Technology

C-Mac resizeFrom a small startup in Sherbrooke, Quebec, C-MAC Industries Inc. (C-MAC) became a leading internationally diversified designer and manufacturer of integrated  electronic manufacturing solutions, from components to full systems, primarily serving the communications, automotive, instrumentation, defense and aerospace industries worldwide. C-MAC provided product design, supply-chain management, and assembly and testing. The Company’s electronics manufacturing services were combined with Solectron Corporation (NYSE: SLR), in 2001 for $2.3 billion (C$3.6 billion).

PRG Communications was part of the C-MAC story from the announcement of its first million dollar supply contract with Nortel through the production of the communications materials (presentation, video,  information package, press releases) and roadshow logistics for C-MAC’s overscubscribed IPO.

Zenastra resizeHeadquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Zenastra Inc., was a start-up with promise that folded prematurely as a result of the technology bubble bursting in 2001. A manufacturer of both active and passive components, Zenastra had received its first orders and was shipping sample products to three systems manufacturers, who were field testing and about to deploy the services as part of new system-development programs. Though the company folded, Zenastra proved that human capital, ingenuity and bold marketing contribute to creating strong, home-grown companies that play on the global stage.

PRG’s involvement in Zenastra’s market success included:

  • Launching the Company’s new corporate identity in record time and creating impact in the media including standalone stories in Reuters and other business and trade media.
  • Introducing product at industry tradeshows.
  • Leading highly successful trade-show-related activities including theme development, booth design, pre-show promotions, media, analyst outreach and product marketing support.
  • Creating content and directing architectural design and maintenance of the Company’s website and corporate intranet.
  • Developing print and online marketing collateral and e-collateral including brochures, advertising content, product datasheets, customer mailers aimed at lead generation.
MaxT resizeMaximum Throughput Inc. (www.max-t.com) is a networked storage developer whose products deliver SAN performance over TCP/IP. The Company’s unique solution provides many times the storage bandwidth of other NAS and SAN products, using software that runs on industry standard hardware. Maximum Throughput products offer unparalleled performance capacity management, and capacity availability, and have the lowest total cost-of-ownership in their class.

Ahead of a planned financing round, PRG developed an outreach strategy to inform targeted media and analysts about several newsworthy company milestones and executed a media relations campaign to build awareness of the company’s achievements. The effort resulted in broad industry trade media coverage on the testing results of Maximum Throughput’s Sledgehammer solution and customer wins. Maximum Throughput completed a $7 million Series A round bringing the total venture capital raised by the company at that time to $11 million, adding new investors and resulting in local, national business press coverage.

SR Telecom resize

SR Telecom (www.srtelecom.com) is a pioneer and acknowledged leader in the broadband wireless access (BWA) industry with a 25 year history in developing, designing and deploying wireless access networks in urban, suburban, rural and remote environments. The company’s assets were acquired in 2007 by Groupe Lagace (www.groupelagasse.com), 2007, an international telecoms holding with manufacturing and products divisions headed by the former Vice-Chairman of C-MAC Industries Inc.

PRG:

  • Launched a brand refinement program that included logo refresh, website overhaul, and establishment of branding guidelines resulting in an energized new look that was introduced at ITU Telecom World 2003, a major global industry trade show in Geneva Switzerland.
  • Developed marketing programs to maximize the successful introduction of new products and solutions
  • Implemented customer visits, tradeshow/commercial exhibitions program.
  • Through targeted electronic campaigns, established measurable lead-generation activities to drive traffic at industry events, most notably Telecom 2003 in Geneva, and post-event CRM activity.
  • Spearheaded all quarterly earnings announcement activities, annual report production and AGM, as well as the investor communications activities through four acquisitions, including the $121 million acquisition of broadband wireless supplier NETRO that led to a NASDAQ listing and SEC registration. ____________________
GoodContacts resizeFounded in November 2000, GoodContacts was an early leader in providing self-propagating, peer-to-peer, information exchange solutions to facilitate contact verification, contact restoration and contact notification on PC, PDA or CRM databases. GoodContacts was cquired by Reunion.com, now part of MyLife, which resulted from the successful merger of Reunion.com and Wink.com in November 2008.

PRG:

  • Developed cornerstone messages and positioning; created appropriate investment and media information materials, and developed presentation materials.
  • Secured presentations at technology and emerging growth investor conferences that introduced the company and management to the investment community.
  • Targeted sponsoring companies’ research teams and investment banking groups.
Scion Photonics resizeScion Photonics (Milpitas, CA) – price-performance leader in the manufacture of integrated optical components based on planar lightwave circuits. The company was bought by fiber optics equipment maker JDS Uniphase for $43 million in cash in April 2002.

PRG:

  • Provided communications counsel for the introduction of the company and its products at the Optical Fiber Conference in Anaheim, CA.
  • Initiated media and analyst outreach to introduce the company.
  • Organized 1:1 briefing sessions with media, analysts and financial analysts at OFC._______________________________________________
Newbridge resize

Newbridge Networks was an Ottawa, Ontario, Canada company founded in 1986 by serial technology entrepreneur Sir Terrence Matthews to create data and voice networking products. Newbridge customers included the world’s 300 largest telecommunications service providers and more than 10,000 corporations, government organisations and other institutions in more than 100 countries. The Company relationships included a family of Newbridge Affiliate companies and strategic alliances with Siemens and 3Com Corporation to deliver seamless, end-to-end solutions. Newbridge was acquired and absorbed by Alcatel in late February 2000 for $7 billion (U.S.) in stock.

PRG:

  • Leveraged the Newbridge “Keiretsu” affiliate model to introduce Newbridge leadership and highlight the additional technology breadth and capability of the company that was “burried” under the Newbridge ATM story to increase positive coverage of Newbridge with editors, reporters and columnists for major dailies, business and trade press, industry analysts and electronic media.
  • Capitalized on acquisitions, joint ventures, contracts and new product introductions and made extensive use of emerging web-based communications, used spokespersons to define markets resulting in over 100 venture-related corporate and product stories published in key business, daily and trade publications including Forbes, Bloomberg New, Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal.
Mitel resize

Mitel (www.mitel.com) is a high-tech company providing voice-centric IP-based communications solutions for business. Originally founded by Terrence (Terry) Matthews in 1973, the company originally produced traditional PBX systems and was sold to British Telecom in 1985. Matthews re-acquired Mitel’s communications systems division in 2001 and now focuses on Voice-over-IP (VoIP) products for small and medium sized businesses.

In 2007 Mitel acquired troubled Arizona-based Inter-Tel for $729M U.S. creating a company twice the size of either company. As a result of the merger, Mitel withdrew from the IPO registration process it had announced on May 10, 2006.

PRG:

  • Developed and wrote comprehensive Q&A, storyboard, talking points and media lines that ensured on-message and on-brand communications in all materials to communicate the acquisition to each stakeholder audience.
  • Built integration communications plan and employee intranet portal.
  • Created and wrote newsletters, all hands communications.
  • Management integration communications toolbox.
  • Employee town halls.
  • Secured Ottawa-Carleton Research and Innovation (OCRI) “Best Financial Deal of the Year” designation http://www.ocri.ca/email_broadcasts/newsreleases/040308news_e.html).
Hemera resize Hemera Technologies (Gatineau, QC, www.hemera.com) – digital image content developer and online provider of digital images, and we bring them to you in a variety of ways. Buy images the way you like, so you can work the way you like: on CD, DVD, for Windows® or for Macintosh® – or download them over the Internet, individually or through subscription.

PRG delivered a comprehensive corporate communications plan focusing on Hemera’s internal communications outward to customers, investors and collaborators.