Jonathan Kersting, Associate Publisher – read on teQ website
Originally founded as a consulting and contract services outfit in 1994, IQ Inc. has evolved into a top custom software development company.
The company has kept pace with an ever-pivoting technology industry, and it has evolved to provide software development and consulting services to an array of industries, including medical devices, energy, transportation, healthcare and manufacturing.
“Technology is a field that continually changes,” said IQ Inc. CEO Barbara VanKirk. “We need to stay relevant in the industry, and by that I mean we are always challenging our engineers to learn and apply new technologies. We often find ourselves mentoring and educating our clients as we work with them in solving the problem or help in creating the product.”
All of IQ’s executive team members have technical degrees and decades of IT, engineering and business experience. VanKirk said this enables the Murrysville-based company to gain insight into its customers’ businesses and then provide resources and solutions that can best accommodate them.
Staying relevant and on-point in a fast-moving industry has kept VanKirk and her team on their proverbial toes. Being technology-agnostic has allowed IQ to remain nimble and to react quickly to market needs and opportunities.
“We consider ourselves engineers and fill our tool box with the latest tech tools,” said Van Kirk. “We do not bring a canned solution to our customers. We work with them to understand the problem and help them with the solution that fits.”
In 2007, IQ created an Agile Projects and Solutions Group and established itself as a leading development center for medical companies and manufacturers.
“Twenty years ago, I didn’t see us working in the medical device industry,” exclaimed VanKirk. “We have been successful at all levels of product development. We have helped from the architectural level through the design and build, and we have a great reputation providing software quality assurance.”
Holding true to its mantra of relevancy, IQ is now leveraging its software portfolio by creating reusable tools and products that can serve more customers at a faster cadence, but with the same high quality standards. IQ just released a software-as-a-service (SaaS) Gateway that helps to streamline service providers’ billing cycles and improve cash flow.
Over the last 20 years, VanKirk has truly evolved IQ into a “one-stop shop” for software solutions. VanKirk credits her serial entrepreneur father for her never-ending drive to adapt and maintain relevancy.
“I’m always thinking how I can improve the process,” said VanKirk. “There’s got to be an opportunity here!”