News

D-Tools Develops the First Easy-to-Use Online System-Building Configuration Engine (26/9/2005)

Product also doubles as a lead harvesting engine

D-Tools' President Adam Stone announced today the creation of the IDesignSI Division of D-Tools Inc. IDesignSI is a web-based system-building configuration engine that brings powerful elements of D-Tools' successful System Integration software to the web and allows users to create product packages and systems from a given manufacturer's product catalog at their web site, while creating more qualified leads from the manufacturer's web site.

IDesignSI is a web-based system "Configurator" created for manufacturers and distributors to allow users to quickly and easily create their own detailed designs using that company's products. Users can generate precise configurations of combined products such as theater seating, lighting design, cabinet elevations or home theater floor plans. Companies can customize the functionality of their IDesignSI configurator based on their unique business rules and can be used by consumers or can also be used internally by support staff, reps, and dealers through a password protected entry point if desired; each with different "levels" of visibility to additional more confidential information like price and cost. Unlike other configurators, systems created in IDesignSI can then be imported to D-Tools software files for further design, documentation, and reporting capabilities available to D-Tools software users, eliminating duplication of work.

The IDesignSI Division will be headed up by Bill Johnson, newly appointed Manufacturer Liaison and Director of Business Development. "Bill's experience and background in the consumer electronics industry make him a perfect fit for this venture," said Stone.

Similar to D-Tools' popular system integration software, IDesignSI provides a system building tool that directs the users' experience by allowing users to simply drag-and-drop any of a manufacturer's products as "shapes" into a true-to-scale, dimensionally-accurate graphical workspace. The user can configure a complete ensemble of products and arrange them in a variety of combinations, engaging more serious users who are browsing a manufacturer's website. The functionality of IDesignSI is customizable based on each manufacturer's own business "rules."

D-Tools' IDesignSI Configurator has one more uniquely powerful benefit. Behind the scenes is a robust, customizable Lead Management Database system allowing a manufacturer to use "admin" user-interface controls to manage gathered lead information for various sales and marketing functions. These controls can route leads through to the appropriate channel partner, collect powerful marketing data on Configurator users, and use the collected information for creating reports such as sales projections and tracking product trend indicators. More importantly, there is no manufacturer maintenance required; the Configurator is hosted on D-Tools' IDesignSI servers.

One of the first companies to use IDesignSI is California-based Premiere Home Theater Surroundings, providers of high-end custom theater seating. According to Michael Laurino, President and CEO of Premiere HTS, "Having an intuitive, easy-to-use design tool such as IDesignSI puts the power of home theater seating design in the hands of interior designers and end-users alike. These are often times the final decision makers when it comes to the theater seating sale. This is just one more way we try to provide our dealers with innovative tools to build more customer service and profitability into every Premiere sale they make."

Premiere HTS will be demonstrating their D-Tools IDesignSI configuration engine at the CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana this September 9 Ð 11, 2005. Premiere HTS will be exhibiting at booth # 911 in the main convention hall.

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