We are often asked why we chose the name “Awen Collective” as our formal business name. It is quite unlike other cyber security software companies out there. So why “Awen Collective”?
Awen Collective was founded and established in Wales. We wanted a Welsh word in the business name to reflect our founding. Awen is a Welsh (and Cornish and Breton) word, the most direct translation is “inspiration.” However, Awen is much more than that, it is a very old Celtic concept that can be translated as the flowing spirit which sustains life.
As Awen Collective was founded to improve the business and societal continuity (i.e. life) of advanced manufacturers and critical infrastructure providers in the event of disruption (e.g. cyber attacks), we felt that a word about life force in general reflects that quite well.
Other cyber security companies, especially software product companies in this space, have business names or product names which are authoritarian sounding, perhaps they could even be described as masculine. This is probably to try to enforce the nature of being reliable and disciplined, an assertive force hinting at protection.
Awen, on the other hand, is a much softer sound, it has a completely different feel reflecting a different set of attributes. It sounds as if it is willing to acknowledge vulnerabilities as being inevitable and is understanding enough to foster self-improvement, providing guidance on how best to make improvements.
Our primary corporate colour is a light green colour. This is related to the word Awen, in that the green colour symbolically represents “go,” “continue” and “good.” Traditionally it also represents life on Earth, through the primary colour of plants.
The “collective” word is because we acknowledge that all workers in the company are problem solvers. Collectively we solve large cyber security problems, and we do this through the development and offering of software. This word embodies our values and our internal business style. Although as we go forward we will be using less in public materials and eventually only in formal documentation.
There we have it, we have our reasons for choosing the name Awen Collective. We like the name, and it continues to represent who we are.