Company History
From 1995 to today the company has built work and project management products on top of the industry leading collaborative platforms of the time. It is believed that we are the only company to have developed and delivered a commercial software product on the following leading collaborative platforms (Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Webstore to SharePoint 2001 to SharePoint 2003 to SharePoint 2007 and now to SharePoint 2010) with the same basic product mission (process driven project management). We are now very happy to be on the SharePoint platform with our product set. A very brief summary of the company milestones is included here:
A brief summary of BrightWork's history is included here:
1995:
- The company is incorporated as aimware
- Release of an alpha of the first product, aimfirst on Lotus Notes Release 3
1996:
- The first release of aimfirst is deployed by organizations like Eastman Kodak and Motorola and includes modules for process and project management using Lotus Notes Release 4
- Certified to ISO 9001: TickIT in May (the speed of certification was regarded as a world record)
1997
- aimstep is released and deployed by organizations like Dun and Bradstreet and Bank of Chicago with support for Product Management (requirements, tests, builds, defects, etc.) again using Lotus Notes Release 4
- aimfirst continues to evolve with new process centric modules for Standards Mgmt, Quality Mgmt, Request / Priority Management, etc.
- Received Lotus Worldwide and European ‘Beacon’ Awards. One of the awards was presented by Ray Ozzi, the then head of Lotus Notes development and now the CTO at Microsoft!
1998:
- Awarded Lotus Premium Partner status
- Approached by Microsoft to join the Microsoft Exchange 2000 JDP (Joint Dev. Program)
- Formally started research and development into a Microsoft release of the "aimware" product set, code-named TeamCentral
- Irish Software Association Young Company of the Year Award
1999
- The aimware suite (aimfirst and aimstep) was evolved into a web application coincident with the release of Lotus Notes/Domino R5
- Beta release of TeamCentral on the Microsoft Exchange 2000 beta platform
2000:
- The first release of TeamCentral on the Microsoft Exchange 2000 platform
- Formally became a Microsoft Certified Partner
- Approached by Microsoft to join the SharePoint 2001 JDP (Joint Dev. Program)
2001
- aimfirst release of the first language variant - Spanish
- The launch of TeamCentral for SharePoint 2001
- TeamCentral is independently tested, verified and certified as Windows Compatible
2002
- More TeamCentral releases
- Approached by Microsoft to join the SharePoint 2003 JDP (Joint Dev. Program)
2003
- Approached by Microsoft to join the Microsoft SharePoint DAC (Developer Advisory Council)
- Approached by Microsoft to join the Visual Studio Team System 2005 TAP (Technology Adoption Program)
- ‘aimware’ the name became synonymous with our Lotus Notes/Domino product of the same name. When we introduced a Microsoft product we felt it had to have a different name (BrightWork). Having 2 names, aimware and BrightWork, was confusing for some customers. With the move away from Lotus to Microsoft, decided to trademark BrightWork™ and do business as BrightWork to simplify customer communications.
- BrightWork gets a license from Microsoft to use Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Intellectual Property in BrightWork solutions
2004
- We deliver the final release of TeamCentral (as the underlying webstore platform had been retired by Microsoft in favor of SharePoint on SQL Server)
- More work on BrightWork for Microsoft SharePoint (on the SQL Server database)
- BrightWork Solutions for SharePoint Portal Server 2003 is released and included in a Microsoft campaign to promote the server version of SharePoint
2005
- BrightWork is independently tested and verified as Windows Compatible
- BrightWork becomes a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
- BrightWork Reporter for SharePoint 2003 released
- November: begin serious work on BrightWork for SharePoint 2007
- 2 releases of BrightWork Solutions and BrightWork Reporter
- Approached by Microsoft to join the SharePoint v3, Office 12 and Project 12 Technology Adoption Program
2006
- 2 releases of BrightWork Solutions and BrightWork Reporter
- Approached by Microsoft to join the Microsoft "SharePoint 2009" DAC (Developer Advisory Council)
2007
- March: release of BrightWork's pmPoint (the renamed BrightWork Solutions) and BrightWork Reporter for SharePoint 2007
- Continue to pass ISO 9001: TickIT surveillance audits and retain the ISO 9001 certification
- November: another release BrightWork pmPoint and BrightWork Reporter for SharePoint 2007 (with Microsoft Project integration included)
2008
- Release of pmPoint and Reporter v5.5
- Launched pmPoint for Sure Step in partnership with Microsoft
- Release of pmPoint and Reporter v6.0
- Launched pmPoint Online (SaaS) in partnership with Teamportal.com
2009
- Release of pmPoint 7.0
- BrightWork invited to speak at Microsoft Project Conference 09 on the topic of ‘Opening SharePoint to Project 2010’
- BrightWork attends the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2009
- At both the Microsoft Project Conference 09, and the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2009, BrightWork demonstrates an early beta of pmPoint 2010, on SharePoint 2010, and connecting with Microsoft Project 2010
- Release of pmPoint 8.0