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Hoping To Get IT
Information-technology task force studies resources for start-ups
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Business New Haven
8/9/1999
By: Michele Beck
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The dash for the millennium has gotten underway in New Haven.
In and effort to make sure New Haven will be able to support the growing high-tech market of the future, the Enterprise Center, a non-profit organization sponsored by Yale University, teamed up with the United Illuminating Co. (UI) and New Haven Savings Bank to create an Information Technology Task Force.
Srini Lalapet, a Yale graduate student and a recipient of the President's Public Service Fellowship, is coordinating the IT task force.
Lalapet says that the principal objective of the group is to encourage entrepreneurs to start up technology-based businesses in New Haven. The group will try to help connect small-business owners with the resources to get started. In addition to pointing entrepreneurs in the right direction with regard to technological support, the task force will also seek to put them in touch with perspective investors to attract needed capital.
In addition, Lalapet says there may even be a fund set up by Yale alumni, local businesses and others to help with the initial costs of starting a business. Although this plan is still in the talking stages, Lalapet says he is committed to changing people's perception of New Haven.
"New Haven has one of the largest concentrations of high-tech ventures in the country," Lalapet says. "People need to recognize this when they are deciding where to start a business."
There are 15 companies currently sitting on the Information Task Force, a number Lalapet hopes will grow. These include Metaserver, AT&T, UI, New Haven Savings, Yale's Office of Cooperative Research, SNET, Business Strategies/Signal Lake Venture Fund, DSL Inc., Wiggin & Dana, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, Regional Growth Partnership, ZeroStage Capital Co. Inc., PriceWaterhouse Coopers LLC, the Enterprise Center and the President's Public Service Fellow, Yale University.
New Haven Savings CEO and President Charles Terrell says the goals of the task force should be those of the community. He says the team is currently working on a comprehensive report, due at the end of this month, to ascertain whether New Haven has the capacity and technological resources to keep new and existing companies growing.
The 15 task-force members were split up into two subcommittees: an infrastructure subcommittee and a human resources, funding and support services subcommittee. The first will focus on technical and computer aspects, while the second will concentrate on financial aspects of starting a business.
The final report will be a culmination of both subcommittees' efforts. Lalapet will amalgamate both groups' ideas and edit the final work.
Metaserver President and CEO Richard Schultz is enthusiastic about the group's undertaking.
"The report has two primary objectives," Schultz explains. "The first is to specify what exists in New Haven. We have to raise visibility of available space, wiring capabilities and service support. The second is to identify what can be improved."
Many of the companies involved in the task force themselves stand to benefit financially if new businesses come into the area. Schultz says the main objective of the group is to foster industry growth, but acknowledges the benefit to firms like UI and SNET from a larger pool of commercial customers.
"Clearly some members of the group may offer the start-up businesses some discounted rates and help them execute their [business] plans," Schultz says. "This may encourage more entrepreneurs to come to New Haven."
But why only two entrepreneurs on a panel of 15?
Schultz says other companies are encouraged to become involved.
"We would like to get more ideas," Schultz allows. "We haven't done any heavy recruiting or anything, but we do want to try to build a bridge between the established and start-up companies."
Terrell notes that the Enterprise Center has been in existence only since January, and has already counseled 30 new businesses in the city. He says the task force will mainly focus on communications and technology firms. The businesses most likely to seek the resources the task force is inventorying are Internet-related and small high-tech companies," he adds.
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