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"We are looking forward to continued economic growth â€" and expansion," Vink said. "And, along with Canada‘s Technology Triangle (CTT)}, which we are supporters of, we hope to bring more of a technoâ€" logical presence to the area In the midst of a $2â€"milâ€" lion renovation of the buildâ€" ing located next to the diviâ€" sion‘s head office on Philip Street, now partially inhabitâ€" ed by St. Judes private school, he said the company is planning to hire for 50 new positions over the next year. It’s amazing to see just how much can change in 20 years. Not only has technology itself improved by leaps and bounds; _ the _ providers behind that technology have also felt great strides in growth. Such is the case for Waterloo‘s division of Sybase Inc. â€" one of the world‘s largest independent softâ€" ware companies. What began as the WATâ€" COM Corporation, a comâ€" puter programming operaâ€" tion which employed 50 people two decades ago, has now grown into a 200â€" employee premier provider of mobile and wireless techâ€" nology, products and serâ€" vices. And with the recent forâ€" mation _ of _ iAnywhere Solutions, a whollyâ€"owned subsidiary of Sybase Inc. which _ incorporates â€" the existing Mobile and Embedded Computing diviâ€" sion, the company is now more committed than ever to focussing on strategic areas that will enhance its leadership in the software market. "In the area of technoloâ€" gy, you have to grow at a fast pace to maintain leaderâ€" ship," explained Brian Vink, viceâ€"president of marketing for iAnywhere Solutions. "And with growth comes momentum and new oppâ€" ortunities." Vink assured some of those new op{JOrtunities will be felt locally in the near future Good neighbours: Sybase is a true Waterloo success story AnprEa Bamey Chronicle Staff oh "Waterloo, as a region, has put forth itself as an area of excellence; Sybase/â€" iAnywhere Solutions wants to continue that." "One of the reasons behind our success is the amount of academic excelâ€" lence within our communiâ€" ty," he said. "The community provides us with the opporâ€" tunity to attract and retain good people through its dynamics." A key way to do so, Vink said, is by utilizing some of the talent coming out of the the three nearby universities â€" Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier and Guelph. In fact, for it‘s support and contribution to univerâ€" sity coâ€"operative education â€" as 20 per cent of its employees are coâ€"op stuâ€" dents â€" Sybase was named "Employer of 1999" by the University of Guelph. Reee"" n1 1 C suRpis] Appreciative of its surâ€" roundings, the company has committed itself to conâ€" tributing back to the comâ€" munity. "We are looking to create a certain brand image," Vink said. And that image, he said, will evolve from focussing on three main areas: investâ€" Over the years, Sybase has been recognized for its support of Campaign Kâ€"W, and has made an annual Christmas donation to a number of charities in recent years, such as St. John‘s soup kitchen and Anselma House. Always a promoter of education, the company has sponsored a number of mathematics and computâ€" ing competitions, and has provided many incoming university â€" students with scholarships. "We _ definitely _ want to raise our profile in the community," Vink said, "and let people know we‘re here and â€" that it‘s an exciting place to be." Vink admitted a lot of knowledge is still lacking in the area of technology. But with his company‘s recent and _ upcoming changes, he hopes to jumpâ€" start customers into a new way of thinking and doing business. ment strategies, technology research and development, and strategic alliances and partnerships. "We are also hoping to develop a number of signifiâ€" cant partnerships with key movers in the industry. By doing so, we want to attract other companies to invest in the area and promote an even higher level of growth." 600 King St. N. (Home Depot) 410 King St. N. 170 University Avenue FOR THE FINER THINGS IN WOOD 182 Weber St. N. Waterloo [Just south of University Ave.) _ MA 22 s Harvey‘s new Light Tasting Menu‘s here. Try our delicious Grilled Chicken Sandwich with under 10 grams of fat. It‘s from Harvey‘s new Light Tasting Menu and it‘s just right for summer Trademark of Cara Operations Limited REAL. ' BIG. â€" TASTE.