A pioneer in infrastructure, video technology, mobile workforce access
and thin-client computing, Edison-based Innovativ Systems Design has been racking up awards as well as customers.
Chief operating officer Anthony Mellina chats about what it's like to
play a football game that doesn't end.
How did Innovativ get started?
Oddly enough, the genealogy of Innovativ is rooted in the book
publishing business. The company built a fulfillment software product
for its warehouse and logistics operation that was then marketed as a
solution to similar companies. The application originally ran on Vax and
Solaris platforms. The dot-com boom then provided great foundational
growth for the company's expansion into new technologies and solutions.
It's been quite a transformation and the company continues to have an
appetite for change and for creating new approaches to solving business
problems.
Why do you feel there's a need for what you provide?
We pride ourselves on our ability to take the raw tool set that system
vendors provide and turn them into useable customer solutions. A good
example is our Mobility solution: we are not the company that built the
mobility tools, we're the company that enables you to connect to your
company's application data.
What makes your company unique?
The things that set us apart are the diversity of our technical staff
and the intellectual property that they have been able to develop. We
have people from telecom, finance, system integrators, consumer
electronics, and software companies that create a melting pot of ideas
and perspectives that make everyday a unique experience.
What kind of challenges does your company face?
The challenge we face continues to be balancing and diversifying our
company's software, service and product offerings and to create
technologies that are relevant for the marketplace. We've been able to
do this successfully and in measured steps for the past three years and
still profitably grow the company during tough economic times.
Where do you see your field going in the next few years, and how does
the company fit into that?
Many companies in our industry today have not yet begun to deal with the
product commoditization in the computer industry. The daunting task of
facing that challenge is difficult if you have not started to develop
the technical capabilities necessary to change to an integrator or
solution provider. The shakeout will be dramatic. Five years ago, DVD
players were $700, today you can get one for $29 at Sam's club. Change
is inevitable in our industry and it's an "eat lunch or be lunch" world.
I believe we've taken the necessary steps to positions ourselves
strategically to not only survive but to thrive well into the future.
What do you like best about what you do?
To me it's like a great football game that never ends. I like to be in
the game playing and taking on the competition rather than being a
spectator. We take pride in our strategies, tactics and the way we grind
our way down the field or finesse a great play. As long as we're moving
in the right direction no one seems to mind the aches and pains
associated with getting up to do it again tomorrow. It's been fun!
do you know a local company we should cover? Let us know about it.
Send your local profile candidates to emillard@computeruser.com.
