In 1994, we abandoned our DOS-based system and began using Helix. When we used DOS, we depended on a developer who provided no flexibility. The Center for Metrology and Quality Assurance needed a tool for non-programmers to manage our own business, and Helix was the answer. The center operates Helix on an Apple Macintosh G4 remotely serving 8 clients using an Ethernet protocol.

In a short time, we re-established the functionality we had in the old DOS-based system and moved all the sensitive data to Helix. The Helix application tracks our clients, measuring instruments, calibration certificates, and a host of other items. It communicates via batch data transfer with the central accounting system of our institute. Recently, we established a prototype that will enable interactive web access to our Helix database using Osmosis. We plan to implement this prototype in a few months.

Helix has proven to be a robust and reliable database server. Even with our progressive Helix design, other structural modifications are incorporated with ease, and minimal maintenance is required. In 6 years we have never lost any data.

We are very pleased with the ease and speed with which we can develop successful database solutions. We control our application's features without the need of any outside assistance.