Perlego Systems, Inc., located downtown, develops and markets a software suite for smart mobile devices that allows for remote troubleshooting and control, data backup and update. Devices that use Perlego Horizons can also be quickly disabled remotely if they get lost, with data immediately backed up then erased. For companies whose employees carry sensitive information on their mobile devices, Perlego is an important security tool.

The company has been in Gig Harbor since 2003, founded by four men who initially were the only employees. The software was originally developed by a Redmond company, and the four founders acquired the rights to the software and rearchitectured it.

Three of the founders live in the Gig Harbor area, so when they started the company, Gig Harbor became a logical place for headquarters. Only four years later, they have 20 employees and contractors, and plan to add staff in Europe at a co-location facility by the end of this year.

The suite is designed for businesses but can also be used by individual consumers. Perlego’s customer base is comprised of device manufacturers, cell phone carriers, managed device providers and enterprises. The software has been deployed on 2.5 million devices worldwide, mostly through cell phone companies.

“Smart phones are the fastest growing segment in the cell phone industry,” said Mark Foege, one of the founders and currently the executive vice president for product management and marketing. Perlego Horizons addresses 1,200 different devices and many types of operating systems. To stay ahead of the curve and be able to deploy a new version of the suite as new operating systems and devices come on the market, the company has built extensive relationships with manufacturers, distributors and software developers.

Among other successful technology players, Perlego works with IBM and Ericsson, a leading provider of telecom equipment headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Foege said smart mobile technology is very prevalent in Europe, while United States is a couple of generations behind with some technology. The expansion of its operations in Europe will help Perlego continue to grow its relationships in that market.

Foege said the company has had to focus on developing its product from the architectural standpoint. Initially, it took some time to set up a new customer, now that can be done in a matter of minutes via remote access. Foege brings up the example of Tufts University in Boston, which needed to manage 36 devices used by university development staff. Perlego offered a cost-effective solution via a yearly subscription charged per device, and in 17 minutes, Tufts became a customer. “We have never met in person,” Foege said.

With all the infrastructure now in place, Perlego is ready for the next step, and will ramp up its sales and channel support staff. “The next level probably includes some type of investment,” Foege said. The company hopes to secure $8 million, which would allow for an increase in marketing efforts and an acceleration of development operations.

The Gig Harbor office, which overlooks Gig Harbor Bay, can accommodate more employees, so Foege said plans for now are to remain in Gig Harbor. “We are fortunate to live near where we work,” he said. “Most of us have worked on the Eastside or in Seattle — it’s not easy to do that to your family… We really do enjoy being in Gig Harbor.”.