Dreams do come true.
And for local boy and entrepreneur, Dan Arita, that dream became reality on Thursday night, November 5th, 2015, surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers, as he celebrated the 40th Anniversary of DataHouse at Waialae Country Club.
Nestled up to the sinking sun over the Pacific Ocean, guests and DataHouse staff (both present and past) enjoyed pupus, dinner, and live music from local Hawaiian/jazz duo, Mango Season, as they spent hours reminiscing, talking story, and laughing together. It was a true company family reunion, including guests and staff members from neighbor islands and the mainland.
Former Governor John Waihe’e and his wife, Lynne, were in attendance. “Governor,” as Dan affectionately calls him, became a good friend after DataHouse was employed in the early 1980’s to install and bring online the Governor’s office with then-unknown Windows computer technology. “Dan has never lost his commitment to Hawaii,” the former Governor explains. “That is why DataHouse is here today celebrating forty years of excellence. Dan and his team made DataHouse one of the technological building blocks of modern Hawaii.”
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HOMEGROWN INNOVATION
“DataHouse’s purpose and reason for existence has always been about the people,” said Eddie Ontai, President of DataHouse. “We are truly a purpose-driven company that has a heart for people and a passion for innovation and technology.”
Creighton Arita, Dan’s son and CEO of `ike (formerly DataHouse Holdings Corp), shared his excitement for the future and how proud he is of his father’s legacy. “Over the years I watched my dad time and time again face the difficulties and challenges head on, refusing to surrender, standing strong with courage and conviction that the storms of life only make us better…stronger.”
“Forty years ago I started DataHouse with five people,” Dan Arita shared with his guests. “Today, we are over three hundred and growing. Never in my wildest dreams did I see this happening back then in 1975. It would have been an impossible dream. But it thrills my heart to see the next generation of leaders assisting Hawai’i in the modernization of its information systems, utilizing our unique local expertise to successfully install modern Cloud and mobile-based systems.”
THE DREAM BECOMES REALITY
Forty years ago, while working for the State of Hawai’i, Dan Arita could see the writing on the wall: computers and technology were going to radically change the way Hawai’i does business—in both the government and private sectors. “DataHouse foresaw and actively prepared for the wave of automation in the state,” recalls Dan. “I knew that software development would be a good, clean business for Hawai’i. And providing high tech jobs here would help stop the brain drain.”
The DataHouse track record proves that the values and principles Dan set into place during the foundational years have created a launchpad for even greater success in the future. International awards, product patents, community service projects, the creation of multiple new companies, and Made-in-Hawaii software innovations that are changing the way industries do business, are just the highlights of a legacy that Dan is proud to be passing on to a new generation.
STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE
“Tonight was a momentous occasion for me, DataHouse, and all of the `ike family of companies,” Dan explains, warmly recalling the events of the 40th Anniversary Party. “There is nothing that compares to it in the history of DataHouse. It was, and will continue to be, a defining moment that will greatly impact our future.”
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DataHouse is the founding member of the `ike family of companies, together with TeamPraxis, `Ekahi Health System, Sagely, Ambient, Pacific Hi-Tech, and the Hawai’i Quality Physician Organization.