Vectorform a vendor for Microsoft, but the company is known for consuming Microsoft’s new technology.
“As soon as they release new projects, we really pick up the platf0rm and run with it,” Steckling says. “They’ll come up with new technology and need demos, something to show to companies signing enterprise agreements. They like our work and have introduced us to a lot of our enterprise clients.” Most recently, Vectorform developed the very popular Toolbox along with Notes and Stopwatch for Windows 8.
Vectorform originally set up its office in India to take advantage of the IT labor pool. But, Steckling admits, the company soon discovered that the time zone differences, cultural differences, and tight deadlines didn’t always make it a great fit. While there, Vectorform officials noticed that the market for the kinds of products they make was “insane,” so they decided to try and sell them in India. The plan was a success. Vectorform has, not surprisingly, done a lot of work for Microsoft India and it created an interactive kiosk that is in every Mercedes dealership in the country.
Steckling says a lot of Vectorform’s work in India lately has been tied to the real estate boom and the desire for a high-end touch screen directory to be in every high-rise lobby. Vectorform is also in the middle of designing a fountain in Mumbai that plays different notes as people touch different beams of water. “In many ways, India is more innovative,” Steckling points out. “Here, things have to be ready for prime time before customers want to see it. There, everything is a little more casual. If it’s not quite perfect but innovative, people will tolerate it.”
As for what’s in store for the future of Vectorform, Steckling says he plans to listen to his employees and directors and keep an eye out for whatever new technology appears on the horizon. “We view technology as a tool that works to improve clients’ businesses in an unlimited number of ways, adding value and improving products” he adds. “We’ll continue to expand, and we’ll do more physical devices and computing.”
