ABOUT US

Incorporated in 1985, Software Interphase has been providing custom programming services, electronic engineering services, and marketing services for a variety of products.  Prior to 1985, the founder Don Lambert, has been a pioneer in the first commercial bulletin board system (Syslink, run on a TRS-80 with modified TRSDOS and Microsoft Level II Basic interpreter) that provided email and "filemail" to sister sites --- over 13 years before the Internet became commercial!  The systems would link to each other (with a dial-up 300/1200 baud modem) in the early hours of the morning and exchange mail, public bulletins, and files.

In 1987, we provided a rich set of tools for programmers that offered communication and windowing in text-based DOS.  We received a write-up in Byte magazine which effectively launched SII on the map.  In the coming years before Windows became popular (pre Windows 3.0), we sold thousands of copies of QuickWindows and QuickComm for QuickBasic and C --- both products received the prestigeous awards from the readers of BasicPro magazine (now called Visual Studio).  We toured the country along with Crescent Software (Ethan Winer), MicroHelp (Mark Novasoff), and other tool vendors.  In addition, we provided other tools such as LiveWindows (real-time video capture and motion detection), Designer QuickWindows (screen layout and property editing tool for QuickWindows -- many ideas were "borrowed" by Microsoft when they created Visual Basic 1.0), Visual Librarian, and LiteSwitch.

In 1992, we turned our focus to Windows development and introduced Help Magician, the only stand-alone help authoring tool that didn't require Microsoft Word.  Other tools such as Doc2Help and RoboHelp required Word.  Through good promotion, glowing reviews, and customer satisfaction, Help Magician quickly became the number 2 help authoring tool with many distributors selling our product worldwide.  It is estimated over 20,000 copies were sold between 1992 and 1998.

In 1998 we exited the help authoring market due to internal issues and developed a line of networkable computer control and monitoring modules (PicNet).  In addition, we also developed TWOS, a truck weighing office system for Solid Waste Management (perfect for town transfer stations, landfills, quarries, etc).  TWOS is currently in operation in several towns throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut.

In 2000, we developed a system for monitoring up to 16 firefighters' vital signs when they entered a burning building.  We developed the hardware, the RF network protocol, firmware, and the Windows monitoring application (that ran on a rugged laptop).  In addition we were working on a RF triangulation device to locate the firefighter inside a building.  

In 2001, we developed a low-cost controlling device that would receive a standard flex paging signal and turn on/off up to 4 relays.  This product was going to be used to help motorists unlock their car if they accidently left their keys inside.  Unfortunately, the company that was bankrolling the development of this and the firefighter products went bankrupt when we were about 90% completed.

In 2004, we regained exclusive publishing rights to Help Magician and now it is available from SII with the level of support and service you've come to expect from a 20-year old company (we're celebrating our 20th year in business in 2005).

Don Lambert, CEO
Software Interphase, Inc.