By IAN ROSS
The negotiating is over and the real work begins for a Sault Ste. Marie software developer with a leading edge home design application.
Airport terminals have become familiar sights for Mark Maki in commuting between the Sault and California to promote his innovative web-based technology that has stirred the interest of some major players in the North American home building industry.
Maki’s flagship software, introduced previously as Interactive Project Manager (IPM), is the key feature in a complex alignment and merger between his company, IDI Technology, his original partner, COBS Homes, and their new owner Cal-Bay International, a publicly-traded California real estate investment trust.
Cal-Bay has also purchased Maki’s IPM software, which is being re-branded as CTRL Build (pronounced Control Build). As the technology partner in this alliance, Maki has spun off a project-specific company, TLCO Software (pronounced Tel-Co).
The new permanent company is mandated to develop, research, host, support and train up for the customized software. Marketing and sales will mostly be taking place from Cal-Bay’s office in Carlsbad, CA.
Last June, Maki signed a $750,000 development deal with Cal-Bay to advance the software in time for an April 2007 product roll-out.
All the ongoing software development work will continue to be done in the Sault. In the meantime, Maki has been traveling to California to work with COBS on marketing strategies and licensing agreements in approaching builders.
For the past two years, Maki’s seven-employee Queen Street start-up firm has been building a relationship with COBS to develop and customize this web-based communications tool.
The California-based COBS Homes is considered one of the fastest-growing online homebuilder support service companies and has partnerships with several major hardware chains including Home Depot.
Now as a wholly-owned Cal-Bay subsidiary, COBS is lauding Maki’s TLCO Software as a key tool in a making a “quantum leap” in their expansion plans in the online homebuilding and construction arena.
The interactive software is promoted as a desktop manager for home buyers, giving them an Internet portal to professionals and project management of their home building project.
CTRL Build acts as a one-stop shop for a home buyer to get quotations, obtain financing, choose building materials and furnishings, as well as track the progress of their new home.
The technology includes some innovative features allowing design professionals to interact with home buyers through live visual, voice and messaging communications in real time.
Though Cal-Bay owns the software rights to CTRL Build, Maki doesn’t plan to relinquish control of his basic IPM software anytime soon.
COBS will be first company to use the customized software next spring, but Maki says he’s keeping his options and plans to market the basic IPM software to other individual contractors, designers and interior decorators.
“We’re still taking the product out to these people,” says Maki, with his eyes fixed on the kitchen renovation market.
“The dream and the vision is still the same just new names and new companies.
“Hopefully large developers are next. Kitchens are a big part of what we’re trying to do and we’ve got some preliminary discussions with companies coming up over the next couple of months.”
Maki says upcoming discussions in December with Cal-Bay representatives will involve attracting more software investment with other meetings planned with large manufacturers and distributors to get them excited about the progress of the CTRL Build technology.
“Much of my time lately has been getting the story and materials out about what the technology is to encourage more investors because we need more money to further develop it.”
His California partners are also discussing introducing the CTRL Build software to the storefront level by developing a new retail concept of a project management/trade show store, allowing customers to interact with designers and view building and decorating products.
Maki and his company’s efforts in successfully breaking into the U.S. market was recognized locally by the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre as their IT Company of the Year at their September awards gala.
Though he says IDI was “marginally” profitable over the last year — “not six figures but a significant five” — he has high hopes for some “sizable” sales figures down the road after the April product roll-out.
