A Virtual Network of Connections

A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

The ongoing cost and challenges of integrating disparate systems inside and outside the firewall continues to be one of the greatest challenges CIOs face in the selection and deployment of new technology solutions for their enterprise. The financial and human resource capital associated with integrating new software into existing enterprise ecosystems usually results in direct proportionate hesitancy among a companys technology leadership to act. While this may be in the best interest of the current systems technology supplier, this dithering environment limits the ability of the CIO to make the strategic decisions required to improve enterprise platform performance and efficiency. Authors:

Jennifer Amys, CEO UpNet Technologies Joseph Barisonzi, Senior Partner, Strategic Growth Initiative

7825 Washington Ave, S Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55439 T: 952.944.2345 F: 952.486.7610 info@upnettec.com www.upnettec.com

A Virtual Network of Connections

A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

Preview

The challenges of integrating disparate systems are not new to the modern enterprise. Commerce has always been confronted by the need to have different systems effectively work together, thus the eventual development of standardization.

Research Findings

Government and industry have attempted to impose standards to reduce the variable of difference among systems to decrease the costs associated with integration. From the time of the Roman Empire imposing standards on the width of axles to ensure consistency in road ruts so that necessary military and commercial traffic was not impeded by wheel ruts being different widths in different territories; to the standardization of certain commercial Railroad transportation and transaction forms as the predecessors of industry EDI standards.

Our research and subsequent analysis of the state of enterprise system integration concluded: 1

The sheer number of system interfaces is increasing significantly, especially regarding the connection to external stakeholders and partners.

Even though C-level leaderships primary objective has been to achieve a harmonious interface between these systems (or departments). However, due to leaderships own unique cultural and the inherent business requirements, the projected benefits of implementing a global enterprise solution are not realized. This underlying challenge has information and technology leadership butting heads leading to the addition of temporary upgrades, band aids, and more third party interfaces.

Each individual software product in itself is a unique system. Each version may have its own particular peculiarities and challenges. The environment in which two or more systems work together is the organizational ecosystem. Within this environment are individual systems associated with finance and accounting, production, ordering, shipping, customer service, sales, and marketing, for example. In addition to these traditional software applications or modules, new systems and sub-systems such as CRM, social media, mobile access points, logistics and business intelligence have emerged.The result is literally hundreds of disparate systems built in different technical languages with different models, assumptions, and data structures.

The Burden of Integration

demand and the complexity of heterogeneous IT environments created through mergers, acquisitions and customer demands. Connected environments require access to more information across the continuum of supplier and customer relationship management systems. The demand for quality information improves productivity, safety, compliance and peace-of-mind. Rapid development environments, ease of use, product reliability, platform stability and reduced costs are key attributes for evaluating new interface platform options. There has been no effective broad based technology standardization across industries or competing architectural platforms.

Aging legacy integration engines cannot keep pace with this growing

The Primary Challenge

A unique connection between each of the individual systems and business requirements has necessitated a unique mapor bridge based on each anticipated or required business action or event. If there are only two systems, then it will only need one bridge. If those systems don't change, and the business needs between the two systems stays the same, then the integration is solved. Even with connected enterprises the pressures of technology advancements and business environment changes demand ongoing evolution. The increasing need to integrate disjointed systems has put significant demand on the flexibility and speed of integration.

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

The Strategic Failure

The process of selecting new technology and software solutions should be driven by business demands for performance and ROI. Too often the limitations and disproportionate costs associated with a new software platform become the primary drivers for consideration, acceptance, and adoption of a promising new option and solution. For an enterprise, these costs and limitations becomes a critical strategic failure reducing mid and long-term performance while exponentially driving up costs associated with future implementation.

Now More than Ever

The need for effective system interfaces has never been more significant. The steady growth in quantity and diversity of trading partners, as well as enterprise demands to incorporate the use of new technologies and software platforms into the operations of the business, make effective integration essential. The emergence of cloud-based computing or the need to provide for integration among disparate system for internal enterprise operation from both sides of the firewall has put incredible stresses on the traditional security infrastructure of modern enterprises.

