PUBLIC TENDERING: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHALLENGE CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY ENTERPRISE APPS FOR WINDOWS MENTORING CUSTOMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION TouchGFX: A DEVELOPER’S TOOLBOX ESSENTIAL

25 Mjølner Informatics A/S

Finlandsgade 10, DK-8200 Aarhus N

+45 70 27 43 43

www.mjolner.dk

[email protected]

3rd Quarter 2013

EDITORIAL

25 YEARS OF CUSTOMER-CENTRIC IT SOLUTIONS October 1st was a big day for Mjølner as well as for me

Learn about co-founder Elmer Sandvad and how his role

personally. It marked our 25-year anniversary in the ever-

has changed through his 25 years with Mjølner from soft-

changing software industry.

ware developer to consultant steering customers through the process of public tenders. Read about our anniversary

Mjølner started as a workplace where we could devote

celebration where a mix of former co-workers, partners and

ourselves to research for me and eight other computer

the Mayor of Aarhus participated. And get your technical fix

scientists is now a growing business with more than 75

by learning about enterprise app development for Windows

creative and highly professional employees.

platforms.

What started it all was our mutual interest and belief in

We also share our experiences with mentoring innovation

object-oriented software. But today, Mjølner is far more

processes and finally, we offer a developer’s perspective on

than that.

the highlights from our demonstrations of TouchGFX.

The modern Mjølner is a software and design consultancy. To our academic roots, we have added comprehensive expe-

Best Regards,

rience with a fundamentally customer-centric approach: We are determined to ensure that our clients will experience the

UPDATE

value of every step we take. This issue of Mjølner UPDATE is dedicated to our 25th anniversary. It brings together stories of both the new and classic services we provide and, of course, a report from our anniversary reception.

Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO

CASE

PUBLIC TENDERING: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHALLENGE MJØLNER HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC TENDERS, BUT WE ONLY RECENTLY REALIZED HOW MUCH VALUE THIS EXPERIENCE CAN GIVE OUR CLIENTS. ELMER SANDVAD’S WORK WITH PLAN & PROJEKT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

understanding of IT has been a true lifesaver for us. - Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt.

From Experience to Service As with Mjølner in general, Elmer Sandvad’s work has

XXX

changed during the last 25 years.

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt; Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner

From being the mastermind behind Mjølner’s first paid Plan & Projekt is a consultancy specializing in advising and

project – embedded software for a manure-spreader

Advisor and Translator

and simple way has proven to be of great value to our clients

planning for the energy sector. In November 2012, they

– today, Elmer Sandvad advises clients in processes of

It’s not only our knowledge of IT and public tenders that has

faced with the complex challenge of public tenders.

helped issue a public tender for the development,

public tenders. Mjølner has vast experience with both bid

proven useful. The ability to make IT lingo understandable to

implementation, and maintenance of two web platforms

management and public tenders in general, but it wasn’t

decision-makers in other fields has proven equally valuable.

for consumers and technicians respectively.

until recently that we realized how much value this experience can give our clients.

With a vantage point in his experience as a bid manager

For further information contact: Elmer Sandvad

I have worked with Elmer and several of his colleagues before. A consistent trait for all of them is their ability

+45 41 95 36 09 / [email protected]

“

and computer scientist, Elmer Sandvad advised Plan &

When starting in 1988, I had no idea that this would

to make complicated IT terminology understandable to

Projekt in the issuing of this tender.

become a significant field of expertise. However, in

anyone. This positively differentiates Mjølner from many

helping e.g. Plan & Projekt in their work it has become

other companies.

Although we know a thing or two about IT, it is not our

more and more clear how much our experience can offer.

- Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt.

primary focus. Elmer’s knowledge of IT and his experience

Not least, my personal experience as a bid manager has

as a bid manager have been very valuable. He brings new

proved very beneficial.

The combination of IT expertise, bid managing experience,

ELMER’S KNOWLEDGE OF IT AND HIS EXPERIENCE AS A BID MANAGER BRING NEW AND UNEXPECTED PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE.

and unexpected perspectives to the table, and his academic

- Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner.

and the ability to communicate the intricacies of IT in a clear

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt

STORY

CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY ON OCTOBER 1ST, WE CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY. JOINING US AT THE RECEPTION WAS AN OVERWHELMING MIX OF FORMER CO-WORKERS, CLIENTS AND PARTNERS, AND THE MAYOR OF AARHUS.

is a constant inspiration and the key to our success. - Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner.

Mayor: Mjølner is What Aarhus and Denmark Needs Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, also shared a few thoughts at the reception. After stating the fact that 25 years in the software industry is essentially an eternity, he

Mjølner’s history leads back to 1986 when the Mjølner

said:

research project started. The overall aim of this Scandinavian project was to realize the full potential of object-

Based on academic knowledge, Mjølner creates innovative

oriented software.

and business generating IT solutions and that bring financial growth. Mjølner is a shining example of what I believe to

In 1988, our CEO and co-founder, Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen,

be the profit-makers of Aarhus and Denmark in the future.

and eight other computer scientists started the company

- Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus.

Mjølner Informatik (later renamed Mjølner Informatics).

Ready for Another 25 Years Today, Mjølner is a design and software consultancy with

The reception was a chance to share an enjoyable

more than 75 employees. In his reception speech, the CEO

afternoon with clients, business partners, and previous

targeted these employees and Mjølner’s clients:

employees.

I never expected Mjølner to become what it is today, but I am

Today, we are more ready than ever to take on another

extremely proud. You, the employees and our clients, drive

25 years in one of the most exciting and rapidly changing

Mjølner’s continuous progress. Your curiosity and challenges

industries.

