Mark Canes earns CA.IT designation: Blue Link President one of the first business and accounting vendors to be recognized for compelling combination of business skills plus IT knowledge

Concord, Ontario, Canada – September 15, 2003– Blue Link Associates Limited, a market leader in business and accounting software in Canada, is pleased to announce that it’s president, Mark Canes, is one of the first 91 CA-designated IT specialists in Canada, and has earned the designation CA.IT from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

“Technology is key in business today — it can make or break a business plan,” says Deryck Williams, chair of the IT specialist working group at CICA. “The designation will recognize professionals who help organizations succeed by combining business acumen with IT knowledge.”

Indeed, CAs with the specialization are trained to perform six core competencies: business IT strategic planning; enterprise IT architecture; business process enablement; systems development, acquisition, implementation and project management; information systems management and system reliability.

“This designation enhances our company’s credibility as a provider of expertise in both the business and IT environments,” says Mark Canes. “The combination of business experience and the integrity of a CA with proven IT knowledge, assures our clients that their business and accounting solution will meet not only their accounting needs, but their broader business requirements as well.”

Canes concludes, “It represents a significant differentiating factor between our company and competitors who cannot provide such expertise and peace of mind for their customers and prospective customers.”