Since its inception in 2016, Glendale Tech Week has counted on the support of the local tech community to not only elevate the week-long celebration of tech and innovation but also to help raise Glendale’s profile as a growing and thriving tech hub for the region. There from the start, was dot818.
In 2016, dot818 joined a small group of local tech companies and businesses who supported the first ever Glendale Tech Week. Without knowing if the event would have any success, dot818 took a chance by becoming a Bronze Sponsor. They have been loyal sponsor ever since.
We sat down for a chat with 2-year Platinum level sponsor, President & Founder of dot818, David Tonoyan to learn more about their company and about Plat, their newest cutting edge lead distribution platform.
Please tell us about dot818.
At dot818, we help companies analyze and manage their data. Sometimes this means creating new technologies. This is how Plat was born. First, it was used as our own internal lead distribution platform, allowing our account managers to set up and run data campaigns for our partners. After years of fine-tuning the system for our industry, we decided to offer Plat as a white-label solution for any company looking for a lead distribution platform.
How does Plat work?
Plat helps companies better monetize their data. Let’s say you are a publisher who sells clicks directly to an advertiser or lead gen. You lose that data as soon as the click leaves your site. With a lead distribution system like Plat, you control where your clicks go. You can easily set up a ping-tree and let advertisers bid for your clicks. You could also use Plat to become a lead gen and start working with other publishers.
Plat also provides data intelligence, helping companies better understand their marketing efforts. We understand that many companies do not have the resources to support a full data team. Our data analysts help train them on how to use Plat for predictive modeling, AI/ML, and scorecards – this provides companies with all the data intelligence resources the big guys have, but manageable within the scale of their company.
Aren’t other companies working with similar technology too?
None of the other lead distribution systems offer as many tools right out of the box. Beyond that, Plat is more customizable than any other LDS. Our average turnaround time for creating new, client-requested features is 24-hours. That is a fraction of the time it takes the other guys.
It also helps that Plat was first used as dot818’s internal data processing system. That means our account managers have spent time on the system. We know how it works, and we can teach our clients how to get the most out of it. There is simply not a more experienced support staff out there. We know the system because we built it. We know the system because we use it, and we have been using it for years.
Why did you choose Glendale to be home to dot818?
This business was homegrown, and it has stayed here (in Glendale) because there hasn’t been any reason to leave. I named the company dot818 because of my deep love for Glendale. I’m on the board of the Glendale College Foundation and I’m always looking for ways to help Glendale grow.
If someone came to you for advice about possibly moving their business to Glendale what would you tell them?
If they were a direct competitor, we would tell them to go to South Dakota instead. Everyone else should come to Glendale.
Drawing on personal experience, what advice would you give to new startups hoping to break into the tech industry?
Nobody gets rich overnight. It takes consistent hard work and allowing for the time to make things happen.
Get to know the dot818 team at the Glendale Tech Week Opening Day Experience and at the Tech Awards Party. Plus, visit their booth at the Tech Career Fair to learn about job opportunities at dot818.
