FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Krista Hildebrand
Phone: 503.467.4686
khildebrand@frause.com
SOFTWARE COMPANY SAYS PORTLAND, OREGON, PROVIDES
IDEAL CLIMATE FOR GROWTH
Online software security provider, Vidoop, selects the Rose City to relocate
headquarters from the Midwest
PORTLAND, Ore. October 15, 2008 ― Keeping in tune with the multitude of high technology businesses to land in the state with an ambitious agenda for business growth, online security software provider Vidoop has set up shop in its new Portland, Ore., headquarters. Vidoop executives, who originally founded the company in Tulsa, Okla., said a desirable mix of industry talent and a high quality of life in Portland sealed their decision to give the company a new home in Oregon.
“In researching a place to grow Vidoop, we considered a number of cities including Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin,” said Joel Norvell, co-founder and CEO of Vidoop. “We realized that we weren’t only choosing a place for our new corporate headquarters that would provide technology resources and opportunity for growth, but also a new home to the more than 40 people we were relocating. Portland offered the best of both worlds.”
According to a study conducted by the Software Association of Oregon released in early 2007, the software industry generated more than 51,700 jobs in the state with a direct economic impact of $9.2 billion to Oregon’s economy. According to the study, in 2005 there were 2,280 companies that produced software or provided software, or computer-related services, all which are dominated by highly skilled workers. Additionally, there are 5,919 self-employed individuals with software businesses.
Oregon also is home to other high-tech companies that require highly skilled engineers and technical workers. These include: Intel, with its largest campus in the world located in Hillsboro, Ore.; Google, which located its newest data center in The Dalles, just an hour east of Portland; and Hewlett-Packard, with campuses in both Corvallis, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash.; to name a few.
Vidoop’s new Portland office currently employs a headcount of nearly 50 employees who reside in an existing building within the city’s Old Town district. The roughly 8,000 square-foot space is located above Backspace, a Portland mecca and techno-playground, and a provider of Portland’s Stumptown Coffee, which Norvell says is one of the secrets to Vidoops’ success. “That proximity to caffeine is key with software developers,” said Norvell.
When the innovative organization made plans to relocate to Portland, executives enlisted the expertise of Greenlight Greater Portland. A consortium of private sector leaders dedicated to growing a sustainable and vibrant economic future for the seven-county metropolitan statistical region that surrounds the city of Portland, Greenlight Greater Portland proved to be a valuable resource in assisting the company with the transition.
“Greenlight was one of several groups, including the Software Association and the Portland Development Commission, that collaborated to encourage Vidoop's move,” says Greenlight CEO Tim Priest. “It's extremely gratifying that they've chosen greater Portland as their home and are adding their experience and expertise to the region's vibrant software cluster.”
“Greenlight Greater Portland is a visionary organization that has made our welcome to Portland complete. As our future unfolds in Portland, we will continue to be fans of Greenlight and will encourage everyone to do the same,” said Norvell. “After living throughout the U.S., Europe, and having done business literally all over the world, I cannot think of any place I would rather be. When doing orientation trips for our relocating employees, we soon discovered that all we had to do was get them on a plane; Portland does the rest. I often wonder if those who have spent their entire lives here can even know how special Portland really is.”
About Vidoop
Vidoop makes websites easier to access and harder to breach. The company provides financial institutions with enterprise-level, multi-factor authentication without the use of tokens for hardware or incurring call center costs. With Vidoop business solutions, identity and online security for customers can save money, reduce risk of online identity thefts, strengthen account holder relationships and generate revenue. For more information visit: www.vidoop.com.
About Portland, Oregon
With an ethnically diverse population of almost two million, Portland is the 28th largest metropolitan area in the country, the fourth largest city on the West Coast, and the largest city in the state. From the high-tech campuses of the Portland Metropolitan area’s west side, to its vibrant downtown, the region offers a wealth of attractive business locations. Portland has often been called the big city with the small town feel. Its mild weather, breathtaking scenery, exciting location and friendly people have all contributed to its appearance on numerous “Best Of” lists, including Online Insider’s “Top 10 Least Expensive Cities,” Money Magazine’s “Top 10 Places to Vacation” and “Top 10 Best Places to Live,” and American Style Magazine’s “Top 25 Arts Destinations.”
