Case Studies

"Thomas A. Edison would have been proud. When Allied Electronics, an electrocomponents distributor in Fort Worth, Texas, came to CONNX with the spark of an idea about how to increase sales at the 70 branch offices scattered throughout the United States and Canada, there was electricity in the air..."

"CRS Data was started in the late 1980's as Courthouse Retrieval System, with the objective of retrieving public records from county government offices to service real estate's leading professionals. Since inception, CRS Data's programs have diversified to respond to the needs of MLSs, investors, lenders, appraisers and bankers, who all rely on the company's intuitive, top-performing...."

"When Fabick Cat merged with another Cat dealership, that had its custom written Order Processing system running on OpenVMS with RMS files, they came to CONNX for a solution to provide data warehouse for both systems...."

"CONNX Solutions entered the picture over a decade ago when H.Y. Louie sought out CONNX Solutions' flagship product, CONNX for RMS, to access its distribution system for purchasing, shipping and inventory report generation. In addition to data access and ad hoc reporting, CONNX was also viewed as a data integration tool. The company had just started developing some SQL talent with a Microsoft SQL Server database project that it was integrating with the distribution system and retail sales data. H.Y. Louie's distribution data still resides on a DAI, DEC-based system, which is extremely difficult to use according to Mike Rouleau, Director of IS. All of the data is in a RMS file format and does not lend itself to novice programmers or individuals with limited Windows programming..."

"Even in organizations as stable and predictable as higher education, data-driven decision making is vital to ensure ongoing success. Getting access to the right data easily and on time is just as challenging here as it is in the business world. For Montclair State University, the time had come to liberate missioncritical data so more departments could use it to support their day-to-day operations. CONNX solutions were put in place to extract data from its legacy system and load it into a relational database to enable more flexible and more powerful reporting. Accessible, reliable and effective. That's higher education at MSU, and that's CONNX..."

"With dozens of pro football teams playing on Sunday, and hundreds of news outlets seeking first-rate video for stories airing mid-week, NFL Films faces a level of pressure rivaling that encountered by the players themselves. To help producers of sports programs satisfy fans' insatiable appetite for dramatic and comprehensive coverage, the organization must rapidly catalogue and quickly retrieve key segments from the vast quantity of footage it shoots weekly during the season..."

"The IS department at St. Elizabeth Medical Center was facing a problem: They needed to create custom reports from their RMS-based Allegra software. But their new employees were hesitant to learn how to program in the proprietary language of the then-current reporting solution without the benefit of a Windows-style user interface. Together, Jerry Hon, Director of Decision Support, and Jerry Neuhaus, Assistant Director of Information Systems and President of the IntraNexus Healthcare Users Group, decided, 'We've got to find something better.' They discovered CONNX, its ease of use and reasonable pricing plan, and soon after replaced their proprietary reporting solution with CONNX. Today, they use CONNX for reporting from their Allegra system using popular desktop tools, such as MS Access and MS Excel. Allegra data is easily exported into Excel formats and then converted into SQL databases. As Neuhaus states, 'We use CONNX to connect to those SQL databases to do reporting off of, so that it doesn't put a burden on our patient-accounting Allegra system'..."

"Vidéotron and CONNX? As a leader in new video technologies, Vidéotron Ltée was clearly a perfect match for CONNX, a leader in new database management and Web-enablement technologies. The goal was to find a way to provide real-time access to their legacy VSAM files stored on an IBM mainframe. The problem was that there was no database running on the mainframe, so the information was locked up and not easily accessible by Windows or UNIX servers. They wanted to use the information to Web-enable monthly usage reports, digital channel selection, and account summaries, among other things, in order to reduce the heavy load on their call centers..."

"Thomas A. Edison would have been proud. When Allied Electronics, an electrocomponents distributor in Fort Worth, Texas, came to CONNX with the spark of an idea about how to increase sales at the 70 branch offices scattered throughout the United States and Canada, there was electricity in the air..."

