Ntractive - News

Announcing the Birth of Ntractive LLC. and ntractive.com

2006-02-22 10:59:31-0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA February 22, 2006 --- Ntractive, LLC. was created today in the state of North Dakota, dedicated to providing small business management services by means of a cutting edge web application called "Elements".

Under development for over a year, Elements incorporates technology which is coming to the fore now, and which is predicted by industry experts to change the face of the computing in the coming years with a concept dubbed "Web 2.0"

Ntractive, based in Grand Forks, ND, was founded by two small business developers, and expects to be on the forefront of Web 2.0 with Elements.

"Having been involved with the Internet since the days of the emerging World Wide Web, I was always frustrated by the limitations of the medium," Ntractive Co-Founder Dale Jensen says. "It has taken over a decade for the underlying technologies to match up to the promise of using the Web as an application platform, but the Web 2.0 environment, along with development tools that we have designed at Ntractive, make an online, 24/7 business management application possible."

Although being a cutting edge Web developer provides many challenges and opportunities, the Ntractive founders feel up to the task. "Having many years of experience in the development and operation of small businesses, we've put that knowledge to work in Elements, " Ntractive Co-Founder Justin Bartak explained. "Elements is much more than a showcase for emerging technologies -- it is a powerful and easy to use business management suite of applications. With turnkey ease, within minutes a company can start managing their employees, products and sales processes with automated tools previously unavailable at that level of business."

About Ntractive, LLC
Ntractive is a software development company that has, over the past four years, developed a new and unique method of application development that was referred to by a senior executive at Apple Inc. as the future of software development. Ntractives new development environment/platform, the Hybrid Web Application, combines the best features of a desktop application with those of a web application, for unprecedented ease of use, expanded functionality, and power in an Internet-based application. Its first product, Elements SBM, is a software-as-a-service offering that is designed to automate, organize, and improve business processes for small to midsized companies. Based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Ntractive is currently pre-revenue, in late-stage development, and recently received a first-round funding commitment from RAIN Source Capital, St. Paul, Minnesota. Ntractive has been in beta testing of its product since March, 2008. For more information, see: http://www.ntractive.com/site/company/.

Ntractive wins North Dakota InnnovateND contest

2007-05-16 08:30:00-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA May 16, 2007 --- Ntractive, LLC, the developers of the upcoming Web 2.0 small business management tool Elements SBM, are very proud to report that the company was named one of five winners of the first annual InnovateND entrepreneurial contest, held from January through May, 2007.

The contest, which operated in three phases, was intended to identify North Dakota companies and individuals with unique business ideas and innovations, culminated in oral presentations before a panel of venture capitalists and angel investors. Previous phases required the completion and judging of executive business summaries and complete business plans. The number of entrants was reduced at each phase, resulting in the five winners, announced by Governor John Hoeven on May 15, 2007 in Fargo.

"It is a great honor to receive this award," Ntractive Founder and Chief Technology Officer Justin Bartak said, "We consider it a great validation of the hard work and creative problem solving that we've applied to the whole Elements SBM project. The entire process has helped us move the business forward beyond the development stage it was focused on prior to entering the contest."

InnovateND mentor and University of North Dakota Chair of Entrepreneurial Studies Dr. Jeffrey Stamp commented that Ntractive had one of the most innovative projects in the contest. "High technology is often thought of as an east coast / west coast phenomenon, but Ntractive has demonstrated that bleeding edge technological advances can be made from anywhere."

Bruce Gjovig, of the UND Center Innovation, a key sponsor and organizer of the contest added that "Ntractive has a strong business plan, great ideas and an outstanding managerial team. We see great things in their future."

"All ideas that were presented today represent the dreams of small business," Dale Jensen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ntractive said following the event, "We find great privilege in being among the finalists. I hope that everyone who participated in the InnovateND contest continues on the path to realizing their business goals."

Among the honors that the company received was a $5,000 check in equity investment from the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The annual contest will start up again in the Fall of 2007. More information may be found at the InnovateND web site.

