|
oftware application developer Dave Landgrebe has a knack for uncovering niche markets overlooked by other
developers. Through cultivation of applications for these markets, Landgrebe built a reputable company, August
Teller, Inc. (ATI). His solutions serve an impressive user base, including BP, Chevron, Mobil, the United States
Air Force, the Pentagon, and others. Considering that ATI is a small firm, operating in an environment dominated by
mega corporations, Landgrebe has clearly developed a winning formula.
Nearly all opportunities come to ATI by referrals. This is because Landgrebe established a reputation for finding
effective ways to develop software and procedures that meet each unique situation and its specific set of
requirements. ATI often resolves problems for prospects that are frustrated with inadequate applications, which
someone else developed. Regardless of the source of a project, ATI works closely with each client to ensure that
the software it delivers consistently meets the defined objectives.
To develop a wide range of software solutions, ATI relies upon BASIS Visual PRO/5® and BBj®. "BASIS products
provide a comprehensive set of tools for developing browser-based applications quickly," explains Landgrebe. "The
language structure is strong and flexible, the database is solid, the development process is fast, and the support
is stable and trouble-free." According to Landgrebe, Visual PRO/5 and BBj provided the foundation for VIP20/20, a
set of browser-based visitor processing applications. Due to a series of successful implementations, word of
VIP20/20 spread through the U.S. military to a host of interests in Washington, DC, and then to the related
international community.
|
Figure 1. Sample screen capture of ATI's VIP 20/20 Tour Control System Module Visitor Pass.
|
Figure 2. Sample screen capture of ATI's VIP 20/20 Tour Control System Module Day Schedule.
When the Pentagon requested alternatives for a visitor control system, the contractor managing the government
implementations of VIP20/20 asked ATI about their application. ATI used Visual PRO/5 to adapt VIP20/20 modules to
support the visitor management and building tour processes for the Pentagon. "For the Pentagon, we determined that
the BASIS language products would allow us to address their full set of objectives in context with reduced costs
through rapid development," Landgrebe says. "This was reinforced by BASIS's proven history of unerring stability in
a Windows setting. Stability and flexibility ultimately determine a product's success."
|
Figure 3. Person Search Module from ATI's VIP 20/20 application.
|
Figure 4. Escorted Visitor Registration Module from ATI's VIP 20/20 application.
|
Figure 5. Edit Sponsor Master Module from ATI's VIP 20/20 application.
Currently, ATI is refining a license plate recognition system for yet another government agency. For over a year
and a half, the vendor on this project had wrestled with the existing implementation. Aware of the successes with
the VIP20/20 systems, the government contractor managing that project for the agency recommended ATI. As a result,
ATI is designing a solution that will give them the functionality and reliability they need.
After reviewing the state of the existing system, Landgrebe selected BBj and Web-based applications. BBj's
tremendous power and Web characteristics, combined with the flexible, multitasking display benefits offered by
browser applications, allowed ATI to turn what was a troublesome, inferior application into a tight, stable system
that reads license plates as cars pass through security checkpoints. ATI's methods direct the security application
to manage multiple checkpoints simultaneously from a single workstation, with alerts for vehicle wheel
configuration (or bogies).
Landgrebe asserts the importance of watching for opportunities and recognizing situations that need reliable
solutions, even when the underlying benefits of automating a procedure are not always apparent. By responding to
these needs quickly with creativity and versatility, Landgrebe built a strong reputation for himself, ATI, and his
applications. As he continues to customize and develop innovative systems, Landgrebe keeps his eye out for new
markets, convinced that if there is a software system that requires extended functionality, or if someone desires
an application that involves a challenging list of specifications, he will figure out a way to meet their needs.
For more information on August Tellar, Inc., visit www.tellar.com.
|
|
