tech, design, and business. mjølner update 3rd, 2013

3rd Quarter 2013

EDITORIAL

25 YEARS OF CUSTOMER-CENTRIC IT SOLUTIONS

UPDATE

October 1st was a big day for Mjølner as well as for me

personally. It marked our 25-year anniversary in the ever-

changing software industry.

Mjølner started as a workplace where we could devote

ourselves to research for me and eight other computer

scientists is now a growing business with more than 75

creative and highly professional employees.

What started it all was our mutual interest and belief in

object-oriented software. But today, Mjølner is far more

than that.

The modern Mjølner is a software and design consultancy.

To our academic roots, we have added comprehensive expe-

rience with a fundamentally customer-centric approach: We

are determined to ensure that our clients will experience the

value of every step we take.

This issue of Mjølner UPDATE is dedicated to our 25th

anniversary. It brings together stories of both the new and

classic services we provide and, of course, a report from our

anniversary reception.

Learn about co-founder Elmer Sandvad and how his role

has changed through his 25 years with Mjølner from soft-

ware developer to consultant steering customers through

the process of public tenders. Read about our anniversary

celebration where a mix of former co-workers, partners and

the Mayor of Aarhus participated. And get your technical fix

by learning about enterprise app development for Windows

platforms.

We also share our experiences with mentoring innovation

processes and finally, we offer a developer’s perspective on

the highlights from our demonstrations of TouchGFX.

Best Regards,

Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO

EDITORIAL

25 YEARS OF CUSTOMER-CENTRIC IT SOLUTIONS

UPDATE

October 1st was a big day for Mjølner as well as for me

personally. It marked our 25-year anniversary in the ever-

changing software industry.

Mjølner started as a workplace where we could devote

ourselves to research for me and eight other computer

scientists is now a growing business with more than 75

creative and highly professional employees.

What started it all was our mutual interest and belief in

object-oriented software. But today, Mjølner is far more

than that.

The modern Mjølner is a software and design consultancy.

To our academic roots, we have added comprehensive expe-

rience with a fundamentally customer-centric approach: We

are determined to ensure that our clients will experience the

value of every step we take.

This issue of Mjølner UPDATE is dedicated to our 25th

anniversary. It brings together stories of both the new and

classic services we provide and, of course, a report from our

anniversary reception.

Learn about co-founder Elmer Sandvad and how his role

has changed through his 25 years with Mjølner from soft-

ware developer to consultant steering customers through

the process of public tenders. Read about our anniversary

celebration where a mix of former co-workers, partners and

the Mayor of Aarhus participated. And get your technical fix

by learning about enterprise app development for Windows

platforms.

We also share our experiences with mentoring innovation

processes and finally, we offer a developer’s perspective on

the highlights from our demonstrations of TouchGFX.

Best Regards,

Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO

Advisor and Translator

It’s not only our knowledge of IT and public tenders that has

proven useful. The ability to make IT lingo understandable to

decision-makers in other fields has proven equally valuable.

I have worked with Elmer and several of his colleagues

before. A consistent trait for all of them is their ability

to make complicated IT terminology understandable to

anyone. This positively differentiates Mjølner from many

other companies.

- Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt.

The combination of IT expertise, bid managing experience,

and the ability to communicate the intricacies of IT in a clear

and simple way has proven to be of great value to our clients

faced with the complex challenge of public tenders.

For further information contact:

Elmer Sandvad

+45 41 95 36 09 / [email protected]

MJØLNER HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC TENDERS, BUT WE ONLY RECENTLY REALIZED HOW MUCH VALUE THIS EXPERIENCE CAN GIVE OUR CLIENTS. ELMER SANDVAD’S WORK WITH PLAN & PROJEKT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

Plan & Projekt is a consultancy specializing in advising and

planning for the energy sector. In November 2012, they

helped issue a public tender for the development,

implementation, and maintenance of two web platforms

for consumers and technicians respectively.

With a vantage point in his experience as a bid manager

and computer scientist, Elmer Sandvad advised Plan &

Projekt in the issuing of this tender.