Announcing a sneak peek at our upcoming Web 2.0 product "Elements"

2006-02-22 10:59:33-0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA February 22, 2006 --- Ntractive, LLC, a next generation Internet application developer, today announced that a sneak preview of their latest product, Elements, was available on their web site, at http://www.ntractive.com. The preview includes descriptions, screen shots and Quicktime videos of the system in action.

Elements is a web application, utilizing technologies which have been dubbed "Web 2.0" by industry analysts, which provides small business management tool in a secure, easy to use and technologically compelling environment.

"Features that users are accustomed to on traditional desktop programs, like editing records within the page they are displayed on, or live search that limits displayed records immediately, were impossible to create in web applications before now," said Ntractive Co-Founder Dale Jensen. "Combined with the 'always on' and 'available anywhere' edge that the Internet provides, we've produced a tool for small businesses to manage their operations simply, regardless of company size, location, network infrastructure, or any of the other factors that limited business process integration in the past."

"Our focus with Elements was twofold," Justin Bartak, Ntractive Co-Founder, added. "First of all, we wanted to give small businesses access to a wide array of tools to facilitate communication, automation and co-operation. In short, to parlay our years of experience as small business managers into something that will help other business owners manage and grow their businesses."

"Secondly," Bartak continued, "it was vital to make the system easy to use, accessible anywhere, and completely interactive within the organization. By leveraging cutting edge technologies, we've achieved what was impossible a few years ago -- a web application that works as well or even better than a traditional desktop application."

Ntractive has also developed a custom browser to access the system for users of Apple's OS X operating system. "We looked at the technology that Apple has made available for OS X, and saw a real opportunity to merge the best of both the web and desktop applications," Jensen commented. "While we, of course, support Windows and Linux users, creating a special version for our OS X customers gives them a real added benefit at no cost to them. As an example, the user's access to the Elements system can be controlled through the OS X keychain feature -- no need to remember user names or passwords. Or, with a single click, the user can synchronize their desktop Address Book with their Elements database.

Additionally, the company has announced that they are accepting requests for early access to the system in an open beta test. More information is available on the company's web site at http://www.ntractive.com.

First Mac OS Hybrid Web App for Business to be Previewed at Macworld

2008-01-14 07:00:00-0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA January 14, 2008 --- Ntractive LLC announced today it will begin previewing a new type of business computer application here at the Macworld Conference and Expo, January 14-18 (Booth #W-4524). The firm's first product, Elements SBM(tm) (small business manager), uses a unique "hybrid application" approach to combine flexibility with unprecedented ease of use.

"Until now, this hybrid approach has only been available in the consumer world -- Apple iTunes(R) being the best example," said Dale Jensen, Ntractive's CEO. "Now the concept is getting down to business." The firm's Hybrid Web Application platform has been in development for more than four years, Jensen said. "With the introduction of Elements SBM, we have a visually elegant and technically innovative solution that allows small business owners and their employees to quickly become more productive."

Before today, the small business user had to made a fundamental choice: the familiarity and ease-of-use of the desktop application, or the power and affordability of the "available anywhere" software-as-a-service (hosted) web application. But that meant giving something up. Elements SBM bridges the two together in an environment that blurs the lines between what is running on your desktop and what is running over the web -- which means you no longer have to settle for just one or the other.

Elements SBM is designed to automate, organize, and improve business processes in small to midsized companies. The initial target is Mac OSX-based businesses with 5 to 50 employees, estimated to number 20,000 in the U.S. alone.

"This product is a significant improvement over existing web and desktop applications for small business management," said Jensen, also a cofounder of the firm. "Software-as-a-service represents the future of the software business, and we believe our 'Hybrid' platform is a key refinement of that future."

The Market
Small businesses represent the largest growth segment of the U.S. economy. The biggest challenges to firms in this class, beyond capital, are organizational and managerial. The single proprietor with a successful business, for example, often has a difficult time moving to a multiple-person operation.

