Q1 Labs Inc.

In 2000, a desire to reduce hostile attacks on UNB's computer network led to the development of intrusion detection technology by Chris Newton, a part-time student and Technical Specialist with UNB's Department of Integrated Technology Services.

Newton, together with friends Dwight Spencer (TeleEducation NB) and Sandy Bird (UNB Libraries) spent two years designing software that visually represented a computer network of any size, for monitoring and managing potential internal and external threats and misuse.

In the fall of 2000, the Office of Research Services invited Mr. Newton to present his invention at a technology commercialization event that it was hosting. Here, Newton met local entrepreneur Brian Flood, who was interested in commercializing the technology. In February 2001, the entrepreneur and his partners (and Newton, Spencer, and Bird, who joined the company) founded Q1 Labs Inc.

In April 2001, ORS transferred the UNB-owned technology to Q1 Labs for equity in the company and the right to continue to use the technology for research and educational purposes. This represented the first equity deal completed by the university's technology transfer office, which was formed in 1999. Q1 Labs established R&D facilities in New Brunswick and formed an alliance with UNB whereby seventeen live networks were available for product testing and research. In early 2002, the company launched qVision, a network monitoring solution for security and network management.

In 2007 Q1 Labs launched an official partnership with UNB to form the Information Security Centre of Excellence. Q1 Labs' leading product, QRadar Security Intelligence Platform, which integrates an overabundance of integral measurements into a total security intelligence solution, was born through research facilitated by this partnership.

As of 2011, Q1 Labs employed 215 people, with a significant number of these individuals located at its R&D facilities in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In October 2011, IBM purchased Q1 Labs, allowing the creation and further development of the Security Systems Division within the team, and also resulting in UNB’s equity position being converted to cash.

Q1 Labs has contributed to opening up a vast amount of opportunities and a great deal of possibilities for technology careers in Fredericton. The partnership with IBM continues to allow Q1 Labs to expand the tech-industry within the province.