Ptech Inc. was a Quincy, Massachusetts-based provider of business process modeling software that was closed down in late 2003 as a consequence to the media frenzy following the consented search on December 5, 2002 by federal authorities under the auspices of Operation Green Quest. The search was related to the relationship of the company to the Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Yasin al-Qadi.
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Describing itself as a "provider of enterprise architecture, business modeling, analysis and integration software solutions,"[1] the privately-held corporation was founded in 1994, and known for its technology, which was based on a unique implementation of neural net and semantic technologies. Ptech was recognized as one New England Technology's "Fast 50" by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in 2001.[2] For four years in row (from 2000 to 2003), Ptech was also recognized, for their velocity of innovation in the knowledge economy, as one of the hundred companies that matters in the world of IT and Business [3] with the major names in Technology companies such as Microsoft, IBM, HP and Oracle Corporation.[4][5].
The CEO of Ptech Oussama Ziade appeared on different television shows in the USA and has been featured on the cover of several magazines.[6]. The company was once part of UML Partners, the consortium that was convened to develop standards for UML, the Unified Modeling Language.
Ptech was brought to the front of the spotlight following the visit of law enforcement officials to its Headquarters in the middle of the night of December 5, 2002, under the operation of Operation Green Quest, a U.S. Customs Services unit charged with the investigation of alleged terrorist funding networks. The December raid brought a rush of media sources to Ptech's Boston headquarters[7] amid allegations of Ptech's involvement in terrorist financing. The U.S. Government continued to do business with Ptech. Former Ptech employees described Ptech as a company which encouraged diversity in the workplace and the sharing of cultures and traditions, with a culture of socially responsibility and environment protection support and attributed the media frenzy to the charged atmosphere after 9/11 terrorist attack.[8]
On July 15, 2009, the FBI unsealed indictments against former Ptech CEO Oussama Ziade and former Ptech CFO Buford George Peterson. Peterson was arrested at JFK Airport as he returned to the U.S. from South Korea. The indictments charge Ziade and Peterson with concealing PTech's relationship with and dealing in the assets of the Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Yasin al-Qadi.[9]. George Peterson was later set free on bail, and allowed to return to South Korea awaiting his trial. Both Peterson and Ziade denied the allegations and accused the federal authorities of misrepresenting the facts to justify the leak of the consented search on December 5, 2002 that led to the unnecessary dissolvement of the company.
Ptech's roster of clients included several governmental agencies, including the United States Armed Forces, NATO, Congress, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs, the FAA, the IRS, the Secret Service, and the White House. Despite the eventual 2009 indictment of PTech's CEO and CFO, as late as May 2004 they were still contracted by several federal agencies, including the White House.
Ptech had a security clearance to work on sensitive military projects dating to 1997.