This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published March 2007

development; prior to starting IDV Solutions,

they spent four years developing a data

visualization solution using Java. “We initially

chose the Java and Linux path because of our

expertise in those areas and because of the

perception that the technology was free,” says

Ian Clemens, Chief Technology Officer for IDV

Solutions. “But we discovered that we couldn’t

get a product to market fast enough. With

open source software, we were dealing with

scattered technologies, scant documentation,

and no integration.”

In some cases, IDV Solutions found that Java,

Linux, and other open-source technologies

didn’t do what they claimed or lacked support

because they were developed by individuals.

“One product was built by a guy in a basement

somewhere—we can’t market to Fortune 1000

enterprises and government organizations

with a product that isn’t based on

technologies backed by a legitimate

company,” says Clemens.

Solution IDV Solutions decided to switch to the

Microsoft® .NET Framework and the Microsoft

Visual Studio® 2005 development system.

“We felt that if we based our products on

Microsoft technologies, we would be able to

make great gains in terms of both

development time and product acceptance,”

says Jim Keenan, Director of Business

Development for IDV Solutions. “Plus,

Microsoft technologies would provide us with

a solid foundation for growth.”

The IDV Solutions developers began working

with Visual Studio and were surprised at how

quickly they were able to build a solution,

even with no prior .NET–related experience.

“Within three months, we were able to

conduct a demonstration for a customer,”

says Clemens. “It probably would have taken

us another 18 months if we had stayed on our

previous path, but the integration inherent in

Microsoft products significantly decreased

our time-to-market.”

As it began to market its new offerings, IDV

Solutions had the opportunity to join the

Microsoft Partner Program. The company

became a Microsoft Registered Partner in

September 2004, and by the end of 2004,

IDV Solutions was a Microsoft Gold Certified

Partner. “It was easy to get involved, and we

quickly saw how much help we could receive

in developing and promoting our solutions,”

says Clemens.

One such solution helps organizations

handle contingencies, such as pandemics,

severe weather, natural disasters, acts of

terrorism, and political instability. For

example, a large oil company uses an

application from IDV Solutions to respond to

hurricane threats in the Gulf of Mexico. With

it, the customer can see its assets and

personnel, along with weather predictions

and risk-analysis data, all visually

consolidated and overlaid on a map using

Microsoft Virtual Earth™ mapping software

and Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server

2007. When there’s potential for a

hurricane, the customer can use the

application to see which of its personnel and

assets lie in the path of the incoming storm

and determine its best course of action.

Benefits Being a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

contributes to the continued success of IDV

Solutions. “Microsoft is a fantastic partner

because it has a vested interest in seeing its

partners succeed,” says Keenan. “Rather

than competing with its partners, Microsoft

has supported us in at every turn, including

helping us to develop valuable strategic

partnerships with other partners in its

program.” Benefits include:

� Access to information.Access to information.Access to information.Access to information. IDV Solutions now

has early information about new product

releases, conferences, and technical

opportunities. “We also get to work closely

with some of the product teams, so we

know what’s going into the upcoming

Microsoft products and can develop our

own solutions with that knowledge in mind

to provide better value for customers,”

says Clemens.

� Marketing assistance and lead Marketing assistance and lead Marketing assistance and lead Marketing assistance and lead

generation.generation.generation.generation. The company has made the

most of the publicity and exposure offered

by the partner program, even appearing

on stage with Bill Gates at the May 2006

CEO Summit. “As a small organization, we

have limited resources,” says Keenan.

“It’s extremely advantageous for us to tap

into the Microsoft marketing machine—

we’ve had the chance to show off our

products in ways that we could not have

done on our own.”

� Increased legitimacy.Increased legitimacy.Increased legitimacy.Increased legitimacy. IDV Solutions has

found that its partnership with Microsoft

lends validity to both the company and its

products. “Trying to convince an

enterprise organization to adopt an

assortment of operating systems and

widgets is risky,” says Clemens.

“Customers are more accepting of a

Microsoft-based solution because they

already know and trust Microsoft

technologies.”

� Increased revenue.Increased revenue.Increased revenue.Increased revenue. The support and

visibility that it has received has had a

significant positive effect on the

company’s bottom line. “Thanks in large

part to our participation in the Microsoft

Partner Program, we’ve experienced more

than 100 percent revenue growth every

year, and there’s no sign of that slowing

down,” says Clemens.