Synthenet: Blogs and Beyond - Synthenet Corporation

Exerpt from Worcester Business Journal

Economic Forecast 2006 - December 26, 2005

Synthenet: Blogs and Beyond

Now going into its eighth year, Synthenet has watched its underlying techology-web development–grow from being a curiosity to an essential tool that many companies need to manage their businesses. The Northboro firm now offers a standard Online Management System, targeted particularly to small and mid-sized businesses, that helps firms maintain their website without extensive in-house IT support.

Company President Rodney Capron notes that his clients are now using their sites for e-learning, contact management, inventory control and other bread-and-butter tasks. They also are paying more attention to tracking and managing website visitors. About 50% of the sites that Synthenet builds also involve some aspect of e-commerce-not just for product sales but for building memberships, registrations, or donations.

This proliferation of web functions helped trigger a 20 percent increase in revenues at Synthenet in 2005, and Capron looks for similar growth in 2006. The company spent $100,000 in 2005 for additional servers, software and firewalls to support its customers, and Capron expects to make more infrastructure investments late in 2006.

Rather than aggressively seek more clients in 2006, the web developer wants to build more long-term relationships with its current base of some 85 customers. "We've seen good times and bad, and we are now enjoying a more steady flow of business," says Capron. "The focus now must be on innovation and servicing our customers."

Larry Maloney can be reached atlmaloney@wbjournal.com