The Problems of the Traditional Approach

The current models to address the burden of integration have not significantly changed over the years. While the technology has changed dramatically, the underlying model of how to interface disparate systems, and the methodologies to accomplish this have remained consistent.

The Traditional Approach

The emergence of cloud-based computing has put incredible stresses on the traditional security infrastructure of modern enterprises.

The model has been to connect each individual system one-to-one. This is done by building the aforementioned bridge creating a single link between the systems that are needed. This one-to-one systems-based integration creates the road for necessary data to move from one specific location to another specific location.

Geometric Complexity: When more and more connections or bridges are required the complexity and associated cost, time and
highways.

There are three primary challenges with the one-to-one systems-based interface model:

instabilityof the total system geometrically increases. The result is complex overlapping bridges that create an image of metropolitan

and set of data. When things change, the bridge must be torn down and rebuilt the more global the technology upgrades the more bridges that would require rebuilding. It would be as if every time new model year cars were released, it would necessitate the construction of new bridges connecting the various islands of New York City.

Rigidity: Each bridge that is built starts from a defined location and ends at a defined location and is structured to move a specific type

Slow: Building a new one-to-one connection between each system takes real time and valuable resources. Middlewares with with new
pools. However, handled internally or externally, identifying and mapping the connection points is often an enormous undertaking that consumes an unpredictable amount of capital and time To address these concerns enterprises have attempted multiple strategies. These strategies can be grouped into two general categories: Standards and Centralization.

or modified GUI interfaces can be deployed and the associated labor required to read lines of code can be outsourced to offshore talent

Standards

Like the Romans and the widths of axles, or EDI conventionalities government, industries, and companies continue to try to manage the burden of integration through the deployment of standards. We see the Government Health Care Reform mandated the emergency of health information standards to support the portability of medical records, to the proliferation of APIs published by companies to standardize the communication of third party software built upon and augmenting primary systems. For example, some companies have

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

decades. The ability of the CIO to maintain the standards within his or her company is often a variable of current political dynamics within the corporation.

The effectiveness of standards is based on the ability of the entity setting the standards to enforce them and the costs associated with updating and maintaining them. This results in standards becoming guidelines, therefore, they are not consistently implemented among organizations. The Roman Empires use of the ruts to move their war chariots a powerful enforcer of the day throughout the empire, policing was a powerful tool to enforce standards. The dominance of major players in the Railroad industry, a regulated industry at the time, created a stability of EDI standards for

made commitments to only use Microsoft standardizing the operating platforms and software environment. Unfortunately, even the large software vendors are not able to satisfy all of the diverse needs of an enterprise; therefore, most companies have created data architectural standards to normalize the data definition across the corporate platforms; and leveraging traditional middleware to deliver this strategy.

Standards and Centralization both limit the available choices of an enterprise. This limitation restricts the companys ability to respond to new trends or shifts in the market.

Centralization

Another category of strategies to address the short comings of the one-to-one system-based model, is the centralization of systems and control of data. From ERP systems, to data warehousing the centralization approach attempts to reduce complexity by deploying a measure of control and commonality. It addresses inflexibility inherent in the system by adopting a centralized platform that has a suite of options (the Oracle suite, the Microsoft suite), and resolving the speed issues by using the templated plug and play systems just like big box retailers store designs can be plopped down wherever they are needed. The effectiveness of centralization is also often driven as much by political realities as by technical requirements. Such pressures often expose the technical short-comings of centralization due to the rapid change and evolution of technology. Once a system has been centralized there are Visigoths hammering at the gate threatening its very existence by immediately pushing the need for new improved versions. Despite coming from the same technology family, they require a whole new set of integration tools, resources and licenses. The political challenge of deploying a worldwide ERP system has been one of the biggest trials of many CIOs in their campaign for securing the budgets for an effective new initiative. Too often, the political landscape quickly proves to be a monster hungry for constant consumption of the CIO's shortness of political capital.

