web application development

OK, I'll bite. What exactly is Application Development?

The short answer? Anything that does “stuff”.

The long answer could be any one or any combination of: intranets, extranets, employment applications, ecommerce shopping carts, user forums, surveys, order management, dynamic photo galleries, custom blog engines, feedback forms, website content management (CMS). [And this is just a partial listing of possibilities.]

The real answer is whatever it takes to satisfy the requirements of your unique project. And that depends on you, your company and your company's goals.

The final result of application development is a customized solution, unique to your needs, that fits you like a custom-tailored suit.

Buy all of what you need and none of what you don't.

You may have run up against this before. You've shopped and demo-ed and reviewed “off the shelf” or “canned” solutions. And, in most cases, they'll do 80% of what you want. Oops, make that 80% of what your business “needs.” The problem is with that other 20%. The other 20% you need. Why pay for something that doesn't get you to where you have to be? The flip side of that coin is that you wind up paying for features you'll never use.

Software that “kinda” fits the way you do business works as well as a new pair of shoes that are a half a size too small, but were “on sale.” Have fun jogging around the block in those!

Application development's result of a customized solution means your project does exactly what you need it to do. You'll never come up shy. You'll never pay for features you don't need.

And custom doesn't have to mean expensive. Enterprise solutions certainly aren't cheap, but when you add it all up, a custom solution will probably end up saving you money; without service or subscription fees either. Indeed, over the long haul, it should make you money.

Honey, I can't talk right now, I'm managing my inventory… on my phone.

Just think of the possibilities a web based application opens up for your organization. No having to put up with dated versions, easier upgrades, and access from anywhere, even your phone.

The CD-ROM is dying. Long live the web-based application.

There is a major shift taking place right now and soon there won't be many software applications deployed on a traditional installation disk. It'll all be web based. One version, on the Web, indivisible, with functionality and accessibility for all.

“…and I'm a PC.” Real Microsoft Certified Developers

We're a Microsoft Certified shop. We develop everything on the Microsoft .NET platform and our development team is made of up true computer programmers. Not part-timers either. On the regular payroll, full-time employees of Aztek. These aren't guys [a unisex term at our shop] who accidentally stumbled in a programming job because they took one C++ class in college. They have successfully passed the tests required to become Microsoft Certified. And they take time in their non-business hours to increase their education in order to maintain that professional certification.

We put our mouth where our money is.

We built the software that runs our own business. Our company Intranet was built to handle our clients, projects, invoices, expenses, timesheets, sales and more. When we want a new feature, we simply build it. No waiting for the next release, paying for an upgrade and hoping it's going to do what we need. If we can do it for Aztek [a very persnickety client, need we say], trust us, we can do it for you.

Break it down for me.

1. All development is done in Microsoft .NET 3.5
2. We are a Microsoft Partner and employ Microsoft Certified Developers.
3. Nearly all our custom application development work is web (browser) based
4. We can develop everything from a simple web form to a full blown application that runs your entire business.

Software & technologies used: [more tech stuff]

• Microsoft .NET (2.0 & 3.5 – C#, VB)
• Javascript
• AJAX
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2008
• SQL Server
• LINQ (Language Integrated Query)
• WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)
• Web Services Development
• XML
• XAML – (Silverlight and WPF Applications)