Q: Dave, you are president of T3 Corporation. Tell us about your company?

T3 has been in existence since 1985. We are a federally focused company. We have made a large investment to the federal government's acquisition rules. There are many companies that will sell and service both the corporate world and the government. They either have depth or breath but not both. I'd like to believe that T3 corporation has both depth and breadth of understanding the applications, the hardware, the software requirements, and the sensitivities and complexities of dealing with the federal government.

Q: I'm hearing software and hardware. Is that correct?

That's correct. T3 also can provide hardware models, we are a hardware and software company. We can actually do sever specific designs and configurations that address database needs which are different than let's say the graphic world, which is different than let's say the networking world, which is different than let's say from the desktop world. These configurations all serve a specified purpose. Unfortunately we see a lot of resellers saying "go get yourself a $499 Dell". Of course they find out that it is not $499 and they find that out after they make the implementation of the solution that the system was not professionally configured for an application specific requirement. We do not want to build a mediocre solution that will technically meet the requirements. Often, for just a few dollars more, we can build a solution that far exceeds the requirements and gives a greater return on investment. In other words, instead of short term solution, the client gets a solution that meets their needs for a significant period of time and provide a much better return on investment. This is especially true at the server and data-transport and back-up levels.

I think that many potential clients do not understand fully our price point. Let me explain this statement. The biggest problem that a lot of IT companies face today is that they are in an extremely competitive business. Many are tempted to cut corners and give a 'low ball' quote, knowing that later they will go back in and upgrade and enhance the original solution. We really try to avoid that and show that it is in everyone's best interest, up front, to do an installation, configuration or solution right and to address the true application requirements.

Q: Do you limit yourselves totally to the federal government market?

We have customers all over the world as well as all across the United States. If you go to our web site, www.T3Corp.com , you will see a partial listing of our customers. We have had the privilege of setting up computers and solutions in the white house, and in the congress. We have provided solutions at NASA, NSA, CIA, and the DOD, as well as many civilian agencies. We do have quite a few non-government corporate customers as well. Usually, they are the fortune 500 to maybe 1,000 types who are serious about their MIS productivity requirements and are very serious about the people who are providing their solution. Our company has a DoD facilities clearance which a lot of the larger corporations really appreciate because they, again, know the investment we made to source our people, to clear our people's background, in cooperation with federal government investigations to provide individuals with super high integrity . So this is really a neat aspect of value-add that we bring to the client.

Q: Can you give us some idea of the size of T3?

T3 has 26 employees. We are concentrated in the mid-Atlantic area, doing quite a bit of onsite services. We have a sales division in Manassas, Virginia; Fairmont, West Virginia; and Richmond, Virginia. We have on-site services throughout Fredrick, Maryland.

Q: I understand that T3 has recently entered into a relationship with Alpha Software and PACE Training. Can you tell us about this?

T3 Corporation, Alpha Software Inc. and PACE Training Inc. have entered into a strategic business alliance and relationship to provide what may be the first truly full service solution at a reasonable price. I have to put "reasonable price" in as the qualifier because you can buy Oracle and get a complete start to finish solution, but it is very expensive by all comparisons. The relationship we have, between T3, Alpha Software, and PACE Training, is a true manufacturing, design, distribution, training, and development implementation solution. We have literally a start to finish solution in this relationship. You have a company, Alpha Software, that is focused on continuously refining its product, maturing it, and making it more robust. Then you have T3 Corporation that is going to specifically address the needs, requirements, and concerns of the federal government as the distribution and coordination agent. Then, with PACE Training providing certified trainers, end-user training, and software development, we have a full circle solution. I am particularly pleased with the full service at discount rates, approach that we have been able to establish between the three companies. This will insure that anyone, any company, or any government agency will have rock-solid backing in the event they run into a development snag, and that should calm the fears of any MIS director or project manager. Our teaming arrangement will be able to provide or pick-up at any point in the development and training process to insure the success of a project and on-going maintenance of the developed end product. From a features to benefit, price to performance standpoint, any client who chooses Alpha Software will be covered by responsible planning and benefit from the client-centric focus we placed on this partnership.

Q: Let me ask you, is this unique?

Let me put it to you this way, I have been in the federal government space since approximately 1981. I have never really seen nor have I been a part of a relationship that has had this much end-user focused value and can bring this much of a solution to the table. That includes about any major corporation I have ever dealt with or had teaming arrangements with. Usually the solutions we see have seams in them. Our approach is as seamless as any VAR (Value Added Reseller) solution I have seen. This is the customer's assurance that they are going to get a complete product offering and have the option of full service support. They are going to get what they want and they are not going to have but one place to turn to, to get 100% satisfaction. Our relationship really addresses customer's satisfaction and requirements verses the fragmented industry models where someone usually goes out and buys a Microsoft operating system. Someone else builds the motherboard, someone else puts together a hard drive. That is a fragmented solution that may or may not come together and above all operate at an optimized metric. Ours is truly an integrated solution. Even in my teaming partnerships with large manufacturers/vendors, they sold the software, we did this portion, another company did another portion, another company provided something else, etc. Unfortunately, as an industry, fragmented solutions are really where we are. What we are providing is truly a unified solution. If, from the customer's perspective, there is a concern, there is a direct manufacturer relationship to immediately quell concerns. So is it unique? I think it is much more unique than many other business and solution models I have ever participated in. That to me makes it unique.

