1. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
ICYGEN COMPANY PROFILE
INTRODUCTION
ICYGEN LLC is an IT consulting company that builds and maintains enterprise solutions for clients in
the United States and Europe. From strategy definition and initial planning, through IT solution
development and implementation, to follow-up support and consultancy - we provide a
comprehensive range of services to ensure that every project we complete is a success story.
Our customers range from Internet start-ups to big international banks. By leveraging our Eastern
European facility we have achieved the levels of recognized expertise and cost-effectiveness, which
prove to answer best the outsourcing needs of our clients. Our key advantages are:
INDUSTRY KNOW-HOW: We are keeping up to date on the latest developments in information
technology to provide clients with the most advanced solutions in their business area.
COST AND TIME MANAGEMENT: For companies that lack in-house expertise we provide IT solutions at a
reduced cost. Our flexible organization allows us to assure consistent delivery within defined
timeframes and within budget.
TRANSPARENCY AND CONTROL: We make our work visible at every step. Our customers are able to
control the progress of their project at any time.
RELIABILITY AND CONTINUITY: Our policy is to offer a long-term commitment to our clients. They can
always rely on our advice and support as their needs evolve over time.
MISSION STATEMENT
We put our efforts into making ICYGEN the place where creativity, technology and business meet
and melt together to build a balanced solution for every client, every time. Our mission is not to
merely provide a great service. It is to turn our advantages into our clients' assets.
COMPANY BACKGROUND
ICYGEN LLC was founded in 1999 as an answer to the growing demand for high expertise in IT
development and consultancy. The result of the ambition and enthusiasm of five young
professionals, the company rapidly evolved to employ at present more than 60 experts in various
fields of the IT industry, marketing and business strategy.
The company operates two offices, located in California, USA and Bulgaria. The geographical
division allows us to stay competitive in every aspect of our business activity. The close interaction
with the advanced Internet market in the USA keeps us on the cutting edge of technological
development, marketing techniques and latest strategic business trends. On the other hand, the
presence on the European market contributes to our progress adding the benefits of cultural
diversity, flexibility, and cost-efficiency in particular, often proving to be a key issue in the success of
any IT project.
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2. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
SERVICES
ICYGEN LLC offers a complete range of IT services with emphasis on application development,
database design and management, and systems and network integration. The company engages
in the development of separate project modules, as well as in the design and deployment of end-to-
end business solutions. The complexity of the processes involved is managed by our team of
professionals who have years of experience in building and support of information systems for private
and government organizations.
As a part of our end-to-end solution approach we specialize in providing powerful business services
to help clients identify problems, define objectives, search for solutions and integrate them into their
business strategy. Our strategists and marketing experts collaborate with the client throughout the
entire project lifecycle to ensure open communication and continuous involvement in the decision-
making process. The established long-term relationship and commitment result in increased
efficiency, productivity and profitability.
CAPABILITY STATEMENT
Our IT services are based on the advanced technologies of industry leaders like Microsoft, Oracle
and Sun, as well as on open-source products. The professionals working with ICYGEN LLC specialize in
different areas of application development, database design and management, and systems and
network integration. They utilize the available technologies to maximum extent to create
manageable, efficient and scalable solutions.
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
WEB-BASED, CLIENT-SERVER AND THREE-TIER INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS - This is the area, where
most of ICYGEN's work and expertise are concentrated. We employ professional designers and
developers with extensive experience in development of middle and higher-class information
systems.
OFFICE AUTOMATION AND WORKGROUP APPLICATIONS - The efficient and robust development process is
aided by our proprietary project management and team collaboration system. Our methodology
proves its utility reducing development cycles and supplying our managers with valuable project
analysis data. We successfully apply the acquired competence and experience in this field to similar
projects.
COMMUNICATION APPLICATIONS - In this field of application development we deal easily and efficiently
with system programming and design of proprietary software using our knowledge of Internet
communication protocols.
MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS - We have experts on our team who have experience in development of
real-time applications, especially audio applications and device drivers.
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3. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
DATABASE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES
BUSINESS MODELING AND DATA WAREHOUSING - In today's economic environment information is one of
the most valuable company assets, hence the increasing role of data gathering, maintenance and
analysis. That is why business modeling and data warehousing is a key element in the end-to-end
solutions we provide.
