Tech.knowledge.me - March 2002

Nevada Welcomes IT Consultants

Technology Experts Find a Home in Las Vegas

Nevada is changing its image in the technology world. While Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and other business professionals strive to create Nevada’s first-ever "technology sector," their vision may not be too far away from reality. Many technology professionals once employed at successful firms in other parts of the nation have found technology positions in those areas have taken a turn for the worse, and they are searching for new alternatives.

Several consultants at Las Vegas-based IT Strategies International Corp. found quality, high-paying technology jobs in Las Vegas – in stark contrast with previous years, when Las Vegas was furthest from their minds. "The first time I came through Las Vegas, I really disliked the city," said IT Strategies Senior Consultant Steve Soule. "It was too glitzy, it looked very plastic and it didn’t look like it had a soul. It wasn’t until I came back and spent some time here that I discovered the other side and realized it offers a nice, family environment."

IT Strategies consultants Bob Offerman and Max English agreed, saying they envisioned Las Vegas strictly as a gambling town but soon realized the city had much more to offer, especially in their industry. Although both of them reside in other cities – Offerman in North San Diego County and English in Victorville – it has become the norm for them to spend their entire work weeks in Las Vegas. They believe more information technology specialists would move to or commute to Las Vegas if they knew of the growing economy, job base and affordable living.

"It’s very expensive to have a business in San Francisco and other cities," Offerman said. "I’m surprised Las Vegas hasn’t caught more overflow from California and that more technology business owners haven’t migrated here." Soule added, "As much publicity as there is surrounding Las Vegas, I guess it still remains a well-kept secret. But I’m sure as an increasing number of people relocate here, that secret won’t be kept for very long."

The Nevada Development Authority has been working to get that secret out. NDA officials said the state continues to be a hot spot for business owners seeking a better quality of life for themselves and their employees, including firms in the technology arena. Over the last few years, the NDA has helped bring in several new technology-oriented firms to the state, including Vanguard Integrity Professionals, Tririga and Compudigm Services.

"A focus of the Nevada Development Authority has been to attract technology-oriented companies," said Somer Hollingsworth, president and CEO of the NDA. "We feel with the low cost of living, the business-friendly tax environment and strong communications infrastructure, more technology companies and their employees will find Southern Nevada an ideal place to locate."

The IT Strategies consultants said it was a wise move for them to take jobs in Nevada. Offerman and Soule are assigned as senior consultants to the Las Vegas Valley Water District. English has handled information technology consulting for Clark County. Soule, Offerman and English are three of the 35 IT Strategies consultants who are outsourced to various organizations and governmental entities to handle computer work as it relates to business strategies. About a dozen other consultants also relocated to Southern Nevada from other parts of the nation, said IT Strategies Executive Vice President Mike Marriott.

IT Strategies International Corp. is a privately held global computer consulting firm incorporated in the state of Nevada in 1996. The company provides consulting for both private companies and public organizations that require specialized information technology skills and/or in-house staff augmentation to take strategic advantage of information systems.