The Result of the Current Model

The result of the pervasive one-to-one system-based model is a messy rubric of overlapping standards, protocols, APIs, catalogs of maps, strategic limitations, and hidden costs. The dominant model delivers poor results. The burden of integration and its associated pressures remain on the top ten list of modern enterprise leaders. It never goes away, because it never quite works. There is always a report that is needed that cant be pulled because the data doesnt exist in the correct format, a metric that should be tracked that cant be pulled from the operating system into the reporting systems, and ROI that cant be calculated. All of these due to changes: business, environmental, staff skill set, and technology. At every trade show there is a plethora of new vendors promising new elixirs that will deliver a connection between two systems that previously had no bridge. The disappointing result is another long term license contract, a dependency on talent with a unique and limited skill, and another bridge in the complexity of a ridged structure.

Ineffective Results

Strategic Limitations

Standards and Centralization both limit the available choices of an enterprise. This limitation restricts the companys ability to respond to new trends or shifts in the market. By adding significant time and costs to the integration of any new trading or business partner or system, the company shifts the base for ROI calculation. This shift is often to the detriment of the enterprise. Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in the field of Business Intelligence (BI). Senior leadership appropriately demand increased data-driven analysis, not only of historical but near-real time business and market activities. This demand has generated a plethora of powerful report generators and attractive dashboards, but stumbled when challenged by the inability to pull, integrate, and deliver the data necessary to make the reports or dashboards meaningful.

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

The Hidden Costs

The true balance sheet of the cost of integration is hidden throughout the company. From connectivity charges and bandwidth costs, to staff time and outsourced vendor resources, to a laundry list of middleware solutions and licenses, the staff costs with dated skills sets and continue education; the total true costs of the one-to-one system-driven is significant. The largest hidden cost to a company for integration continues to be the lost opportunities because of the inability of the company to choose the right solutions, and the right time, to deliver the right information.

Summary

In the past, integration has been the bottleneck preventing pervasive application of cutting edge software into enterprise solutions. And to this date, the integration of major software platforms has continued to be an arduous task because of the following issues: Data required for the software is distributed at various locations in a companys information system complex. A knowledgeable person who is aware of the location of every single piece of information is tough to find. Complexity of the middleware tools requires a match of versions and the specific expertise of staff, which is costly to maintain inside the enterprise. Testing and quality assurance provided with middleware solutions work within the applications design limits. The integration issues tend to be a finger pointing exercise, lacking ownership of the outcome of cross-platform integration. Even if data exists, it might not have the necessary software interfaces to extract them in a very simple fashion.

The concept of technical support and user manuals work within their own limits scope of service even though the functional solution demands cross-platform competence.

In the old theoretical framework for data integration, the ideal scenario is to identify, plan and execute the elements of integration early. In most cases, when performing the static integration, the implementer would try to project the potential changes and build in the allowance. Despite taking appropriate precautions, the nature of business ensures that business requirements at implementation will be different than what was originally identified.

iEDeX's integration technology allows the communication and translation process to happen instantaneously, while ensuring security and data integrity.

UpNet moves beyond the one-to-one system-based model with a many-to-many event-driven model. Leveraging its technology, UpNet creates a virtual network which allows the participants to share needed data in an on-demand secure environment. When the required data is not available, the first requester will bear the burden to create such an event. A process is a stream of events, each event can be changed inserted, or deleted without replacing other events. The process of creating the different data, due to the variety of data inputs of each participant can be leveraged by other participants in the network; hence, an eco-system is achieved. Imagine if instead of a bridge, there was a vibrant hovercraft system. A hovercraft that could pick people up wherever they were on one side and move them to the other side to any spot on the other bank they needed to go. The unlimited number of hovercrafts could start and stop as needed, and had the ability to pick up passengers when the passengers wanted to go. This alternative model strips significant cost and time out of the system while reintroducing unmatched flexibility.

Imaging an integration platform enables you the luxury of working with the best of breed software regardless where the software resides in the cloud, at your business partners organization or behind your own firewall. All these software can work together, on demand, functioning cohesively for a business process.

