1999: Dakota is Founded
Dakota was founded in 1999 by Brian Buehling, who saw a growing need for technical communication integration services. With prior experience at AT&T, John Deere and Wolters Kluwer, Brian recognized the increasing importance of technical documentation at the time and set out to provide a comprehensive solution for companies looking to improve their documentation and information management. Initial partnerships with Arbortext and XyEnterprise provided the foundation for the companies SGML-based technical publications solutions.
"When we first started Dakota, the main focus was on providing technical documentation services for companies in the manufacturing and engineering industries," says Brian Buehling. "We quickly realized that there was a huge demand for these services, and we were able to grow rapidly in the early years by focusing on customers in the midwest close by our offices in Chicago."
At the time, the industry was trending away from propriety typesetting systems towards SGML-based solutions that were more efficient and cost-effective way sof creating and managing technical documentation. Dakota's focus on integration and automation of these types of systems helped them stand out in the market and attract a diverse range of customers.
2004: Dakota Starting to Grow
In 2004, Dakota expanded its services to include information architecture and training services. With the growing demand for structured and organized information, Dakota was able to offer its customers a comprehensive solution for managing their technical documentation.
"We saw a need for more comprehensive services beyond just technical documentation," says Brian Buehling. "By adding information architecture and training services, we were able to help our customers improve the way they organize and present their information, which in turn helped them make better use of their documentation."
This move align with industry trend at the time, where companies began to focus more on the user experience and making information more easily accessible to different audiences. Dakota's new services helped them to stand out as a one-stop-shop for technical documentation needs.
2010: Dakota Expansion of Services
In 2010, Dakota added production support and hosting services and moved to expanded office space at 35 E.Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. The company's growth and expansion reflect the increasing importance of technical documentation in the digital age and Dakota's commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the industry.
"The addition of production support and hosting services allowed us to offer even more comprehensive solutions to our customers," says Eric Fox, Content Operations Director. "We were also able to expand our team and move to a larger office to accommodate our growth."
This move align with industry trend at the time, where companies began to focus more on the delivery and management of technical content, especially in the context of web and digital channels. Dakota's new services allowed them to stand out as a full-service provider for technical documentation needs.
2012: Dakota Content Platform
In 2012, Dakota introduced the Dakota Content Platform (DCP) as a customizable framework for content solutions. The DCP was designed to address the growing needs of companies to manage and deliver content in a more efficient and effective way.
"The Dakota Content Platform was a major step forward for us," says Brian Buehling. "It allowed us to offer our customers a flexible and customizable solution that could be tailored to their specific needs."
This move align with industry trend at the time, where companies were looking for ways to manage and deliver technical content across multiple channels and platforms. Dakota's DCP helped them to stand out as a leader in content management solutions.
2017: Digital Practice
In 2017, Dakota introduced professional services for Digital Product Content with a focus on PIM (Product Information Management). The company's move into digital product content was driven by the growing importance of accurate, up-to-date product information in the digital age, and by the need for companies to improve their ability to manage and deliver this information to customers and partners.
"PIM is a natural evolution for Dakota," says Paul Wlodarczyk, PIM Practice Lead. "Our customers were looking for ways to improve the accuracy and accessibility of their product information, and we saw an opportunity to help them do that."
This move align with industry trend at the time, where companies were looking for ways to improve their digital product experiences through better management and delivery of product content. Dakota's focus on PIM helped them to stand out as a leader in digital product content solutions.
2020: Response to COVID
In response to the changing demands on technical content during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dakota developed new DCP integrations with Salesforce, ZenDesk and GSuite as well as an output channel for conversational AI. The company's quick response to the pandemic was driven by the need for companies to adapt to new ways of working and communicating with customers and partners remotely.
"The pandemic has accelerated the need for companies to digitize their content and make it more easily accessible to customers and partners," says Rob Krebs, Customer Success Director. "Our DCP integrations and conversational AI output channel were developed to help our customers do just that."
This move align with industry trend at the time, where companies were looking for ways to improve their digital communication and customer engagement through digital channels and platforms. Dakota's new integrations and output channel helped them to stand out as a leader in digital content solutions for remote communication and engagement.
2023: Today
Today, Dakota continues to provide content solutions and digital transformation services for customers worldwide. The company's commitment to innovation and customer success has helped them stay at the forefront of the industry and meet the evolving needs of their customers.
"We've come a long way since we first started Dakota in 1999, but our mission has always stayed the same - to help our customers make the most of their technical documentation and digital content," says Brian Buehling. "We're proud of what we've achieved so far and we're excited to continue growing and innovating in the years to come."
Dakota's continued focus on innovation and customer success has helped them stay at the forefront of the industry and meet the evolving needs of their customers. The company continues to adapt to new trends and technologies in technical documentation and digital content, making them a reliable and trusted partner for companies worldwide.