Some computer applications are completely self-contained...
...but most need to integrate with at least one other computer system,
application or specialised equipment; and usually more than one.
We understand this and have experience with a wide range of business integration
issues.
IT
Infrastructure
Apart from occasional stand-alone systems virtually all applications need
to transfer data between the client and the server where the data is
held. We therefore need to consider the nature of the current networking
infrastructure (will the proposed solution work correctly? is it going
to be fast enough? will it overload it? how will it affect existing
applications?).
For example we were recently asked to troubleshoot by a company who had asked
another software house to develop an application for them. This was
intended to be a distributed system with a dozen separate locations
connecting to a central database over various links (LAN, WAN and ISDN). It
worked beautifully when run on the company LAN but was
experiencing major problems with performance and database corruption
when accessed over WAN and ISDN links. It was immediately
apparent where the problem lay; the developers had used JET as their
database engine, which is designed for LAN use and is totally unsuited for
use over low bandwidth or intermittent connections. This should have been
recognized during the initial design but due to their lack of experience with
this type of system was missed. Unfortunately the only solution was to
scrap the nearly finished application and start again with an different
architecture that would work correctly in that situation; a very expensive
mistake to make!
Other infrastructure issues that need considering include security, backup and
disaster recovery, data synchronization and replication, remote access, etc.
Specialized Equipment
Many systems need to integrate with specialized equipment. Some that we
have been involved with include:
 E-mail (automatically send out
e-mails and processing new ones coming in)
Fax (inc. WinFaxPro as well as
high level systems with a dedicated fax server such as RedRock's FaxNow!)
SMS mobile text messages
Bar code scanners, printers
and symbologies
Document scanners
Smart Card readers
Digitizers & plotters
PDAs / hand-held devices
Signature capture equipment
POS (Point Of Sale) tills
Label printers
Laboratory equipment (digital
balances, etc.)
Robots and PLC's on production
lines
Remote cameras
Modems
Mainframe computers, Unix
& Linux systems, VPN, etc.
Other Software Applications
Applications also frequently need to interact with existing software,
which may be existing personal productivity applications, enterprise wide
systems or remote computers. Some of the many applications we have interfaced
with include :
Word
Excel
Outlook & Exchange
Contact Management systems such as
Goldmine
Various accounts packages such
as Sage & Exchequer
Specialized software packages such
as SAP, Neurocheck, SIMS, Academy, Movex, etc.
FTP data transfer routines
Web Services
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