In the late 90s, you decided to rewrite all of the software code from the ground up in a new language, Java. Why did you make this move? Was it a nerve- wracking transition?
Tom: We were having success with our product in those early years, but it was a character-based, green-screen application. It was obvious by the early-to-mid 90s that everyone was moving to graphical user interfaces—Windows look and feel. We started evaluating technologies, and our first move was to get our dispatch system ready to go in 1998 in a language called Delphi. Our plan was to rewrite one module at a time, and build it on top of our old database, but something new developed in the computer programming world around that time. The entire market was moving to support a platform based on the Java programming language. We decided to stop the Delphi-based project and start over, which was a bold move, but we wanted the platform that would enjoy the most support from the industry, including all of the vendors. It helped that business was fabulous in the late 90s. Extra sales were being driven by Y2K. We were so busy with meeting demand for our products that we didn’t get started in earnest with rewriting everything until the spring of 2000.
It was nerve-wracking, but mainly because it was taking much longer to do the rewrite than we had predicted. We underestimated the amount of time it would take. If I had been told how long it was going to take, I would have said, “Just shoot me now. We’re never going to make it.” But we hung in there. We had great staff managing the development. We revamped our entire development process, including some wonderful improvements in the way we do design work, testing, and quality assurance. That put us on a sound footing for the years leading up to today, as we’ve continued to build out a very robust product.
Rusty: We were confident that we were making the right decision technically, because we had spent so much time doing the research, but we were in the midst of a down market in the early 2000s. The challenge was surviving on the current product in a down market while you’re putting so much company time and energy into developing the new product. It can be nail-biting. The anxiety was less in the product itself and more in the market. Are we going to be around to see this new version? We did manage to squeak by and come out in a positive way on the other side.
What are the company’s biggest achievements over these thirty years?
Tom: I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to create a good working environment that has attracted such a wonderful group of people
to work here. A significant number of the people on our staff have
worked here for many years. I’m also honored by the customers who have stayed with us for so many years. We have a very high retention rate.
Rusty: The company has grown substantially, and our growth has been almost entirely organic, as opposed to growing through the acquisition
of other companies. I think that underscores the quality of
the products we’ve made all these years and the way we’ve conducted business.
What do you see ahead for McLeod Software?
Tom: I have the lofty goal of wanting to structure things so that the company is able to carry on the tradition of high standards, high service, and the highest quality products for years to come.
Rusty: The main thing as we move forward is to keep to our principles. As we grow larger, we don’t want to lose that sense of family, that personal touch that we have always had at McLeod.
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