INSTALLATION, UPGRADES AND MIGRATIONS - These are typical system administration tasks. In their
execution we follow the basic principles of minimizing risks and downtime, while maximizing speed
and reliability. The results we strive to achieve are high levels of interoperability and integration.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND TUNING - We provide performance analysis and tuning of existing
systems. Our experience shows that scalability of existing systems is often underestimated by
customers, resulting in costly decision for replacement and supply of new ones. Our goal is to utilize
to the maximum available software and hardware resources, thus achieving the optimal result in
terms of cost and efficiency.
DATA MOVEMENT BETWEEN APPLICATIONS - Usually this activity is a part of a larger project of migration
or development. However interruption in customer's business process may result in substantial loss.
That is why zero downtime is an important issue and we believe it deserves special attention.
SYSTEMS AND NETWORK INTEGRATION SERVICES
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INTRANET, MIGRATION BETWEEN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PLATFORMS
There are many factors that lead to restructuring and/or replacement of current information systems.
This is also an area where we can significantly contribute to your progress.
TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE
HARDWARE PLATFORMS AND OP ERATING SYSTEMS
PC: MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, SCO UNIX, Linux, RTLinux
IBM servers: AIXHP RISC servers: HP-UXDEC: OSF/1
Motorola PowerStack and MPC servers: System V, AIX
Network operating systems: Nortel Networks' Bay RS CISCO IOS
DATABASE SERVERS
Oracle Database
Informix Online DS, Informix SE
MS SQL Server
Btrieve
Interbase
MySQL
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4. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
INTERNET PROGRAMMING
HTML, DHTML, PHP, Perl, JavaScript, Java, ASP, EJB, JSP, Microsoft .NET, XML
OTHER DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGES
SQL, PL/SQL, Java, Pascal, C, C++, CLIPPER,
HyperScript Tools and WingzPro, Assembler for micro controllers and x86
Postscript
DEVELOPMENT TOOLS AND ENVIRONMENTS
Oracle Designer, ErWin, BpWin,
Oracle Developer, Oracle JDeveloper,
Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Visual Test, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual
C, Delphi, Borland Pascal, JBuilder, Borland C/C++
X11 Motif (and Lesstif), X Forms
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Successful project completion is the result of following a set of quality standards that concern every
aspect of our work. At ICYGEN LLC there are no minor problems or insignificant issues. Every detail of
every task is considered critical to meeting project requirements and business objectives.
Our dedication to quality is reflected in the established steady and consistent software development
process that makes all this possible. The process consists of five main stages, and is implemented
through the joint efforts and on-going collaboration between client and development team.
REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS AND DEFINITION STAGE
Analyzing and defining project requirements are the initial stage, during which there is intensive
information exchange with the client. Series of interviews are conducted or data is gathered by
filling out specific questionnaires. The accumulated information is used by Icygen experts to describe
the desired functionality of the project. If necessary, a study of the business processes and the
organizational structure of the client's company is carried out. Finally, the criteria for assessing
successful project development are defined and the risk elements and factors are estimated.
Another important task at this stage is establishing the mechanism for communicating with the client
and within the project team. A Project Manager is assigned who must ensure a smooth and effective
communication process. He sets up a team of experts, which will best address the project
requirements and scope of work. The Project Manager is primarily responsible for managing and
coordinating the human resources allocated to the project to achieve maximum coordination and
unity with and within the project team.
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5. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
DESIGN STAGE
The next stage starts with technical research, followed by modeling of the future system and drawing
of a precise project plan. Modeling is applied to the processes involved, the database structure if
present, prototype, etc. The plan is outlined in a written form and includes detailed description of
different project phases and sub-phases, as well as the timeframe required for the successful
completion of the project.
Each activity is carried out under the client's supervision through a continuous exchange of ideas,
suggestions and opinions. Working meetings or indirect contact such as communication via email
are the media for data exchange.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE
This stage constitutes three main activities, which are carried out simultaneously - development of a
suitable user interface, coding of the separate system units, and preparation of the system technical
documentation. After completion of each unit a testing process takes place and the results are
stored in a centralized bug database. If present, unit malfunctions are located and fixed. All system
units are stored on a designate server, using version control software.
The coordination of team members is achieved through regular project review and code review
meetings. After completion of each project phase and sub-phases, the Project Manager prepares a
report to inform the client of project progress.
INTEGRATION AND TESTING STAGE
During this stage the individual system units are integrated into a complete software product and
system testing is executed according to a prepared quality plan.