"AutoTrakk, LLC is an auto leasing company specializing in providing late model vehicle financing for credit challenged customers. AutoTrakk had been in operation for approximately 10 years utilizing a leased software application designed specifically for the leasing industry. The software application operates only on an Open VMS platform on HP Itanium servers owned by AutoTrakk..."

"Cemplex Group is a leader in the specialty concrete market, providing the knowledge and ability to solve complex project needs. They have over 30 years' experience supplying and installing quality products to general contractors and end users in the construction field...."

"CRS Data was started in the late 1980's as Courthouse Retrieval System, with the objective of retrieving public records from county government offices to service real estate's leading professionals. Since inception, CRS Data's programs have diversified to respond to the needs of MLSs, investors, lenders, appraisers and bankers, who all rely on the company's intuitive, top-performing...."

"When Fabick Cat merged with another Cat dealership, that had its custom written Order Processing system running on OpenVMS with RMS files, they came to CONNX for a solution to provide data warehouse for both systems...."

"Since F&P Mfg. Inc., first opened its doors in 1986 with two stamping presses, they have grown to incorporate a wide variety of automotive production capabilities...."

"With a corporate plan to move to SAP and Microsoft, technology at Georgia-Pacific is in transition. But the company remains committed to meet users' ongoing needs with cost-effective products that extract more information out of older systems. 'We have a business to run,' notes David Burns, Information Resource Manager at the company's Port Hudson Operations. "Georgia-Pacific will do the right thing with its software decisions companywide and each division will need to make sensible technology plans with migration in mind. At Port Hudson Operations, we're going to address users' needs with solutions that maximize our current investment while being responsive to the forward-looking technology direction of the entire corporation..."

"Kings Credit Services faces stiff competition from other credit companies, both in its product offerings and the technology that supports those products. CONNX, a data access engine developed by CONNX Solutions to streamline access to multiple disparate data sources, is helping the company gain a competitive edge. Although Kings Credit purchased CONNX to improve its synthetic voice/predictive dialer system, Jeff Taylor, the company's IS Manager, quickly found multiple uses for it and has plans for even more..."

"The latest trend in investing for those with extra cold, hard cash, now that the market has taken a downward turn, is gold, silver, and platinum coins and bullion. MONEX Deposit Company (MDC), located in Newport Beach, California, has been in the business of providing such services for 32 years and is the largest dealer of precious metals in the United States. The company's interest in CONNX was initially sparked five years ago by its need to develop a PC application that would enable their sales staff to better manage their customer and lead information as well as simplify the process of tracking and managing call information. With all of their customer and lead information stored in RMS files on Alpha servers, the application had to have direct connectivity to be a success. With CONNX's ODBC driver for RMS providing the necessary connectivity, the company was able to develop a Delphi-based contact management system that met these requirements and exceeded management's expectations..."

"With dozens of pro football teams playing on Sunday, and hundreds of news outlets seeking first-rate video for stories airing mid-week, NFL Films faces a level of pressure rivaling that encountered by the players themselves. To help producers of sports programs satisfy fans' insatiable appetite for dramatic and comprehensive coverage, the organization must rapidly catalogue and quickly retrieve key segments from the vast quantity of footage it shoots weekly during the season..."

"When employees at Spiegel, Inc. in Downers Grove, Ill., needed reports about warehouse activity, they could wait more than a month. Spiegel uses a merchandise data/inventory tracking system, residing on a VAXcluster at DFS, a Spiegel subsidiary in Columbus, Ohio. To get the information required for the reports, IS personnel in Illinois had to remotely access RMS data from the VAX, then use the data to create the reports..."

"Vidéotron and CONNX? As a leader in new video technologies, Vidéotron Ltée was clearly a perfect match for CONNX, a leader in new database management and Web-enablement technologies. The goal was to find a way to provide real-time access to their legacy VSAM files stored on an IBM mainframe. The problem was that there was no database running on the mainframe, so the information was locked up and not easily accessible by Windows or UNIX servers. They wanted to use the information to Web-enable monthly usage reports, digital channel selection, and account summaries, among other things, in order to reduce the heavy load on their call centers..."