"We believe that organizational software is the key to small business success -- specifically, software thatis easy to use, complete, and inexpensive for the entrepreneur," said Jensen. "Many years of working with small businesses, both our own and our clients', led us to develop a product that meets these needs in an innovative and attractive fashion."

The company is initially focusing on the Mac OS X platform, which is experiencing significant growth (30% in the past year), and in which the company's founders have decades of experience developing and marketing small business applications. Following initial rollout, Ntractive's product development will focus on mobile, international, and Windows Vista environments. Because of the nature of a web-based product, the company need only write a small, platform-specific amount of code in order to bring the product to additional platforms.

Benefits for Small Business
By automating many common business practices, such as sales, contact management, and accounting,

Elements SBM affords small businesses the ability to reduce overhead, improve productivity, and provide functionality that would be difficult or impossible in a non-hosted scalable application. Other features, such as automated backups, offsite data warehousing, and anytime/anywhere access to real-time reports, are very attractive to the cost-conscious small business owner.

Elements SBM is a management tool for any small business that wants to improve its processes, resource allocation, and bottom line. "We had several goals when we began the design and implementation of Elements SBM," said Justin Bartak, cofounder and CTO. "The system had to directly address the needs of small business in the areas of process improvement, workflow automation, and enhanced communication between employees at all levels of the business."

For a gallery of screenshots, please see: http://www.ntractive.com/site/gallery/

How It Works
Functionally, the system consists of a custom hybrid web browser application that runs on the client's computer, and a web server application that operates from the Elements SBM server. The client logs into the system from any computer anywhere -- even an iPhone(R) -- and instantly has access to company data, reporting, and communications with other employees. A sales representative, for example, could log in from a customer location, enter a sales order, confirm product availability, and email an invoice.

The purpose of the custom hybrid browser is not only to make development of the web application easier, but also to incorporate functionality that makes the web app more powerful and easier to use for the customer. For example, the custom hybrid browser supports "Drag and Drop" -- drag a "vCard" onto Elements SBM and it converts the vCard data to a contact record. Drag a photo from your hard drive or a photo-browsing application like iPhoto(R), drop it onto the Elements SBM contact record, and the contact will now have the photo attached and stored on the web server.

For more about how Elements SBM is different from other applications, see the PDFs and QuickTime(tm) movies here: http://www.ntractive.com/site/integrate/

Competitive Environment - Existing Solutions
By focusing on design as well as function, Elements SBM is a significant improvement over existing small business management systems. Its best-in-class design and reduced training costs are the result of an interface built from the perspective of user intuition, rather than expecting a customer to develop

new habits. Utilizing cutting-edge Web 2.0 programming techniques, Elements SBM is an "always on, anywhere," multi-user Internet application that has the convenience and standards that users expect from desktop applications. Because the system has been designed in this manner from its very foundation, the company does not expect that existing competitors will be able to respond without a complete and expensive rewrite of their software.

"We're focused initially on a market that both lacks a de?ned solution and demands an elegant response to the problem -- Mac OS X users," said CEO Jensen. "No competitor in the SaaS CRM space has a Mac-specifc product, and some don't even run on the browser of choice for Mac users, Safari. Elements SBM was designed with a decidedly Mac favor, thus having strong appeal to Apple computer users."

The underlying Hybrid Web Application platform is the key to the whole system. Not only is it a fundamental improvement over existing technologies, able to provide desktop-level ease of use and functionality, it is proprietary, patentable technology that other software firms do not have, and will not have, without significant development efforts, even assuming that their existing systems can be retooled to support the advanced methodology that a Hybrid Web Application represents.

Beta Test and Rollout Plans
Ntractive is currently a pre-revenue, late-development stage company, and is preparing for a beta rollout of its product in first quarter 2008. To date, more than 500 companies have signed up to participate in this beta. The company will select early beta users from this list, and gradually expand the beta to include more of those who have signed up, before it moves to a full Phase I rollout of the product later in the year. Once the beta test process is complete, pricing will be based on a per-user subscription model.

