Spokane software developer Pentad Systems LLC says it is expanding into the Portland area, selling its suite of online business courses.


The companys operations manager, Sarah McAuliffe, has relocated to Beaverton, Ore., to provide technical support and training to businesses as they sign up for online classes through the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, in Pentads Fusion Learning Management system.


McAuliffe, who has been in Beaverton since Aug. 6, says the company hasnt leased an office space there, but is working with Portland-based partners to market Pentads Fusion Learning Management system. Fusion already is in use at Greater Spokane Incorporated here and at the West Virginia Womens Business Center, as well as at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Pentad says. Pentad customizes the software package for each of its licensees.


Though McAuliffe is the only Pentad employee in the Portland area for now, she says the company has hired a salesperson who might travel to the Portland area to sell the companys other software products as well. Depending on growth in the market for its products there and logistics needs, the company may lease an office there at some point, she says.


Pentad develops software to be used by businesses via the Internet or corporate intranets, offering a variety of applications for managing such things as human resources, payroll, time and attendance, and equipment maintenance. Pentad also offers software that helps companies sell surplus equipment by adding a see what we have for sale button to their Web sites.


To use the software, companies pay an initial configuration fee and a monthly license fee for the software.


Company President Randy Nichols and partners Jeff Bosma and Mark Barnes launched Pentad in May 2003. Nichols previously had worked for Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. for 22 years, managing a 300-person carbon department at the Mead Works smelter here. At Kaiser, Nichols says he developed software that cut hours each day from his department management workload. After his job was eliminated with the close of the smelter, he worked for Kaiser in Ghana, Africa, for six months, installing the software he had developed.


Pentads Spokane office, located at 17 W. Falcon Ave., near Whitworth University, has grown to a staff of 20 from nine employees in 2004. The company now offers Web site design and Web hosting in addition to its software products.


Contact Jeanne Gustafson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at jeanneg@spokanejournal.com.