"CONNX Solutions entered the picture over a decade ago when H.Y. Louie sought out CONNX Solutions' flagship product, CONNX for RMS, to access its distribution system for purchasing, shipping and inventory report generation. In addition to data access and ad hoc reporting, CONNX was also viewed as a data integration tool. The company had just started developing some SQL talent with a Microsoft SQL Server database project that it was integrating with the distribution system and retail sales data. H.Y. Louie's distribution data still resides on a DAI, DEC-based system, which is extremely difficult to use according to Mike Rouleau, Director of IS. All of the data is in a RMS file format and does not lend itself to novice programmers or individuals with limited Windows programming..."

"When the names of graduating seniors are about to be announced at Commencement, the dean needs an accurate list. When generous alumni make donations, the Alumni office needs to track the distribution of pledges and gifts destined for hundreds of different funds. And when students bring their cars to campus, they want to know parking privileges, then easily register their vehicles. At Appalachian State University (ASU) these tasks – and many more – will be made easier by CONNX, a data access engine that makes it simple to access data for many uses, such as Web and PC application development and reporting..."

"Even in organizations as stable and predictable as higher education, data-driven decision making is vital to ensure ongoing success. Getting access to the right data easily and on time is just as challenging here as it is in the business world. For Montclair State University, the time had come to liberate missioncritical data so more departments could use it to support their day-to-day operations. CONNX solutions were put in place to extract data from its legacy system and load it into a relational database to enable more flexible and more powerful reporting. Accessible, reliable and effective. That's higher education at MSU, and that's CONNX..."

"Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) has a strong commitment to technology. Its operational philosophy, which summarizes key aspects of the school's mission, specifically states that 'Through creative use of cutting-edge technology, the University can and should be a leader.' To maintain a leadership position, the institution constantly seeks ways to give its personnel more access to information and greater ease in working with it. Recently, a data access tool called CONNX became an import component of this ongoing effort. With the CONNX solution, the university provides employees with easy, real-time access to student data from their desktops, while ensuring data accuracy..."

"As a business school, Thomas College thinks as much in business terms as it does in academic ones. The school sees its students, faculty, staff, and alumni as customers, and wants to satisfy them. Technology has already helped. For example, by 1994 the school was completely networked over a LAN, with high speed Internet connections at workstations in administrative and faculty offices. Students had Internet access through the college's computer labs, in public areas of the College, in all residence hall rooms, and through dial-up modems. But to make access even easier and more widely available, Christopher Rhoda, the school's vice president of Information Services, looked to the World Wide Web..."

"Located at the westernmost tip of Lake Erie, The University of Toledo is one of the 13 state universities in Ohio. Among the 'Points of Pride' listed on its Web site is the fact that it is recognized as a 'major force' in contributions to the discovery of new technology. No small wonder then, that it was one of the many CONNX customers who learned that they could enable access to IBM mainframe-based (SCT PLUS) VSAM files in real-time with very little trouble. Joseph Sawasky, Senior Director of Administrative Computing, led the drive to get the new system that included this feature up and running. He said that, due to budgetary constraints, the University of Toledo's current IS strategy is to extend the life of their very reliable legacy technology by concentrating on initiatives that offer high return on investment..."

"Faced with managing increasingly larger and more complicated highway and bridge construction projects and expecting its employees to "do more with less," the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) needed to substantially change its technology environment. For contractor payments, it needed to replace an antiquated DOS-based system that was slow, inefficient, and incompatible with newer personal computers. For financial reporting, it needed to standardize on one system and provide timely information. Given budget constraints, the department wanted a solution that would preserve its considerable investment in its mainframe and the software running on it. It also needed to put modern, usable tools into the hands of engineers and technicians on construction sites and employees at the offices. The solution to these challenges came through CONNX, a data access engine developed by SolutionsIQ..."

