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| PLUGGED IN: Ed Cantwell is all about (wireless) connections. photography by Dan Sellers |
YOU NEED TO KNOW . . .
COMPANY: CREDANT Technologies
TITLE: Founder and CEO
STATS: Based in Addison; founded in September 2001 with five employees; in 2007, 100 employees; more than 330 clients worldwide; revenue is projected to double this year.
WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM:
Because with more than 99 percent of handheld computers in today’s marketplace operating unprotected, it stands to reason yours could be one of them. The environment of cell phones, PDAs, laptops, and removable media (iPods, CDs, etc.) gives users great flexibility, but entrepreneur Bob Heard wondered if companies would be able—let alone diligent enough—to protect the mobile workforce in the event a device was lost or stolen. The research showed a definitive answer: not even close. So in 2001 with an initial $5.5 million, Heard founded CREDANT Technologies, the bodyguard of all things mobile. The sole product, a business solution called CREDANT Mobile Guardian, seamlessly encrypts data so only an authenticated user can access it. As of December 2006, an estimated 100 million Americans have possibly had their identities stolen. Across all industries, crime is so widespread that ignoring the risk may not be an option much longer. “In the last year or so, companies have woken up,” Heard says. “The last thing they want is to see their name in
the headlines.”
