Saru Seshadri, founder and president of solution provider Ultramatics, of Oldsmar, Florida, came up with what he believes is a more advantageous approach than those of his competitors. Rather than give new products to a customer, Seshadri said Ultramatics analyzes the customer's needs first and then creates a plan to address those needs. The plan may or may not demand new products. Seshadri has created his IT business on SOA (service-oriented architecture) solutions, particularly Ultramatics' UltraStart Business Solutions, and IBM platforms. The novelty of the technology means that Ultramatics has to work hard to convince the customer to embrace their new approach, according to Seshadri, who thankfully added that the average customer has become more knowledgeable in how to purchase technology. Customers now take more time evaluating options, eventually selecting the solution that best meets their business needs. Before working directly with a customer, Ultramatics ascertains the best 'entry point' for the technology--to improve the user's interaction with certain applications for more effective business processes, or to speed up connectivity if that is a more pressing need. Sandy Carter, vice president of SOA and WebSphere at IBM, stated the Ultramatics approach is efficient because the solution provider gets a grasp of the customer's business and then basically 'partners' with the customer to address its needs. In April 2007, IBM awarded Ultramatics a Beacon Award for best WebSphere SOA solution. Carter explained that SOA, which will be in most IT environments by 2008, is being welcomed by companies because SOA technology makes them more agile and allows them to react to customer needs and market changes more quickly. Ultramatics' client roster consists primarily of midsize businesses in verticals such as health care, transportation and finance.