If you’re not familiar with the terms “utility computing” and “on-demand computing,” Adam and Hendy Wiebe will happily introduce them to your vocabulary. The Louisville natives own and operate Infowelders, a company the husband-and-wife team launched on the West Coast in 2002. The two met in San Francisco, where they both worked in the IT world. “It wasn’t until after we met that we realized we had the Louisville connection,” says Hendy, 34. With their two young boys in tow, they moved back to Louisville last September.
Think of utility computing or on-demand computing like other utilities, such as gas and electricity providers, where you are only billed for resources used, says Adam, 36. From there, imagine a computer system tailored specially to meet the needs of a business, with programs hosted from a web platform so no software is needed. Since all information is stored and manipulated via the website, there’s no need for Infowelders’ clients to store their data on hard drives or back-up servers. The small Louisville company is partnered with Salesforce.com, a big player in the new technology.
“Salesforce.com is a 40-foot wave coming,” says Adam, “aiming right at Microsoft.” With four new employees and new includes such as Louisville Stoneware and Summit Energy on a list that already included Wells Fargo and Dwell Magazine, Infowelders is ready for the ride.
