Computer experts may seem to be unlikely eco-superheroes, but the people at Gateway Systems are determined to do all they can to stop climate change.

Gateway, which is exhibiting at the Chamber of Commerce’s Techshowcase next week, is driving a campaign called “Smarter Office ... Smaller Footprint”, which is aimed at combating global warming.

Gateway senior account manager Eric McVickers and director of Software Services Kevin Luckham said Gateway Systems Ltd. aims to bring the office to you by cutting down on emissions, which are burning a hole in the ozone layer, and creating a paperless office, which in turn will support saving the rain forests.

Mr. McVickers said: “We’ve got a big theme, ‘Smarter Office... Smaller Footprint.”

“The reason that we are going with this theme is one of the big drives that we have, and our products are driving us to be much greener in terms of how we treat society, not only as individuals, but as businesses.

“So we are talking about products that will either assist you in your business environment or products which will assist you in your ‘greenness’. The concept of the carbon footprint is, we are trying to build a smarter office that is going to be smarter towards the environment and put a focus on people’s carbon footprints, what is your impact on the planet and what is your business’ impact.

“With that in mind, we have individual one-to-one presentations, we have a showcase theatre and that has a number of products, which will be showing at scheduled times and that is how we will present our products.”

One of the products that will be on offer is the Automated Bermuda Customs (ABC) Declaration system, which includes both the Landed Cost and Ordering Receiving and Costing (ORAC) systems.

“We are the ones who create software to do various things,” explained Mr. Luckham, “and we created the ABC system. So when you bring goods into Bermuda you have to produce a Bermuda Customs Declaration (BCD) and that ABC system allows you to do that.

“We also are one of the few companies on the Island that allow you to send that electronically to Customs, although that is in its early days. We do have the capability to do that.

“This kind of ties in with the green theme, as it is less paperwork printed out and to also have to go down to Customs to hand it in, so it is also less travel. So it is smarter and greener.

“We are also developing a costing module that goes hand-in-hand with the ABC system, so you can order the goods, receive them in, cost them and then produce the BCD, so that is quite good and we are excited about that.”

Although the ABC system is a new module that will be launched at the show, the first installation of it was about six or seven years ago and is in use in several companies.

Asked whether the software could cross technological boundaries, Mr. Luckham said:<\p>“It is kind of a Windows-based platform and it runs on a SQL (Sequel) Server, which is a back-end data base so that is kind of a Microsoft product,” he said.

“We do a lot of integration, so we try to reduce the amount of entries that you have to do, so for example if you have a data base of your customers or suppliers, we automatically pull those into the ABC system for you and it will save you typing them in twice.

“We integrate to AS400, we’ve “We integrate to AS400, we’ve integrated to other Windows systems, to Flat File systems, even the UNIX system. So we try and get the most recent data and it all comes into the ABC system.”

For many smaller or larger companies that do not have an intranet system, Gateway Systems has a TIBS, or The Intranet in a Box system.

Mr. Luckham said: “The concept it is for companies who don’t have an intranet site, this is kind of a package deal; you can either buy the software and install it on a PC (personal computer) or you can buy a PC with it pre-installed for you, plug it into your network and basically you will have your own intranet.

“We are going to do a number of modules, an in-out board, so that staff can say that I am going out to such and such a company and will be back at a certain time, and anyone can take a look at that and see where certain people are.

“Vacation tracking is going to be one of the modules that we are putting in there. You would put your vacation in through the website and a manager would approve it, so people can see when you are going on holiday and who else is going on holiday as well. We are also planning to do a CURE (Commission for Unity and Racial Equality) module, which will have all the forms on the intranet, so when a manager does an interview he can fill it in and it will produce the CURE forms automatically.

“We have some other things in the pipeline for modules, but those are the key ones.”

He went on to say that the other side to that, as it is an intranet site, was the ability to upload company photos, news bulletins and upcoming events.

Mr. Luckham added that this would all tie into the use of a new version of a Gateway product called WebWizard.

“This will allow people to update their websites, even their external websites, what you do is that you make your changes to a Word document and WebWizard publishes that document in HTML format (Hyper Text Markup Language — a programme used for building websites),” he explained.

“We have a new version coming out with goes hand-in-hand with TIBS, so it will allow people to easily update their intranets. So literally the concept will be if you went to a particular page that you were authorised to edit, you would actually just click a button and the website would give you a Word document and you could make some changes, and on a side panel, click next, click next and it will be on the website for you.

“And because you are using Word, it is a tool that a lot of people are familiar with, so there is no complicated stuff — so it is really good software. It is going to be a big hit.”

Mr. McVickers added that Gateway would also be offering recycling services, sales and philanthropic extras.

“Gateway started a recycling service for old computers, old batteries and we will dispose of them properly,” he said. “We will reuse old computers and donate them to the Ministry of Education, nursery schools etc. they won’t be the latest and greatest computers, but they will work.

“Rather than pay for the latest and greatest toners, and toners going to landfills, we have partnered with a local company that will recycle them and get them back out into the offices.

“It is a saving of 15 percent of the cost, so you are saving the planet and money and the quality of them is very good. They are also really good quality ones and there are some bad ones that will mess up your machine, but these guys are really good because they are not going through shipping channels — on-Island works best.”

Mr. McVickers added that Gateway had yet another product with the saving the eco-system in mind.

“A big thing that I actually saw the other day, which ties into this really nicely, is that aeroplanes are causing 20 percent of the carbon emissions linked to global warming,” he said.

“So one of the big themes that we are doing is the Tandberg Video Conferencing products, so rather than travel to your business meeting, you get more time and are not away from the office for nearly as much.

“We have the technology to do this now. It is not expensive and there is no reason for people to be doing it now, except for the jollies. But there are big advantages to having you around, rather than not having you around and it is far more productive.”

Another Gateway focus is saving the rain forests and polluted landfills with the Smart Board technologies, said Mr. McVickers.

“This is a big one for the Island, and I think it is fair to say that 90 percent of the schools have Smart Boards or are due to get one,” he said.

“Smart Boards are being used in education, in boardrooms in business, Government and the private sector. These guys do not use ink and instead uses electronic ink, so whenever you put pressure on the board.

“You have presentations going on and they are being projected with a projector. You are putting all your notes down and at the end, you save and everything is done electronically and there are no nasty chemical inks being produced, there is no paper produced — it is a paperless office. It is unbelievable — everyone who sees it, buys it.”

Cabling is another concern of the company, said Mr. McVickers.

“The cost these days of running cable is very, very high, so we have wireless products, which will help you to get from point A to B.”

Gateway Systems goes green