The Kudzu Project

December 2004 - On December 22, 2004, the five year non-compete agreement that we signed when InfoCure bought PracticeWorks^® finally expired (Joel and Brian signed it, but Allen has been indirectly hindered by it). On December 23, 2005 we started working on a new dental office computer program, code named "Kudzu.". Kudzu (pronounced cud - zoo) is a vine that was introduced in the South many years ago, and it has spread like crazy! We don't know what the real name of the program will be, but for now, we like the kudzu connotation.

Why?

Lighthouse PMG has always had a single objective - to help dentists run their practices better, primarily by using their computer systems better. Our focus has been on PracticeWorks, since we know it better than anyone else does. But since PracticeWorks was acquired by InfoCure in December 1999, it's our feeling that no really innovative new features have been added, and that development on the existing innovative features has ground to a halt. Also, the current owners of PracticeWorks seem intent on hindering our ability to continue to help its users. Finally, we have some concerns that, in the long run, we won't be able to use PracticeWorks as an effective practice management tool for our clients, because future development on it is completely out of our control. In fact, in the very long term - 5 years, maybe? - we're concerned that PracticeWorks will be "retired," and all of us (Lighthouse and PracticeWorks users) will be forced to switch to a program that's not of our choosing.

Our experiences of the last three years have been very eye-opening. Our close involvement in the actual use of PracticeWorks in hundreds of offices has given us new insight into what a program should be capable of. The ideas generated by our interactions with our clients has shown us that even PracticeWorks, with its many innovative features, falls short in many areas. If we're going to continue to push computerized dental practice management forward, we believe we need a program that can do more - a program that takes "working smarter" to the next level. Coupled with the concerns regarding PracticeWorks' future, we feel we have no choice but to begin the Kudzu Project, ensuring that none of us is faced with a software decision with no good choices.

Speaking of Choices...

The Kudzu Project is all about choices. At a high level, it will let you choose to stay with your current software for as long as you like, knowing that whenever the time is right for you, you can switch to something that will be a move in a direction you want to go. Lighthouse will continue to support (in all respects) PracticeWorks users as long as there are users to support - Kudzu will simply be another program that we'll work with. At a lower level, the program itself will offer all kinds of choices - choices about what it does, how it does it, what third party programs and services it works with, etc.

Kudzu Project Objectives

• Most important, we need to have control over it, so that someone else can't derail us. By writing it ourselves and not having stockholders, we will retain control of it, indefinitely.
  
• Functionally, if it's comparable to PracticeWorks, Dentrix, EagleSoft and Softdent "out of the box," but has tremendous customizability and flexibility, we believe that's a great starting point. Imagine having the ability to change almost anything you don't like about your software - that's what we have in mind. Of course, we've learned a lot about dental software in our combined 35+ years working with it, so it's a good bet that even "out of the box" will be better than the competition in a lot of ways.
  
• The driving force behind all development will be the users' needs, period. We have always believed that a company that listens to its customers and does what they want will be successful. The Kudzu Project will put that theory to the test.


• Nothing about Kudzu will be proprietary! One of our great frustrations with the dental software business has been the trend toward companies trying to force customers to use their solution for digital x-rays, electronic claims, etc. That's in direct opposition to the Lighthouse management philosophy of "use what works best for you," and we simply won't do it.

Club Lighthouse

Since we launched the Club in March 2003, it has been the primary focus of our business. Yes, we do seminars and some one-on-one consulting, but day in and day out, we want to do most of what we do through the Club. It's very efficient (every Article, Download and Forum post has the potential to help hundreds of offices), very affordable, and allows us to work the way we like to work. And now that we've begun work on Kudzu, the Club is even more important than ever, allowing us the maximum possible time at our desks, working on the new program.

Here are some benefits related to Kudzu that we hope you'll really appreciate:

• During the creation of Kudzu version 1.0, only Club members will be invited to participate in the creative process. Very soon, there will be several new Forums on the Club where you can have direct input into the features that will be in the first released version. Since only Club members can access the Forums, only Club members can influence the direction of the program. Now, you can finally let loose with all those great ideas you've had for dental software, and know that someone is actually going to do something with them!


• After Kudzu is released, only Club members will be allowed to submit suggestions for enhancements. And we're going to reward long term members with even greater influence in the process, through a weighted voting system. Basically, the longer you are a Club member (without interruption), the more weight your vote will have in deciding what gets done next. This "software democracy" will certainly be unique in the dental industry!


• Only Club members will be allowed to participate in the beta testing process (meaning you'll get the program months before the general release).


• Club discounts for Kudzu itself, data conversions, add-on products, etc.

Club Lighthouse will be your on-going, direct connection to the developers of your practice management package. The people in charge of actually writing the code will the ones answering your posts to the Club forums. The people "in charge of making the decisions" as to what does, and doesn't get in the next release, will be YOU and the other members!

We see this as a truly symbiotic relationship: a healthy Club Lighthouse allows us to focus on the Kudzu Project, and Kudzu will allow you to continue to be in control of your computer system indefinitely, with our assistance. We hope you see it that way, too.

When Will It Be Released?

That will be affected primarily by the list of "absolutely must have in version 1.0" features, which will be determined by Club members. For the latest information on Kudzu progress, click here. In the meantime, stick with what you have.

How Much Will It Cost?

It's way too early to even think about pricing, but you have our word on this - it will be very competitively priced, and your Club discount will be fully applicable.