Software Design

Intellimins channels Matrix movie for business platform

By Newsroom

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October 18, 2012

The co-founders behind Intellimins, Maureen and Mike Foresman, like to reference the movie The Matrix when it comes describing the inspiration behind their Troy-based start-up. Specifically, they point to a scene where Trinity and Neo are faced with needing the knowledge to fly a helicopter and immediately are able to download the skills needed. Intellimins likes to advertise itself as a website that provides "business intelligence in minutes" (Ie. short educational videos). "As a business person you're facing a lot of dynamic challenges these days," Maureen Foresman says. "The availability of instantaneous, credible information is not always there." Intellimins leverages cloud-based technology that offers these sorts of online learning solutions, including certificate courses, for business, government and education. The videos are available on PC’s, tablets and smartphones on a 24/7 basis. "Everything on our site is done by experts that work for Fortune 100 companies," Maureen Foresman says. "You're getting field-proven techniques." Maureen and Mike Foresman started the company a year ago and launched it earlier this year. They are working to make Intellimins the go-to source for this sort of information across the country. Source: Maureen Foresman, co-founder of Intellimins Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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ComSpec International watches revenue, staff grow

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Education

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October 18, 2012

ComSpec International is watching its bottomline grow as demand for its custom software and EMPOWER Student Information System increases. That has led the Bingham Farms-based business to grow its revenue by 20 percent and add one more staff member. The 29-year-old firm now employs 28 people and one intern after hiring one of its former interns earlier this year. "The custom side took off this year," says Robert Brender, president of ComSpec International. Our customers asked us to start building things this year." ComSpec International has also seen an increase in interest in its EMPOWER Student Information System after deploying it at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine last year. The company expects to find more customers in the medical and nursing schools. The EMPOWER Student Information System handles the back-end sections of institutions of higher education, specifically the non-education portion. Source: Robert Brender, president of ComSpec International Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

SunTel Services adds 6 people as it grows customer base

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General

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October 18, 2012

The owners of SunTel Services like to refer to their company as a family firm. The Troy-based firm was co-founded by brothers Gary and Don Jackson in 1986 and they have been expanding it since. SunTel Services provides services that help unify communication devices. It services the automotive, manufacturing, government, healthcare, education, finance, professional services and technology sectors, basically any type of company that needs to connect multiple mobile devices and computers. "They have a phone at the office and a phone at the home office and a smartphone. They have a PC and a laptop," Gary Jackson says. "The need for intercommunications is driving the demand to have a large amount of bandwidth to run these applications." That demand has pushed up SunTel Services' revenue by 10 percent over the last year. That growth prompted the hiring of six new employees, expanding the staff to 80 people and the occasional intern. "We continue to evolve our business," Gary Jackson says. "We have 1,500 customers that we are serving. We are going to continue our growth at a reasonable rate." Source: Gary Jackson, president of SunTel Services Writer: Jon Zemke

GM creates IT center in Warren for 1,500 software developers

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Economic Development

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October 11, 2012

General Motors efforts to onshore more of its IT work are starting to surface in Metro Detroit now that the automaker plans to open an Information Technology Innovation Center in Warren. The plan is to bring in about 1,500 IT and software professionals over the next four years. The new workers will focus on developing new software and IT solutions that could have business development implications beyond the carmaker's normal business model. "It will gradually build up," says Juli Huston-Rough, director of media strategy for General Motors' IT Dept. "We're anxious and excited about it but we need to find the right people for the right positions." Onshoring IT work has proven to be a good strategy to grow a more traditional business. For instance, Domino's Pizza has reinvented itself through its newly found stature in IT and software, a move that has lead to new opportunities while bolstering its core business. GM is taking a similar path by opening four "Innovation Centers" across the U.S. The first was announced in Austin, Texas and the Warren center (formerly known as the GM Michigan Innovation Center) is the second. GM's leadership expects the innovation centers to create and deliver IT services with new capabilities that will help the company improve its performance, drive down the cost of ongoing operations and increase the level of innovation delivered to GM customers. Source: Juli Huston-Rough, director of media strategy for General Motors' IT Dept Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Atlas Copco goes from 187 to 328 employees within four years

