In 1992, Tad Ihns started Avalex Technologies Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. But in 2001, Ihns moved his company from Atlanta to Pensacola. Today, Avalex is a leading innovator in the field of special mission avionics. Innovative solutions such as digital map systems, digital video recorders, sensor pointing systems and airborne surveillance provides services to all branches of the military, most Federal law enforcement agencies and many state and local law enforcement groups including the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The company hires a variety of electrical, software and project engineers for positions in its development lab. Avalex continues to leverage its excellent manufacturing base to spin off new products. A new line of digital video test equipment will be the first product of StratJess Technologies, one of these newly created companies.
Cogon Systems is a local healthcare software company that provides hospitals with leading-edge information technology solutions. Cogon Systems was founded by a practicing physician, Dr. Huy Nguyen, to solve the real-life problems that caregivers face in trying to obtain timely and accurate information at the crucial ‘moment of care.’
Through user-friendly software design and development, Cogon Systems delivers a clinical software solution that is based on the physician’s perspective but improves the quality of care and safety for patients.
With their continued research & development efforts, Cogon Systems five-year plan forecasts revenues of about $14M in 2010.
Thomas Pigoski founded TECHSOFT in 1990 following a 20-year career in Naval cryptology, and is internationally known in the field of software engineering.
Mr. Pigoski specializes in a practical approach to software maintenance. During a software engineering career that spanned more than 30 years, Mr. Pigoski planned, established, and directed the operation of software activities for large-scale U.S. Department of Defense Systems.
Many TECHSOFT personnel gained years of experience developing and supporting military applications. That experience includes supporting major U.S. Navy software and telecommunications systems from in Pensacola to operating bases located throughout the world. Many TECHSOFT personnel come from U. S. Navy communications and National Security Agency computer security backgrounds. The skills gained in these areas are directly applicable to a successful and secure business process.
Mr. Pigoski is a past General Chair of the IEEE Computer Society's International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM), and is a frequent speaker at national and international software conferences. An accomplished author, Mr. Pigoski has written two books: Life Cycle Strategy: Software Support on the Front Line (Software Maintenance News, 1995) and Practical Software Maintenance, Best Practices for Managing Your Software Investment (John Wiley & Sons, 1997). He also authored a chapter titled "Software Maintenance" in the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK®, 2004).