To kick-off 2012, Doextra has officially joined the Technology Association of Iowa’s HyperStream program. The Technology Association of Iowa Educational Foundation launched HyperStream in 2008, in an effort to develop a technology career awareness program to help boost Iowa’s future technology workforce. Doextra has been matched up as a HyperStream Ambassador with Callanan Middle School, a member of the Des Moines Public School District.
“Doextra is thrilled to be involved with the HyperStream program,” said Doextra President, Brad Williams. “Preparing a new generation of tech workforce and investing in innovation are top priorities for us.”
Doextra’s team is working with 6th- and 7th-graders at Callanan on a semester project of developing a new website for their after-school tech/HyperStream club. The website will share information about the after-school club, as well as highlight editorial projects that club members produce (e.g., videos, photos, copywriting and design). Since the beginning of the spring semester, the students have jumped into user interface design and formatting. They are currently working on personal Tumblr blogs to practice content creation and planning.
“It’s amazing how quickly the students pick up new technologies,” said Doextra Engagement Manager, Julie Brandt. “We are very excited with the early progress, and are looking forward to a semester full of fun learning experiences for everyone involved.”
About the Technology Association of Iowa (TAI)
TAI is the premier professional organization accelerating the success of Iowa's technology industry and tech-based economy. TAI members include organizations of every size in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Iowa. www.technologyiowa.com
Veteran Doextra employee, Julie Brandt, has recently ramped up Doextra’s Customer Success division by accepting a new appointment as Engagement Manager.
What does this mean for clients?
“Clients can expect an even higher degree of project, deliverables and support quality,” said Brandt. “I am looking forward to building interaction between the Doextra team and clients, so that even loftier goals can be set and achieved in 2012 for both parties.”
“As Doextra continues a period of substantial growth, there is a prevalent need to make sure that our customers are getting the support they need in a thorough and expedited way” said Doextra President, Brad Williams. “Julie’s comprehension and communication of complex CRM projects is second-to-none, and she is a natural fit for helping clients move in a successful direction with their CRM initiatives and maintenance as the new Engagement Manager.”
Click here for more information or to get in touch with Julie Brandt.
Image by Beck Tench.
Doextra has expanded its CRM applications offerings by officially partnering with TIBCO, maker of the Spotfire analytics platform. With Spotfire, users can analyze their CRM data and seamlessly integrate revenue and product information from operational and financial systems.
“TIBCO Spotfire’s analytics platform helps business and technical professionals discover new insights in information with unprecedented ease,” said Brad Williams, President of Doextra. “TIBCO Spotfire helps users make better, smarter and more informed decisions with a combination of analytics and an engaging visual experience.”
Spotfire helps organizations mitigate uncertain times and be more competitive by providing comprehensive data analysis and dissemination. For example, in the Financial Services industry, Spotfire is frequently used in: portfolio management and performance; trade oversight and compliance; client reporting; and agency management. Spotfire also provides predictive analytics – enabling organizations to anticipate problems and opportunities.
Spotfire is available in both web and LAN-based capacities, and integrates with CRM solutions, including Salesforce.com and Sage SalesLogix.
“Spotfire is built to be easy to learn and use,” said Doextra Chairman, Sunnie Richer. “It empowers individuals to make smarter decisions and adds more value to their organization without needing to turn to IT.”
Doextra is excited to announce its sponsorship participation in the Technology Association of Iowa’s premier golf event, the TAI/Accenture Celebrity CxOpen. The shotgun golf event attracts industry business leaders from across the state for a highly anticipated day of networking and golf, including executive representation from midwest technology leaders, such as Principal Financial Group, Genova Technologies, Aviva, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and Dice, just to name a few.
“It’s going to be a great day at the Harvester,” said Brad Williams, President of Doextra. “We always enjoy the opportunity to support the technology industry and catch up with our colleagues on the green.”
The golf event will be held Friday, September 23rd at the Harvester Golf Club in Rhodes, Iowa. For more information about TAI and the event, please visit the website (www.technologyiowa.org).
In light of recent expansion efforts, Doextra has brought on new leadership talent and warmly welcomes Gregg Thompson, Director of Application Development Services, to the team. Thompson comes from a strong sales and entrepreneurial background with an emphasis in the technology and professional services sectors.
“Gregg is extremely qualified to handle Doextra’s growing application development offerings,” said Brad Williams, President of Doextra. “His knowledge of the software and services industry and diverse entrepreneurial background make him adept with the fast pace Cloud marketplace.”
Prior to Doextra, Thompson worked in various management and C-level capacities for technology delivery and software companies within central Iowa, including a stint as CEO at Quality Attributes Software (QAS). Thompson’s hiring is announced in conjunction with Williams’ decision to officially enter Doextra into the Force.com application development market.
“Doextra is an experienced professional services firm that has built up a number of strong relationships with financial and manufacturing companies, which includes many early adopters of new Cloud computing technology,” said Thompson. “I am looking forward to meeting Doextra’s clients and networking within the Midwest where Doextra has a strong presence.”
For more information, click here to connect with Thompson.
Doextra is proud to announce the recent hiring of Senior SalesLogix Developer, R.J. Samp, who is based out of the Silicon Prairie\I-88 Technology Corridor in Warrenville, Illinois. Samp is a 15 year veteran of the CRM industry and has a diverse arsenal of knowledge with Sage SalesLogix, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and related software applications.
