On January 1st I assume my new responsibilities as the CEO of Point 2 Technologies. I fly to Saskatoon early tomorrow morning (New Year’s Day) to spend a week at Point2 before heading to New York City to attend Inman Connect. I have a lot of work to do to get a firm understanding of all the products and services, hardware and software, and also the current management structure and all the people working at Point2. Having said that, I have already spent considerable time on this and my major areas of emphasis for 2008 will be:

People:

Employees - The biggest investment and greatest asset of the company, of many if not most companies, are the employees. Happy, satisfied employees insure the best performance. My background as a Naval Officer leads me to put people above all else. One of my favorite leadership quotes is by John Paul Jones, Father of the US Navy..."Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship." Working with the Team at Point2, stressing the value of the Team, and working to build the Team is high on my list of priorities.

Customers – Our customers deserve the best, and consumers will remain loyal to a company that puts them first. First rate customer service will continue to be emphasized at Point2 as we work to exceed expectations at every opportunity. I will be looking to our customers to help us make our products and services better and more useful than ever. The best way to ensure our customers get the most out of the products and services is to provide them with effective and convenient training, which will continue and grow at Point2.

Product Development:

Developing products our customers can use, based in large part on what our customers tell us they want and need. I will continue to spend two weeks a month (instead of three weeks) traveling around the US and Canada, talking to REALTORS, Real Estate Associations, MLSs, Brokers and Managers, and also communicating with our customers in the heavy equipment sector, essentially working to understand what our customers need so they can serve the changing consumer needs…putting technology to work in their business. The real estate industry continues to transition, in part due to generational differences. At Point2 we will work to help define the future, not just react to it.

Revenue:

Exploring old and new revenue opportunities to fund existing and new projects for the benefit of our customer base and the company.

Alliances:

Joining together with the best to bring our customers the best. Few companies can do it on their own -- strategic alliances, partnerships, and shared services are critical to the success of most companies today.

And what about InternetCrusade?

We will continue to provide the products and services to which our customers have become accustomed. Look for more innovation at RealTown, new online courses, enhanced e-mail services, more SSO (Single Sign On), Security Solutions, and Strategic Alliances and Partnerships. I will spend one week a month and weekends in San Diego (which is the same amount of time I have been spending in San Diego since April 2002). At IC we have the technologies in place (developed in-house by our programmers) that allow me to run the business without a constant presence in San Diego. I also have my partners John Reilly and Mike Barnett, and my “Secret Weapon,” our Chief Operating Officer, Janie (who is also my wife and takes care of the details of the company), and our staff of 40 fantastic people who make me look good. 

Have a safe and Prosperous 2008!

Saul