A question of architecture

Don't assume that simply taking your application from the office server and sticking it on the cloud will work well. Properly designed scalable cloud applications need to be designed with the environment they are sitting on borne in mind. If this isn't done all you have really done is purchased some very expensive server space.

Storage of media and photos in your hand not in the cloud

Doesn't matter how big a hard drive you get with your latest PC you know its not going to be big enough in 2 years time. External drives are clearly a solution and with the speed of USB then it is also normally more than fast enough to meet most folks needs.

Online storage is increasingly popular of course - ideal for storing or backing up photos and music files - though it is nice to also see a printed photo in your hand for some reason.

With the cloud becoming the way to go for many it's going to be easier still to store and archive on line - though ultimately the cloud is a pricing and business model and not really some strange storage area without boundaries.

Lets go shopping online

It's difficult to remember when ecommerce was just starting. Now its an integral part of the business world. We've built a fair number of ecommerce or shopping cart systems for folks - good fun.

Interfaces with the payment gateways are getting easier - though still not perfect. The biggest challenge is often getting support from the payment folks if a problem crops up.

With a software development background in finance (retail banking) its good to use past skills for a wider market place and good to see business making money on line.

The power of the browser

Web Development has changed a lot in a relatively short space of time. From cutting every single line to the introduction of java script to the adoption of CMS systems.

The technology has turned browsers into desktop applications - enabling users to do almost anything they had to do previously on their own desktop machine.

That introduces challenges from time to time for software and web developers like us. People are now expecting browsers to do anything that they can do on their desktop - thats not a bad thing - but its the browser developers who need to plug the remaining gaps.

If your thinking about using DNN (thats Dot Net Nuke) I thought you might want to get a few pointers as to why we think it's worth considering...

1) huge community that seem keen to offer help
2) a really good basic admin management for registration and privilegies
3) developed in microsoft.net so a good pool of talent out there to extend it
4) lots of extra modules (though some are poor quality so try before you buy)
5) skinning options include lots of third party skins
6) a really generous open source license

We have been developing in Dot Net Nuke for many years now - its made a huge difference to the speed at which we can develop web based systems. It's a big system to get to grips with but worth the effort.

When we first started using the term "intranet" we had to quickly stop. The term confused people. Now, though, it's clear the term is in common usage. We get enquiries now from people very clear that they need an intranet system development for them and even clearer as to what they need it to do. For us we'll do that as a sharepoint development or as a DNN development - it depends on what the client preference is - or the technology already in place.

Good to see the term in common usage - no doubt we'll all be using augmented reality soon as well.

Is it IT or Software

From time to time I find myself having to explain that we are not an IT company - though maybe I shouln't.

IT to me means the plumbing - but I guess increasingly that is not completely true. For instance when does the email system start to become a CRM software system - its a fine line I guess.

Maybe I'll stop trying to explain the difference and just find out what the client wants first.

VB 3 to VB.net - who'd have thought

The first time I saw VB I was knocked out - I couldnt believe it. VB 3 I think it was - at last a product that could let you develop windows applications without it taking a year. At the time I can remember others being less overwhelmed - the term Basic being the thing that seemed to be the problem.

Many years on and VB.net is now the programming choice of many - though it is only a distant constant of VB 3 of course. We use VB.net and c# as our prime software development languages when developing online system - who would have believed that then.

Knock knock - who's there - newsletter

Readership of newsletters always surprise me. We've been sending out our own newsletter for some time now - we built our own newlsetter system and offer it out to clients as well.

The one stat that always surprises is what the readership preference is - its always the funny or amusing one. Technical or business advice articles are read but hardly to the same extent - so if you want your newsletter read put in a few knock knock jokes.

Community websites - getting to grips with engagement

Community has been all the range for a while now - Facebook, Bebo and the like have all changed the way in which we engage with each other and make new friends.

On the website design and development side of the business we have been extending DNN (Dot Net Nuke) to allow us to build community or web 2 sites for a range of clients. Some building brand new businesses some enabling the community they already have. It's been an interesting experience as we see ourselves as sofware developers getting to grips with the needs of an ever changing community.

Train timetables made easy on the iphone

At school I remember being taught how to read a timetable - quite a skill. They can be complicated things and require a fair amount of detective work to ensure you don't try and travel on a Sunday expecting to find normal train scheduling.

Even online train times and train timetables are a bit confusing. But on the iPhone that seems to be a thing of the past. The limited interface has forced designers to simplify the whole thing. So if you want to travel from Peterhead to Kings Cross - it tells you when to get on and when you'll get off - result.

