As seen on cbc.ca

VANCOUVER, BC, June 20, 2013 – Social media site Twitter is set to open a Vancouver office, joining digital giants Facebook, Hootsuite, Amazon and Microsoft in establishing a B.C. branch.

The site is advertising for newly-graduated software engineers to design new products and services, as Vancouver sees another technology boom.

Bill Tam, president and CEO of the B.C. Technology Industry Association, says it’s recognition the city has great talent.

“It’s a testament to the strength of the tech ecosystem here in Vancouver,” he said.

“I think for many years we’ve been developing not just the mobile ecosystem, but we’re really strong in web in social media, in fact in data analytics and cloud computing.”

Tam believes this tech boom is very different to that which took place in the late 1990s, when people invested in information technology companies without knowing what they were making.

Randy Siu of marketing firm Blast Radius said the web is now established and Vancouver has a huge pool of talent.

“These are real companies doing real business and they’re choosing Vancouver as a place to really expand their operation,” he said.

James Clift, CEO of online job advertising firm KarmaHire, said employers have a huge advantage in B.C..

 “It’s really tough to get a U.S. visa, whereas Vancouver has a lot better laws in that aspect,” he said.

 “Bringing international talent through the door is something we really want to do to build a global community.”

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