Argos Software has been designing and developing application software for more than 30 years. Our focus has always been to adopt and apply the best technology available to our products. In planning the first version of ABECAS™ in 1979, we wanted a strong database coupled with a powerful language for the emerging 8 bit microcomputer systems. In the absence of suitable tools, we developed a data management system along with a fast flexible language, ARGOL. With the advent of the PC, we successfully moved our tools and applications from CP/M to MSDOS. Our Year 2000 version of this product is still operating at many sites today, proof of the functionality, performance and robustness of this product and our development team.

In 1997, we started designing and building the Windows® version of our flagship product with the first installation in 1999. This re-architected client-server version of ABECAS™ was re-branded as ABECAS Insight™. Again, the emphasis was on selecting the best technology available with Delphi™, a rapid applications development framework from Borland, being selected as the development tool. To provide a flexible user interface with significant user definability, we developed a screen management and security system that allows the user to configure screens, re-label fields, define lookup filters, and build grids. For reports, we incorporated Report Builder™ from Digital Metaphors with added capability to allow users unlimited selection and definition capabilities. By exposing the underlying report framework and its links to the database, the user is able to modify existing reports or build new reports based on an existing report.

These tools allowed us to provide management screens with reporting and drill down capability into the detailed transactions. These screens allow for related data to be displayed in a two-part screen through multiple tabs. This also served as our first dashboard with its ability to highlight exception conditions. More recently, an independent dashboard has been developed that allows any combination of fields from the database to be displayed in either graphical or tabular format. The dashboard panels use SQL scripts and may be created by users to their requirements, as needed, or use standard or custom panels available from Argos Software.

These tools also allowed us to build an ad hoc query capability into the system where users can define the layout and content of reports or data exports, define the filters and data to be included, and label and format the reports, as needed. These definitions can they be saved for on-going use. This provides easy access by non-technical users to the information contained in the database.

For the database, SQL Server® from Microsoft was selected. Our security framework is built on top of SQL Server’s security and allows security to the field level based on groups. This required that we build a deployment system, ABECAS UpdateDB, that allows us to update users to our latest database definition automatically during the setup process. This provides for a seamless update process.

From the beginning, we provided an automation tool, ABECAS Scheduler™ that allowed programs and reports to be run based on a schedule as well as event driven reporting through emails and other alerts. This has subsequently been replaced by a more powerful and flexible automation tool, ABECAS Task Agent™. This tool not only interfaces with existing ABECAS Insight programs and reports but also allows SQL scripts and other programs to be run against the database. This provides a high level of flexibility and functionality in automating business processes and in updating/alerting users based on information in the database.

Also from the beginning, we provided communication tools, ABComm, to allow emails and faxes to be sent from with ABECAS Insight as well as to import and export data from the system. This tool is used with our EDI mapping module to automate the process of interfacing with trading partner FTP sites. This allows for a seamless electronic exchange of information between computer systems. These tools are now incorporated into our Task Agent with even more functionality and work with our latest EDI tools.

To allow our users to provide access for their customers and salespeople, we developed web interfaces for customer facing modules. Our first web interfaces were developed in Cold Fusion® by Adobe and more recently in .net. These programs allow users to enter, review and update orders as well as run reports. The filtering and contents of reports are definable by the user.

In 2005, we converted our record keys to Global Unique Identifiers (GUID’s) to provide more scalability, robustness and performance. At the same time, we were able to apply our experience to re-indexing the database and enhancing the performance of our SQL queries.

Our mobile computer solution has evolved over the years from a strictly telnet environment to a web based server supporting the handheld devices in a shell. As part of this process, we have enhanced our tools to allow users increased access and flexibility to the definition of processes and labels. The current version provides administrators with a wizard type process for building their processes from our standard scenarios, defining descriptive content and providing based on their situation. We consider handheld devices as an important productivity tool for users and have processes available in many areas.

Our current development efforts are focused on porting our programs to our .net environment. While the broad aspects of this environment mirror our Delphi environment, we have been able to incorporate more powerful and flexible screens and grids with built in printing and pivot tables, business objects that are re-usable for both smart clients and web clients, and new flexible report tools. The grids and report tools incorporate the latest components from Dev Express. As we develop new modules and proceed with our porting in .net, these components co-exist with the existing system making for a seamless system with a common user experience.

Our mission is to design and build applications software that meets the broad requirements of our selected markets and then customize as required by our users. By having a user configurable system, we can add functionality and then make this available to all users. This also allows us to maintain a single system with all users able to upgrade to the latest version. Within this context, we seek to provide the best user experience, the most flexibility, easy access to information, and the integration that allows information to flow seamlessly between modules and between systems. We are dedicated to providing productivity tools, such as automated processing, handheld device and web interfaces, EDI capabilities, email and fax reporting, and dashboard tools.