Technology doesn’t usually follow the same pattern as fashion — wait long enough and those bell bottoms are bound to come back into vogue. But in Online Computing’s case, that’s basically what has happened.
Started in 1969 by Dr. William Rowan, who five years earlier had been named Vanderbilt University’s first department chair of computer science, the company got its start by providing “timeshares” of computer programs to architects and structural engineers.
No, not that kind of timeshare.
“Today, we would call it the cloud,” says Ted Murphy, who became the company’s first full-time employee in 1975 and has been its president since the mid-1990s.
Owning a computer that could run a structural analysis program was cost-prohibitive for most engineers and architects. Instead, they would dial into Online Computing.
The cost of that technology eventually dropped but that didn’t mean customers were done with Murphy’s firm. They wanted new programs for their in-house computers that could help them run their companies better. Bit by bit, that’s how Online Computing got into the enterprise resource planning software business.
The company’s core offering today is MasterTools, an ERP software that utilizes a real-time, relational database to combine accounting, supply chain, business intelligence, project management, e-commerce and a dozen other business modules into one service. Murphy says the company has about 100 customers today; combined, they represent 300 facilities and an estimated 7,000 users around the country. In the ’90s, that kind of customer base would have required a lot of business trips to worksites to install on-premise software. But the emergence of the cloud makes management much easier.
The delivery may have changed and the tool has certainly grown more robust over the years, but MasterTools is based on the same rules it was built on decades ago. Since the ‘90s, Online Computing has primarily used Linux, IBM Informix and IBM 4GL (now Four Js) platforms. Murphy rejects the notion that he’s a visionary but does allow “forward thinker” to enter the conversation.
“At the time, those were the most progressive, powerful tools available,” he says of making the system switch more than two decades ago.
It wasn’t easy, though. No one on staff had experience with any of the tools, so the learning curve was immense.
“It was a complete change,” he says. “But what we didn’t know, we were eager to learn.”
A combination of deliberate growth, superstar employees and loyal customers — some of whom have been with Online Computing for 30 years — rounds out the company’s formula for success and longevity.
“We’re doing more than selling them some software before moving on,” says Murphy. “Our customers are really partners, constantly feeding us great ideas.”
Unlike its big-brand competitors boasting millions of users each, he says Online Computing can respond quickly and tweak its offerings to customers’ ideas, needs and requirements.
“We’re like a little speed boat compared to their big ship,” Murphy says. “Which one’s easier to turn?”
MasterTools is used by a diverse set of clients, with concentrations in the marine, automotive electronics, and lumber and construction industries. Thanks to its recent compliance with FDA regulations detailing electronic documentation and electronic signatures, that list will soon include pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and distributors.
Murphy’s time with the company doesn’t stretch back 50 years, but the company’s upcoming golden jubilee is still cause for personal reflection.
“I was a student at Vanderbilt, and one of my professors called me into his office and asked if I’d like to help with this little company he had,” he recalls. “This is the only company I’ve ever worked for. It’s a great source of pride to be part of a thriving business for this long, and it has been fun to watch clients evolve and grow and get better at what they do — and I’m hoping some of that is because of the software and services we provided.”