Social networking feature fosters teamwork
David Peres and Rob Patterson are experts in developing software for the mining industry, particularly for drill hole data management. But, through their careers, they quickly found the same problem turned up again and again.
“We visited a lot of client sites and implemented a lot of software solutions, but we were always faced with the challenge of implementing legacy desktop software – stuff that had been created 15, 20 years ago,” Peres said.
“We were always living with those issues and problems that come with a piece of software that’s that old.”
They believed they could create a more up-to-date, efficient program and set out on their own, founding Sudbury-based Minalytix, which offers consulting services and custom software projects. After three years in development, MX Deposit, their cutting-edge core logging application, is now hitting the market.
MX Deposit is cloud-based software designed to help mining companies manage their drill hole data. Companies purchase a monthly subscription, which includes training, ongoing support, IT costs, and data storage.
Companies aren’t obligated to sign up for fixed-term contracts and can opt in or out based on their needs. Peres said it can help a company save money during a downturn when it’s not drilling.
“We’re allowing people to drop in and out, so if they want to dial down their amount of users, they have control of that,” Peres said. “They can reduce their costs and better match their software tools to the actual work that’s happening.”
Product manager David Kerr said because the service operates from the cloud, users don’t have to be desk-bound to use it.
“One of the big differentiators that we’re bringing to the market by having MX Deposit living in the cloud and living online is that it’s accessible from anywhere,” Kerr said.
People working from a core shack in a remote corner of the world, for example, can input data into the system. At the same time, a company executive can log in at any time to see real-time progress — right from an office in downtown Toronto. The service will even work with a very low bandwidth, he noted.
The service, said Kerr, is designed to get people engaged in the project they’re working on, so MX Deposit features an activity feed that works like “Facebook for mining.”
Users can post photos, comments or achievements to the feed for transmission to the other users in the company; if someone finds a rock type they’re unfamiliar with, they can ask for input from the community.
“We’re (incorporating) social networking, so corporations can make use of their collective knowledge,” Peres said.
A number of support tools are also being built in, including live chat with a support agent, and weekly online training sessions.
Minalytix showcased the new service at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in March to very good reviews, and is planning a commercial release in October.
The service so impressed Orix Geoscience, the company signed up in March even before the platform was complete.
The full process to set up a company with new software — from analyzing a company’s requirements to building a framework and setting up a new program — can take months, but the versatility and ease of use of MX Deposit means companies can get up and running within a few hours, Peres said.
It’s also less expensive. With a traditional system, users have to purchase servers and software, license users, hire IT personnel to set up and train users on the system, and pay for annual maintenance, all of which Peres said can be very costly.
By comparison, a monthly subscription to MX Deposit includes setup, data storage, and use and maintenance of the service. There’s no need to purchase servers, software licences, or time with a consultant.
Instead, Kerr said, companies can spend their funds on improving their communication infrastructure.
It’s a cost-effective and efficient solution at a time when exploration financing is scarce and exploration companies are watching their budgets closely.
Minalytix currently employs nine people, but Peres foresees hiring marketing, sales and support staff as the company grows. The goal is to have 5,000 users accessing the service on daily basis.
“One of the most expensive activities that exploration and mining companies do is drilling,” Peres said.
“They’re paying a lot of money to collect this information, so we want to make sure that we’re providing them with a tool that is going to help them get the most value out of that information as possible.”
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