We celebrated 25 years in business on March 13, 2015 (founded in 1990). The following is a listing of the major ‘pivot points’ in our history. [ ‘Highlights’ are shown in red ].
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
1990
FOUNDED – March 13, 1990 [ Farmington Hills, Michigan ]
BECAME COMPUTER HARDWARE “VALUE-ADDED RESELLER”
– Became an Apple dealer (Value-Added Reseller)
– Became an Everex dealer (Value-Added Reseller)
– Became a Hewlett-Packard dealer (Value-Added Reseller)
PIONEERED HIGH-END COLOR “DESKTOP PUBLISHING”
– Became Adobe dealer (“Photoshop 1.0” – Image editing software )
– Became Aldus dealer (“PageMaker” – Page layout software [ Now “InDesign” ] )
– Became Autodesk dealer (Value-Added Reseller – “AutoCAD” software)
– Became Crystal Graphics dealer (Value-Added Reseller – “Lumena” 3D modeling/animation software)
– Became NPS dealer (Value-Added Reseller – “Page Express” – High-end color separation/page layout software)
– Became Quark Express dealer (Value-Added Reseller – Page layout software)
– Became a Sharp dealer (Value-Added Reseller – High-end image scanners)
– Became a Textronix dealer (Value-Added Reseller – High-end output printers)
– Moved offices to Royal Oak, Michigan (Northern area)
1991
CREATED FIRST-EVER ANNUAL REPORT PRODUCED TOTALLY ON A “DESKTOP” COMPUTER
– 1990 Chrysler Annual Report (First-ever Annual Report created totally on a “desktop” computer; On an Apple Macintosh). [ We also did the 1991 Annual Report on our customized system ].
– Hired “Art Directors” to train the Art Directors that will use the color layout systems we install
– Became a Kinetic Graphics dealer (Value-Added Reseller – Desktop slide production system)
1992
– Became an AGFA dealer (Value-Added Reseller – High-end image scanners)
1993
FOUNDED ‘VIRTUAL CORPORATION’ ADVERTISING AGENCY
– Founded “3517” (“Visible, Inc.”), a ‘virtual corporation’ that created a full-service advertising agency with six separate corporations (Visual IMPACT!; Vision Production; Regis Communications; Potter Productions; Tone International Music; Melinda Cooper Associates)
– Became Sun Microsystems dealer (Value-Added Reseller – IRIS workstations for the print industry)
– Apple-certified Video Reseller
PIONEERED “DESKTOP” COMPUTER VIDEO PRODUCTION
– Produced demo video for Radius “VideoVision” editing system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hBu5Q2aDxg
LAUNCHED FIRST WEB SITE
– Launched our first web site (One of the first 10,000 sites on the Internet – there were over 1,000,000,000 in late 2014).
http://www.spiritedesign.com/VISIBLE/index.htm
– Began offering web design services
1994
– Became a Macromedia dealer (Value-Added Reseller – Design/Animation and Website development software)
– Produced our first broadcast TV advertising spots (for Jeep and McDonalds)
BEGAN OFFERING “INTERACTIVE” PRESENTATIONS
– Produced our first ‘interactive’ computer presentations (for Kraft and National Bank of Detroit – on a “floppy” disk). Supplied interactive “kiosks” for trade shows.
– Sponsored a youth hockey team
– Introduced our new logo
1996
CHANGED BUSINESS FOCUS
– Changed our focus to being a “creative studio” rather than “Value-added Reseller” of computer hardware systems (Apple allows CompUSA to buy high-end computers)
– Moved offices to Royal Oak, Michigan (Downtown)
– Updated our logo (3D look)
1997
STARTED OFFERING TRADE SHOW PRODUCTS/SERVICES
– Began offering trade show products (Became Expand International dealer)
– Administered corporate branding program and marketing strategy for Complete Business Solutions, Inc. (1997-1999)
1999
– Produced our first radio advertising campaign (Detroit Boat Show)
2000
– Launched new web site
http://4vis.com/VISI2007/index.htm
2003
– Became “AGAM” modular exhibit reseller
2008
– Updated our logo
– Launched our new “iFrames” web site
http://4vis.com/splash.html
2009
STARTED OFFERING ONLINE and MOBILE MARKETING SERVICES
– Launched “Add IMPACT!,” our Internet marketing division
http://www.addimpact.biz/
– Began offering mobile advertising
2011
– Began pro-bono work for “Life Remodeled” non-profit (yearly to present)
2013
– Launched our new “mobile responsive” web site [ March 13th ]
https://visualimpactsystems.com/
2015
– Celebrated our 25th anniversary in business [ March 13th ]
Proud of what we’ve accomplished, and looking forward to the NEXT 25 YEARS!
Visual Impact Systems thanks every one of our over 250 clients for having the confidence in us for their marketing needs for the past 25 years! (Click here for a listing). We plan to continue to provide products and services that accomplish our company tagline, “Ideas That Transform“—which refers to how we combine compelling design, a strong marketing strategy, and innovative technologies to change the impact of your corporate marketing message from just ordinary to extraordinary, and from commonplace to influential.
Contact us today (248-548-7000) to learn how we can help your company transform your marketing results!
2020
– Celebrated our 30th anniversary in business [ March 13th ]
Continuing to ‘IMPACT’ the marketing messages of clients with ‘IDEAS THAT TRANSFORM’!
Visual Impact Systems has now helped over 400 clients—click here for a listing—and plan to continue to combine compelling design, a strong marketing strategy, and innovative technologies to change the impact of corporate marketing messages and transform their marketing results!
WHAT HAPPENED on MARCH 13, 1990:
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union approves changes to the Constitution of the Soviet Union to create a strong U.S.-style presidency. Mikhail Gorbachev is elected to a five-year term as the first-ever President of the Soviet Union.
WHAT HAPPENED in 1990:
Computer Highlights:
– Macintosh OS6 and Windows 3.0 released (“Office” 1.0 released).
– Macintosh IIfx and “PCs” get the “486” chip from Intel (“386SL” for portables).
– Adobe Photoshop 1.0 released.
– Pokémon game released.
– “Video Toaster” production system released (popular with public access TV stations since it could not do broadcast quality).
– Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and the ‘foundation’ for the World Wide Web (it would be released to the public on August 6, 1991). [ His first public “HTML” web page is archived here: http://www.w3.org/History/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html ].
– “The World” was the first commercial “dial-up” provider to access the World Wide Web.
– Creative Labs introduces the “SoundBlaster Pro” sound board for PCs.
– IBM introduces the “XGA” graphic video specification (an upgrade to “VGA”) and begins shipping the “PS/1” and “RISC Station 6000.”
– Consortium of companies introduces “SVGA” graphic video standard.
– “Multimedia PC” (“MPC”) specification published.
– Sun Microsystems ships “SPARCstation2”.
– “Gopher” is the first search-and-retrieval tool for the World Wide Web.
– “Archie” search engine released
– The “Internet Movie Database” launched.
Additional Computer History for 1990:
http://www.computerhope.com/history/1990.htm
http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?year=1990
Important World Events:
Wikipedia Page