Phase II will focus on developing a Windows(R) XP and Vista(tm) hybrid browser, built on Apple's Webkit open-source project, which was converted to Windows by Apple in June 2007. Because of the nature of the product, only the browser-specific features of the product (such as supporting Drag and Drop or storing passwords) need to be converted -- the bulk of the Elements SBM application will work automatically, without platform-specific code.

Press Conference at Macworld
More details about this product and its launch will be presented at Ntractive's press conference, Tuesday, January 15, 2008, from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m., in Room 105 of the South Hall of Moscone Center.

Ntractive Helps Kick Off Year Two of Innovate ND

2007-09-21 14:00:00-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA September 21, 2007 --- Ntractive, LLC, developers of the forthcoming hybrid web application Elements SBM, participated in a press conference Sept 20th to help launch the North Dakota Department of Commerce sponsored second annual Innovate ND entrepreneurial contest.

Ntractive took part in the competition during its inaugural year, and was named one of the five winners at the Midwest Association of Angel and Venture Capital Conference in May of 2007.

“Being in the Innovate ND program gave our venture a tremendous boost, by helping us to focus on the financial, planning and organizational aspects of our company,” Ntractive CTO and co-founder Justin Bartak said. “In addition, the exposure to investors, potential employees, advisors and others in the community was great at opening doors after the competition was over.”

With a $100 entry fee, Innovate ND participants gain access to a venture building process that includes online entrepreneur education, business planning tools, and coaching and mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and accomplished business owners. Ultimately, a panel of private investors will review the top 20 business ideas and select the top five winners to receive up to $10,000 in cash prizes and a wide variety of business services and potential seed capital investments to launch their ventures.

“Ntractive was one of the most innovative companies participating in the 2007 round of Innovate ND, and we’re proud to have them in our tech incubator today,” Director of the Center for Innovation Bruce Gjovig said. “As a past entrant who is now out raising investment capital, they clearly demonstrate how the contest can help entrepreneurs get started successfully.”

Ntractive CEO and co-founder Dale Jensen summarized the company’s growth from simply having a technically advanced product, to having all the pieces in place to raise capital, hire employees, and bring the Elements SBM product to market in early 2008. “In January, we had an idea,” Jensen said, “In May, we had a business.”

Innovate ND sponsors include the Cavendish Farms, Great River Energy, State Bank & Trust, Bremer Bank and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. Other support services and resource providers include the UND Entrepreneurship Department, Atlas Business Solutions, Dorsey Whitney, Eide Bailly, Brady Martz, Neustel Law Office, Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson and Small Business Development Centers.

Enrollment in the program runs from now through November 15 and can be completed online at www.innovatend.com. For more information about the program contact Rodrigo Cintra at the Center for Innovation, 701-777-3970 or rodrigo@innovators.net.

Learn more about InnovateND at: http://www.innovatend.com
Learn more about The Center for Innovation at: http://www.innovators.net
Learn more about ND Department of Commerce at: http://www.ndcommerce.com/
Related Grand Forks Herald Article: http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=51049

Network Systems Architect - Jason Keller hired by Ntractive

2008-04-07 05:27:14-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA April 07, 2008 --- Ntractive is pleased to announce that Jason Keller joined the Ntractive team on April 7, 2008 as a Network System Architect.

Keller has been a Cisco Certified Networking Associate for over three years. Prior to Ntractive, Keller was the Network Administrator at the University of North Dakota Center for Innovation and provided Technical Services at the National Information Solutions Cooperative in Mandan, North Dakota. In May 2008, Keller will graduate from the University of North Dakota with a BA and a major in General Studies.

Business Analyst - Will Kusler hired by Ntractive

2008-04-21 05:28:18-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA April 21, 2008 --- Ntractive is pleased to announce that Will Kusler has joined the Ntractive team on April 21, 2008 as a Business Analyst.