"Government faces constant change–from the composition of governmental bodies to newly enacted legislation. And the technology available to support legislative activities changes rapidly, too. For example, the Legislative Service Center (LSC), founded in 1969 to maintain the computing system for the Washington State Legislature, has already replaced its technology environment once so it can provide the greater functionality users expect..."

"Database architecture may change over time, but the underlying need rarely does: to access key information in support of effective decision making. When reporting is part of what you deliver to your clients, the faster and less resourceintensive you make it, the better. For group health plan benefits administrator EBMS, the ability to run and distribute reports both internally and to customers is paramount to its success. By using CONNX solutions at multiple access points in its information infrastructure, EBMS can make better use of data from its core business system more quickly and more effectively than it ever imagined..."

"The IS department at St. Elizabeth Medical Center was facing a problem: They needed to create custom reports from their RMS-based Allegra software. But their new employees were hesitant to learn how to program in the proprietary language of the then-current reporting solution without the benefit of a Windows-style user interface. Together, Jerry Hon, Director of Decision Support, and Jerry Neuhaus, Assistant Director of Information Systems and President of the IntraNexus Healthcare Users Group, decided, 'We've got to find something better.' They discovered CONNX, its ease of use and reasonable pricing plan, and soon after replaced their proprietary reporting solution with CONNX. Today, they use CONNX for reporting from their Allegra system using popular desktop tools, such as MS Access and MS Excel. Allegra data is easily exported into Excel formats and then converted into SQL databases. As Neuhaus states, 'We use CONNX to connect to those SQL databases to do reporting off of, so that it doesn't put a burden on our patient-accounting Allegra system'..."

"I just want to say thanks to your technical support department for all of their help and always being available when we needed answers. I would also like to thank your development team for their help in getting everything we needed done in a very timely manner. You guys have great support for your product and that is something to be proud of. We are pleased to be using a product that you guys stand behind."

–Programmer/Analyst, Integrated Services, Inc.

"We've been very happy with CONNX in the past. And, I rarely needed it, but your Technical Support staff was the best Technical Support that I've encountered in my 25-year IT career."

–DBA, Automotive/Aerospace Manufacturing

"I just wanted to take a moment to give credit where it's due. I have spoken with technical support on three separate occasions and on each I received courteous, polite and very helpful service. If all tech support personnel conducted themselves in such a way we would all be less stressed."

–Systems Consultant, Office of Financial Management & Administration – State of Kentucky

"By far the best vendor I have ever had the opportunity to work with."

–Manager of Data Architecture, State Government

"I would like to show my appreciation for your technical support Department. Minutes after I logged an email request for help, technical support was in contact with me and solving our issue. It is so wonderful to deal with a company that really puts customer service first. Again, thanks for everything and keep up the great work. Wonderful Product...Wonderful Customer Service. A+++."

–Programmer/Systems Analyst, Lincoln Wood Products, Inc.

"Again a pleasure to work with a real professional. Life would be much better if everyone was."

–CIO, Retail Plumbing Supply Chain

"The Easytrieve addition speaks volumes to CONNX/s commitment to its product and clients."

–Dir. IT, Multi-Billion Dollar NA Insurance Company

"We have had the native CONNX connection for DataFlex running on our production server for over a week now, the speed improvement is delighted, around 2-3 times faster."

–IT Manager, Auto Supply Chain

"The VSAM connector product has in my opinion been worth every dime."

–IT Manager, State Government

"I would recommend this to any hospital looking for an easy way to drill down into their accounts receivable. Using with Access makes it a point and click procedure. Real time access to data in our patient accounting system. Easy to use with Microsoft Access. Also, easy to teach others and spread out to the organization. This is a great and flexible reporting and follow up tool."

–Financial Analyst at Memorial Hospital

"Great product. We are developing a new application with the N-tier license. Allows safe and quick access to our database while being transparent to the user."

–IT Manager, Electronics, Inc.

"This version seems to be working well. We also had good results from the previous version that we had been using since approximately 2002. Customer support was great and seemed eager to help us whenever needed. We always dealt specifically with Curt. He was always great to work with and very helpful."

–Software Developer