Hitcents
Encyclopedia
Hitcents is a technology
and custom software development
company in Bowling Green, Kentucky
. Hitcents was established by twin brothers Chris and Clinton Mills in 1999.
, Chris and Clinton had a knack for taking apart their toys and analyzing them. They had more of a desire to see how things worked than to actually play with them.
and businesses
. EyeOn Automation features a fully functioning self-contained intelligence system for homes and businesses. The system integrates sophisticated video and audio distribution, touch screen technology, customized security and surveillance equipment along with specialized devices and Infrared
programming.
EyeOn Automation originated when Ed Mills, a partner and founding member of Hitcents began building a new luxury home. Mr. Mills wanted his new home to embrace the high-end technology savvy of the company. The engineers at Hitcents seized the opportunity to create a fully functioning residential and commercial automation system.
Omniprise is a full-service, customizable software suite for enterprise resource planning
. Information gathered in a single central repository is available to every part of an enterprise for use in all applications from simple data mining
to mission-critical decision making.
Hitcents partnered with Pan-Oston, a manufacturer of checkout lanes, for the creation of the Utopia Self-Service Checkout
system.
Utopia was patented as the first convertible checkout unit, allowing a traditional cashier lane to be converted into a self-checkout unit and vice versa in minutes. Utopia can be connected to existing checkout lanes in a store, and therefore doesn't impact a store's layout.
Utopia also utilizes biometric authentication for store attendant access and customer loyalty programs. The thumb scanner eliminates the need for keys or cards to access the system. Mobile Attendant Stations allow self-checkout attendants to approve purchases or reset problems that arise with a mobile handheld device. Utopia allows for upgrades for future technology and capabilities; customers just add a module instead of buying a whole new product.
, programming and maintenance, administrative access, eCommerce, data transfer and website hosting
.
setup, secure DSL, kiosk development, networking and high-speed internet
access.
VPN services allow facilities to share data between remote locations. This allows for a high level of security while providing convenience to facilities. This also limits geographical barriers and decreases fixed costs for many different applications.
Each computer can be on the network no matter the location. If a company has a central office in one location and branches or smaller stores in other places, Hitcents sets up and maintains a VPN network at all locations and provides instant broadband access.
Resubmission, Cost per Click Marketing Options and Email Marketing to drive that traffic.
s, print and web, Hitcents creates brand images that influence and generate value for customers.
for every aspect of business, including a company intranet
/extranet
, inventory system, employee management program, and more.
, including virtual tour
s, 360° property tours, training videos, and product demonstrations.
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and custom software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
company in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Hitcents was established by twin brothers Chris and Clinton Mills in 1999.
History
Hitcents founders Chris and Clinton Mills started their technology careers early in life. As children in Arlington, TexasArlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, Chris and Clinton had a knack for taking apart their toys and analyzing them. They had more of a desire to see how things worked than to actually play with them.
- In 1994 while in the fifth grade, they received their first computer. The twins began to learn the internal workings as well as the programming side of a basic computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. They started programming in GW BasicGW-BASICGW-BASIC was a dialect of the programming language BASIC developed by Microsoft from BASICA, originally for Compaq. It is compatible with Microsoft/IBM BASICA, but was disk based and did not need the ROM BASIC. It was bundled with MS-DOS operating systems on IBM PC compatibles by Microsoft...
- an early command-line programming language.
- In 1995, Chris and Clinton moved from Arlington to Bowling Green, Kentucky when their father was transferred. Chris and Clinton happened to move in next door to an electrical engineer (Mike Doro) who helped guide their constant pursuit to learn more about technology.
- In 1996 and in seventh grade, they went to work at a company designing Visual BasicVisual BasicVisual Basic is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment from Microsoft for its COM programming model...
programs to monitor machinery with optic eye systems and conveyor belts. That year, they also created their first web page working with PerlPerlPerl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions and become widely popular...
, a web programming language that is still one of the languages Hitcents uses today.