“Our company continues to see an increasing demand for CRM projects,” said Brad Williams, President and Owner of Doextra. “The addition of R.J. reinforces our commitment to growing the CRM practice.”
Samp has broad expertise in custom CRM solutions. He brings additional experience in business analytics, reporting and data migration tools – including Scribe, KnowledgeSync, QlikView, Spotfire, Crystal Reports, and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
“There are a lot of new innovations happening in the CRM and Cloud technology world,” said Samp. “I am looking forward to providing my expertise and industry knowledge in helping clients leverage this technology.”
Doextra is dedicated to providing quality consulting and technical development services and support to clients and businesses across the Midwest with the expansion of a business presence in the Chicagoland-area.
Image by Keith Ramsey.
In February, 2011, Due Diligence Information Enterprises, LLC launched a Smartphone application, "Docket in Your Pocket", for the iPhone that provides users with fast look-ups of state court records. Doextra Corporation, a leading provider of customized CRM and cloud computing development, assisted with the technical production of this new application.
“Doextra's development team worked around the clock to turn our vision into reality, exceeding expectations at every step of the process,” said Matthew Haindfield, Founder of Due Diligence Information Enterprises, LLC. “They outperformed other vendors who submitted bids for our project, and did so at a significant savings to our company.”
The application provides an intuitive navigation that helps users quickly search for court records associated with individuals; it is applicable in many different types of instances, from legal to common, everyday usage. The application is currently available for purchase for the state of Pennsylvania ($2.99).
“Having the talent and skill set on staff to develop mobile applications is a big step for Doextra,” said Brad Williams, President of Doextra. “We are looking forward to continuing to exceed the market’s expectation with more innovative development in the near future.”
Due Diligence Information Enterprises, LLC has a roll-out plan in place to make Docket in Your Pocket available for all 50 states. The application is available for download on both iPhone and Android Smartphones. For more download information see, www.docketinyourpocket.com.
The full case study is available at Doextra’s Blog, click here for more information.
Image by Lesley Middlemass.
Sunnie Richer, Doextra Founder and Chairman, has been tapped to speak at the Business Record’s June Power Breakfast. The event will include a panel discussion around the topic of successful entrepreneurialism and lessons learned from risk-taking, motivation and individualized trail-blazing.
Richer is no stranger to leadership with a career spanning over 35 years in the corporate and entrepreneurial technology sectors. Most recently, Richer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Technology Association of Iowa’s 2011 Prometheus Awards. She will be joined on the Power Breakfast panel by Scott Bush of Templeton Rye, Jerry Crawford of Crawford Quilty Law Firm, and Gary Kirke of Wildrose Entertainment.
“I am very much looking forward to participating in the Power Breakfast,” said Richer. “The diverse line-up of fellow panelists will make it a lively discussion and the Business Record never disappoints with first class events.”
The event will be held from 7-9:00 am at the Des Moines Club, downtown Des Moines on June 7, 2011. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on the Business Record website.
Doextra, in conjunction with salesforce.com, proudly presents “Insurance in the Cloud” an exclusive, one-day event for senior insurance executives and management personnel. This event offers an introduction to the rapidly changing Cloud marketplace and its significant impact on the insurance industry.
“As a CRM consultant and provider to many large insurance clients, we have seen a growing need to share information from a technical and operational perspective,” said Brad Williams, President of Doextra. “Business operations are moving to the Cloud, and we want to help companies make the most of these changing technologies.”
This event will address the need for medium- to enterprise-size companies to leverage innovative Cloud technologies to create new business opportunities. In addition, the event will include a roundtable discussion featuring presentations by Kip Augspurger of Holmes Murphy, and David Merlo of FBL Financial Group, Inc., - showcasing peer success stories and effective business practices.
“Salesforce.com has revolutionized Cloud technology in the areas of customer relationship management and service,” said Gregg Reid, Regional Partner Manager of salesforce.com. “We want to bring our experts to Iowa to share exciting new updates, as well as best practices as it relates to insurance.”
Registration for the event is free, but required in advance. For more information, please see: www.insuranceinthecloud.eventbrite.com.
At last night’s Prometheus Awards, hosted by the Technology Association of Iowa and LWBJ Financial, Doextra Chairwoman, Sunnie Richer, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to Iowa’s business community and a successful career in the technology industry. In addition to her award, Doextra was named a finalist in two highly competitive categories (Software Co. of the Year and IT Service Provider of the Year).
“This award is a complete surprise to me,” said Richer. “I am extremely grateful and humbled by the recognition from my peers and the technology community.”
Richer has accumulated over 35 years in her professional career and worn many hats. Richer founded Doextra Corporation in 1997 to provide companies with superior Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and sales automation solutions. Earlier in her career, Richer worked with IBM for 17 years in management and business development roles, followed by Opis Corporation where she served as President before founding Doextra.
In addition to her distinguished and successful career, Richer is active in many professional and civic activities – including the United Way of Iowa, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Simpson College, Prairie Meadows, and Nexus Executive Women’s Alliance.
“Last night’s award ceremony was a culmination of many exciting new developments at Doextra,” said Brad Williams, President and Owner of Doextra. “We are proud of Sunnie’s accomplishments and the strong tradition of visionary leadership that has been established and will continue with Doextra in the future.”
Image by the Technology Association of Iowa