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Deloitte 2007 Technology Fast 500 names Averna
one of North America's fastest growing companies

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montreal, QC, October 24, 2007 –Averna today announced that it has been included in the Deloitte 2007 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, and life sciences companies in North America.

Averna is a Canadian-based test engineering company that provides innovative product-testing solutions to some of the world’s most successful electronics manufacturers, including Nortel, Harris Stratex, and Olympus. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over five years, from 2002 to 2006, during which Averna saw a growth of 256%.

“Sustaining high revenue growth over five years is an exceptional accomplishment,” said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman, U.S. Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.  “We applaud Averna for being among the fastest growing companies in North America.”

Averna’s president and CEO, Pascal Pilon, attributes the win to the company’s unique  understanding of the impact that test engineering should have on new product success. “The new product introduction cycle is accelerating every year, and electronics are getting more complex. We are one of the only companies initiating test engineering early in the cycle so manufacturers can launch products on time and remain competitive,” Pilon said. 

Averna opened a branch on October 1 in Palo Alto, California, an economic focal point of Silicon Valley, to cope with demand for its proprietary Proligent™ enterprise test software. The Proligent platform synchronizes test systems to other enterprise functions such as R&D, NPI, and manufacturing, and feeds production information back to engineering to improve product quality.  

Averna was one of only forty-two Canadian companies to make the Fast 500 list.

Fast 500 Selection and Qualifying Criteria

The Fast 500 ranks the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America.  It is compiled from Deloitte’s 16 regional North American Fast 50 programs, nominations submitted directly to the Fast 500, and public company database research. Companies are selected based on percentage revenue growth from 2002 to 2006. 

Entrants must own proprietary intellectual property or proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company's operating revenues or devote a significant proportion of revenues to research and development of technology. Using other companies' technology or intellectual property in a unique way does not qualify.  Base-year operating revenues must be at least $50,000 USD or $75,000 CD, and current-year operating revenues must be at least $5 million USD or CD.  Companies must be in business a minimum of five years, and they must be headquartered within North America.

About Averna
Averna, The Test Engineering Company™, is uniquely structured to give high-tech electronics OEMs and CMs full product lifecycle support, from design to manufacturing. Averna provides solutions that accelerate time-to-quality by boosting engineer and test system efficiency and the impact they have on new product design and introduction into production. Averna also supplies on-demand services for designing, building, deploying, and maintaining test systems worldwide. Averna is one of the top four test engineering providers in North America, a Select Alliance Partner of National Instruments, and an Agilent Channel Partner. Averna is ISO 9001:2000 -certified and is a CSIA Certified Member.
www.averna.com

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms, and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organization of member firms around the world devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice, focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 140 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of approximately 150,000 people worldwide, Deloitte delivers services in four professional areas—audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services—and serves more than 80 percent of the world’s largest companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global companies. Services are not provided by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein, and, for regulatory and other reasons, certain member firms do not provide services in all four professional areas.
As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte,” “Deloitte & Touche,” “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,” or other related names.

Source: Averna
For more information:
Sonia D’Elia
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Averna
1-877-842-7577 x455
sonia.delia@averna.com