Q: You are talking hardware and software. But I am also hearing you say that you provide the implementation of that software, the customized application, as well as the training, continued support, and ongoing analysis. Is that correct?

That is correct. We have those capabilities, we are good in those capabilities. We are very careful as to what we do and do not quote on. We actually have a board that will get together and talk about the up and down sides of a client's needs. We also co-consult with teaming partners on bid/no bid opportunities. We will come to a customer's site and perform a needs analysis. We will study their requirements. We will propose their needs. We will take a very serious look at what their needs are. And I'll tell you that every time we are allowed to do things right, we have in the long run, saved that customer serious dollars.

We often show the contracting officer that the best value is not necessarily the cheapest price. Remember it was Morton-Thiokol who won the bid for the cheapest priced O-rings' for the space shuttle and we all saw that sometimes overly competitive processes are not a good thing… We try to bring longevity into our ROI (return on investment), we try to bring in short and long term sensitivity to the application requirements and we really try to speak to the mature user. We know we are not going to win everybody over with our business philosophy, but I think, through our client history, we can show untold testimonies of how we have lowered millions of dollars in IT costs by doing it right the first time and making sure that processes are established.

We are not going to take on a client where we will not be allowed to develop a complete and satisfactory solution. I do not want to give the appearance that we are exclusive or overly choosy, but we don't provide short-term solutions. We have an incredible client base, having been in business since 1985, and many of these clients came to us after having been wounded and hurt by poorly implemented, or cheap solutions. Now their IT situation is critical. They may be loosing corporate credibility, productivity, maybe personal credibility, and now the only option is to implement the right solution. These become our best clients and we form a partnership bond with them. When we are allowed to do our job we will always save them money in the mid to long run, always! We have never had a legal claim against us, or a legal filling and the government arena is particularly sensitive. We have always presented mature, reasonable solutions at a very, very competitive price point.

Q: I understand that you are not a newcomer to Alpha Software products.

Our relationship with Alpha Software actually goes back almost 20 some odd years. We used to sell Alpha Four in the DOS 3.0, and 3.1 days. I wrote a real estate program using Alpha Four. We had a IBM PC franchise where we used to sell IBM PCs bundled with our Alpha Four application. We had looked around and tried out quite a few databases. We found Alpha Four to just be our sweet spot.

Q: You have recently completed a long and aggressive quest to get Alpha Software's database products, from Alpha Four version 7 through Alpha Five version 5, as I understand it, added to the GSA schedule. Why did you go through this expense in time and resources at this point in time?

Well, you've got to understand, I came up as a database programmer. I have worked with Reflex, File Maker Pro, Aston-Tate's Dbase products, Paradox, various Borland products, C++, and Symantec's Q&A. We have done Visual Basic as the front end to databases. We have done everything from a development stand point that you can imagine. I probably have not even touched upon a quarter of the databases we have tried and worked with over the years. We kept coming back to Alpha. We found it to be a sweet price point and a good performing product. It is a very feature rich product. And today it's even more so. If you knew Richard and Selwyn Rabins, the owners of Alpha Software Inc., the way I know them, you would know they are not going to be satisfied with today's excellence. They have released a product that is excellent and has critical acclaim. But Richard and Selwyn are already looking for the next level they can push the product to. That is my personal corporate philosophy, and that is why we have embraced Richard, Selwyn, and Alpha Software. They say people gravitate to like people. T3 is a company that does not put up with a mediocre solution. When you also look at the fact that Alpha Five has a secure product feature, it made sense to place it on GSA. Placing Alpha Five on GSA was a logical choice for us. We now need to get out our Evangelists soapbox and tell the world there is an option.

Q: If I understand correctly, a product has to be on the GSA schedule in order for the various federal government departments to be able to procure it. Alpha software products are now on the GSA schedule. What does this mean to the everyday Alpha user?

What this means is that the product has been reviewed , researched, registered and a very specific price point has been issued to guarantee the government the best pricing possible. It is a fairly involved process. In this case, I think it took us almost 10 months to go through the process to get it on schedule because we wanted to insure its soundness. T3 Corporation tore apart the product. We tested it. We had two independent software validaters go through it, look at it and make sure it did everything it was supposed to do. We reported those findings to GSA. We basically signed an in depth document saying that this product is neat, clean, and it does what it is supposed to.

Q: So, it's a quality check as well?

Yes, it's a quality assurance check over and above. And we took that extra step. Now you don't have to do that with Microsoft. You don't have to do that with a lot of the brand names, but the lesser known products, don't usually make this step and that's the difference of quality.

Q: David, I understand that you and your wife have six children. I hear you are an accomplish musician, specifically a guitar player, a former pilot, and a motorcyclist. What I want to know is how you find the time to run a successful business with all these pressing demands on your time?

Balance. I am not always in balance… But I try to have balance… I have a type "A" personality - I work hard, and I play hard. I have been most blessed in life to be able to be at the right place, often at the right time. Sometimes I did find the wrong place at the wrong time… But I took that as a learning experience. I used to fly small single engine airplanes, the wife took care of that, but I won on the motorcycle front. I love to play guitar and bass, I have quite a collection of vintage instruments. Obviously, I don't do too much TV at home time. I seem to be curious by nature, and love to investigate… As far as the pressing demands on my time… I love my work and family so I don't consider either of them pressing…