White sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water and sunshine are what most people think about when they envision Clearwater.
With Tampa Bay's emergence as a leading tech region in Florida, Clearwater is gradually building a reputation as a tech hub. Case in point, in July, German-based tech firm AnyDesk opened its U.S. headquarters in Clearwater.
“Florida is the place to be in tech right now,” says JD Mersinger, AnyDesk’s vice president for the Americas. “With schools like UCF, USF and Florida Poly Tech, new talent is emerging consistently and pushes Tampa to be an up-and-coming tech city.”
AnyDesk started its journey in 2012 when the company’s three future founders recognized the need for faster, more secure ways to connect people in the virtual workplace and developed a remote desktop software solution. The company officially launched in 2014. Today, it is one of the leading remote desktop solutions in the tech market, with more than 200 employees, 100,000 clients and offices in Germany, mainland China, Hong Kong, the country of Georgia and here in Tampa Bay.
In addition to high-speed and secure connections, AnyDesk provides services such as remote support, remote work and remote maintenance solutions to their clients.
“We have helped bridge that connection between well-being and productivity,” Mersinger says.
Florida’s growing tech economy and the overall work-life balance Florida provides are some of the many factors that attracted AnyDesk to Clearwater.
“We think we are the next great place for tech,” Clearwater Economic Development & Housing Director Denise Sanderson says. “Tampa Bay has really grown its tech culture over the years.”
The growing reputation as a hot tech market continues to attract firms. In June, healthcare software and services company DeliverHealth, which originally launched in Madison, Wisconsin, moved its headquarters to Clearwater. In a press release, the firm cited the “booming tech scene and the ample access to resources and talent." DeliverHealth also opened a customer experience center in Clearwater that has more than two dozen employees and more on the way.
“Companies of all kinds benefit by being colocated in the same area, which is what we’re seeing with tech in Tampa as it grows,” Sanderson says.
As for AnyDesk, the company is also opening an office in Tampa. As they establish their corporate presence in the Bay Area, Mersinger says building their services as the needs of their clients grow is an ongoing goal.
“We want to provide an excellent level of customer support,” Mersinger continues. “We are looking to expand in North America, South America and Central America as those needs grow.”
For more information go to AnyDesk, DeliverHealth and Clearwater Economic Development and Housing Department.
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