Morpheus Technology Group: Rule Your Data

Upstart software company Morpheus Technology Group combines high-tech industry with low-stress lifestyle. Based in New Hampshire's White Mountains, Morpheus utilizes a revolutionary business concept: the business incubator, developed by the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council in Center Conway, N.H. MWVEC provides much-needed resources for technology-intensive small businesses in a rural area.

CONWAY, NH (PRWEB) May 11, 2004 --Morpheus Technology Group, an up-and-coming software company located in the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council's business incubator, was founded on one simple idea: Rule your data, or be ruled by it.

From his office in Center Conway, N.H., Morpheus founder Randy Nolan says his company's specialized software programs do just that, thereby saving time and money for construction project managers. How? By integrating their project management systems with their accounting systems, something that he says many companies still believe is "too hard, too expensive, and can't be done."

Not only can it be done, Nolan says, but it can be done simply and cost-effectively. In plain language, Morpheus products allow different software programs on different platforms to share data back and forth as needed. For construction project managers, this means data can be entered once for things like change orders, for example, with Morpheus software providing the necessary middle ground for both accounting and project management applications.

"There are hundreds of middleware companies out there, more and more every day, but they are not specific to the applications we're dealing with," Nolan says. "We've got a lot of interest coming in now, more than we've ever had."

Nolan, 38, is a New Hampshire native who spent eight years working for Primavera Systems, assisting large construction companies in implementing and integrating their systems. In 2001, he decided to strike out on his own, and founded Morpheus with business partner James Lennertz, an enterprise resource planning expert.

Three years later, Morpheus has weathered the recent economic downturn and survived, no small feat in the tech industry. Currently consulting with companies like Intel and Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, Morpheus has also managed to net clients like D.R. Horton and the Dormitory Authority for the State of New York, who both use the company's proprietary software to manage their construction projects. Now, Nolan says, he's just waiting for the economic recovery that will prompt more clients to invest in Morpheus' products.

He's using the downtime to network with larger companies, building professional ties throughout the large construction industry and establishing Morpheus as a contender in the integration market. Over the next five years, he foresees two main challenges for Morpheus: credibility and staffing.

As a small organization, Morpheus has to continually prove its abilities and strengths to potential clients. While building credibility is presently his top priority for Morpheus, Nolan sees it as less of an issue as the client list grows. As more companies use Morpheus products -- and using them successfully -- more will follow.

Adding employees is a more distant goal, since Morpheus' short-term focus is on strengthening its client base. Nolan hopes to hire three to five employees within the next year, however, and predicts admits that finding the right staff could be a challenge here in the White Mountains. "There are a lot of talented people around here, but talented in their specific niche," he says.

"People are what make an organization successful," he continues. "MTG provides a very unique product, and that product requires a unique skill set." The technologically-advanced workforce of which he speaks has traditionally flocked to urban areas, both for the availability of high-tech jobs and the "always-on" lifestyle that a major city can offer.

But he doesn't see the Mount Washington Valley's small-town atmosphere as a drawback. He believes the natural beauty and relaxed pace of the valley are selling points in attracting the workers he needs. "It's really the extracurricular activities that the White Mountains bring that are the advantages here," says Nolan, an avid road biker and outdoor enthusiast. "Quality of life is big."

As Morpheus grows, he says its White Mountain office will remain as base of operations. This is due in large part to local assets like the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council's Business Center, which currently houses the business incubator where Morpheus is located. Nolan set up shop in the incubator in 2002, after working out of his home for a year, and now shares the building with six other high-tech start-ups. He credits the Business Center with providing vital resources for small, technology-intensive businesses, such as T-1 lines and a shared reception area.

The incubator businesses will eventually move to the Economic Council's planned Technology Village in Conway. The first phase of the upcoming project will include the incubator, a learning center and a business resource center, and is set to break ground later this year. The council predicts the Technology Village could attract as many as 500 new technology-intensive jobs to Mount Washington Valley within ten years of completion.

Contact Morpheus Technology Group at (603) 447-4928. More information about the company is available at www.morpheustechgroup.com, or by E-mailing rnolan@morpheustechgroup.com.

For more information about the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council, call Executive Director Jac Cuddy at (603) 447-6622 or E-mail info@mwvec.com.