The UpNet Approach

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

Features

A Different Technology

UpNets technology is called iEDeX. It is not a middleware, mapping software, or software that connects existing systems; iEDeX is a robust, flexible, integration platform. It includes the following functions: Transformation engine Mapping tool Advanced Command Language for constructing business rules Data repository Internal message queue Granular security framework Virtual community builder

value and functionality:

iEDeX technology provides a unique set of capabilities that bring increased

Fast to Deploy: System can be

business needs.

unique platform for meeting challenging your system to do anything different. It

business requirements and provides a

communication of data meets today's

Never batched, the near real-time

time, ensuring data security and integrity.

communication happens in near-real

Fast to Connect: Translation and

connected in days rather than months.

structure and format.

accepts data in the default export

Non-Invasive: iEDeX does not require

Business Transformation Platform

Universal Translation: Translates

between any operating system, ERP, locations.

hardware platforms and geographical

program or application across multiple

What this Means?

The connectivity to other applications and resources is simple to build, deploy, manage, and evolve over timea significant and long-awaited change from the cost, complexity, and rigidity of connecting disparate systems inside and outside the firewall. Use existing systems Leverage existing communications Eliminate need for secondary middle-ware Weaving together data rather than software systems Cloud-based integration Inside or outside the firewall

business rules.

compliance requirement is a set of

or regulation. For iEDeX a specific data

translation to meet any required standards

support data communication and

Completely Compliant: iEDeX can

needs.

energy to meet your growing business translation and communication are

collaboration, iEDeX scales with no

generated, requiring more resources for additional programming time or staff

more events occur, more data is

Scalable: As more activity happens,

In an ever changing and increasingly complex world, the need for business collaboration is rapidly growing. This has put a premium on the flexibility, speed and the need of on demand integration. The iEDeX platform has delivered this goal. First by simplifying the integration tasks by reducing both the complexity and the scope of the work as well as enabling the reusability. And second by decoupling of one-one connections, thereby minimizing the ripple effect of changes result from when a party or an event is changed. Data is exchanged between systems on-demand allowing each respective system to have access to the vital data. This flexibility allows iEDeX to support ever changing business rules and processes.

secondary application development.

completely transparent and can support

Transparent: All aspects of the

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

iEDeX is both an integrated process and a platform. More than a mapping tool and going beyond a messaging or communication tool, a universal language is formed based on the business rules, requirements, and standards of each party, which allows data to be transformed in real-time, while in route to its destination. The unique transformation ability means that typical system-to-system transformation map limitations are removed; giving your data the agility it requires to meet changing business needs. All data sent from the system of origin is instantly translated into a normalized data configuration which recreates the data simultaneously into multiple formats. This translation and reconstitution happens within the secure data stream. The advanced integrated process/platform approach allows UpNet to deliver unprecedented speed and more accurate insight of information to technology leaders who need data from disparate systems to co-exist in real-time.

Canonical Data Model

The use of a canonical data model enables the building of a data repository as part of the integration process. Data can be re-purposed through other applications which are internal or external to the platform. Breaking the data into its elements, iEDeX organizes the parsed data to its unique data dictionary, which we call a neutral tree, and store it in a database instead of simply moving documents between systems. This neutral tree is then leveraged in the transformation process by connecting the received data with the appropriate system profile. The system profile is the aggregation of relevant and corresponding business rules, security requirements, system configuration, and collaboration protocols that were developed during the on-boarding process. The data centric integration also enables iEDeX to connect any system or set of systems without invasive programming, or maintaining various one to one transformation maps. iEDeX's integration technology allows the communication and translation process to happen instantaneously, while ensuring security and data integrity.

System Friendly

iEDeX will exchange data with any system, utilizing any desired communication and security protocol, in the structure and format desired by the business partner's system; meeting any standard, regulation, or requirement. As a completely non-invasive technology, iEDeX does not need to enter your systems, touch your systems, nor change your system in any way. It meets you where you are. iEDeX removes political and process barriers to accomplishing data collaboration goals. Requiring no programming within the existing systems, iEDeX dramatically reduces the time and costs associated with collaborating data. The non-invasive aspect of the iEDeX technology creates opportunities where before there were obstacles.