Kusler received his Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Dakota in 2007 and his BBA in Financial Management from the University of North Dakota in 2005. During that time, Kusler was a Presidential scholar and a member of the Fighting Sioux football team from 2001 to 2006. Kusler was a founding managing director of Dakota Venture Group, the student managed venture investment fund at the University of North Dakota. Today, he serves on their Board of Trustees. Kusler, along with his wife Stacy, are active volunteers with the Grand Forks area Special Olympics.

Business Analyst - Amy Indridason hired by Ntractive

2008-05-12 11:20:02-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA May 12, 2008 --- Ntractive is pleased to announce that Amy Indridason has joined the Ntractive team as a Business Analyst.

Indridason recently received her Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Dakota. She was a 2006 graduate of the University of North Dakota receiving a BBA in Information Systems Management. Indridason was a founding member of the Dakota Venture Group, a student managed venture investment fund at the University of North Dakota. She now serves on their Board of Trustees. Prior to Ntractive, Indridason was a business consultant at the UND Center for Innovation.

Ntractive Receives iPhone Developer Designation

2008-05-14 12:29:48-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA May 14, 2008 --- Ntractive, LLC, the Grand Forks-based company that created Elements SBM™, a hybrid web application for small to medium sized businesses using Macs, has been chosen by Apple to be an iPhone developer. Ntractive plans to make Elements SBM even more mobile, bringing it to their clients fingertips as an iPhone application.

Apple released the iPhone less than one year ago, today there are millions of these sleek smartphones in the hands of savvy consumers around the world. iPhones are moving off the shelves quickly, while demand continues to grow. The iPhone is unique from other smart phones because of its touch screen, high quality image resolution, superior multimedia functionality, in addition to standard smartphone applications included.

An iPhone developer is a company chosen by Apple to create native applications for the iPhone, which will be available through the iTunes Music Store. With thousands of companies applying for iPhone developer status, Apple has approved a limited number of developers. Because very few of these were asked to participate in this program, Ntractive's receipt of this designation is a rare opportunity. Apple anticipates selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.

"Bringing Elements SBM from the Mac to an iPhone is a tremendous opportunity". commented Dale Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Ntractive, "We've designed Elements with workflow in mind from day one. Mobilizing business activities through Elements in the iPhone just makes sense for today's businessperson". Justin Bartak, CTO and co-founder of Ntractive added, "We have been developing applications for Apple for years and are thrilled to have been selected as iPhone developers. As more businesses move to Macs and iPhones, users will need a business management solution, positioning Elements as an optimal product choice in this market".

Ntractive Closes Series A Round of Financing

2008-07-08 08:00:00-0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA July 08, 2008 --- Ntractive, creator of Elements SBM™, the hybrid web application for small business management, announced today it has closed its Series A financing. The company raised $570,000 through regional angel investors and St. Paul-based RAIN Source Capital, an organization of pooled angel funds www.rainsourcecapital.com .

The Valley Angels Investment Fund of Grand Forks led the financing. The fund’s chairperson, Tom Kenville, commented, “As a start-up, Ntractive has been extremely well-organized. Not only have they made strides with their product, but they have created a solid business structure.”

The University of North Dakota’s student managed venture fund, Dakota Venture Group, also invested, "Ntractive is a great fit for our portfolio. As students, we are excited about the state’s economic future. Innovative companies like Ntractive are what we really need,” remarked Jordan Schuetzle, President.

RAIN Source Capital was instrumental in Ntractive’s capital raising process, from early review and feedback to inviting the company to present at the network’s annual conference in 2007. Peter Birkeland, CFO commented, “We are excited to be a part of Ntractive and look forward to helping the company achieve its milestones.”

Elements SBM™ has been in a beta test since March 2008, with dozens of companies worldwide using the software and giving feedback. Housed at the Center for Innovation, Ntractive currently has six employees, and plans additional hires following the release of Elements SBM™ in August 2008.