Editor’s note: Charlotte Beat is a regular feature on Wednesdays.
CHARLOTTE…Chad Solomonson describes GotSharePoint.com, which he founded in January, as a “one-stop shop” for Microsoft SharePoint-related software.
Solomonson tells Local Tech Wire he left Metalogix, a Charlotte-based company that helps companies install and make the most of their SharePoint investment, several months ago to start GotSharePoint.com.
Microsoft estimates that more than 150 new solutions for SharePoint products and technologies have been developed by more than 50 partners. They include plug-ins called Web Parts that allow SharePoint users to do enhanced document searching and imaging, add business intelligence, workflow, or Sarbanes Oxley management, and more.
The add-ons run from $300 to $30,000, Solomonson says. GotSharePoint.com takes a reseller commission. Solomonson says he has already arranged a number of partnerships with vendors and alliance agreements with companies worldwide.
“I’m an extension of their marketing arm, another sales channel,” he says. The site also includes a calendar of SharePoint related events such as training sessions, Webinar’s, and Web casts worldwide, search tools, and other features.
Solomonson says the Huntersville-based company has contractor relationships and partners and inside sales people on the west coast. He says Mark Hansen of Hansen Interactive helped him create the site.
It includes a “virtual team” of animated reps, Meg and Peter and Wendi. “They’re a great team,” Solomonson says. “They do exactly what I tell them.”
Solomonson also authored a couple of chapters in the SharePoint Resource Book, which he says is currently the top-selling computer book on Amazon. He’s currently offering a free copy of the book with any software purchase from the site.
Daniel on innovation
Lynn Daniel, president of The Daniel Group, a Charlotte-based strategic planning, research and training firm, has published an article on IndustryWeek.com, “Innovation…It Matters More than Ever.”
Daniel tells LTW he’s already heard from people who want to reprint or link to his article and that the publication says it has created quite a bit of feedback.
The article resulted from his experience with clients who have been focused on cost cutting and right sizing in recent years. “They’re really important,” says Daniel, “but innovating new ways of doing business is critical to growing a company’s top line profitably.”
Unfortunately, a company’s innovation muscles get flabby if they’re not used, Daniels says.
“As companies focused on reducing expenses see the economy improving and ask how they can grow, some found the corporate innovation muscles haven’t been exercised to the degree needed,” he explains.
His article outlines ways to address that problem. “First,” he says, “have a process by which you do it. Companies that are really good at growing the top line have a clear process for innovation. So make it part of the company culture.”
Second, he says, “Innovation shouldn’t be limited to people in research and development.”
Also, he suggests, “Innovate on the service side. Some seemingly simple things matter to the customer. One company had great success simply making its billing clearer.”
In the article, he notes that Dell Computers and Amazon.com (which he notes “is a company selling me-too products if ever there was one) win business through superior service that keeps customers coming back.
High speed DVD burning
Verbatim Corp. says it plans to release new DVD+RW media that records at 21 megabytes a second and will store 4.7 gigabytes of video, photos, music or data files in about five minutes.
The 1-16X speed discs are expected to go into manufacturing later this month. The company says five leading burner manufacturers already have sample media so they can tune their recorders to the high speed.
The company says its patented AZOO recording layer technology developed by its parent firm, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media, is the key to delivering the advanced speed. The AZO dye has increased sensitivity to laser light and a wider power margin for high speed recording.
GotSharePoint.com: gotsharepoint.com
Industry Week: industryweek.com/columns
