Company History

• The 1980's: Pioneer in Micro Games & Early Innovations

  Technology Systems was founded in the early days of micro computing. In 1981, Chuck Benton, TSI's founder, purchased an Apple computer to teach himself programming, and thus automate many of the mundane aspects of his job managing the field engineering office of a small flight simulator manufacturer. To make the task interesting, he decided to write an adventure game that parodied the dilemmas of the young single male. Thus was born what became 'Leisure Suit Larry,' arguably the first commercially successful, adult-oriented software ever. This was quickly followed by contract development of over a dozen titles (all much tamer), including 'Frogger,' BC's 'Quest for Tires,' and Disney's 'Donald Duck's Playground.'

  Transition into Research and Development

  By 1985, Technology Systems was incorporated and established in Maine. Next came a period focusing on the creation of over a dozen software applications addressing the industrial control and data acquisition markets. TSI's hired its first employee and developed applications ranging from a rocket fuel production monitoring system (Bayou Chemical), to microwave oven controllers (Amana), to Precision Measurement Systems for dimensional control (Xerox). We also developed low level network drivers that tucked a high performance virtual network into the Ethernet environment to transparently support high volume scanned document storage over a traditional office network.

  SIMNET

  In 1987, the Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency (DARPA) released a Small Business Innovation Research ( SBIR) program topic requesting 'the application of arcade level technology to the problems of military simulations.' Before long, TSI was combining its gaming and network expertise to create the first externally implemented implementation of BBN's SIMNET (Simulation Network) protocols. We also shocked the military-industrial folks by doing it with a PC and by commercially delivering systems at less than 10% of the cost of traditional systems of the time. This was followed by the first publicly released implementation of Distributed Interactive Simulation protocols (now an IEEE standard), and early work in development of High Level Architecture implementations upon a network of PCs. We created a networked based communications system that was used in classified exercises run in the U.S., Korea, and Germany … long before voice communications over the Internet became commonplace. We also developed a PC based training system for use by the Army and the National Guard that provided training capabilities at pennies on the dollar compared to the main-stream systems of the Army (CCTT).

• The 1990's: Advanced Simulation, Networking, and Mixed Reality

  Concurrent with this work, TSI developed integrated flight training systems for both simulators and aircraft that are widely copied by leaders in the industry today. We pioneered the integration of live and virtual systems by instrumenting live vehicles (Russian T-72s and BMPs) and wirelessly beaming this data into the virtual environment, all in real time. And we initiated our Augmented Reality research and development efforts back in 1991.

  In 1991, TSI was designated a National SBIR Awardee of the Year. And in both 1996 and 1998, we won the National Small Business Administration’s SBIR Tibbett's Awards. We are recognized as a 'Small Business Model of Excellence' and are actively involved in state and national programs that support this important segment of the national economy.

• The 2000's: Augmented Reality, Unmanned Mission Planning, Advanced Systems Integration

  As the new millennium started, so did a new phase of TSI’s focus and capabilities. Maritime applications became the centerpiece of our focus, and the US Navy a key sponsor of our work. Under the SBIR program, we identified and developed breakthrough technologies for shipbuilding that exploited emerging capabilities in laser welding. Working with industry, academic, and military partners, this capability was eventually spun off into a separate company, Precision Light Systems (http://www.plsystems.us/).

  The capabilities we had developed in blending live and virtual worlds took on new dimensions with the creation of Augmented Reality Navigation systems for Navy ships and small craft. This focus opened numerous new business areas, plus brought the award of several patents. We are especially proud of the fact that we are not only the most senior R&D group that has been actively and continuously involved in the area of Augmented Reality (17 years as of this writing), but also one of the only groups to have successfully transitioned our R&D into practical products used in the fleet today.

  Concurrent with the increased focus on maritime surface technologies, we also entered the world of unmanned systems. This started with a focus on autonomous undersea technologies ranging from ad-hoc networking protocols, to Solar-rechargeable submersibles, to mission planners and support systems. A key new capability developed to support this area was a modular toolkit that has become the backbone of all our present day capabilities. This tool kit is now enabling us to expand our unmanned systems capabilities to include support for USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles), UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), and even amphibious robotic platforms.

  TSI’s technological expertise is coalescing in several key synergistic areas, and there is a strong sense that we are on the edge of a new chapter in TSI’s growth that will have significant and far reaching impact, both for us and our customers. The rate of change n the world is accelerating, and we are poised to ride the wave of new capabilities that will improve all aspects of our commerce, security, and lives.

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Chuck Benton retains full ownership of TSI and has taken the position of Chief Technical Officer (CTO).  In 2005 Tom Zysk came aboard as Chief Operating Officer of the TSI team.  Tom is a former Navy Captain with years of experience managing technology.  If you need a team that has a track record of vision and capability, Technology Systems is your team.

Check out what we're currently up to; we're continuing to lead the way.