Most Engineering students stay bogged down with work during their four years at the University. But simply being an engineer was not enough for one student. Abir Ray, a 1998 graduate, decided he could not wait to graduate before getting into the fast-growing Internet and computer market.
While still studying computer science engineering, Ray founded Expression Networks, which has since made a name for itself by providing e-commerce solutions and Internet-based network services for enterprise and consumer markets.
With 10 employees on its roster and annual sales totaling $3 million, the company offers services such as co-location - a service in which Expression Networks houses its clients' servers on its networks - hosting, e-commerce and tailored Virtual Private Network solutions over its private network.
VPNs are business-critical, wide-area networking solutions that enable an organization to securely and reliably communicate with its offices, employees, business partners and customers.
|
Basically, Expression Networks designs an entire network, more commonly termed intranet, for a client company's use.
"Our services enable companies to take advantage of standard Internet tools, such as browsers and high-performance servers for customized data communications within an enterprise and between an enterprise and its suppliers, partners and customers," said Director of Corporate Operations David Brewster, a 1996 College graduate.
Some of Expression Networks' clients include the Intel Corporation, the Department of Treasury, musician Jimmy Buffett of "Margaritaville" fame, the Michelin Corporation and the Walt Disney Corporation.
With clients such as these, the firm stays busy.
"Literally, our days are non-stop action. Client meetings, site development, network management and technical support keep us hopping," Brewster said.
"Most days we'll have one to three clients in the office, multiple inquiries about our services from our online forms, and multiple phone conversations from around the world," he said. "It's not uncommon for some employees to receive two to three calls at night from some of our clients around the world. So we keep busy."
"There's no place for the lazy in our business," he added.
The Internet sector is a fast-moving market which allows for companies to rise exponentitally if they are in the right place at the right time. The company sustained slow but steady growth until the fourth quarter of 1999, when a massive growth phase was initiated through increased marketing.
Brewster expects the company to experience "unlimited growth."
"We're hiring two new employees a month at our current rate, and already planning a move to a much bigger office space as we have already outgrown our current location in the short time of two months," he said.
The company is made up of a relatively young group of people.
"Our average age in the office is 24 - the two oldest employees in the company are 29," Brewster said.
As a result, the company has a more relaxed environment than most other companies in the corporate world.
Fourth-year college student Melissa Huhn is currently a Web developer at Expression Networks.
"It's good for students because it's really exciting work and it's convenient for University students," she said.
"I love working [there] because it's so laid back; it's just a young, fun start-up," she added.
(Business editor Mona S. Rahman contributed to this article.)
Read More
New School of Data Science building opens with remarks and ceremony
By Cecilia Mould | 2 hours agoThe four-story, 61,000 square-foot building includes four classrooms and two seminar rooms, as well as a two-story central hub for hosting events.
Democratic Futures Project fellow Félix Maradiaga announces campaign to end arbitrary detention
By Caroline Hagood | 2 hours agoA public website for the campaign launched Friday, which Maradiaga says is the first step towards raising awareness.
HRL preassigns 25 percent of returning resident advisors for 2024-25 academic year
By Cecilia Mould | 6 hours agoSome SRs are upset with this change, with two SRs saying that it has somewhat reduced the relative autonomy they have had when choosing their staff in past years.
