Libertyville tech firm helps startups
If your doctor has electronic medical records or if your daughter has logged onto the preteen social networking site, BFFGemz.com, then you may have encountered work done by Libertyville-based Adalyze Technologies Inc.
Adalyze was founded in 2009 by CEO Gary Dollinger of Round Lake and Chief Marketing Officer Jay Dainas of Highland Park. The company started when the two men faced unemployment and decided to venture into a startup to help other startup projects.
“Over the course of my time (about 16 years), I have moved up from being a (software) developer to a manager and finally the chief technology officer for a startup consulting firm,” Dollinger said. “During that time I also did side projects for people I knew. When the company I was working with let me go. We did a lot of work in real estate technology — and in 2008 that was not the place to be.”
So a previous Dollinger client had a large health care project and needed his help. “My choices were to either do that project and keep the profits, or to leverage it into the start for a new business,” he said.
Dollinger saw how the economy was changing and noticed small businesses and startups were the future. That's when he “thought it was the right time to create a company centered around providing services to this emerging market.”
At the time, Dainas was working for CIT, which went bankrupt.
“I knew that I needed someone with a strong sales and marketing skills and thought we would make a great team,” Dollinger said of Dainas.
The men began working with other startups, including Chicago-based Power2Switch.com, developed by University of Chicago graduates to help consumers decide on different power companies competing with ComEd. They also worked with Chicago-based BFFGemz, the social media site for preteens that has branched out with related jewelry available in Vernon Hills. Another site is Barrington-based EventBin.com that allows consumers to keep track of all their daily deals, coupons and other sites.
Dollinger said they've outsourced much of the work to their team in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Doing work overseas has provided lower cost to those startups, he said.
“To date, we have created more jobs in the United States by helping these businesses get started than we have created overseas,” Dollinger said. “Several of these companies have gone from a fledgling idea to a funded million-dollar business. Combined, they probably employ 50 to 100 people to help manage these businesses.”
Adalyze also is planning to hire more workers later this year due to the increase in business.
A lot of Adalyze's projects are web based, using either a Microsoft platform or another. Lately, more of its projects have been including mobile technologies for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones. The company also does a lot of work in the health care industry with a partner, Oak Brook-based Critical Key, which has led to the electronic medical records technologies and Health Information Exchange Act work.
In January, Adalyze opened its first local office in Libertyville. Before that, the men just worked out of their homes. While business increases, so will the staff, so the men are looking to expand by adding a sales/marketing manager, project managers and others here, Dollinger said.
In the meantime, they continue to work with a variety of companies, including startups.
“We enjoy these deals because it gives us a chance to be more involved with some great ideas and potentially successful businesses,” Dollinger said.
Surfing:Verizon Wireless, which has its Midwest headquarters in Schaumburg, tweeted: “Cupcake, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich. What would you name the next Android OS?” Hopefully something that's calorie free.
ŸSpeaking of calories ... Lisle's new Facebook page, “Enjoy! Green! Lisle!” offers visitors a chance to “like” the page and be one of the first to receive weekly valuable coupons for free offers from businesses in the village. Specials include a free overnight stay at the Hyatt Lisle; a meal at Yerbabuena Mexican Cuisine; seafood at Chinn's 34th Street Fishery; or a pizza at Evviva Bar & Eatery. The next item will have nothing to do with food.
ŸWest Chicago has launched a mobile website the features city information, traffic patterns and available for your mobile phone or iproducts. This latest entry joins the city's tech efforts, including it's regular website, e-news, Twitter, YouTube and coming soon, city podcasts.
ŸRosemont-based Tecta America Corp., a commercial roofing company, relaunched its website at www.TectaGreen.com.
ŸFollow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter. Write to her at akukec@dailyherald.com.