Are you sure you are using the most appropriate technology to build your solution?

Get your applications developed using the Right Technology for the Solution

You've probably seen it all: so-called software "solutions" that solve nothing and just keep IT support staff sucking up your budget. Or great-looking interfaces, with all the bells-and-whistles, that are so difficult to use they never are. Or using the latest technology based on a salesman's promise lying unused while the old system everybody was complaining about still keeps on working.

The use of inappropriate technology is one of the biggest causes of software projects failing. Inappropriate technology includes:

• Using the same set of tools to build all your applications
• Using old, known technology which just doesn't cut it in a modern interconnected environment
• Using the latest, untested technology with hidden flaws and slow development
• Using expensive, monolithic systems when less costly, hybrid systems are more suited to the job
• Applying the coolest new technolgy but impressing no-one when it slows everything down to a crawl
• Using unsuitable technology for the operating environment
• Using inexpensive technology with long-term high ownership costs
• Using "safe" brands when there's new innovative technology that would do the job perfectly.

And so on.... 

"But how do I know what technologies I should be using in my business"

It's not easy, we know. But it's not impossible.

Obviously you can't know about every new development - or even every old one. This difficulty made a lot of big IT firms very rich: remember the days of a company being "an IBM shop" or "an NCR shop". Yes, in those days it was easy: just ask your IBM rep to come up with the solution, and a few months later there it was - usually at enormous cost.

But luckily those days are gone. Businesses are far more dependant on IT solution nowadays and there is no one supplier who can meet all the needs.

Still, old habits die hard. Fortunes are drained away every year to rot in the graveyard of failed IT projects.

"So how will Sillero help?"

We start with the problem to be solved. Each solution has a different set of requirements, and by examing those requirements carefully, without any preconceived ideas about the technology to use, we can evaluate the best tools and services to use.

Obviously budget is a primary concern. And sometimes, what's required and what's available can't be matched with the available budget.

We would much rather stop a project then and there rather than carry on with developing a system that we know is doomed to failure. When expectations don't meet budget, you don't get what you want and we don't have a satisfied customer.

So we're only going to get involved when we know the project stands an excellent chance of being completed successfully.

We then propose our solution, choosing technology that best fits:

• The solution to the problem
• The operating environment
• The users
• The on-going cost of ownership
• And of course, your budget.

"So what's your secret?"

It's simple: experience and enthusiasm.

We've got the experience all right: owners Tim and Johann have both got over 20 years experience in the IT industry, working on hundreds of projects, ranging from large financial projects like that for one of the world's largest banks to small web-applications like that for a regional photgraphic society.

One thing has been consistent though: we've always kept abreast of new technology and have set aside significant time to understand, evaluate and test it. It could have been much easier just to churn out the stuff we knew, over and over again but we knew we'd be doing ourselves and our client's a disservice.

Fact is, we just love it and remain as enthusiastic about technology as the first day we wrote our first line of code.

"So which technologies do you use?"

Obviously we can't be experts in all technologies - nobody can. Nor have we the capacity to continuously evaluate technologies.

So what we do is get in-depth understanding of the major technologies, such as web and web-services, database and development platform technologies.

Then we follow the major streams, such as Java and .NET platforms, IIS and Apache web servers, SQLServer and MySql databases, PHP frameworks, and so on.

But there are also the technologies that might not be mainstream, but with which we have had much success and have proved to be of great value to our customers. These are technologies like InterSystems' Caché and of course Anoto's digital pen & paper functionality.

We also have a number of other toolsets which are used for specific projects or tasks, some of which we have used for years, others for only a few months. In all cases we make sure we master the tool before using it in a project.

All this boils down to a formidible array of technologies at our disposal to provide you with the perfect software solution.

So why not contact us to discuss your software projects - you've got nothing to lose and great software to gain.

For more information see Technologies.

"Why do Internet Marketing?"

We realised some time ago that many of the (particularly Web) projects we had completed weren't exactly setting the word on fire. Our customer might have had a great web application, but no-one knew about it or never really understood the benefits of it. This applies not only to shopfront-type sites but also corporate sites and intranets.

Sillero is now involved in a number of web-application developments accompanied by internet marketing - which often pays for all the development in a matter of months.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Tim and Johann.