UpNets innovative technology leverages multitenancy as well as multiple instances to form an architecture that can be scaled to meet the capacity of any business need while being agile enough to connect, collaborate, and continue to adapt to variations of business growth.

UpNet's Architecture

Connect
Communication
FTP SFTP SSL AS2 HTTP/S Web Services VAN and More

Collaborate
Connection
Microsoft: SQL, Great Plains, Navision IBM/DB2 Oracle SAP Peoplesoft JD Edwards Baan MAS Quickbooks Peachtree Meditech Lawson TMS and More

Continue
Processing
X.12 EDIFACT ROSETTA OASIS WIFT/ACH HIPPA HL7 DICOM CIDX XML Variations CSV Excel and More

Control
Visibilities
Order Management Logistics Network Manager Purchasing Gateway Supplier Relationship Mgr. Business Analytics Status 411 Inventory Control System eOrdering eInvoicing Purchase to Pay Order to Cash

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

Exclusive Features
Organization Friendly
iEDeXs architecture not only provides value externally, its flexibility also allows internal cross-departmental information exchange to be conducted effectively and efficiently. No more separate pieces of software for different purposes. One integration platform has the flexibility for structured integration such as EDI and non-structured integration such as application to application connectivity. Full transparency from the moment data is received, through the transformation and integration steps to the final delivery. Further visibility provides the concept of life cycle visibility of related transactions.

On-demand

iEDeX provides systems with the data they need to perform business functions whenever and however it needs at a given state. Rather than creating a series of unmanageable data maps, business events are maintained within the data warehouse until they are specifically needed by another system in order to perform a required business process.

Many-to-Many Data Transformation

Through data parsing and data tagging; iEDeX can transform data from any format to any other format; from any system to any other system. The iEDeX platform can be leveraged as the inter-enterprise exchange engine as well as an intra-enterprise application integration hub.

Event Based

Enhanced Visibility

Event based integration provides flexibility of change by inserting and switching out a particular event without being required to redo the entire process. In addition, one can easily add additional validation and business rules to the event based integration, both before and after an event. For example, allowing punch out processes to occur at the right time, to give the right information to dependent processes such as real-time validation.

A Different Deployment

A cloud-native technology, iEDeX allows for the development of a proprietary, open, or brokered network among systems inside or outside the corporate firewall. At its most basic level the network is a sophisticated EDI among trading partners. At its most complex level iEDeX creates a virtual ERP system weaving together best of class, legacy, and cloud based systems into a seamless enterprise system. UpNets latest innovation is the iEDeX appliance which allows for deployment of the entire UpNet ecosystem within the enterprise security environment. Ideal for highly regulated industries like health care and finance the UpNet iEDeX appliance brings the power of many-to-many event-based integration to internal applications and systems. In addition to functioning as an internal integration tool. iEDeX is a private cloud enabler; creating a virtual community of an enterprises external partners.

Security

Solutions where iDEeX Deployment Makes a Difference

Supply Chain Management
Transparency and control are the critical features to supply chain management. With UpNets iEDeX driven solution, you provide each division of your enterprise or external partners access to the critical information they need to fulfill their responsibilities and in time to take any proactive actions when required. The end to end visibility enhances the accountability of each participant in the supply chain.

UpNets iEDeX platform is built with a complete matrix security framework. Vertical concept to security allows department and sub-department security implementation greatly simplifying organization wide use of the platform. Master administrators oversee the group privileges and activities presenting a full audit trail. Horizontal concept enables individual users to have specific privileges assigned based on his or her responsibilities and within the overall group umbrella he/she belongs to. No other integration environment can meet as many, diverse or as stringent securities requirements.

