Microsoft should be scared

By Jessica Perreault

perr0257@algonquincollege.com

Projects at Algonquin are giving Microsoft a reason to be nervous.
The college’s Applied Research and Innovation department, in co-operation with local Internet startup company Chide.it Inc., has been working since May on Internet desktop software that could potentially make widely used desktop software, such as Microsoft Word, a thing of the past.
“The whole idea of getting software on your computer, inserting CDs, uploading, and everything, is going to disappear,” said Aydin Mirzaee, chief executive officer of Chide.it Inc. and Algonquin’s business partner on the project.
“We’re building four projects in a few months which is unheard of,” he said. “Microsoft should be scared.”
According to Mirzaee, there is a technological revolution going on that is creating a high level of competition between new age software companies. In the early days of technology, the main goal was to integrate the desktop computer into every household. Building user-friendly software was the next step, but today desktop software doesn’t cut it.
“Companies are starting to use remote storage,” said Ed Strange, professor of computer studies at Algonquin. “There are lots of places where this is advantageous.”
The project is now in its second phase and consists of user-friendly programs accessible over the Internet, making many of the functions of typical desktop software obsolete. The applications built in phase one of the project are now being perfected in phase two and have made it possible to build up the new applications evolving in phase two.
Already completed are two feedback applications that can be accessed over the Internet. Fluidsurveys.com is accessible by all Internet users and creates surveys using drag and drop tools. Users can view the feedback of the surveys for up to 100 respondents free of charge and can create surveys with up to 20 questions. There is a charge for larger surveys and an increased number of respondents. Users have the ability to view the feedback easily in spreadsheet and graphical form.
The other application, called Review Room, is not accessible to all internet users as it is customized to the needs of the companies who wish to use the application.
“It’s all the same at the centre,” said Mirzaee, who also said that upon completion of the project and the Chide.it Inc. website, users will have access to all four of the programs being developed, centred on feedback applications.
“What makes Chide.it powerful is the way you can plug in the [information],” said Gregory Ranger, a Univeristy of Ottawa graduate and member of the project team. The team is also working on making the product accessible in co-operation with social networking sites such as Facebook and Flickr.
According to Strange, these applications offer an easy, green, time saving alternative to the typical desktop software the majority are used to using.
The project, which came together in May, is expected to be complete in late November or December.
According to John Omura, project manager of Applied Research and Innovation, projects like Chide.it require a culmination of a number of things.
“Our job is to get the following four ingredients in place: a business partner, a lead professor, students and former student researchers, and a source of funding,” said Omura.
“The most important thing is the fit,” said Strange. “It’s important that it’s a team effort.”
Currently, the team consists of Mirzaee, Strange, Omura, Ranger, Algonguin alum Cam Sorlie, and David Thompson.
According to Omura, funding for the project came from Talent First Network, a project run by Carleton University professor Antonio Bailetti.
“We’re very fluid when it comes to collaboration with Carleton University and University of Ottawa,” said Omura.
These collaborations make projects like Chide.it possible, and have benefits for all the students, professors, schools and businesses involved.  
“The draw was to expand in my skills beyond what we didn’t touch on in the classroom,” said Sorlie.
Mirzaee said Chide.it Inc.’s goal is to be number one in Internet desktop software, a goal that seems to be achievable with the partnership with Algonquin.
“I wish I had [the partnership] on other projects. This gave us a significant advantage,” said Mirzaee. “There are 800 other startups in the city and they would have killed to be here.”