Tri-Cities tech company keeps it local

Debra Reiter traveled the world as an executive for BP, while being based in Chicago and later Naperville. But BP had her working more overseas than at home.

“Working for a large company and doing a lot of international travel got to the point that I didn't have any connection to my own community,” said Reiter. “All the people I knew were overseas.”

So she decided to use her 25 years of experience in project management, disaster recovery, workstation support and other IT-related areas and strike out on her own.

Last March, she opened Batavia-based CMIT Solutions of the Tri-Cities, serving the Fox Valley, Batavia, St. Charles and Geneva.

“At a large company, no matter how hard you worked, you were just a cog in the wheel,” said Reiter. “I couldn't even see how my efforts affected their bottom line.”

Now, she has hands-on work and focuses on small and mid-sized businesses with CMIT. She has four workers and contractors and expects to add more later this year, she said.

“We take a proactive approach and help a company develop a strategy that supports its business,” she said.

Based on her clients' experiences, she sees managed services and data security among the top areas of growth this year. Many also are moving toward mobile computing and having their workers off-site.

“And all of them have to do more with less,” she said.

Surfing: Naperville-based ResidentGifts LCC (www.ResidentGifts.com) has launched an automated rewards platform that allows owners of apartments to use points, rather than free rent, for resident and leasing incentives. Also, www.JustForMyApartment.com is a new online lifestyle shopping site for apartment renters to get offers from nationally known brands. Both sites will be introduced Jan. 18 at the National Multi-Housing Council annual meeting in Palm Springs, Calif.

•Downers Grove-based CFM Services Inc. has launched Mall-for-All.com, which offers consumers products from Walmart, Microsoft, Amazon and other retailers at discounted rates. Merchandise includes clothing, cosmetics, toys, flowers, computers, electronics and more.

•Skokie-based Peapod (www.peapod.com) now has a free app for iPad so you can search using words or the product's UPC code. It also provides weekly specials, your grocery list and history of purchases. Peapod also has updated its PeapodMobile for smartphone users that provides a sorting feature to sort by size, unit price, calories. PeapodMobile is available free for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and Palm Pre users.

•Park Ridge-based AmericanEagle.com assisted in the development and launch of the new CTA Train Tracker, which enables riders to view estimated arrival times for 144 train stations on the CTA's website through a computer (www.transitchicago.com/traintracker) or web-enabled mobile device (www.transitchicago.com/mobile/traintracker.aspx).

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