I know will use the iphone to find train times rather than a PC - its so much easier. Well done to the designers of the trainline iphone app.

iPod and touch screens

On buying an iPod as a present the other day I found myself behaving rather oddly - I kept touching the screen to make it do something. It struck me that the iPhone has a lot to answer for - because I was holding the device in my hand my brain was obviously telling me how to use it....wrong!

It shows how quickly we accept new interfaces and how quickly really cool ones become old hat. In its day the interface for the iPod was genius. We've developed a fair number of interfaces - based on an automated retail banking background - but iPod and iPhone - we would never have come up with (pity). As web developers we use our previous skills and the innovations of the market leaders to help us arrive at good design - maybe one day we'll come up with something better than the iphone - that would be good.

Whats the killer app for Multi Input Touch Screens

You can see more and more of the academic institutions playing around with the huge table top touch screen systems - Multi Input Touch Screens.

Can only be a matter of time before we have one to play with - though I suspect the price may hold back software developers like ourselves for a wee while yet.

Scope for there use look interesting - but I dont think anyone has quite came up with the killer app. No doubt it will be obvious when they do - hope its us!

Software development - a green activity?

Software development (I guess) must be one of the more greener activities. It creates efficiencies - allows for remote working and so on - so I guess its sort of green.

Years back you could not have had that argument (correct or otherwise) due to the huge amount of software paper listings that used to be produced and poured over looking for the place where it was all going wrong. And then there was the paper archive that some firms kept - that faded and was useless after 18 months.

Software listings - haven't seen one of them for years.

Website design - CMS is thinking in the box

Website design can be a difficult process. We use a content management system (Dot Net Nuke) and that can force you to think well inside the box....literally.

However, with the right type of effort you can get out the box when it comes to design - CMS or not. We've found that challenging ourselves from time to time is the best way to strethc the CMS meets designer issue. Better we stretch ourselves than over promise to a client.

Feature creep in Software Development

It starts innocently enough with a minor request for a minor tweek. In most cases it just gets done - all part of completing a software project or website development. But then in some cases before you know it requests are growing.

It's an easy situation to get into - a bit like building a new house or doing an extension - things grow and develop. We try our best to be flexible with clients - as we find it can be hard for a non expert buyer to fully understand or appreciate what has been agreed. Sometimes the simplest solution is to agree a picture of the system up front - normally that saves a thousand words.

When is a bug not a bug - when it's a feature

The word Beta is a wonderful word. Google and many others have redefined the term to ensure that they can release pre market ready products. By saying Beta - it sets expectations.

Personally I think it is a good thing - it lets the market feedback what is wrong or what is missing. Release soon and react fast is the motto.

In the past though you couldnt really do that - a bug was a bug. And if it was a released product and the bug caused a crash or a big issue it was fixed fast. In balance I like the new Beta use of Beta - it suggests that the whole community is assisting the software developer get the project done right - I like that.

Software coder - I prefer software developer

There is a word in the software development world that I find a wee bit annoying - coder! It suggests that you stick someone in front of a screen and of they go - coding.

It's a term I think that is normally used by people who don't understand the process of software development and I am sure most use it when they mean developer or programmer.

Software development and software consultancy involves some pretty clever people working with large and often complex platforms and concepts - so the term coder for me doesnt really suggest that. Ok complaint over!

The end of the software reference book

I recently blogged on the need for a good DNN text book...... today I've just thrown out a pile of reference books for various languages and platforms that we either used or are still using as software developers.

We had a cupboard full of them which hadnt been opened for a year as far as I could tell from the dust.

So cancel the need for a Dot Net Nuke development book - lets keep the cupboards for storing useful things and use Google instead.

Software development without the music

Everywhere you go now - especially on public transport it's clear that folks are plugged into music via earphones. I noticed recently that 75% of a fairly busy railway carriage were plugged in - to avoid the conversations or musical taste of the other passengers I suspect.

In the software development environment they can be popular as well - though we discourage them because they limit team communications and can be a frustration. However with the increase of video and new media that is flying around their use is increasing in the office.

DNN - great but limited text books

I guess one of the things that is a frustration is the lack of good text books on Dot Net Nuke - our CMS of choice (DNN).

Maybe it's an age thing but it is useful to have a couple of text books to refer to from time to time. It does mean of course that our DNN development skills can be in high demand - it's a big system and needs good people to make the best of it. But it would be nice to have a few more easy to read manuals around - still there is always Google I suppose.

