WINBC started from a National Research Council IRAP/CIMI cluster initiative. The organization discovered that IRAP had 55 wireless clients in BC, but noted that where it would be advantageous for them to work together no such forum had been created to help the companies get to know each other. Given the NRC’s strict confidentiality guidelines, the best effort was to gather the group at an event to encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

The event was a success and the companies took the initiative to formalize the group and formed WINBC on September 17, 2001.

Today, as part of its mandate to foster the collaboration among early-stage wireless companies in BC, WINBC markets itself as the focal point for wireless in BC. We are the destination for interested stakeholders to learn more about BC’s wireless cluster and as such organize opportunities for our members to meet with potential customers, investors, analysts and wireless cluster organizations around the world.

WINBC (IDC Review, January 2005)