CRT & Associates, Inc. was established in 1984 by two recently graduated Michigan Technological University engineers. The company quickly established itself as a consulting firm specializing in comprehensive computing solutions for small and medium sized businesses. Using the UNIX operating system, CRT & Associates was able to provide its clients custom, economically feasible, personal computer based alternatives at a time when information systems were dominated by mini and mainframe structures.
Taking advantage of the multi-user capabilities of the UNIX operating system and the lack of existing software products in its emerging desktop computing market, CRT & Associates focused its attention on system configuration and the design of customer specific database management software products. These products primarily consisted of process management, inventory control, accounting/general ledger, and point-of-sale programs and were designed to meet the unfulfilled information system demands of its clients.
As more and more companies recognized the benefit of desktop computers utilizing multi-user UNIX operating systems instead of larger more expensive and cumbersome mainframes, the demand for CRT & Associates' products and services increased. As a result of its unique UNIX abilities and relationships with computer hardware re-sellers in the Traverse City area, CRT was sought out by many Northern Lower Peninsula businesses. In order to address the needs of its customers more quickly and to respond to this increased demand for services, CRT & Associates established a Traverse City office in 1988.
CRT & Associates significantly expanded the size and scope of its client relationships in 1989 when it entered into a leasing agreement with a large Midwestern telephone company for one of its custom database management products. This product, called BDACS, was designed to administer the placement of buried service wire from a municipality's right-of-way to the telephone service subscriber's residence. Due to the overwhelming success of this product, the software was soon implemented throughout the entire state of Michigan. Additionally, the company went on to contract with CRT & Associates for yet another database management program.
This next product, called CDACS, was designed to manage the placement of telephone cable from the company's central office locations to the curb-side's of the streets and roadways in the communities receiving service. Similar to the first product, this program was soon implemented on a state-wide basis. Due to the continued and phenomenal success that BDACS and CDACS achieved, the usage of both products was expanded to include the States of Wisconsin and Indiana.
By the Spring of 1996, CRT's responsibilities expanded even further with the total company-wide (Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio) adoption of its BDACS product. Furthermore, CRT & Associates was contracted to provide an administrative center which had customer help desk and data input responsibilities for the entire state of Michigan. The volume of this center exceeded over 30,000 calls and 60,000 requests alone during the 1996 contract year.
On 1 September 1997, CRT & Associates, Inc. announced the acquisition of Pointing the Way, a Northwestern Lower Michigan Internet service provider founded in February of 1996. As a result of this acquisition, Pointing the Way's name was changed to Infinite Communications, Inc. and became a wholly owned subsidiary of CRT & Associates, Inc. With the purchase of Infinite Communications, CRT became better equipped to address the Internet needs of its business clientele while opening a door to a market not previously pursued--the home Internet user.
Since its inception in the early 80's, CRT & Associates has proven itself a technological partner to many diverse businesses and organizations throughout the United States. We are proud to say that we are producing technological solutions and achieving process automation efficiencies for tomorrow's businesses today.