Private Brokerage Model

Pushing standards throughout a trading partner network in todays global environment quickly stalls under the weight of local business and political conditions. The development of a private brokerage can increaseefficiencies by allowings all trading partners to maintain their own systems, and communicate within the trading network without developing a unique one-one connection with each partner. It also provides additional resources and functionality to members of the brokerage. This includes increased transparency to the entire commercial transaction, as well as sophisticated neutral platform dispute resolution.
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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

The emergence of cloud technology presents significant risks and opportunities for an enterprise. The advantages of moving critical systems into a cloud-based environment enhance both access, operability; and yet, the issue of security, scalability, and compliance remain paramount. With the Upnet Appliance deployed inside the firewall, connecting both internal and external systems can be integrated into a private cloud environment which meets the required regulatory compliance and security requirements while also delivering on the flexibility the cloud promises. An integration platform that can function as EDI translation software, an integration hub, a collaboration platform, and an enterprise bus that can pick up data and deliver the data to the appropriate receiving applications. An integration platform that can be used for both internal application to application integration as well as external business to business integration.

Proprietary Cloud

Federated Brokerage

The flexibility derived from a data based, event driven integration topology enables the concept of a virtual community, formed through shared business interest, a federation that leverages every participants contribution to the community and yet retain its own individuality for its own purpose through the use of an intermediate broker.

Capabilities

allows real-time monitoring. This real-time monitoring is used by UpNet's account managers to ensure the quality and integrity of data

communications and translation. It may also be used by you to provide a platform for monitoring specific aspects of your data collaborations.

Real-time Monitoring: Every unique data exchange on the iEDeX platform is time stamped and logged with contextual information that Parallel Deployment: The many-to-many aspect of the iEDeX technology allows data to simultaneously be transferred and
time-sensitive migrations.

transformed in real-time by multiple systems. This unique capacity allows for parallel deployments of systems to support testing and experience between multiple systems. The instantaneous exchange and transformation of data from multiple sources instantly creates new knowledge for the receiving system.

Real-time Exchange: With a near real-time exchange of data, the iEDeX platform provides the ability to create a seamless user Standard Compliance: While transferring data between systems, iEDeX can conform to multiple compliance protocols. These
as HIPPA, to companys own priority standards. For iEDeX, a specific data compliance requirement is a set of business rules associated with your data.

protocols could be industry specific data standards, regulatory requirements, or user driven workflow logic. From public standards such

Online Visibility: Every data translation is simultaneously translated into XML and available for visibility online through Status411. This
universal access to your data provides a unique opportunity to further utilize the data cleansed and processed by iEDeX.

Conclusion

There is a viable solution available that can cost-effectively function as EDI translation software, an integration hub, and a collaboration platform, while picking up and delivering uncompromising data to the appropriate receiving environment. There is a an integration platform that can be used for both internal application to application integration, as well as external business to business integration that meets the organizational business objectives of all the departments involved regardless of the number of disparate systems. UpNet is that Solution!

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A Virtual Network of Connections: A New Model for the Integration of Disparate Systems

Company

UpNet Technologies, Inc., a leader in enabling businesses to effectively utilize technology. Founded in 1996, UpNet Technologies is an experienced integration and data transformation service provider delivering innovative B2B collaboration, next generation EDI technology and comprehensive supply/demand chain solutions. UpNets cost predictable SaaS solutions, increases technical capabilities and flexibilities, providing the ability to better manage risk. Businesses large and small take advantage of the innovative iEDeX platform to effectively utilize technology to reduce internal costs, drive efficiency throughout their supply chain, and effectively collaborate with trading partners. UpNet Technologies is privately held and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Authors Jennifer Amys - CEO, Founder

An executive with the track record of success in delivering revenue, profit and operational improvements with dynamic Fortune 500 environments as well as entrepreneur companies. Accomplished in general management, operations, IT, logistics, supply chain and strategic planning. Ms. Amys is a strategist who harnesses technology to slash costs, drive competitive advantage and maximize shareholder value. She is a leader equipped with a balance of business acumen, technical savvy and strategic vision. Joseph Barisonzi - Strategic Business Development

A Senior Partner at Strategic Growth Initiative, Joseph Barisonzi is an accomplished executive with eighteen years of experience and a verifiable record increasing organizational value, enhancing productivity, streamlining operations and improving sales performance. Dynamic and inspirational leader with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and talent for grasping innovative ideas, developing comprehensive strategies and implementing actionable plans.

7825 Washington Ave, S Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55439 9 T: 952.944.2345 F: 952.486.7610 info@upnettec.com www.upnettec.com