The History of Nicom IT Solutions
Nicom Ltd.
In 1982, there were new and more affordable technologies emerging as computers were becoming a part of everyday life. Unfortunately, for the average small business it was impractical to keep full time IT professionals on staff and almost impossible to keep up with the development of new technologies. David Nicholson decided to capitalize on this need and founded Nicom Ltd. based on the belief that every company can benefit from the application of computer technology to their business.
Nicom began by specializing in program development and customer service for Burroughs' mini computers in Atlantic Canada. They quickly established a reputation for technical excellence and superior service ensuring that Burroughs' sales force and customers were happy. When Burroughs merged with Sperry Univac in 1986 to form Unisys, Nicom decided to change its focus. They began selling, supporting, and developing software for Personal Computers (PC's) and Local Area Networks (LAN's) and specialized in developing systems for the UNIX platform. Nicom trained existing staff and hired new staff to support these new platforms.
Although the business continuously turned a profit, the work was not always enjoyable for management and staff. Nicom was still providing consulting and software development services but were seen mainly as 'box' sellers. So, in 1994 Nicom made the decision to stop reselling computers and software. They went back to their roots; providing services in consulting, technical support, and software development.
DDA solutions inc.
DDA Solutions was founded in 1986 by Pat d'Entremont and Mario DeMello. The main focus of their business was developing customized software solutions for their clients. With time, the company decided to expand into web development services and fell into the IT staffing sector when they were continuously receiving calls for qualified IT personnel for short term contracts and full time positions.
Mario left the company early in 2005 selling his share to his partner Pat and has since established a new company, Borderless Solutions.
nicom iT solutions
Pat d'Entremont and David Nicholson have known each other for years as friends and competitors. In the past, the two had discussed merging but it was not serious until the winter of 2005. The companies offered similar services in software and website development but also complemented each other in other ways. DDA had a strong staffing arm while Nicom had strong technical support and IT consulting services. They came to an agreement, officially merged the two companies and their names in March of 2006 forming Nicom IT Solutions Inc.
Press Release: March 20, 2006
- Nicom and DDA Solutions Merge - Merger Creates Largest Independent IT Consulting Firm in Nova Scotia