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Calgary-based cybersecurity firm iON boosts reach with acquisition of Wirefire

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Calgary-based iON United has forged ahead in accelerating the evolution of Canada’s cybersecurity industry with the acquisition of Vancouver, B.C.-based Wirefire Solutions.

Robert Zagorsky, president and founder of iON, says the merger sets a new milestone for cybersecurity in Canada to further protect organizations that have embraced virtual service during the global pandemic.

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Founded in 2003, it has enjoyed 18 consecutive years of organic growth, becoming one of Canada’s most reputable cybersecurity firms.

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Born in Calgary but brought up on the family farm at Tilley, southeast of Brooks, after completing university in Lethbridge, Zagorsky joined a Calgary IT firm in the telecom sector and became fascinated by the new demand for the protection of computer systems and networks that was in its infancy.

He made the bold decision to start his own company to focus on cybersecurity, hired a couple of technical talents, and launched iON.

He was joined by Stephen Mathezer and Chad Johnson, whom he had served as customers, followed by his brother, Scott, who are the principals of the firm.

Zagorsky says he believes his successful journey began on the farm where the hope is in planting in the spring and expecting a harvest in the fall — with a lot of hard work in between.

He says setting up in Calgary was a big plus; a city that ranked as second only to Toronto in number of corporate head offices. It had the decision-makers and a lot of high-tech talent.

He and his team had to “ground it out” at the start but were able to record a business of $300,000 that first year, and today has mushroomed into tens of millions annually. It has created cybersecurity solutions for top enterprises in various industries, including financial, health care, energy, utilities, education and law enforcement.

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And without revealing names, that includes high-profile brands and organizations in Western Canada, with employee counts of 1,000 plus, several in Ontario and a number of international banks outside of Canada.

iON has focused on establishing trust and quality as a result of fostering meaningful relationships through meaningful work. From the outset, and continuing today, clients from a diverse range of corporations, institutions and organizations are brought together in small trust circles to share their experiences.

The need to defend against cyber threats is a reality, attacks are real and ever increasing — way beyond the basement hacker.

Zagorsky says over the next decade and a half, technology and cyber threats will become more complex. iON learned that businesses don’t just need cybersecurity hardware and software, they need to understand the technology and they need a security partner, someone to continue to support them beyond the purchase.

Zagorsky says: “With much involvement by my director of finance, Cheryl Ryan, and general manager, Ken Davis, we are thrilled with the acquisition of Wirefire, as this signals the incredible pace and progress required to be Canada’s top cybersecurity company. This strategy accelerates iON’s ability to offer more services for both Wirefire and iON customers, while meeting the demands of a growing marketplace.”

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Wirefire’s CEO, Craig Chomat, and president, David Wood, will be integral in the transition plan.

“We are confident iON will define a new chapter in service and solutions delivery, as all organizations have an ever-increasing demand for cybersecurity,” Wood says.

As iON continues to expand into new markets, Alon Goldberg will join the company as a new field CTO, and several more key positions in strategic sales, marketing, product development and technical services will be hired across the country.

Born in the city but proud of its small-town Alberta DNA, iON — which delivered its first firewalls to customers in a pickup truck — is another Canadian best-in-class.

Notes:

CHILD Foundation, a Calgary-based registered charity, has been quick to respond to the battle against COVID in India. It built and operates a 20-bed hospital for women and children in a remote village 50 kilometres north of New Delhi, so is well aware of the needs. Bhavini Gohel, a physician at South Health Campus and chair of its medical advisory board, is doing virtual consultations with patients, and with the help of Rotarians is raising money here for medical supplies.

David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622 or by email at info@davidparker.ca.

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