Development

We've got experience with C, C++, Ruby, Python, Java, C#, Javascript, PHP, and more. Plenty of in-the-trenches experience writing portable code for Windows, OS X, Linux, Solaris, and other Unixes, as well as years building systems on the web. We prefer to use and write open source code when the situation allows for it, but can also write custom code to integrate into closed or legacy systems.

Consulting

If you need something more specialized than a training course, but aren't quite sure about whether you need some development work done, we also offer daily rates for consulting, much of which can be done off-site (saving you money), or on-site if your situation requires it.

• Licensing audits - review your current software licensing costs and provide a comprehensive report of open source alternatives, including the true costs of support and training.
• Security review - audit your existing code base for common security flaws and build a review process matched to your application architecture to help you prevent future security flaws in the code.
• Production review - look over your test, dev, and rollout procedures and suggest improvements to decrease the time from a feature request or bug report to a successful deployment.

Training

We can deliver a stock course or customize a course specifically for your company and situation. Our training courses are hands on, and we use proven methods to facilitate learning and retention of complex topics. Courses that we are currently offering:

Open Source Web Development for Internal IT:

This 2 day workshop is an interactive overview of the current open source web development frameworks and tools. During the first day we discover together which frameworks are the best fit for your business, taking into account existing skillsets and IT infrastructure. During the second day we delve more deeply into whichever framework has been selected, and assemble a low-risk deployment strategy for your environment.

Introduction to Django:

This 2 day workshop takes you through building an interactive Django application, including testing and deployment (critical topics typically left out of books and online resources).

Introduction to Open Source Databases:

This one day workshop covers SQLite and either MySQL or PostgreSQL. While this is an introductory course, it does not just rehash the docs that you find on the web. We cover how to safely version and evolve DB schema, backups, how to split development/staging/production, replication and scaling strategies, and the basics of optimization.