Greetings, followers of The Warren Report!
We here at FiveLabs had a blast developing the new-and-improved TheWarrenReport.com — and we thank Warren for offering to provide a little PR for us. If you are in need of some help on the technology front, please visit our site, and give us a call!

Here is a brief Q&A on *FiveLabs* <http://www.fivelabs.com>:

Q: What does FiveLabs do?
A: We build software — such as websites, workflow systems, or any other software that involves the management, transaction, or calculation of data and images. We plan and implement software projects, and technical architecture. We find and resolve major system issues. We also evaluate and assist with projects in mid-stream, especially if they seem to be falling behind or off-track. Our IT solutions solve business problems.

Q: So, if somebody needs something coded, he/she can contact you?
A: Well, yes. But keep in mind, our background and our value involves more than that — we represent many years of leadership, both in the form of technology AND planning: risk mitigation, issue resolution, and execution of technology projects. These skills allow us to save our clients time and money, making the most of what they invest in technology. Some people call it consulting; it’s really just a lot of experience mixed with the passion to get it right and be swift, thorough, and precise while we work. Our results represent our firm’s commitment. So, yes, we can code. More often we can do way more than just that.

Q: How large is the FiveLabs team?
A: We can do projects that require from 2 to 20 resources. We often work as part of a larger project, with resources from our clients, and even other vendors. We’ve worked with off-shore teams as well. Small firms use us to ensure their technology platforms and architecture is sound, as they start up, and as they grow. Large firms tend to use our services in a more targeted manner: to evaluate specific systems, or help with specific projects– in that case, we work with in-house IT staff.

Q: So, what would be some examples of your work in the past?
A: Well, glad you asked. Examples are at the bottom, in case that’s of interest.

Q: What is the first step if we think we might see an opportunity for you?
A: Contact us! We might be tenacious about following up on a lead, but we promise that we’re very easy to talk with. Initial discussions are no-charge, and we are up front if the fit is not right for our firm — we’ll do our best to find the right one for you.

Beth Lyons and Matt Francis, Partners
FiveLabs, Inc. <http://www.fivelabs.com>
1817 Queen Anne Ave N
Suite 303
Seattle, WA 98109
206.319.0230 x24

Examples of our work:

-Well, of course, there is TheWarrenReport.com<http://www.TheWarrenReport.com>.
We worked with Warren over a series of fun and pain-free meetings, where we listened to what he needed, reviewed options for the look of the site, asked for his frequent feedback, developed what he needed, and refined the site until it was ready for him to use. Our goal is for Warren to have a MUCH better time with his site in 2010, and to help him be more successful in the areas of event management, video blog presentation, and increased site traffic.

-FiveLabs assisted a well-known online retail site over a period of 18 months– beginning with a total re-platform of their site, since their old system was not able to scale with their impressive growth. This was followed by designing and building a long list of enhancements supporting
international expansion, improved (faster) performance, and better user experience. Our series of projects, all done in collaboration with the in-house client team, culminated in a full-site re-design that launched this past summer. It was featured in *The Wall Street Journal*.

-A large firm that designs and produces educational materials (K-12 and post-secondary) acquired a smaller firm in order to expand its overall offering, in terms of web presence and user-designed products. They planned to re-write all the newly acquired systems, in order to be able to process
orders uniformly, but the project faced major difficulty as time-to-market and cost projections skyrocketed. FiveLabs was asked to do a 2-day evaluation of the (woefully behind schedule) project. Our recommendation allowed the existing systems to remain intact, with a small, elegant custom
layer of software, directing and translating data for all technology involved. Cost and time estimates were revised and contained, and the full system was available for the next sales cycle.

-A major human resources consulting firm enlisted FiveLabs to review and evaluate an existing set of applications supporting their customer-facing Benefits offering. Some of the software was web-based, but designed and built in the early 90′s, and some was even older than that, and not
accessible via the internet. FiveLabs re-designed the offering to provide all features via an updated and re-platformed web interface, complete with high-end graphics and extensive customized reporting for the firm’s in-house consultants and clients.

Directed by Gil (MONSTER HOUSE) Kenan, CITY OF EMBER boasts smashing production design — steampunk meets Disney’s sewers — and a smart, if under-utilized cast. (Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Toby Jones and Marianne Jean-Baptiste make good impressions in their short screen stints.) The movie has some surprising moments — the giant, star-nosed mole is frightfully inspired — but fewer than desired. This paucity of shocks and twists, in conjunction with the absence of a true villain, keep Caroline (EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) Thompson‘s adaptation of the first book of Jeanne Duprau‘s mysterious epic from being a kids’ cinema classic, yet CITY OF EMBER entertains while providing teachable moments from the pages of the original.

Perhaps Kenan shot more than met our eyes. If so, a director’s cut would be welcome unlike so many other rehashed re-releases. If not, do they call him irresponsible? Who wrote those additional characters off the page?

What do you think? Have you seen CITY OF EMBER? Have you read Duprau’s series? Don’t you remember? Draw your own conclusions and share them here, please.