| 6/1/2010

Computers

Manuel Medina turned Terremark into a global leader in cloud computing.

A 1988 Florida Trend article described Manuel D. Medina as a driven young entrepreneur aiming to take his Miami development firm statewide. The Cuba native did that and more: The Terremark Worldwide (Public No. 74) CEO turned his company from a builder of high-rises to a global leader in cloud computing. Terremark’s technology powers federal government websites, including USA.gov and Data.gov.

» Mark B. Templeton, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based Citrix Systems (Public No. 37), used his marketing background to push the $1.6-billion firm to the forefront of virtualization, networking and software-as-service technologies. The day Apple shipped its first iPads, Citrix was already touting its app designed to turn the tablet into a “virtual office.”

» CEO R. Marcelo Claure of Miami’s Brightstar (Private No. 7) is one of the nation’s top Hispanic business leaders. The winner of a slew of recognitions, including a USA Today/Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year award, Claure is a member of the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council and a co-founder of One Laptop Per Child.

» Website design and marketing company Web.com (Public No. 101) says more than 15 million websites have been created using its tools and services. The Jacksonville company, led since 2000 by CEO David L. Brown, focuses on small businesses, a market that Brown says still has plenty of room to grow.

Robert M. Dutkowsky,Tech Data

» Tucked away in a quiet corporate park in Clearwater, computer distributor Tech Data (Public No. 2) wields influence with its size: $22 billion in revenue and 7,600 employees. CEO Robert M. Dutkowsky took over from company founder Steve Raymund in 2006.

OUT-OF-STATE FIRMS: IBM has 3,000 high-tech, high-wage jobs in Florida. Company executives worked with university officials in Florida to develop the Latin American Grid, which has wired 10 universities into a high-tech network. Rick Qualman, serves as the company’s state executive. — Art Levy