NextPage immediately started buying other companies, including Complete Data Solutions in January 2000, netLens Inc. in January 2001 and Folio Corp. in March 2001.

Lee took on the role of CEO in 2002, and the idea for NextPage 1.5 was born. So the company operated in two parts, one to run the existing profitable businesses and the other to develop the new application.

"It was just a seedling of an idea at that point," he said.

By the time NextPage 1.5 was ready for launch, "we had been working on the product for about 18 months in stealth mode."

Confident in the success of the new product, NextPage sold off its profitable parts in September 2004 to Fast Search & Transfer.

And now, Lee said, the company is ready for the next step.

"The bulk of our growth will be here (in Draper)," he said.

"The opportunity is so big, and we're so new into it, but we've got years to go and the financing to do it."

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com