DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a developer of turn-key solutions for city utilities, lodging and cable companies, announced that it is celebrating its 20th year in business. For two decades, Mintek has specialized in automated systems that incorporate bar coding and mobile devices to provide oversight of processes such as preventive maintenance and warehouse inventory tracking.
“It is with great pride that we announce our 20th anniversary,” says Jim Hutton, President of Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek. “It is a landmark worth celebrating. Mintek has reached 20 years because it has always given its customers what they want: the most advanced software and hardware, and first-class customer service.”
It was two decades ago that the innovative company was founded by Hutton, who began reselling labels, scanners, printers and other devices that incorporate bar code technology.
“We sold those with a sense of urgency and determination—all the while making sure we didn’t lose site of our primary objective: giving customers what they want,” Hutton says. “Today we still sell those very same items. However, we’ve grown into a full-service software company with leading applications in the cable TV, lodging and utilities industries. I must say, it certainly wasn’t easy. We learned some very important lessons but never did we stray from giving customers what they want.”
Two Decades of Continuous Growth
In 1991, Lind Hutton, who is now Executive Vice President and COO, joined the company, as well as Cathy Chayka, CFO. In 1996, Jerimi Ford, now Vice President of Information Technology in charge of development and support, joined as well. Mintek hired its first employee in 1991 and its 20th in 1998. The company had its first million dollar calendar year in 1992 and its first $5 million year in 2004.
SETS (Subscriber Equipment Tracking System), Mintek’s flagship customer premise equipment management application, was installed in the first cable company facility in 1993 in Clearwater, Fla. The company purchasing the system at the time was Paragon Cable. In 2004, the first Tap Audit and Sales Force Automation (SFA) installations were completed for Time Warner Cable in Binghamton, N.Y. Landmark signings in cable included AT&T/Comcast in 1999 (SETS) and Time Warner Cable in 1995 (SETS).
In lodging, the first WinTrack PM sale and installation was in 1999 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Fla. In 2000, Mintek finalized an agreement with Marriott International which resulted in WinTrack PM being implemented at Marriott’s full-service hotels throughout the United States.
In May 2005, Mintek announced its 250th WinTrack PM installation. Its client: the Horseshoe Bay Marriott Hotel in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. In July 2006, Mintek welcomed Loews Hotels as a new WinTrack PM customer.
In July 2006, Mintek added its first WinTrack PM for City Utilities customer: the water and wastewater departments in Plant City, Fla. In the fall of 2006, Mintek was named to Software Magazine’s Top 500 Global Software Companies list for the second consecutive year.
Since 1987, tremendous strides have been made in the quality and power of the hardware and software that Mintek provides. Hardware has transitioned from the Symbol 3805 in 1991 to the 6800 in 1999, to the current MC series. On the software side, Mintek has transitioned from a DOS platform (1991 to 1999) to Palm (1999 to 2004), to Windows (2004 to present).
Strong Customer Commitment
Over the years, one thing has not changed: Mintek’s commitment to provide its customers with cutting-edge products that add efficiencies to work processes in the hotel, warehouse and in the field.
SETS remains the cable industry’s “go to” solution for warehouse automation. It is the only CPE management system that integrates with the top three billing systems and provides timely information access for reconciliation, decreased asset expenditures and improved labor productivity. Also in cable, Sales Force Automation and Tap Audit are the industry’s leading systems for sales and audit tracking in the field.
In lodging, Mintek’s Lodging Asset Management Suite—WinTrack PM, Maintenance Portal, Asset Director, Alerts and Work Order Kiosk—is recognized as the leading suite of systems for managing asset tracking and preventive maintenance processes.
Twenty years after Mintek’s founding, the company remains focused on providing its customers with the most advanced, cost-effective, automated solutions.
“To all of our customers, employees and partners, it is with absolute sincerity that I say ‘Thank you!’ for two decades of success,” Jim Hutton says.
Go to Mintek.
