Fully evaluated, cutting-edge software development tools...
There are so many possibilities in terms of software development technology today. It is no
exaggeration to say that several versions of a particular tool or technology can be released
in any one year!
It is incumbent on the developer therefore to focus on a core set of technologies which
will give them the tools they need to cover their particular areas of specialisation and
to evaluate precisely how they can best be applied.
This, obviously, is not a one-off process;
rather an evolutionary (and sometimes revolutionary!) one which requires the acquisition of a large amount of knowledge and
the almost constant supplementing of that knowledge through the vast amount of material
available on these subjects. Additionally there is the need for a sound knowledge of
infrastructure (networking, operating systems, software platforms etc.) so that the
completed solution can be implemented and configured to run on these platforms as intended.
Our development environment...
Using the current generation of cutting-edge software tools from Microsoft and
starting with MS Visual Studio 2008 as our core development environment, we
fully exploit a key subset of that company's available technologies and toolsets to enable us to obtain
maximum flexibility in how we develop the key components of your system. Look right to see
the code languages and tools we use as part of our knowledge set.
There are of course other technologies, particularly for use in web development, which
are not 'allied' to any one corporation but are available as a result of a drive towards
'open' standards, which can integrate well with the core development environment
to provide functionality for a particular job. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a classic example of this.
Designed to transport data in a non-proprietry manner it is a true example of a cross-platform,
open-standards based protocol.
Why Microsoft tools in particular..?
Quite simply, having evaluated several options over the years,
we're very happy with the tools! They help us to maximise our productivity,
which ultimately helps reduce costs. Also there is an enormous community
of peers and third-part component developers to share information and
knowledge with.
There is a great deal of available expertise and
resource behind these tools and technologies. Excellent support for the development
team and by extension, you the client, is always available. Quite apart
from the fact that the massive installed base across the globe means that continual
investment from third parties is guaranteed.