- As high school sophomores, Chris and Clinton started Hitcents, which at the time was a company focused in internet advertising. When the company first began, Hitcents paid clients on a cents-per-hit basis, hence the company name. Hitcents was acquired by Houchens IndustriesHouchens IndustriesHouchens Industries, is an American employee-owned company, in business since 1918 when it began as a small grocery operated by founder Ervin Houchens in rural Barren County, Kentucky. The company is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company runs about 425 grocery and convenience stores...
in 2003. Since 2004, Hitcents has grown from three employees to 50, and it occupies 10000 square feet (929 m²) of office space in Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
’s Center for Research and Development.
- To adjust to the ever-changing technology market, Hitcents has been reinvented several times to best meet the needs of their clients and to stay current in the technology industry. Hitcents is well known for their website development services in their home town. The scope of the business includes solutions for ecommerce, technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, creative designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, software developmentSoftware developmentSoftware development is the development of a software product...
, productionVideo productionVideo production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
, automation, self-service checkout, enterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
and much more.
EyeOn Automation
EyeOn Automation creates automation solutions for homesHome automation
Home automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
and businesses
Building automation
Building automation describes the functionality provided by the control system of a building. A building automation system is an example of a distributed control system...
. EyeOn Automation features a fully functioning self-contained intelligence system for homes and businesses. The system integrates sophisticated video and audio distribution, touch screen technology, customized security and surveillance equipment along with specialized devices and Infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
programming.
EyeOn Automation originated when Ed Mills, a partner and founding member of Hitcents began building a new luxury home. Mr. Mills wanted his new home to embrace the high-end technology savvy of the company. The engineers at Hitcents seized the opportunity to create a fully functioning residential and commercial automation system.
Omniprise ERP Software
Omniprise is a full-service, customizable software suite for enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
. Information gathered in a single central repository is available to every part of an enterprise for use in all applications from simple data mining
Data mining
Data mining , a relatively young and interdisciplinary field of computer science is the process of discovering new patterns from large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics and database systems...
to mission-critical decision making.
Utopia Self-Service Checkout
Hitcents partnered with Pan-Oston, a manufacturer of checkout lanes, for the creation of the Utopia Self-Service Checkout
Self checkout
Self checkout machines provide a mechanism for customers to pay for purchases from a retailer without direct input to the process by the retailer's staff. They are an alternative to the traditional cashier-staffed checkout...
system.
Utopia was patented as the first convertible checkout unit, allowing a traditional cashier lane to be converted into a self-checkout unit and vice versa in minutes. Utopia can be connected to existing checkout lanes in a store, and therefore doesn't impact a store's layout.
Utopia also utilizes biometric authentication for store attendant access and customer loyalty programs. The thumb scanner eliminates the need for keys or cards to access the system. Mobile Attendant Stations allow self-checkout attendants to approve purchases or reset problems that arise with a mobile handheld device. Utopia allows for upgrades for future technology and capabilities; customers just add a module instead of buying a whole new product.
Website Development
Hitcents web development solutions include graphic designWeb design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
, programming and maintenance, administrative access, eCommerce, data transfer and website hosting
Web hosting service
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet...
.
Technology
Hitcents technology solutions encompass consulting, data backup, hardware purchasing, Virtual Private NetworkVirtual private network
A virtual private network is a network that uses primarily public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or traveling users access to a central organizational network....
setup, secure DSL, kiosk development, networking and high-speed internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access.
VPN services allow facilities to share data between remote locations. This allows for a high level of security while providing convenience to facilities. This also limits geographical barriers and decreases fixed costs for many different applications.
Each computer can be on the network no matter the location. If a company has a central office in one location and branches or smaller stores in other places, Hitcents sets up and maintains a VPN network at all locations and provides instant broadband access.
Marketing
Hitcents offers a wide range of marketing solutions such as Search EngineWeb search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
Resubmission, Cost per Click Marketing Options and Email Marketing to drive that traffic.
Creative Design
Encompassing all design aspects such as logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s, print and web, Hitcents creates brand images that influence and generate value for customers.
Software Development
Hitcents creates new custom softwareSoftware development
Software development is the development of a software product...
for every aspect of business, including a company intranet
Intranet
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network...
