July 28, 2002
Focus On: Globecom Interactive
Software Company Helps Customers “Repurpose without Reprogramming”
by Fred Diamond
Globecom Interactive is doing what most young companies aren't doing...it's making money after a year in the market. It's a simple formula: in-store tests have proven their new generation of software saves programming time, saves money and increases sales of consumer products. The result: from the beginning, Globecom went after blue chip customers.
Home Depot, General Electric, 3M, and Honeywell all use the company’s family of software products and services to manage and update their customer communications vehicles. According to Tamir Melamed, CEO of Globecom, "our software lets companies save money and time by 'repurposing without reprogramming'.” In other words, from a single production cycle, all interactive demos, web sites, training manuals, and in-store point-of-sale merchandising kiosks utilize the same information repurposed to meet the different presentation requirements. It’s an approach that saves companies up to 90 percent and helps them become much more efficient.
For Home Depot, for example, Globecom produced an interactive product knowledge item designed for multi-channel delivery to all Home Depot customers, no matter where the customers accessed the information. Globecom was chosen over behemoths IBM and EDS whose solutions were much more people intensive rather than the Globecom patent pending technology driven method.
The company, which was founded in 1998, houses it sales, marketing, and production in Reston, VA. Its development team is based in Herziliya Pituach, Israel. Tamir Melamed assumed the CEO role after founder Benjamin Kane suddenly passed away in December. According to Melamed, the solution set is perfect for vendors and retailers. “We work with vendors to develop customized product knowledge applications designed to enhance sales efforts by helping customers make informed buying decisions. Globecom repurposes these applications, called ‘Sparks,’ for multiple channels including the Internet and point of sale kiosks.”
This bright technology also enables the cost-effective production of logic interactions using simulations, choosers, mix-and-match design tools, and rich animations. Said Melamed, “In addition to vendor solutions, we also have solutions for retailers, including some of the most recognized names in the industry. Our RetaiLinks is a breakthrough program for bringing a manufacturer’s product information to a wide, receptive customer audience.”
A related product offering is SKULink, a software solution that rapidly and cost effectively transfers ready-to-use product data from a manufacturer directly into a retailer’s e-business environment. SKULink completely provides retailers with the product information needed in the appropriate format and structure of their back-end and procurement systems. All formats, including XML, SQL, and delimited text file, are supported. SKULink solves the problem of how to cut the cost of getting and maintaining vendor product data cohesively with a retailer’s e-commerce solutions. It is comprised of two components: · Front-End Express, a small, low cost software piece vendors use to upload their product data. · LifeCycle Manger, the product SKU management component. Globecom has perfected a streamlined development process – from vendor agreement through content creation to technical implementation and maintenance.
The company’s approach is very consultative utilizing a skilled services arm to ensure that the technology is planned and then implemented smoothly and correctly. Over the past few years, with the rise of Internet application technology, many solutions have come and gone, including a number of companies in the Northern Virginia area. Globecom, however, has continued at a steady pace and actually has grown over the past three years including staff additions. “No one else is doing the complete initiative including technology and services,” said Melamed.
In the late 90s, the company decided to set up its US operations in Northern Virginia for three key reasons. First, it needed an east coast location in order to more easily communicate with its Israeli operations and contacts. “The three hour time difference, as compared to being on the west coast, makes a huge difference for internal communications,” said Melamed. “With our development operations in Israel, it was critical that we were able to speak during normal business hours to ensure continuous communications with our developers and other business contacts.”
Secondly, Globecom recognized that the Federal Government marketplace will be a strong market place for it in the future and that most successful companies selling to the government have operations in Virginia. “There are tremendous applications for our products in government agencies,” said Melamed. “All of the government agencies and systems integrators that sell to the government are all here.” Although Globecom has not pursued the government market to date, it wanted to be in a strong position when it chose to move forward. And thirdly, Melamed said the potential investments the company may need in the future were perfectly suited to the venture capitalist community in Northern Virginia. “As compared to Boston, San Francisco, and New York, we saw a lot of synergy with the local VCs who have an affinity for investing in local companies.”
Melamed said that the Virginia Israel Advisory Board has been helpful in scheduling some of the meetings it needed with potential investors. “VIAB was very helpful in helping us contact the authorities and all of the right local channels. They directed us to the right people,” said Melamed. “VIAB also helped by providing contacts of some large potential customers.”
|
|
|