open source integration 6965 El Camino Real, Suite Carlsbad, CA

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1 open source integration 6965 El Camino Real, Suite Carlsbad, CA

2 At Nimbletoad, functionality is first, and no other class of software offers more functionality than open source.

3 what is open source? At Nimbletoad functionality is first and no other class of software offers more functionality than open source. Open source lies at the heart of all of NT s web solutions and here is why: Open Source is Extremely Versatile All software is based on code. Unlike proprietary software, open source code can be modified. Anyone can view this code and change it to suite their needs. We are free to choose and customize the exact functionality our clients require from a vast pool of projects without proprietary restraints. Open Source Greatly Reduces Implementation Time Open source is transparent. It is possible to integrate directly within the program without having to communicate through clunky application interfaces. Open Source Is Robust Developers from around the world collaborate to fix the bugs and enhance the software. Recently a bug was identified in a release of Joomla!, one of our favorite CMS systems. The normal time for a major revision in the proprietary software arena can take up to six months. In the global collaborative open source environment the bug was fixed and the next version of the Joomla! was released in a matter of hours. Open Source Offers Freedom of Choice There are currently over 180,000 active projects on SourceForge.net alone. Thousands of talented developers around the world are producing new code and new applications each month. Open Source Liberates You from Corporate Monopolies Open source liberates companies from firm specific software dependency. The software evolves independently from any one company. And when customers don t like how one vendor is serving them, they can choose another without overhauling their infrastructure. No more technology lock-in. Open Source Saves You Money Many of the open source projects we use in our integration are free to use without licensing fees. Others, such the commercial open source provider SugarCRM, have fees that are a fraction of the cost of competitors.

4 Nimbletoad delivers solutions that lower your total cost of ownership and add greater functional value to your business.

5 open source integration The benefits of implementing open source solutions are clear. Businesses are free to pick solutions in each category that best fit their needs. However, selecting and implementing the correct solution for your enterprise can be challenging. Nimbletoad integration engineers are familiar with the open source software landscape and are here to assist you in selecting, integrating, and implementing the ideal solution that best fits your needs. Our engineers have gone through extensive application training and are experts in the open source technologies that Nimbletoad uses to deliver solutions that lower your total cost of ownership and add greater functional value to your business. LAMP powers Nimbletoad s open source integrations. What is LAMP? LAMP, Linux-Apache-MySQL- PHP, is an extremely robust and scalable framework. Companies such as Yahoo, Google and Ebay leverage the components to integrate legacy systems in acquired companies that were built with different architectures, and in many cases, different implementation stacks. The same technology that fuels Google and Ebay s rapid expansion powers Nimbletoad s integrations. Our integration engineers can help your company with: Consulting & selection Application customization Implementation & global roll outs System integration Application life cycle management Data migration Testing Support The disciplines covered by our group include: Business intelligence Customer relationship management Enterprise content management Enterprise portals E-commerce Integration and set up Messaging and collaboration Joomla! Drupal Project Pier Word Press Sugar CRM Moodle VirtueMart Support Desk

6 Monthly project management subscription costs were eliminated.

7 case study 1 Client: Mid-level Offset Printing Company Technology Before Web Hosting Environment: Windows Based Website: Proprietary ASP.net site Customer Relationship Management System: Salesforce Enterprise Edition Project Management System: 37 Signals Basecamp Background: While the client liked the web based freedom Salesforce.com and Basecamp offered, they were unhappy with the monthly fees and the siloed nature of the two programs. Information entered in one program had to be re-entered in the other. In addition, the company s brand image was diluted when clients were directed away from the corporate website to view their project on 37Signals hosted solution, Basecamp. Goal: To unify the CRM and project management suites, reduce monthly subscription costs, increase the functionality of the website, and solidify brand presence. Solution: We moved the clients off of the proprietary windows based web platform and onto an open source Linux platform. We migrated the client s customer data from the Salesforce.com hosted solution onto the substantially less expensive and functionally superior open source SugarCRM Enterprise Edition. The client s projects were moved off of the 37 Signals subscription based project management offering and onto a customized solution we crafted from Project Pier, an open source project listed on Sourceforge.net. Result: Monthly software CRM subscription costs were greatly reduced. Monthly project management subscription costs were eliminated as well as the hosting fees charged by Salesforce.com and 37Signals. A single MySQL database installation eliminated data redundancy. Both programs were integrated with the company s website which we redesigned upon the Joomla! open source content management system. In doing this, clients and sales staff alike could visit a single hub to conduct and check upon business. Technology After Web Hosting Environment: Open Source Linux Website: Joomla! - an open source PHP based CMS Customer Relationship Management System: SugarCRM enterprise, a commercial open source platform Project Management System: Customized version of Project Pier, an open source project managment tool Joomla! Drupal Project Pier Word Press Sugar CRM Moodle VirtueMart Support Desk

