(For those new to the column, Forward Migration is our term for companies moving from Wintel machines to Macs — or at least adding or increasing the number of Macs they use. A Forward Migration Kit is an overview of Mac OS products for a particular occupation, such as photography, optometry, etc.)
DNAengine is a new ordering platform for custom oligonucleotides, and the entire company is run from Mac OS X machines. The software is built using Shockwave and is doing very well, according to company reps.
DNAengine is a full-service oligo supplier, providing custom synthesis services through an exclusive network of partnering labs. They work closely with these high-quality labs on behalf of researchers and biotech organizations to secure buying power on their behalf, while taking the groundwork and guesswork our of the oligo procurement process, the folks at DNAengine said.
From DNA to skateboarding, Macs can help businesses in a lot of ways. In fact, a young man started a company using a Mac, and now he’s running a US$2 million dollar business making skateboards.
Michael Bream, who graduated from college in Computer Science and Engineering in 1994, planned on a high-tech career. Then he began making skateboards in his garage that were selling as fast as he could make them. Today, Bream’s business, Gravity Skateboards, sells skateboards, accessories, and clothing with a little help from Macs and software such as Final Cut Pro and MYOB, according to an Apple Small Business Profile.
The business handles everything from start to finish using the Mac. And Bream has been using Apple systems from the beginning.
“Through every phase of the company’s founding and growth, the Macintosh has allowed us to project a high level of quality and professionalism,” he told Apple.
An AppleShare IP network of Macs also helps Gravity Skateboards maintain high-quality standards when it comes to customer support and sales, according to the profile. A search using the company’s multi-user MYOB accounting system lets the staff review a customer’s payment history or see when new stock is expected to arrive. When a board’s design, color, or item number changes, or an item is out of stock, the changes are immediately reflected in the MYOB accounting system. This allows employees to be responsive and serve customers as efficiently as possible.
The Mac is also central to the company’s marketing efforts. They use Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, and a Media 100 system to produce videos that are sent out to distributors all over the world. Gravity Skateboards also uses its Web site to showcase QuickTime videos. Adobe GoLive is used to design the site. And the company even produces its own print advertising using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and QuarkXPress software.
Macintosh has eliminated the need for Gravity to hire IT staff or outside consultants as the network is set up and maintained in-house. And our favorite computing platform also helps the company save on training because the Mac’s ease-of-use allows the staff to quickly master a wide range of software, Bream said.
“Most of our efficiency comes from the Macintosh operating system itself,” he told Apple. “Mac OS is invisible to the user, yet it’s incredibly powerful. Just like skateboarding, running a small business requires a lot of balance and dexterity. The Mac helps us respond with a high level of skill and professionalism, no matter how steep the hill.”
Have a Forward Migration story? Send it my way.
Requests for help
Now it’s time for our weekly requests for help from folks who need your advice and/or assistance in forward migrating — or at least being able to keep the Mac platform alive and thriving in their businesses. Contact the requesters directly at their e-mail addresses.
Jonathan Sama ( Jonathansama@aol.com ): “Can someone recommend some video out options for a blue iBook? I have one, and I’d like to use it in a presentation, but I seem not to be able to find a way to send the video out. The one I have has a USB and Ethernet and modem ports, no video or sound out.”