Author: Elegant MicroWeb
Ah, the naivety of the 90s! Businesses clung to the hope that they could find ONE software solution that would satisfy every business needs and do so affordably and quickly. Today, the world of business incorporates legacy systems, best-of-breed solutions, reporting software, industry-specific apps, mobile applications for smart phones and tablets and every manner of sales, contact, inventory, warehousing, financial, production, distribution, legal and enterprise software.
If we have abandoned the dream of ONE solution, we haven’t abandoned the idea that we must integrate the data in all systems to avoid drowning in a sea of useless information. How can we integrate systems designed in different code, different data base configuration, and different platforms and frameworks and tools?
You remember the advice columnist Abigail Van Buren? She said, “If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we’d all be millionaires.”
Imagine buying the experience of businesses that made mistakes in selecting software, outsourcing partners or IT consultants. What would you pay to avoid choosing an IT firm that is unable to deliver world-class, global services that satisfy your needs?
It doesn’t matter whether you need software development, programming services, project management, application development and maintenance, content management systems (CMS), infrastructure management, staff augmentation, smart phone or tablet software development, system integration, networking or other IT services. What matters is whether the firm has global experience and can provide offshore outsourcing services, product development, and global support with proven processes, methodologies and affordable services and delivery models.
I met Emily at a recent IT conference. She was part of a panel discussing application and product development. Emily cautioned the audience about the perils of developing a software application for sale. Any packaged application vendor will tell you that developing a software product is not risk free. It is costly and can be disastrous. You need the right skills, processes, methodologies and oversight. Emily talked about her company’s experience and how they abandoned the project after years of work and a gargantuan budget overrun.
You know how it is. You have more IT work than resources so you pull a team member from one project to staff another. This can result in project delays and budget overrun and the work product can suffer if the team doesn’t have the skills you need to complete a task.
I understand. I’ve faced these issues too. Fortunately, I found a solution. My technology projects and support issues were a constant source of frustration. When I needed to finish a critical project, something would get in the way – network issues, technology deployment, or integration or migration issue – the list was endless.
Is there anyone out there in the technology profession who hasn’t yet heard of OpenGL? If so, let me tell you about this program. OpenGL enables unique application development and provides rendering, texture mapping, special effects, and stunning visualization, all with cross-platform flexibility and mobile application deployment.
The OpenGL solution satisfies even the most complex requirement for visual computing applications and provides fast, dependable 3D animation speed and visual simulation with high-quality and cutting-edge performance. OpenGL supports mobile applications and has a popular open graphics tool library that enables development of business and gaming applications.
My friend Joe always complains about his technology problems. “We just started to look at a Content Management System and our online store software isn’t doing much for our revenue. Just when I think I’ve found the right solution, I find out my IT team can’t support it.”
Every company wants to establish an online presence to sell products or services and provide portable tools that enable employee collaboration across the enterprise and on the road. CMS, shopping carts, and e-commerce solutions help promote and sell products and generate revenue. They also provide a productive, collaborative environment. But, even if you choose the right eCommerce, portal, or Content Management System (CMS), your business still has to consider other issues. To build a strong foundation, you’ll need an expert who understands cross-platform interoperability, online stores, system integration, and mobile CMS and portal collaborative tools. An experienced IT consultant can build a flexible, affordable environment to support growth and comply with average user skills.
Every business person has seen, and probably used, a Fish Bone Diagram. It’s a proven tool that helps us objectively assess a problem. Last year my team and I created a fish bone in hopes of finding a solution to our Content Management System (CMS) problems. The cause and effect diagram is a visual way to organize data and brainstorm solutions but, in order to use it effectively we had to identify every problem. In the world of the Fish Bone Diagram, we refer to this as ‘knowing your bones’. When it comes to CMS portals, my team doesn’t understand the challenges of design, development, configuration, implementation, integration and support of a CMS system.