Microsoft Partner

Devesys has met the requirements to earn the Silver ISV competency after its TrakWeb case management software passed Microsoft's standards for platform tests. Devesys is now among the 5% of all Microsoft partners who have an active Silver competency, a big accomplishment in the Partner Network.

“Strengthening our involvement with the Microsoft Partner Network experts and community helps us acquire new technical and business skills and expertise, find resources to expand our product expertise, and serve our customers better by offering even more innovative solutions,” said Jim Preysz, Devesys Vice President.

History

Devesys Technologies, Inc. has been developing case management, tracking and reporting systems for Fortune 500 companies since 1995.

Deatherage Software Solutions, Inc. (now Devesys Technologies, Inc.) developed the first version of the Ethics Administration System (EAS) for Hughes Electronics. This version was subsequently donated to the Ethics Officer Association (EOA) in 1996, and it was this software that was the basis for the EAS/EOA software that the EOA offered to its members for nearly a decade.

Starting in 1998, EAS has been available as a Visual Basic 6 client/server application. Most customers choose Microsoft SQL Server for the database, although MSDE and Access are also available. A few customers continue to use the EAS 3 products, which use the original Microsoft FoxPro platform.

Extended Use Throughout the Enterprise

As other departments saw the success of our software in the ethics and compliance department, they asked if they could adapt it for their needs as well. In response, we have increased the flexibility of the software to accommodate users in multiple workgroups. Our customers can edit most of the drop down lists and field labels to meet these diverse needs. They can also change the lists and labels when laws and regulations change. They can prevent users in one workgroup from seeing cases in others. Cases that require the involvement of another department can be assigned to a user in another workgroup when necessary. Today, many of our customers have workgroups in departments such as Ethics and Business Conduct, Privacy, HR, Internal Audit, Legal, Security, Special Investigations, and EEO.

Top of Page

Today

We have updated the software when newer technology has become available, we have added many new features, and we have refined the user interface. As a result, our products provide the ease of use that allows you to focus on improving ethics and compliance performance in your organization. TrakEnterprise® and TrakWeb™ are widely regarded as the standards of excellence for the industry.

Our goal is to provide a tracking system that is easy to use, and easy to maintain with a responsive installation support team to back it up. In addition, our expertise in case tracking issues and related industries is always available should questions arise. We continue to strive for quality products as we upgrade our software periodically to ensure the best in tracking and reporting systems.

In addition to internal enhancements we listen to our customers and often add new features when suggested. These features benefit the entire user community and indeed, it is our customer feedback that has made the Trak™ series what is today.

Top of Page

Frequently Asked Questions

How long has Devesys been in business?

Devesys pioneered the field of case tracking, managing and reporting software in 1995 by developing the original Ethics Administration System (EAS) for Hughes Electronics. In 1996, Devesys donated a similar version to the Ethics Officer Association. That version, called EOA/EAS, was distributed to members until 2006. Many companies still use it, which makes EOA/EAS the oldest ethics and compliance case tracking, managing, and reporting software in use in the industry. Our current TrakEnterprise and TrakWeb products are widely regarded as industry standards because of their comprehensive features and ease of use.

How have your products evolved over time?

The original EAS was developed using the FoxPro database, and Access was added as an alternative later. By 1998, EAS 3.0 was available with SQL Server and MSDE database options, in a client-server architecture. Larger companies needed a web-enabled solution, so Devesys released a web-enabled EAS in 1999. In 2004, the client-server version was renamed TrakEnterprise 4.0 and gained important new features. TrakEnterprise 5.0 arrived in 2005, adding numerous user conveniences. TrakBasic, a specialized version for smaller organizations also debuted in 2005. In 2006, we released TrakEnterprise 6.0, with a fresh new look and feel, and a Dashboard control center. We also shipped TrakWeb 2.0, a browser-based solution using ASP.NET 1.1 technology. In 2009, we released TrakEnterprise 2009 and TrakBasic 2009, using vb.net technology, and TrakWeb 2009, using ASP.NET 3.5.

What makes Devesys products unique?

All Devesys products reside entirely behind your corporate firewall and run on hardware that you own (unless you want a Devesys-hosted TrakWeb solution). The Devesys behind your corporate firewall solutions give you complete control over your data and reduce the risk of loss and breaches. You determine when data should be purged, not an outside service provider (some purge annually). As a result, the constantly growing database becomes an increasingly valuable resource for tracking trends, developing historical mileposts, and documenting the effectiveness of your compliance program. TrakWeb and TrakEnterprise do not store data on the user’s workstation. All data remains protected on the SQL Server (except for data currently being displayed on the user‘s screen). Thus, a lost or stolen computer won‘t have thousands of cases and all that sensitive data stored on its hard disk.

Are your products adaptable to our company and industry?

Every company has its own corporate culture, and compliance programs need to work within that context. In the event of a merger or acquisition, different corporate cultures may clash. Also, every industry has unique terminology, ways of doing business, and reporting requirements. Over the years, we have listened to our customers and have made our products as open and flexible as possible. Most drop down lists and field labels are customer-editable. We provide a tool so our customers can make those changes at any time. If our applications do not quite fit your needs, or laws and regulations change in unexpected ways, we can develop custom modifications to bring you up to date.

What industries are represented by the companies that use your products?

Our customers represent a broad cross-section of the economy:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Banking & Financial Services
• Chemicals & Related Products
• Communications
• Consumer Products
• Energy Production & Transmission
• Government Agencies
• Healthcare Organizations & Hospitals
• Insurance
• Manufacturing
• Petroleum
• Pharmaceuticals
• Retail
• Technology
• Telecommunications
• Utilities

How big are these companies?

Many of our customers are companies in the top 50 of America‘s Fortune 500, along with others in the Fortune 500 list. Other large customers include not-for-profit organizations such as HMOs, foreign-owned companies, and various government agencies.

How big is Devesys?

We take pride in remaining a small company with the ability to adjust and adapt our products for each customer. We don‘t sell shrink-wrapped “one-size-fits-all” software. Our dedicated staff provides you with the personalized service you need to make a compliance system work effectively in your organization.

According to an ECOA survey, 77% of their members have five or fewer people on their ethics staffs, and only 11% have ten or more. A small company such as Devesys works well with small groups because we have the same outlook on doing business. We provide the prompt service and attention to detail that help to make small groups successful within larger corporations. At the same time, we serve customers with hundreds of users, giving them that same level of personal attention.

What advantages do you offer over the companies that offer “one-stop service,” from helplines, to case tracking, to training programs, and evaluation studies?

The USSC Guidelines recommend an external helpline to provide a channel for anonymous calls and responses. After the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002, many of the helpline services began offering some case tracking capabilities as well. More recently, the trend has been toward providing all ethics and compliance services in a single package, a so-called “comprehensive solution.” On the surface, this sounds like a good idea, but combining all of these services poses some problems.

Putting all your eggs in one basket may increase your risk and create conflicts of interest for the vendor:

• Independent helplines make callers feel that their anonymity truly will be protected.
• Keeping your case tracking, data storage and reporting in-house — behind your firewall — increases your control over protecting confidential data and retaining records for long-term analysis.
• Training needs to have the skills of specialized communicators and teachers, and should be driven by measurable needs of the customer.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of your program, a key requirement of the USSC Guidelines, demands the objectivity of an outside eye. A single vendor with a “comprehensive solution” can not provide that unbiased perspective.

Call Today for More Information About the
Devesys Family of Case Tracking Systems!
608. 223. 1311 ext. 206

Top of Page