Although we know a thing or two about IT, it is not our

primary focus. Elmer’s knowledge of IT and his experience

as a bid manager have been very valuable. He brings new

and unexpected perspectives to the table, and his academic

understanding of IT has been a true lifesaver for us.

From Experience to Service

As with Mjølner in general, Elmer Sandvad’s work has

changed during the last 25 years.

From being the mastermind behind Mjølner’s first paid

project – embedded software for a manure-spreader

– today, Elmer Sandvad advises clients in processes of

public tenders. Mjølner has vast experience with both bid

management and public tenders in general, but it wasn’t

until recently that we realized how much value this

experience can give our clients.

When starting in 1988, I had no idea that this would

become a significant field of expertise. However, in

helping e.g. Plan & Projekt in their work it has become

more and more clear how much our experience can offer.

Not least, my personal experience as a bid manager has

proved very beneficial.

- Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner.

PUBLIC TENDERING: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHALLENGE

ELMER’S KNOWLEDGE OF IT AND HIS EXPERIENCE AS A BID MANAGER

BRING NEW AND UNEXPECTED PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE.

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt; Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner

Advisor and Translator

It’s not only our knowledge of IT and public tenders that has

proven useful. The ability to make IT lingo understandable to

decision-makers in other fields has proven equally valuable.

I have worked with Elmer and several of his colleagues

before. A consistent trait for all of them is their ability

to make complicated IT terminology understandable to

anyone. This positively differentiates Mjølner from many

other companies.

The combination of IT expertise, bid managing experience,

and the ability to communicate the intricacies of IT in a clear

and simple way has proven to be of great value to our clients

faced with the complex challenge of public tenders.

Elmer Sandvad

MJØLNER HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC TENDERS, BUT WE ONLY RECENTLY REALIZED HOW MUCH VALUE THIS EXPERIENCE CAN GIVE OUR CLIENTS. ELMER SANDVAD’S WORK WITH PLAN & PROJEKT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

Plan & Projekt is a consultancy specializing in advising and

planning for the energy sector. In November 2012, they

helped issue a public tender for the development,

implementation, and maintenance of two web platforms

for consumers and technicians respectively.

With a vantage point in his experience as a bid manager

and computer scientist, Elmer Sandvad advised Plan &

Projekt in the issuing of this tender.

Although we know a thing or two about IT, it is not our

primary focus. Elmer’s knowledge of IT and his experience

as a bid manager have been very valuable. He brings new

and unexpected perspectives to the table, and his academic

understanding of IT has been a true lifesaver for us.

From Experience to Service

As with Mjølner in general, Elmer Sandvad’s work has

changed during the last 25 years.

From being the mastermind behind Mjølner’s first paid

project – embedded software for a manure-spreader

– today, Elmer Sandvad advises clients in processes of

public tenders. Mjølner has vast experience with both bid

management and public tenders in general, but it wasn’t

until recently that we realized how much value this

experience can give our clients.

When starting in 1988, I had no idea that this would

become a significant field of expertise. However, in

helping e.g. Plan & Projekt in their work it has become

more and more clear how much our experience can offer.

Not least, my personal experience as a bid manager has

proved very beneficial.

- Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner.

ELMER’S KNOWLEDGE OF IT AND HIS EXPERIENCE AS A BID MANAGER

BRING NEW AND UNEXPECTED PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE.

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt

Pia Rosenberg, Energy Planner and Partner at Plan & Projekt; Elmer Sandvad, Co-founder and Presales Manager, Mjølner

ON OCTOBER 1ST, WE CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY. JOINING US AT THE RECEPTION WAS AN OVERWHELMING MIX OF FORMER CO-WORKERS, CLIENTS AND PART-NERS, AND THE MAYOR OF AARHUS.

Mjølner’s history leads back to 1986 when the Mjølner

research project started. The overall aim of this Scandina-

vian project was to realize the full potential of object-

oriented software.

In 1988, our CEO and co-founder, Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen,

and eight other computer scientists started the company

Mjølner Informatik (later renamed Mjølner Informatics).