“

YOU, THE EMPLOYEES AND OUR CLIENTS, DRIVE MJØLNER’S CONTINUOUS PROGRESS. YOUR CURIOSITY AND CHALLENGES IS A CONSTANT INSPIRATION AND THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS.

Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner

STORY

“

MJØLNER IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE PROFIT-MAKERS OF AARHUS AND DENMARK IN THE FUTURE. Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus

STORY

ENTERPRISE APPS FOR WINDOWS THE DEMAND FOR ENTERPRISE APPS IS RISING, ALSO ON WINDOWS PLATFORMS. AT CAMPUS DAYS 2013, MICROSOFT’S BIGGEST DANISH CONFERENCE THIS YEAR, FREDERIK JOHANSEN LED TWO SESSIONS ON MEETING THIS DEMAND.

still the preferred mobile platforms, Windows is gaining ground. Still, only few developers focus on this platform. Our Software Architect Frederik Johasen, specializes in Windows development and especially its enterprise possibilities. This is an advantage to our partners: Mjølner can handle all relevant platforms when

Bring your own device (BYOD) is a growing global tendency.

implementing BYOD.

In short, BOYD denotes the practice of employees bringing their own devices to work and using these instead of

The best in Denmark

corporate devices.

Not only did Frederik Johansen lead two sessions at Campus Days 2013 about this

Implementing BYOD has many proven benefits, a significant

exact field. He was also highlighted in

example being an increase in employee loyalty and produc-

the conference keynote. The host urged

tivity. But it can be hard to handle. It complicates security

participants to join Frederik Johansen’s

and IT management. And then there’s the issue of platform

sessions. Because, as he said:

specific development of your enterprise apps. Frederik has a lot of experience, and is probably the

The 8’s: Windows and Windows Phone

most knowledgeable developer in this field in Denmark.

When allowing employees to use their own devices it’s

- Ole Kjeldsen, Director of Technology, Microsoft Denmark

important that the required digital tools are available on the users’ platform of choice. While iOS and Android are

Read more about BYOD at www.mjolner.dk/blog

CASE

MENTORING CUSTOMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION INNOVATION IS ABOUT CREATING VALUE BY CARRYING THROUGH ON KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRATION. THIS FALL, MJØLNER IS HELPING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW GROW.

a new micro-location technology. With a vantage point in our own approach and in line with the approach taught in the course, our challenge called for a strong focus on users.

Pragmatic, Customer-Driven Innovation A couple of months ago, we were asked to share our know-

Innovation is what makes us able to move first and leave

ledge of innovation and technology by serving as mentors

our competitors desperate to catch up.

for the New Product Development Clinic at the Master’s degree in Innovation Management at Aarhus University.

When working with innovation, we maintain a strong focus on how to crate value to the end-user. Value that directly

New Product Development Clinic presentation

Mjølner, and two other contributors, posed innovation

or indirectly will generate revenue to our customer as fast

challenges to the students.

as possible.

Costumer-Driven Innovation with NFC Technology

For us, innovation is not a fuzzy goal requiring a long

The students receive feedback and mentoring throughout

The course takes the students through subjects such as

and expensive process. It is the concrete task of maturing

the semester culminating in an executive review session

Radical Innovation and Lead-User Innovation. Issues that

creative ideas or inventions and bringing them to the

where all ideas are evaluated.

are more than relevant to our own customers.

market in a way that creates value to the end-user and our customer. We call this customer-driven or pragmatic

For further information contact:

To help steer the process and to shake things up a bit, we

innovation.

Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst

focused our challenge on NFC (Near Field Communication),

- Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

+45 41 95 36 29 / [email protected]

“

FOR US, INNOVATION IS NOT A FUZZY GOAL REQUIRING A LONG AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS.

Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

STORY

TouchGFX: A DEVELOPER’S TOOLBOX ESSENTIAL DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUR TouchGFX TECHNOLOGY AT VARIOUS EVENTS. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING AND CLEAR: TouchGFX IS A GREAT TOOL FOR DEVELOPERS.

Rapid Process & Quality Results

on cost effective hardware is exactly what the market needs.

Due to the big interest, we held a second seminar. The two

This is why TouchGFX is of high interest to EBV and our

seminars brought together Product Managers and Software

customers.

Developers from 18 different companies.

- Karim Khebere, Technical Director, EMEA at EBV Elektronik

This is what one participant had to say about TouchGFX:

In November we attent the Embedded Conference Scandinavia in Stockholm, with TouchGFX in hand. Together

It does not take long to get the hang of TouchGFX. The PC

with EBV, we will demonstrate TouchGFX’s capabilities as

In the latest Mjølner UPDATE, we advertised a seminar held

simulator and the variety of features make it easy to crea-

well as give a tutorial: Modern Looking GUIs on Limited

by EBV Elektronik and Mjølner.

te unique GUI prototypes and finished products. TouchGFX

Hardware Resources.

enables a rapid process with quality results. The seminar focused on the challenges and possibilities

- John Nørgaard, Software Engineer, Schneider Electric

Learn more at www.embeddedconference.se

of meeting today’s demand for intuitive, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) on industrial devices in a profitable manner.

“

European Response In September, Mjølner participated in EBV’s training week where 140 field application engineers from all over Europe were trained in how to use promising technologies.

TouchGFX ENABLES A RAPID PROCESS WITH QUALITY RESULTS.

TouchGFX is a game changer for GUIs on hardware platforms

John Nørgaard, Software Engineer, Schneider Electric

based on the Cortex-M family and alike. Impressive GUIs

Karim Khebere Technical Director EMEA at EBV Elektronik

“

TouchGFX IS A GAME CHANGER FOR GUIS ON HARDWARE PLATFORMS BASED ON THE CORTEX-M FAMILY. Karim Khebere, Technical Director, EMEA at EBV Elektronik