About Us

FREY & COMPANY BACKGROUND
Since 1974, Donald R. Frey and Company, Inc. has been engineering and supporting some of the most innovative software packages in the industry. By specializing in the needs of the government, nonprofit, and utility sectors, Frey has propelled itself to the forefront as a technological leader. To insure proper attention, Frey focuses on three software applications: BUCS fund accounting, CHIPS payroll, and CUBIC utility billing. A simple promise of providing superior products and uncompromising customer support is the pledge that Frey has made since the beginning.

From the beginning until the early 1980s, specialized software was provided on a variety of proprietary systems. All applications had to be written for specific makes and models of computers. Everything was very time consuming and expensive to develop.

In 1982, Frey and Company redesigned and rewrote its specialized applications in a generic programming language for the generic UNIX operating system. It promised to be the bridge that would allow us to operate on almost any computer. In 1985, we began offering our software on personal computers using DOS. In the following years, the use of DOS grew with networks. UNIX began losing market share in the late 1980s because hardware companies were tailoring UNIX to keep customers from migrating to competitive systems. Networked personal computers were becoming the platform of preference.

In the summer of 1995, we developed an Internet Web site. It was an immediate success. People were using the Internet to search for the specialized software we offered. Today, it is our primary means of marketing our products. It has also provided numerous other benefits to us.

During this period, we recognized the demand for graphically based software such as Microsoft's Windows. Windows 95 was being released and it appeared to be a great improvement over Windows 3.1. We started the migration to GUIs (graphical user interfaces) and updated systems for the Year 2000 date requirements. The CUBIC utility billing system was released in 1996. It was our first True Windows GUI product. This new software would run on any system that can support a Microsoft Windows 95 or later interface. It would run on PCs and networks such as Novell, NT, and UNIX. We offered free software migration, including file conversion, to all customers on support.

What about benefits? Consistency is the big benefit, if the developer uses MS design guidelines. Character applications had no design standards to follow. Every developer created their rules and styles. True Windows applications behave in a very predictable fashion. This makes them easier to learn and use. If you use products like Excel and WORD, you have an excellent basis for understanding how Frey applications behave. Today, users find UNIX and DOS to be foreign.

In 1998, we recognized an additional benefit from the Internet. We realized that we could easily distribute interim software updates using the Internet and e-mail. Our customers have greatly benefited from this innovation. We not only keep the products bug free, we also include new improvements on a regular basis.

In 2002, the availability of high speed Internet connections permitted us to begin offering remote training. This has proven to be of value to clients who are located at a distance or need personalized training. It has proven to be both cost effective and convenient.

2003 marked a period of the adoption of a paperless approach in using our software. New hardware technology had driven down the cost of imaging and storage. It was now more affordable. Because of that, we introduced the ability for clients to image documents and attach them to electronic records. We further integrated Internet capabilities into the software by providing embedded email capabilities where ever appropriate. We began providing program preferences that allowed a user to adapt program options to their selected preferences. All of the changes were targeted to improving the power and ease-of-use of our software.

Today, Frey and Company serves clients throughout the US and abroad using high-speed communications and the Internet. Our software focus is on fund accounting and utility billing. Our products have been nationally reviewed and received high marks. Our plans call for continued growth in our specialties, seizing opportunities to expand in adjunct products, as opportunities are presented. Our customers are loyal. They have confidence in our ability to harness technology in an orderly and timely fashion. They know we will be there to serve and support them as we have since 1974.