/extranet
Extranet
An extranet is a computer network that allows controlled access from the outside, for specific business or educational purposes. An extranet can be viewed as an extension of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company, usually partners, vendors, and suppliers...
, inventory system, employee management program, and more.
Production
Hitcents also creates various types of videosVideo production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
, including virtual tour
Virtual Tour
A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images. They also may use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text....
s, 360° property tours, training videos, and product demonstrations.
Timeline
- 1999: Hitcents is created.
- 2000: Hitcents has 10,000 member websites delivering over three million banner impressions a day for online advertisers.
- 2001: In response to the dot-com crash, Hitcents develops a proprietary line of products to run ads on their existing member websites.
- 2001: Develops an online web marketing tracking system that would monitor clients’ ROIReturn on investmentReturn on investment is one way of considering profits in relation to capital invested. Return on assets , return on net assets , return on capital and return on invested capital are similar measures with variations on how “investment” is defined.Marketing not only influences net profits but also...
in real-time. - 2002: Introduces web department services, leading to the development of over 40 functional websites by 2004.
- 2002: Begins developing technical infrastructures and software development initiatives for many local and national corporations.
- 2002: In December, Hitcents has its ribbon cutting as the first company to renovate space in Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
’s Center for Research and Development. - 2003: Houchens IndustriesHouchens IndustriesHouchens Industries, is an American employee-owned company, in business since 1918 when it began as a small grocery operated by founder Ervin Houchens in rural Barren County, Kentucky. The company is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company runs about 425 grocery and convenience stores...
, a two billion dollar corporation and the largest ESOPEmployee-owned corporationAn employee share ownership plan is the practice of companies giving staff members shares in their company as part of their salary....
in the world, acquires Hitcents, bringing a technology firm into their family of companies. - 2004: March: Hitcents hires its first employee.
- 2004: November: Hitcents office expands to make room for 11 employees.
- 2005: Hitcents now has 21 employees, 5500 square feet (511 m²) of office space and continues to grow.
- 2005 August: Hitcents presents EyeOn Automation, an intelligence system for homes and businesses.
- 2006 April: Hitcents starts self service checkout initiative, partnering with Pan-Oston and bringing the total employee count to 32. Hitcents expands office to 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) to allow for more space to grow.
- 2006 July: Hitcents launches Utopia product with Pan-Oston, the next generation of self-checkout lanes.
- 2006 August: Hitcents launches Omniprise ERP software division, offering complete software and hardware solutions for all larger business needs. Hitcents reaches 50 employees and expands to 10000 square feet (929 m²) of space.
- 2006 September: Hitcents launches Ticket Kiosk program with Western Kentucky University.
- 2007 June: Hitcents launches BlueCotton.com, a revolutionary Flash website for designing and ordering t-shirts on the web. BlueCotton.com is recognized as Adobe's Site of the Day.
- 2007 August: Hitcents is listed 191 of the 500 fastest growing companies by Inc. magazine. Chris and Clinton Mills are also named fifth in the top CEO’s under 30 years old by Inc.
- 2007 November: Hitcents' EyeOn Automation division was called upon by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to assist with installing special voice activated electronic features for the Hughes Family of Louisville, Kentucky.
- 2007 November: The first Utopia self-checkout convenience store unit was installed in a Jr. Food store in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
- 2008 February: Hitcents' Omniprise website is launched to showcase the innovate enterprise resource planning software.
- 2008 May: Utopia self-checkout units were installed at Strack & Van Til supermarkets in the Chicago area.
- 2008 October: Hitcents enterprise resource planning software Omniprise is launched. Omniprise is deployed for checkout counter manufacturer Pan-Oston and Ford's Furniture.
- 2009 December: Hitcents celebrates ten years in business.
External links
- Hitcents
- EyeOn Automation
- Articles on Hitcents
- Hitcents founders Chris and Clinton Mills were recognized by Inc. magazine as Top CEO's under 30 years old.
- Hitcents ranks 191 on the 2007 Inc. 500 fastest growing companies list.
- Business First of Louisville reports Hitcents as one of two companies in Kentucky to make the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies list.
- Hitcents is included in this Forbes.com article.