The testing process has two main objectives - to discover defects in the software system, and assess
whether the system is operational in production environment. There are various testing strategies,
which can be applied. Large systems are usually tested using a combination of testing strategies.
If present, errors in the system are located and fixed. The process is finalized with the execution of the
so-called acceptance testing or alpha testing, as it is commonly known. In case the software is
designed to be mass-produced and marketed, beta testing is carried out as well.
IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPORT STAGE
This stage includes all implementation-related tasks and the provision of system support during
warranty period. Training can also be provided. Data take-on and hardware/software installation
are executed followed by a final review of all details. Cut-over involves loading new data, file
conversions, series of tests to ensure production work safety, and final tidying-up. ICYGEN staff
provides the agreed support and maintenance service for the system and responds to problems and
customer requests to assist this process.
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6. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
SOME OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES
In 1999 the permission-based direct marketing company Cashfiesta.com entrusted ICYGEN LLC with
the task to design and build a turnkey solution for their entire business. The site's main objective was
to drive member registrations and enable advertising revenue growth.
The compelling design and robust back-end technology provided by ICYGEN has given
Cashfiesta.com a superior Web presence. We backed up the rapidly growing member base with a
flexible database structure able to handle the addition of 10,000 new users per day, and an online
monitoring tool for managing advertising and user activity statistics. The auxiliary software
AdMonitor™ was designed to manage banner traffic at the Cashfiesta.com website and the
FiestaBar™, the viewbar client/server application of Cashfiesta. However, it was not only the
challenge of technology and design that made this project a success.
Another issue of prime importance was the choice and development of the right business and
marketing strategy. Through our expert consultancy on direct marketing and advertising the site has
become extremely popular, with more than 700, 000 registered members just a year and a half after
its deployment. The well-defined business strategy shot up Cashfiesta.com in the top 3 Get Paid To
Surf (GPTS) sites two months after its launch and assured the company's sustained growth even after
the market decline left all other top 10 GPTS sites off the board.
A year later we had the opportunity to develop yet another successful turnkey project for
Avivadesign, a California-based leading logo merchandizing company. The Avivadesign Web site is
a first-class example of our ability to combine art, technology and business into a well-balanced
solution.
The client required a complete online solution to help them extend their four-year offline experience.
The challenge laid in the complexity of replicating the offline activities online, especially in terms of
product customization capability and service quality. That is why it was important first of all to
understand the essence of the business of the customer in order to come up with the best
technological solution.
We worked closely with the client to formulate a successful eBusiness strategy. The solution based on
this strategy combines easy catalog maintenance through the Web, user-friendly interface, efficient
sales and customer relationship management. The site features Oracle 8i Server and innovative
applet-based technology for online product customization, which minimizes order placement time
and increases sales efficiency. It gives users ability to order more than 100 unique items grouped in
13 categories.
As a successful private company ICYGEN has always maintained a strong social presence engaging
in IT projects of non-profit and government organization. The beginning of 2002 presented ICYGEN
with yet another opportunity to showcase our capabilities to the public sector, when our team was
entrusted with the design, development and deployment of two web portals - for the National
Associations of Local Authorities of South East Europe and for the National Association of
Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Understanding the financial pressures on a non-profit organization and keeping cost-efficiency the
key factor, ICYGEN managed to deliver a high-quality ergonomic solution featuring advanced
content management, content personalization, inquiry mechanism and integration of third party
data provider. The enormous stream of diverse information is well structured and easily accessible
due to the rich functionality of the portals including member area, news, forums, events calendar,
polls, and search.
ICYGEN managed excellent and timely results within allocated budget and in line with the highest
quality standards. A user-friendly web administration module was specifically designed for easy
management and maintenance of the various features of the website. Together with the
PHP/MySQL technology platform chosen for the project the overall solution ensured the required low
production and support costs.
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7. 927 PARDEE STREET . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
Along with end-to-end business solutions we have developed a number of projects, which
represented a part of an already existing system. The complexity of the processes involved is
managed by our team of professionals who have years of experience in building and support of
information systems for private and government organizations. They utilize the available technologies
to maximum extent to ensure rapid software development, featuring comfortable state-of-the-art
user interface, and unmatched levels of interoperability and integration.
CONTACT INFORMATION
CALIFORNIA, USA . . BERKELEY, CA 94710 . TEL.: 510-540-7122
927 PARDEE STREET
BULGARIA . AKADEMIK G. BONCHEV STR.; BL.13 . SOFIA 1113 . TEL.: +359-2-701-024
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