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Home >> Our Clients >> Case Studies >> InCorp Ventures Inc.

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InCorp Ventures Inc.

Exercise entrepreneur taps Buchanan for rapid software development, getting product to market faster

Challenge

Based in Ontario, Canada, InCorp Ventures Inc. embarked on an entrepreneurial venture to bring groundbreaking equipment to the fitness industry. Noting dramatic growth in the number of hydraulic exercise machines used in health clubs, the company decided to create a system enabling exercisers to determine whether they are working with enough intensity to achieve their fitness goals.

InCorp's idea expanded to include a wide range of exercise equipment. With the MYTRAK system, each machine in a club is fitted with an InCorp device that measures the level of effort exerted during exercise. Before a user starts work on a particular machine, he or she waves the MYTRAK ID Band next to the MYTRAK device, essentially "signing in" the person. Small and easy to carry, the key fob is equipped with a wireless device instantly recognized by the system.

During exercise, a series of lights on the machine shows the user his or her intensity level of the workout. This information is tracked and recorded wirelessly into a health club's database. Users can also visit a Web site to view, analyze and track exercise progress and results. As a startup venture, InCorp decided to identify experienced technology experts to support the MYTRAK product's infrastructure needs.

Solution

InCorp chose Buchanan Associates to create the kiosk software enabling users to track their progress, as well as the wireless application that lets the exercise equipment "talk" to the health club's database.

"A significant part of hiring Buchanan for this project was its willingness to be flexible," said Reed Hanoun, president for InCorp. "They understood what type of project we wanted to develop and what would be expected from them, rather than insisting upon a defined contract for a defined price."

Once selected for the project, the Buchanan team immediately began creating specifications for the software. This included the database, end-user application available on a kiosk at the gym and Web-based application users can access from home. All applications were built using Microsoft's .NET framework.

"This was a fast-track project with a lot of creativity involved," said Stephen Sweett, regional vice president for Buchanan. "Our team handled all of the details, from what the graphs and charts should look like to how the Web-based application should work. It's exciting to work with a fast-moving, entrepreneurial company. And we're confident this relationship will grow even stronger as InCorp expands its market, enabling us to make the applications even more robust."

Results

Buchanan delivered the first phase of the project on-time and on-budget. The quick turnaround enabled InCorp to aggressively pursue demonstrations and sales to health clubs across North America.

"Buchanan really took the initiative to get this project moving on its own," Hanoun said. "The brought the project to life much faster than we anticipated. What's more, we were able to assign the entire software development piece to Buchanan, letting us concentrate on other parts of the product."

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