Dale Calder, Founder, Axeda
Dale Calder founded Axeda in 2000 with a vision to create real-time connections between people, companies and assets - revolutionizing the way in which businesses interact with their products and customers. Upon this vision, Calder successfully built the leading smart services company in the industry, and today, over 150 of the world’s top companies rely on the Axeda Platform and applications to power their M2M solutions.
Calder believes that the world of products as we know it is dead and that most products will become platforms for manufacturers, users and other interested parties to develop value added applications and services not previously possible. This connected product concept is driving Axeda’s current innovations and fueling its next phase of growth.
Calder is widely regarded as a pioneer in the M2M market. According to Connected World magazine: “Without question no one company has touched so many facets of M2M technology as the brainchild of Dale Calder. Calder has been putting ‘code to paper’ envisioning a company that has come true helping companies to realize the power of M2M."
Under Calder's direction, Axeda has been at the forefront of market development, pioneering most of the innovations used in modern connected product platforms. These innovations have resulted in eleven awarded patents protecting various aspects of critical M2M technology.
Axeda is also consistently recognized for the bottom line results it drives for its customers - receiving six consecutive M2M Value Chain awards from Connected World Magazine and being named a 2009 M2M Evolution Product of the Year winner. Recognized for its rapid sales growth, the company was also named to the 2010 Inc. 5000 and BBJ Pacesetter lists.
Calder has most recently committed to using the company’s award-winning technology to make a philanthropic difference. Through the recently launched Track-for-Charity program, custom applications are built for events such as the Pan Mass Challenge and AHA Heartwalk to raise awareness and support the fundraising efforts of employees and customers who participate.
Calder speaks frequently at industry events and contributes regularly to key media outlets such as Wireless Week, Connected Planet, Connected World Magazine, and Network World through interviews and bylines.
Prior to founding Axeda, Mr. Calder was the founder and president of FactorySoft, a world leader in connectivity tools for the automation industry. As Axeda’s predecessor, FactorySoft supplied device connectivity solutions to over 100 major organizations. Mr. Calder also held positions at Iconics, Inc. and Turning Point Software, where he managed product delivery for Word Perfect Organization. He began his career at Westinghouse Electric as an engineer.
Calder received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Duke University. He also attended the M.B.A. program at Carnegie-Mellon University.