And in the end that is where developers head to first - the information is probably fuller and more uptodate than any text book could be.

Drupal - a Banana Split CMS

I must be getting old but I still can't used to the name Drupal - sounds too much like one of the Banana Splits. Maybe it was - who knows?

It's a PHP CMS system and one that we have used in house as an alternative to DNN (Dot Net Nuke). It's pretty neat and if it has to be a PHP solution it seems hard to beat - Joomla is ok - but I think Drupal is better if it has to PHP. Generally we'll stick to the Dot Net Nuke product because of our Microsoft.net development expertise but from time to time it makes sense to land up in Banana Split land.

SEO - don't be a dummy

From time to time we get in an enquiry with a bit of a background. We got one in recently where the client had spent a five figure sum on SEO work but had never received a report on the progress or the effectiveness of the work done.

We recommend that clients know a bit about the topic to ensure that they can ask sensible questions of their supplier. And we also recommend SEO for Dummies - not the kindest of names for a book but a really good read.

But I haven't changed anything - the mystery of software developmen

I heard it the other day - the first time for a while "but I haven't changed anything".

It's a cry that most Software developers or software consultants will make from time to time - hopefully not too often. it's a bit like putting your glasses down and not being able to find them - someone has moved them. But of course then you remember where you left them - normally when you see them.

Software development can be a bit like that - so much to keep on top off as a project reaches conclusion - easy to forget that you had changed a routine to return a slightly different result.

Traps for email newsletters

Newsletters can be tricky things to create and even trickier to deliver to the intended recipient. Get the balance wrong and the email newsletter can end up in the junk.

We've spent a fair amount of time learning how best to avoid the pitfalls following the development of our newsletter system. We don't send out spam - but we and our clients do send out interesting newsletter to target markets. However, it's easy to fall foul of the spam traps - use the wrong word (however innocently) and you can be gone!

We test out things out well - but as the traps change the weighting of the rules that trigger them it can be an ongoing process. Also a bit of a problem can be the various email clients - all with their own set of particular rendering issues - makes forr interesting times (though at times frustrating).

Facebook - the influencer of the internet

I've never really gotten Facebook - but I do use it. I have to admit to be being a bit slow with the Facebook thing - so it sort of passed me by. However, now we find that many of our clients are lookin for similar features as Facebook exhibits to ensure that they can stay connected to their clients in an effective way.

We've built a decent selection of community based websites which encourage communication between members and the swapping of best practice. Difficult to imagine how quickly the internet has changed thanks to the Facebook site - hugely influential in the direction of website design and development.

Whats the point of twitter

I know there a lot of people out there who really don't get or don't like Twitter. The normal complaint that I hear is that people don't wan't to learn who is out shopping.

However, the main benefit of Twitter is for news and business intelligence. It is an incredibly impressive way to keep up to date with what is going on in your sector.

As software developers we use it to get breaking news on technology and trends. We've also as you would expect ensured that news or articles on our client sites can get easily posted to the micro blogging site. Twiiter? Brilliant.

Effective website design

As software consultants and website developers we are often asked how best to present a website. The key thing when designing any website is the call to action in our opinion. It can e the prettiest most technically advanced website on the internet - but if it doesn't have a strong message explaining what to do next then it won't deliver results.

A call to action can be perfectly simple - such as "Call our X experts now to find out how you can improve y". Hardly a difficult thing to do. Or perhaps the call to action is no more than the request for an email address to provide an (interesting) newsletter.

We develop a range of different style websites for our clients but it is always key to understand what would work for them when it comec to a call to action.

Online Markting for free

Online Marketing can be done at little or no cost - all that is required is a time, diligence and effort.

Search Engine Optimisation is extremely effective as a method for website promotion and of course so is Pay Per Click.

SEO provides great results if you are in a field which is not overly competitive - ensuring the urls, content and tags all reflect your product and service is the key. PPC is also important though - it can drive transactions to your site cost effectively (though you can mess up badly if the call to action doesn't chime with the advert).

For us a combination of all works best. Theres lots of free advice on the web regards SEO - we offer some ourselves on various sites to help folks with no budget - it isn't rocket science.

Software project management

As the customer base grows within any company the nature of project management can change as well. For us we like to ensure that our software consultants build a good relationship with the end client - it's often quicker and better to go direct to the software consultant than via a help desk or account manager.

Software development is a complex task and often it is difficult for clients to fully explain what they want until prototypes are built - so giving them access to the correct people at the correct time can ensure that developments run a lot more smooth than otherwise they might.