2015 is Over But What a Great Year!

As we begin a new year, we can’t help but to look back at the previous year. For Pragmatic Works, 2015 was an exceptional year. Here are some of the highlights:

Products

In early 2015, we launched our second server product, BI xPress Server. BI xPress Server gives users the monitoring and management features of BI xPress in a web-based server solution. Easily monitor SSRS reports and SSIS packages, dive into performance trends and notify users when packages succeed or fail.

Click here to download a free trial of BI xPress Server.

Arguably the most exciting thing that happened this past year was the May launch of LegiTest. LegiTest is a revolutionary tool that offers automated testing for all your data-driven applications. It allows you to test all aspects of the SQL Server stack and validates the data you provide to decision makers in your organization.

LegiTest Server, which launched in November, provides users with the ability to execute and view detailed results of data-centric tests in an easy-to-use, web-based application. Users can monitor live test results or view historical executions. LegiTest Server also enables notification on test results, letting users know when a test is complete or has errors.

In October, Pragmatic Works launched its first free tool CodeSlice. CodeSlice enables developers to easily use and share SSIS scripts.

On-Demand Training

Another very exciting launch in 2015 was our On-Demand Training platform. Pragmatic Works On-Demand Training give users the ability to learn from industry experts at your own pace. Our courses have been developed by industry experts and cover a variety of SQL Server and Business Intelligence topics.

Click here to try Pragmatic Works On-Demand Training free for seven days.

New Website

In October, we launched our new website! We are very excited about the new look and functionality. Our main goal with the new website was to provide a better user experience for visitors. If you haven't had the chance to look at it, please visit www.pragmaticworks.com and let us know what you think!

Company Awards

In 2015, Pragmatic Works was recognized for its work in the industry by winning several awards including:

• INC Magazine’s Top 5000 Companies
• Jacksonville Business Journal’s Best Places to Work
• Microsoft Northeast Partner of the Year
• HP Big Data Frontline Partner of the Year
• APS Partner of the Year

Employee Awards

Pragmatic Works would not be where we are today without the hard work and dedication of our employees. At the end of each year, we recognize employees who make a positive impact on the company:

• Steve Hughes, President’s Award – This award is given to an employee who has made the biggest impact over the entire organization.
• Mike Davis, Leadership Award – Leaders can often be found outside of executive offices. This award recognizes those who provide leadership separate from our company partners.
• Maggie Goodhart, Pragmatic Spirit and Rookie of the Year Award – Our Spirit Award, also known as People's Choice Award, is voted on by employees and is given to a person who is a cultural ambassador who represents the Pragmatic Works’ mission by Delivering Wow, Stays Connected to teams and is Fun, Creative and a Little Weird! The Rookie of the Year Award recognizes a new employee that has made the most impact on the company.
• Kathy Vick, Coach of the Year – With this award, we recognize the employee who takes time to mentor and support their colleagues.
• Gareth Swanepoel, Mastery Award – This award is given to an employee who is most improved in a new area or their own area of expertise.
• Brad Gall, Consultant of the Year
• Matt Whitefield, Developer of the Year
• Manuel Quintana, Support Tech of the Year
• Nick Slevoski, Sales Rep of the Year
• Jodi Teaman, Operational Excellence – This award is presented to an outstanding employee in the HR, Accounting or Marketing departments.
• Ginger Grant, Community Champion – In our industry, it’s very important to stay active in the SQL community. This award highlights the employee who stay active through industry outreach on social media, through their personal brand and speaking at community events.

Philanthropy

Kids Camp:

This past spring and summer, Pragmatic Works hosted four Kids Camps for children in the Jacksonville area. One was held in conjunction with SQLSaturday Jacksonville and two were held at Pragmatic Works’ corporate office. Kids Camp is hosted by Pragmatic Works’ Founder, Brian Knight and is a week-long technology adventure camp which aims to help kids ages 9-16 understand the basics of programming and other fun technology-related subjects. More than 60 kids participated in the camp.

Foundation:

Also this past summer, we held our Foundation course. The Pragmatic Works Foundation is dedicated to helping motivated, passionate individuals change their lives by learning in-demand technology skills. We are focused on promoting education and economic empowerment by introducing veterans, unemployed, underemployed and underprivileged youth to new skills and preparing them for a career in the technology industry.

Seamark Ranch:

Giving back during the holidays is one of the highlights of our year at Pragmatic Works. Each year, the company as a whole raises money to buy presents for kids in need. For the second year in a row, we presented gifts to the children at Seamark Ranch. Seamark Ranch is a local group home for less fortunate children, some of which have been abused or neglected. The children live there, go to school there and help maintain the working farm and ranch.

Giving Tuesday:

As part of Giving Tuesday, Pragmatic Works sold limited edition Gangsta Geek shirts with all the proceeds going to BASCA. BASCA’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Northeast Florida. Through the generosity of our customers, we were able to raise $500 for BASCA!

While we are thankful for all our accomplishments in 2015, we are most thankful for our loyal customers. We enjoy getting to work and interact with you and we can’t wait to work with you more in 2016!