8 We were able to virtually eliminate redundant data entry while preserving the existing accounting infrastructure.

9 case study 2 Client: Non-Profit Art Foundation operating an Art School and Art Gallery Technology Before Web Hosting Environment: One site on Windows the other two on Linux Website: Hard-coded HTML Customer Relationship Management System: local copy of Microsoft Access and Excel Class Registration: Proprietary system built upon Microsoft Access E-Commerce System: none Accounting System: Quickbooks Background: The non-profit maintained three different websites; one for the non-profit itself, one for the art school, and one for the gallery. Each one was built with standard HTML. It was very difficult for volunteers who lacked a technical background to maintain and update the sites. The class registration process was manual and contained many redundant data entry tasks. All art purchases had to be completed in person at the Gallery. There was no way for gallery patrons to purchase art pieces on line. Result: We were able to virtually eliminate redundant data entry while preserving the existing accounting infrastructure. Once instructors set up their classes in Moodle, students could enroll online. Class rosters were automatically updated as students enrolled. Waiver forms and class material lists were automatically ed to students. Payments for classes automatically flowed into Quickbooks. All three web sites could be updated and expanded upon through a simple web based user interface by anyone who was familiar with basic word processing. The art gallery could sell art online and and as payments were processed and shipped out the transactions were automatically recorded in Quickbooks. Technology After Web Hosting Environment: Open Source Linux Website: A single installation of Drupal powering 3 separate domains - an open source PHP based CMS Customer Relationship Management System (Course Management): Moodle E-commerce: PDG commerce Accounting System: Quickbooks Goal: The client wanted to expand and unify their web presence across all three sites, add e-commerce functionality to the gallery and eliminate redundant data entry during the class registration process at the school. Solution: For this project we built the three websites on a single installation of Drupal. Drupal is a powerful, open source content management solution that allows for great scalability. We customized Moodle, a free open source course management system, to manage all class registration data. Since the client used Quickbooks for their accounting platform we decided to use PDG commerce for the e-commerce portion of this integration. While we usually try to stick with open source, there are times when proprietary solutions offer irreplaceable functionality. Here, PDG commerce addressed the unique needs of our client by allowing online transactions to flow seamlessly to and from Quickbooks. Although PDG is proprietary, it still uses an open source MySQL database. We mapped the e-commerce database fields to those in Moodle so that information could be read directly by each program. The same e-commerce build was further customized to allow for art sales in the gallery. Joomla! Drupal Project Pier Word Press Sugar CRM Moodle VirtueMart Support Desk

10 The website was transformed from a static advertisement into a dynamic hub for existing and future clients.

11 case study 3 Client: Commercial Landscape Maintenance Firm Technology Before Website: Hard-coded HTML Support Desk: Phone Switch board Background: The client performs landscape maintenance for corporations across a large geographic area. Customers routinely phone in emergencies such as broken sprinkler systems and fallen trees. A central switchboard operator logs the request and then routes it to the appropriate supervisor in the field. With over 20 supervisors, the client found the process labor intensive and a hindrance to future growth. Goal: To create a online help desk where customers can login and input their maintenance requests. Once the requests are submitted they are automatically routed via an SMS text message to the correct supervisor in the field. Solution: We customized a solution using an open source support ticket project that was originally geared for the IT industry and integrated it with a database driven website that could scale alongside the company as it grows. Result: When a client logs in and submits a request the appropriate supervisor receives a text message notifying them of the maintenance request. Response times were greatly improved. The website was transformed from a static advertisement into a dynamic hub for existing and future clients. The help desk exemplifies the level of service future clients will receive and the current clients are enjoying. Technology After Web Hosting Environment: Open Source Linux Website: Joomla! - an open source PHP based CMS Support Desk: Custom open source solution fully automated with SMS functionality Joomla! Drupal Project Pier Word Press Sugar CRM Moodle VirtueMart Support Desk

12 about nimbletoad Nimbletoad began out of our frustrations with clumsy corporate websites and bloated web applications that offer every bell and whistle, but fail to deliver core functionality. Let s face it, most websites are toads. We make them nimble. Today, Nimbletoad is a thriving web development company based in Carlsbad, California. We focus on three areas of web design and delivery: 1 Design of database driven websites built upon open source CMS systems 2 Integration of open source software programs 3 Development of web applications that do what they re supposed to do Contact Us Do you have a special project that requires a dose of NT functionality? On cloudy nights it is best to shine the toad logo up into the air. We ll see it and know where to find you. If it s daytime, not cloudy, or you lack a toad enhanced searchlight, then send us an at info@nimbletoad.com. functionality first Nimbletoad, Inc El Camino Real, Suite Carlsbad, CA Nimbletoad, the nimbletoad logo, functionality first, and the nt logo are trademarks of Nimbletoad, Inc. Copyright 2008 Nimbletoad, Inc. All Rights Reserved. NT_OSI_121808