.

Business

131V Success

Matthew and Jan Engelbert

Two University of Michigan graduates
are tyting' into the software market.

RUTH UTIMANN STAFF WRITER

he arithmetic won't
look familiar to the
layman: MA + 2BA =
B2/A2.
But for the Engel-
bert brothers, the
equation denotes
success.
Jon and Matthew
Engelbert, both Uni-
versity of Michigan
alumni, have applied
their respective mas-
ter's (MA) and bach-
elor's (BA) degrees to
a thriving software

business they started soon af-
ter graduating in 1990.
Beige Bag Software (B 2) is
located near the campus of the
Engelberts' alma mater in
Ann Arbor (A2). Last year, the
venture grossed more than
$75,000. Clients include
NASA, Bell Laboratories,
Sony and about 50 universi-
ties worldwide.
Beige Bag Software offers
low-cost computer programs
enabling users to design and
simulate computer circuits.
Unlike products preceding it,

Beige Bag Software is geared
to students, as well as busi-
nesses.
The venture began when
Jon, 26, was working toward
his master's in electrical engi-
neering and Matthew, 24, was
completing the bachelor's pro-
gram at the U-M business
school. Both received job offers
from major corporations, but
they decided to take a calcu-
lated risk and become entre-
preneurs.
Together, they capitalized
on Jon's engineering talent
and Matthew's business
savvy. The brothers became
their own bosses.
While working as a teach-
ing assistant in the engineer-
ing department, Jon had
devised a computer program
to facilitate the learning of Dig-
ital Circuit Design, concepts
every electrical and computer
engineering student must un-
derstand.
The Engelbert parents,
David and Lynn, encouraged
Jon to market his idea. After
consulting professors, he did.
But not without the help of
Matthew, who serves as di-
rector of marketing and sales
for Beige Bag.
"Jon was always more con-
cerned with his studies and I
was always president of my
class," Matthew said. "He can
spend 16 hours in front of the
computer and I can spend 16
hours talking."
The brotherly partnership
has reaped profits — mone-
tarily and otherwise. Beige
Bag Software originally was
designed for the Macintosh
computer. When Beige Bag
came out with its user-friend-
ly software package for IBM
compatible personal comput-
ers, its software started sell-
ing quickly.
The company offers two pro-
grams: B2 Logic for digital cir-
cuit design simulation and B2
Spice for analog design and
simulation. Valdis Liepa, a sci-
entist and adjunct professor at
U-M, uses. B2 Spice in the
classroom and for research.
Mr. Liepa said the Engelberts
sell an effective product and
care about their customers.
" B2 Spice is extremely easy
to use," he said. "And when I
have a problem, I can always
call their number and there's
always someone there who an-
swers the phone."
Professor Eugene Henry at
the University of Notre Dame
uses the B2 Logic program for
his beginning engineering stu-