Tech Industry Veteran Randall Howard Joins Board and Becomes Chairman
Ottawa, Ontario – Nov. 26, 2007 – iotum, a pioneer and leader in voice services for social networks, announced today that it has received new investment funding from boutique investment and management consulting firm VERDEXUS. Financial details were not disclosed; iotum will use the new funding for ongoing operations. In addition, VERDEXUS General Partner Randall Howard has joined iotum’s Board of Directors and has been appointed Chairman of the Board.
“Our investment represents a strong endorsement of iotum and recognition of a fast-growing and potentially dominant player in the mobile presence universe,” said Howard, a veteran of Canada’s technology industry as an entrepreneur, executive, consultant and venture capitalist. “iotum has the potential to be the phone company for social networks, as shown by its strategic launch of the first conference-calling application for Facebook. The underlying, patent-pending technology foundation and experienced management team make iotum a compelling addition to our portfolio.”
Howard, a founding partner of VERDEXUS, brings a global network of senior-level business contacts based on his deep executive experience in international technology markets. As founder, Chairman and CEO of MKS Inc. (www.mks.com) (TSX: MKX), one of Canada’s leading enterprise software vendors, he led growth to more than $40 million revenue annually and 350 employees worldwide, including seven acquisitions. From May 2004 to April 2006, Howard served as CEO of VERDEXUS’ portfolio company, Software Innovation (www.softinn.com).
Howard’s extensive board and advisor experience has included Necho Systems Corp, GoodContacts, Whitehill Technologies, Waterloo Maple Software, Arise Technologies and Nanodesign.
“Randall is recognized as one of the pioneers of the Canadian software industry. He is a serial entrepreneur who has earned a reputation as a respected visionary and innovator,” said iotum CEO Alec Saunders. “His decision to join iotum as an investor, board member, and Chairman is a strong endorsement of the iotum vision.”
About iotum
Founded in 2003, Iotum provides software-as-a-service communication services and solutions for forward-thinking, forward-looking and forward-moving businesses and individuals. Our latest product updates on Callbridge include the first Artificial Intelligence Assistant and Smart Search features for enterprise-level businesses.
About VERDEXUS
VERDEXUS (www.verdexus.com) is an international, strategic management and financial boutique dedicated to turning great technologies into globally competitive companies. We leverage our extensive management know-how, finance partners and international networks to build technology ventures faster and further. Founded in 2001 by international technology entrepreneurs who have founded and built global technology companies, VERDEXUS uses a hands-on investment model that provides seasoned operational executives who turn strategy into execution and build new levels of strategic market value for technology companies.