Danville tech company helping Danville Boys & Girls Club be more productive

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DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Up until about three months ago, all of the kids on the computers at the Boys and Girls Club in the afternoon would cause the employees' computers to slow down so much that it was difficult for them to get work done.

"After 2 o' clock when the kids come in, we noticed that the internet would slow down," explained Faith Stamps, the club's executive director.

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Enter CirrusWorks, Inc., an entrepreneurial tech company in Danville, originally started thanks to funding from a company called "The Launch Place", which is also based in Danville and works to bring technology based companies to the city.

"There was nothing really built in to the early design of the internet to play a traffic cop role," said Rod Lyman, project director of operations and supply chain at CirrusWorks, Inc.

But, that's exactly what CirrusWorks, Inc.'s technology does.

"It plays 'Robin Hood' on the internet essentially, stealing bandwidth from the guys that are hogging it all and giving it to guys that aren't getting enough," Lyman explained.

In other words, the equipment ensures that everyone on a computer at the Boys and Girls Club gets the same amount of internet speed instead of one or two people taking up all of the speed.

"I think in the late afternoon it's helped us increase our productivity by maybe 20 percent," Stamps estimated.

The kids have noticed the increase, too.

"Yes," said 8th grader Maya Gary, in response to being asked if she noticed the computers being any faster.

The technology has also saved the club a little money for the time being. Now that the internet speed is evenly distributed, the club doesn't have to spend money to buyt more bandwidth to keep up with the increasing internet usage at the club.