employees strong with offices spread across North America but still headquartered in Boca Raton. They protect companies from internal and external security risks – from fire and internal theft to mismanagement and organized crime, their specialization in electronic security products, installation, and services protect a business from what would otherwise be a catastrophic end. Nothing escapes the gaze of their digital eye – everything related to their client’s company is monitored, and their client growth projections benefit from Tyco’s focus on the development of a client’s organized intelligence operations.
5. Greyson Technologies
A newer addition to the technology business scene, Greyson Technologies was founded in 2010 and is based in Ft. Lauderdale, with offices throughout Florida. Greyson Technologies’ motto is “unnecessary complexity is the enemy of productivity”. The Cisco Gold Certified company simplifies the hassles of our digital age for their clients with a wide range of expertise and collection of IT experts. They provide IT solutions through security, networking optimization, telecommunication, and data management as well as IT services such as advisory service, proactive monitoring and management, project management, and 4G LTE carrier services.
On June 4, of this year 2019, they have been recognized, for a second consecutive year, as one of Florida’s fastest-growing technology service companies by the CRN’s top 500 solution providers. The CRN is the industry standard for determining and recognizing a technology company’s performance.
6. DiSTI Corporation
Born in Orlando in 1994, DiSTI is a technology company that specializes in the development and distribution of advanced graphical user interfaces and customizable 3D training software. Originally, the founders of the company assisted graduate students by giving aid to the development of simulation training classes. Realizing they could help the training and simulation industry, DiSTI began contract work and grew into a company for simulation solutions.
They primarily work with Global 500 companies and military organizations like Lockheed Martin and Boeing but have expanded into other sectors providing medical, transportation, and automotive training solutions. DiSTI’s software tools also aid businesses in 3D virtual training solutions and the development of their human-machine interfaces. DiSTI’s landmark software is the GL Studio Toolkit which is used in embedded avionics. Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic implement GL Studio Toolkit for their commercial spacecraft, the VSS Enterprise and the VMS Eve.
7. Tech Data Corporation
In 1974, Edward C. Raymund founded Tech Data in the city of Clearwater as a reseller of data processing supplies for maintenance and use of mini and mainframe computers. Eventually, the company grew to be a direct distributor of electronic components for personal computers in 1984. In 2013, they took a financial blow due to human error in accounting.
However, this did nothing to deter Tech data. They have since grown into a multinational company providing services in over 100 countries and thus one of the world’s largest distributor of IT products and services for companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft. A source of pride for the company comes from their position as rank 88 on Fortune 500’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” for ten consecutive years and rank 83 on the Fortune 500 list.
8. Modernizing Medicine
I end this list with another Boca Raton resident – Modernizing Medicine. Seeking to bring medical practices into the digital space, Daniel Cane and Michael Sherling founded the company in 2010. They sought to provide efficient and effective electronic health record systems and bring medical clinics up to date with the latest IT solutions.
The key to their success echoes the relationship between its two founders – Daniel Cane, a more software-focused individual, and Michael Sherling, a practicing dermatologist. Following this pattern, Modernizing Medicine employs software engineers and practicing doctors to guide programming for different medical specialties. These specialties include dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology, plastic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, and urology. Modernizing Medicine’s primary goal behind proving IT solutions for such a wide range of specialties is to provide in-depth medical knowledge to practices efficiently as possible.