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Economic Development

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October 4, 2012

Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems, the U.S. arm of a Swedish company, hit some significant speed bumps when the recession hit in 2008. Since then, the Auburn Hills-based company has continued to gain traction, going from 187 employees in 2009 to 328 employees and a few interns today. Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems is a supplier of hand-held electric and pneumatic tools, assembly systems and software. It also does work with heavy industrial vehicles. A steady increase in demand for those products have led the company to continue to hire in recent years to the point that it is looking at moving to a bigger facility to accommodate its growth. "We want to continue our steady growth," says Domenic Calagna, marketing & communications specialist for Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems. "We have a really good business plan." Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems was also recognized as the No. 84 firm in Forbes 2012 list of The World's Most Innovative Companies. Source: Domenic Calagna, marketing & communications specialist for Atlas Copco Tools & Assembly Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The Apps Metro Detroit CEOs Can’t Do Without

By Jon Zemke

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Economic Development

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September 20, 2012

It's an app app app world. Metromode's Jon Zemke quizzes some of Metro Detroit's CEOs on which business apps they can't live without, which apps others should use, and which locally produced apps are worth checking out.

Prime Office Innovations adds staff as it shifts biz to software, services

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General

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September 20, 2012

Prime Office Innovations got its start selling copiers and printers to businesses. A decade later the company has expanded its product offerings to not only the services associated with these machines, but also the software they use as well. "With the advent of applications we're migrating more toward software," says Kevin Macklem, co-owner of Prime Office Innovations. That means that today the Macomb Township-based primarily offers managed print solutions, i.e. products and services that span both hardware, software and services. It's also working on digitizing records and other paperwork for businesses. The growth from that product expansion has allowed Prime Office Innovations to hire three people over the last year. It now employs a dozen people and one intern thanks to 15-20 percent growth each year for the last few years. "I'd like to see us continue to grow at that pace, which is at a double-digit pace," Macklem says. Source: Kevin Macklem, co-owner of Prime Office Innovations Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Biz intelligence start-up Qstride grows to 15 employees in 6 months

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General

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September 20, 2012

Shane Gianino started his first business at age 21. It was a business-to-business lead generation firm. The entrepreneurial bug never left because he has started a new company called Qstride. The business intelligence and analytics firm sells software that integrates with other firm's IT systems via things like mobile applications. This technology enables the users to leverage greater analytic insight that helps them make decisions faster and more effectively. The concept has quickly found its footing. Qstride has grown to 15 people since it launched in April and its still growing. "Things are taking off," Gianino says. "We're in an aggressive growth mode right now." The Troy-based firm is still self-funded and has taken on new clients in the retail, advertising, consumer goods and manufacturing sectors. Source: Shane Gianino, founder & vice president of business development of Qstride Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

WorkForce Software creates 60 new jobs in Livonia, Ann Arbor

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General

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September 20, 2012

WorkForce Software hit its stride in 2012. The Livonia-based software company opened a new satellite office in Ann Arbor and hired 60 people overall in the last year. "Last year was our largest growth year ever," says Kevin Choksi, CEO & co-founder of WorkForce Software. "It all comes down to exceptional market acceptance of our product." WorkForce Software creates management software for large employers. That software provides workforce management solutions for companies with complex labor policies and compliance demands. Its EmpCenter suite enables organizations to fully automate time and attendance processes, manage employee absence and leave, optimize staff scheduling, gain real-time visibility into labor costs and activities through robust analytic and reporting tools, and mitigate the risks associated with employee fatigue across the enterprise. The 13-year-old firm employs 250 employees and seven interns. It opened an office in downtown Ann Arbor last summer which now employs a dozen people. It currently has 10 job openings for software developers, interface designers, and technical support. Source: Kevin Choksi, CEO & co-founder of WorkForce Software Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Formcode Design Group adds 4 jobs as it diversifies client base

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Technology and Innovation

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September 13, 2012

Formcode Design Group got its start in 2000 like so many other businesses in Metro Detroit, working primarily in the automotive sector. The Royal Oak-based web-design firm did a lot of work with General Motors and its Saturn brand. Then the automotive industry began to falter a few years later and Formcode Design Group's co-founders, Jim and Nicole Worth, moved into doing more work for homebuilders. Then the real-estate market collapsed and the husband-and-wife duo decided they needed a broader range of clients for stability. "After that we diversified a lot," Nicole Worth says. "We still work with homebuilders and medical and automotive and retail. We have our hands in a bunch of different things." It has also taken on work from non-profits, like Challenge Detroit. That diversified customer-base philosophy has allowed Formcode Design Group to enjoy two straight years of growth. It has expanded to eight employees and an intern after making four hires over the last year. Those new jobs include a graphic designer and web developers. Formcode Design Group plans to continue diversifying its client list and continue expanding into new areas, such as mobile media development and social media marketing. "We would love to continue to grow and add a few more people," Nicole Worth says. Source: Jim and Nicole Worth, co-founders of Formcode Design Group Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.