Intelisecure: Helping diversify the CNMI economy

Intelisecure, a Colorado-based company and a provider of data security services that opened shop on Saipan last January, is creating job opportunities for residents as part of its overall goal to help diversify the CNMI’s tourism-centric economic base.

“We have been talking about diversification for many years now even before the pandemic came about. The CNMI community relied on the casino for a number of years. …We knew clearly that there will be a lot of challenges to try and sustain the CNMI economy,” said Franklin Arriola of ARI and founder of Pacific Region Initiative Market Opportunities in the Marianas at the Docomo Pacific webinar titled “Diversify Now: Growing Our Economy” that was held yesterday.

“The leadership of ARI thought that we want to develop this concept…talk to decision-makers from U.S.-based cybersecurity data companies, get their interest to relocate their business in the CNMI. …All of us in ARI and the executive team have experience in the artificial intelligence business with special interest in telecommunications and information technology,” he added.

According to Arriola, the Marianas is called the American Asia where U.S.-based companies can set up shop in the Asia-Pacific region and still be under the jurisdiction of U.S. laws. “There is available labor or workforce, prevailing wages are much lower, and we follow the 24/7 sun model when they close office in the East Coast, we continue the business as our day has just begun…it all comes together here,” he said.

“Intelisecure was able to set up operations in the CNMI to compliment other Intelisecure operating centers in London and Colorado. …They opened shop in January and started with five or six employees who were trained locally in the CNMI under the Latte Training Academy,” he added.

In an earlier interview with Intelisecure vice president Grahan Logsdon, he said the office on Saipan will work in conjunction with their analysts in London and Denver.

Arriola said that Docomo Pacific’s infrastructure helped Intelisecure set up shop on island. “Being one of our partners, Docomo Pacific helped set up Intelisecure’s program on Saipan, putting in fibers in the building to accommodate infrastructure and 5G universe that will definitely sustain whatever Guam and the CNMI is going to put together as we move forward into diversification.”

“To achieve economic diversification, some places let the government take charge. …In others, the private sector. It really depends on what country you live in but, in this case, the CNMI government gave us its full support,” he added.