Today, Mjølner is a design and software consultancy with

more than 75 employees. In his reception speech, the CEO

targeted these employees and Mjølner’s clients:

I never expected Mjølner to become what it is today, but I am

extremely proud. You, the employees and our clients, drive

Mjølner’s continuous progress. Your curiosity and challenges

is a constant inspiration and the key to our success.

- Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner.

Mayor: Mjølner is What Aarhus and Denmark Needs

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, also shared a few

thoughts at the reception. After stating the fact that 25

years in the software industry is essentially an eternity, he

Based on academic knowledge, Mjølner creates innovative

and business generating IT solutions and that bring financi-

al growth. Mjølner is a shining example of what I believe to

be the profit-makers of Aarhus and Denmark in the future.

- Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus.

Ready for Another 25 Years

The reception was a chance to share an enjoyable

afternoon with clients, business partners, and previous

employees.

Today, we are more ready than ever to take on another

25 years in one of the most exciting and rapidly changing

industries.

CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY

YOU, THE EMPLOYEES AND OUR CLIENTS, DRIVE MJØLNER’S CONTINUOUS PROGRESS.

YOUR CURIOSITY AND CHALLENGES IS A CONSTANT INSPIRATION AND THE KEY

TO OUR SUCCESS. Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner

ON OCTOBER 1ST, WE CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY. JOINING US AT THE RECEPTION WAS AN OVERWHELMING MIX OF FORMER CO-WORKERS, CLIENTS AND PART-NERS, AND THE MAYOR OF AARHUS.

Mjølner’s history leads back to 1986 when the Mjølner

research project started. The overall aim of this Scandina-

vian project was to realize the full potential of object-

oriented software.

In 1988, our CEO and co-founder, Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen,

and eight other computer scientists started the company

Mjølner Informatik (later renamed Mjølner Informatics).

Today, Mjølner is a design and software consultancy with

more than 75 employees. In his reception speech, the CEO

targeted these employees and Mjølner’s clients:

I never expected Mjølner to become what it is today, but I am

extremely proud. You, the employees and our clients, drive

Mjølner’s continuous progress. Your curiosity and challenges

is a constant inspiration and the key to our success.

- Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner.

Mayor: Mjølner is What Aarhus and Denmark Needs

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, also shared a few

thoughts at the reception. After stating the fact that 25

years in the software industry is essentially an eternity, he

Based on academic knowledge, Mjølner creates innovative

and business generating IT solutions and that bring financi-

al growth. Mjølner is a shining example of what I believe to

be the profit-makers of Aarhus and Denmark in the future.

- Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus.

Ready for Another 25 Years

The reception was a chance to share an enjoyable

afternoon with clients, business partners, and previous

employees.

Today, we are more ready than ever to take on another

25 years in one of the most exciting and rapidly changing

industries.

YOU, THE EMPLOYEES AND OUR CLIENTS, DRIVE MJØLNER’S CONTINUOUS PROGRESS.

YOUR CURIOSITY AND CHALLENGES IS A CONSTANT INSPIRATION AND THE KEY

TO OUR SUCCESS. Jørgen Lindskov Knudsen, CEO of Mjølner

MJØLNER IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE

PROFIT-MAKERS OF AARHUS AND DENMARK IN THE FUTURE.

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus

“STORY

MJØLNER IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE

PROFIT-MAKERS OF AARHUS AND DENMARK IN THE FUTURE.

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus

“STORY

ENTERPRISE APPSFOR WINDOWS

THE DEMAND FOR ENTERPRISE APPS IS RISING, ALSO ON WINDOWS PLATFORMS. AT CAMPUS DAYS 2013, MICROSOFT’S BIGGEST DANISH CONFERENCE THIS YEAR, FREDERIK JOHANSEN LED TWO SESSIONS ON MEETING THIS DEMAND. Bring your own device (BYOD) is a growing global tendency.

In short, BOYD denotes the practice of employees bringing

their own devices to work and using these instead of

corporate devices.

Implementing BYOD has many proven benefits, a significant

example being an increase in employee loyalty and produc-

tivity. But it can be hard to handle. It complicates security

and IT management. And then there’s the issue of platform

specific development of your enterprise apps.

