Dapp Technology continues to grow with new company

Kinetics, a certified Web design and development company, is the latest development of the Dapp Technology Group. The group also includes New Horizons Computer Learning Center. Both are located at 3330 S. National.

Tom Dapp, president and CEO, said other technology-related businesses that would complement the group are being considered, he said. The group has 15 employees.

When describing Kinetics, Dapp emphasized the word "certified." The company is a certified Microsoft solution provider and employs two certified Microsoft systems engineers. Those designations are not common in the Web design marketplace, Dapp said.

Mark Hunsaker, Kinetics vice president, is a certified Internet Web master. That designation means more than having passed a few classes, Dapp said.

"You have to have real-world knowledge," he said.

In addition, Hunsaker and Chad Williams, Kinetics' director of development, have both completed the entire process of the Windows 2000 systems integration, Dapp said.

"So they know what it's like for a company to bring on application development and how the Web site can communicate and relate to that," Dapp said. "That means we can also do intranets for companies. We're almost unlimited as to what we can provide to the customer."

Dapp said Kinetics is "client-centered." Hunsaker and Williams assess the needs of a business and determine how a Web site can best be utilized. They consider the long-term relationship and consultative process they want to establish with the client, Hunsaker said.

The businesses that are successful are those that realize that customers' needs and wants change over time, Dapp said.

"If you are there to adapt to those, it's going to be an on-going relationship. Web design and development is just that. The word development connotes an ongoing process," he said.

Determining which tools will contribute to the client's success is part of the process, Williams said.

"Our approach is not just to make a product, sell it to you and be done with it. It's to walk you through the entire process, and then come back to get your input on each step of development through the final product," he said.

The company also helps clients become self-reliant, Dapp said. For example, Kinetics can help a business establish a Web page, and then an employee of that business can learn how to maintain the site, he said.

For those who become uncomfortable at the mere thought of Web design and maintenance, Hunsaker said Kinetics can help them stay focused on business and relieve them of the stress of creating a site.

"It doesn't have to be difficult," he said. "Let the technicians worry about the technical aspect, and let's focus on the success of your business. Let's find ways to increase profits and reduce costs."

Hunsaker said the exciting part of his job is helping businesses become more successful. "And that is something nobody is scared of, because that's the challenge of business in general."

Dapp said for many businesses, the first step is acknowledging that they might benefit from a Web site.

"That's where we take over and walk them through the entire process," he said.

Depending on the company, a business owner might realize that a Web site may not be beneficial, Dapp said.

"Maybe you don't need one. We can tell you that as well. We're not here to talk you into something if it's not going be a tool to help you," Dapp said.