The 8’s: Windows and Windows Phone

When allowing employees to use their own devices it’s

important that the required digital tools are available on

the users’ platform of choice. While iOS and Android are

still the preferred mobile platforms, Windows is gaining

ground. Still, only few developers focus on this platform.

Our Software Architect Frederik Johasen, spe-

cializes in Windows development and espe-

cially its enterprise possibilities. This is

an advantage to our partners: Mjølner

can handle all relevant platforms when

implementing BYOD.

The best in Denmark

Not only did Frederik Johansen lead two

sessions at Campus Days 2013 about this

exact field. He was also highlighted in

the conference keynote. The host urged

participants to join Frederik Johansen’s

sessions. Because, as he said:

Frederik has a lot of experience, and is probably the

most knowledgeable developer in this field in Denmark.

- Ole Kjeldsen, Director of Technology, Microsoft Denmark

Read more about BYOD at www.mjolner.dk/blog

ENTERPRISE APPSFOR WINDOWS

THE DEMAND FOR ENTERPRISE APPS IS RISING, ALSO ON WINDOWS PLATFORMS. AT CAMPUS DAYS 2013, MICROSOFT’S BIGGEST DANISH CONFERENCE THIS YEAR, FREDERIK JOHANSEN LED TWO SESSIONS ON MEETING THIS DEMAND. Bring your own device (BYOD) is a growing global tendency.

In short, BOYD denotes the practice of employees bringing

their own devices to work and using these instead of

corporate devices.

Implementing BYOD has many proven benefits, a significant

example being an increase in employee loyalty and produc-

tivity. But it can be hard to handle. It complicates security

and IT management. And then there’s the issue of platform

specific development of your enterprise apps.

The 8’s: Windows and Windows Phone

When allowing employees to use their own devices it’s

important that the required digital tools are available on

the users’ platform of choice. While iOS and Android are

still the preferred mobile platforms, Windows is gaining

ground. Still, only few developers focus on this platform.

Our Software Architect Frederik Johasen, spe-

cializes in Windows development and espe-

cially its enterprise possibilities. This is

an advantage to our partners: Mjølner

can handle all relevant platforms when

implementing BYOD.

The best in Denmark

Not only did Frederik Johansen lead two

sessions at Campus Days 2013 about this

exact field. He was also highlighted in

the conference keynote. The host urged

participants to join Frederik Johansen’s

sessions. Because, as he said:

Frederik has a lot of experience, and is probably the

most knowledgeable developer in this field in Denmark.

- Ole Kjeldsen, Director of Technology, Microsoft Denmark

Read more about BYOD at www.mjolner.dk/blog

INNOVATION IS ABOUT CREATING VALUE BY CARRYING THROUGH ON KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRATION. THIS FALL, MJØLNER IS HELPING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW GROW.

A couple of months ago, we were asked to share our know-

ledge of innovation and technology by serving as mentors

for the New Product Development Clinic at the Master’s

degree in Innovation Management at Aarhus University.

Mjølner, and two other contributors, posed innovation

challenges to the students.

Costumer-Driven Innovation with NFC Technology

The course takes the students through subjects such as

Radical Innovation and Lead-User Innovation. Issues that

are more than relevant to our own customers.

To help steer the process and to shake things up a bit, we

focused our challenge on NFC (Near Field Communication),

a new micro-location technology.

With a vantage point in our own approach and in line with

the approach taught in the course, our challenge called for

a strong focus on users.

Pragmatic, Customer-Driven Innovation

Innovation is what makes us able to move first and leave

our competitors desperate to catch up.

When working with innovation, we maintain a strong focus

on how to crate value to the end-user. Value that directly

or indirectly will generate revenue to our customer as fast

as possible.

For us, innovation is not a fuzzy goal requiring a long

and expensive process. It is the concrete task of maturing

creative ideas or inventions and bringing them to the

market in a way that creates value to the end-user and our

customer. We call this customer-driven or pragmatic

innovation.

- Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

The students receive feedback and mentoring throughout

the semester culminating in an executive review session

where all ideas are evaluated.

Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst

MENTORINGCUSTOMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION

FOR US, INNOVATION IS NOT A FUZZY GOAL REQUIRING A

LONG AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS. Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

New Product Development Clinic presentation

INNOVATION IS ABOUT CREATING VALUE BY CARRYING THROUGH ON KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRATION. THIS FALL, MJØLNER IS HELPING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW GROW.

A couple of months ago, we were asked to share our know-

ledge of innovation and technology by serving as mentors

for the New Product Development Clinic at the Master’s

degree in Innovation Management at Aarhus University.

Mjølner, and two other contributors, posed innovation

challenges to the students.

Costumer-Driven Innovation with NFC Technology

The course takes the students through subjects such as

Radical Innovation and Lead-User Innovation. Issues that

are more than relevant to our own customers.

To help steer the process and to shake things up a bit, we

focused our challenge on NFC (Near Field Communication),

a new micro-location technology.

With a vantage point in our own approach and in line with

the approach taught in the course, our challenge called for

a strong focus on users.

Pragmatic, Customer-Driven Innovation

Innovation is what makes us able to move first and leave

our competitors desperate to catch up.

When working with innovation, we maintain a strong focus

on how to crate value to the end-user. Value that directly

or indirectly will generate revenue to our customer as fast

as possible.

For us, innovation is not a fuzzy goal requiring a long

and expensive process. It is the concrete task of maturing

creative ideas or inventions and bringing them to the

market in a way that creates value to the end-user and our

customer. We call this customer-driven or pragmatic

innovation.

- Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

The students receive feedback and mentoring throughout

the semester culminating in an executive review session

where all ideas are evaluated.

Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst

MENTORINGCUSTOMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION

FOR US, INNOVATION IS NOT A FUZZY GOAL REQUIRING A

LONG AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS. Nikolaj Gandrup Borchorst, Senior UX Consultant, Mjølner.

New Product Development Clinic presentation

DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUR TouchGFX TECHNOLOGY AT VARIOUS EVENTS. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING AND CLEAR: TouchGFX IS A GREAT TOOL FOR DEVELOPERS.

In the latest Mjølner UPDATE, we advertised a seminar held

by EBV Elektronik and Mjølner.

The seminar focused on the challenges and possibilities

of meeting today’s demand for intuitive, graphical user

interfaces (GUIs) on industrial devices in a profitable manner.

Rapid Process & Quality Results

Due to the big interest, we held a second seminar. The two

seminars brought together Product Managers and Software

Developers from 18 different companies.

This is what one participant had to say about TouchGFX:

It does not take long to get the hang of TouchGFX. The PC

simulator and the variety of features make it easy to crea-

te unique GUI prototypes and finished products. TouchGFX

enables a rapid process with quality results.

- John Nørgaard, Software Engineer, Schneider Electric

European Response

In September, Mjølner participated in EBV’s training week

where 140 field application engineers from all over Europe

were trained in how to use promising technologies.

TouchGFX is a game changer for GUIs on hardware platforms

based on the Cortex-M family and alike. Impressive GUIs

on cost effective hardware is exactly what the market needs.

This is why TouchGFX is of high interest to EBV and our

customers.

- Karim Khebere, Technical Director, EMEA at EBV Elektronik

In November we attent the Embedded Conference

Scandinavia in Stockholm, with TouchGFX in hand. Together

with EBV, we will demonstrate TouchGFX’s capabilities as

well as give a tutorial: Modern Looking GUIs on Limited

Hardware Resources.

Learn more at www.embeddedconference.se

TouchGFX:A DEVELOPER’S TOOLBOX ESSENTIAL

TouchGFX ENABLES A RAPID PROCESS WITH QUALITY RESULTS.

John Nørgaard, Software Engineer, Schneider Electric

“ TouchGFX IS A GAME CHANGER FOR GUIS ON HARDWARE PLATFORMS BASED ON THE CORTEX-M FAMILY.Karim Khebere, Technical Director, EMEA at EBV Elektronik

“Karim Khebere

Technical Director

EMEA at EBV Elektronik