Application Packaging

What is Application Packaging

This is the creation of installation programs to install all the files, registry settings and system configurations required for a particular piece of software to operate on the destination computers. This will usually include the creation of prompt screens to ask the computer user where on their computer they would like the software installed and which features they would like installed.

How we can help

From our long experience in this field we can provide skilled personnel from in-house and trusted associates to provide you with the required resources. Whether just some technical advices or to manage your installation creation from start to finish we can help:-

• Assesment & advice on your needs
• Application design advice
• Off-site packaging service
• On-site packaging resourcing
• Quality Control processes
• Post release support contracts
• Training services
• Custom code & utilities
• Additional Benefits etc.

Assessment & advice on your needs

After non-disclosure agreement, receipt and analysis of your software one of our most senior experts will come to you to discuss and find out about you and your requirements. A typical proccess may consist off:-

• Meet & greet (get to know the indiviuals & roles involved)
• Your software (it's dependencies, links and useage etc.)
• Your client base (what environment will it be deployed to)
• Your upgrade strategy (how will patches and new releases be deployed)

We will then assess your needs and then produce a report of our meeting, information gathered, reccomendations and proposals. Once you have received this we will meet to agree

• Working arrangement (standard off-site or are there special requirements)
• Roles & responsabilities(delivery, sign-off & release process)
• Timescales & deliverables
• Invoicing (charging mechanism, rate & any support contract options)

Application design advice

Whilst your expertise in design and development of software may dwarf our own when it comes to certain aspects of software design sometimes even slight changes in light of our long deployment and systems integration experience can substantially benefit your product in various areas such as:-

• Deployment resilience (will it deploy in a broad range of scenarios)
• Operating System flexability (will it work on Windows 2000, XP & Vista)
• Secure Desktop compatability (many organisation enhance user restrictions)
• User flexability (will it work for roaming-user networks)
• Network flexability (can it be configured for corporate style shared usage)
• Licence security (how best to integrate copy control)

Off-site packaging service

Typically the most effective way to resource and control the packaging process is by a combination of largely off-site install development with close liaison as needed on-site interaction. This means you have access to the best skills rather than those that are closest to you plus increased flexability.

On-site packaging resourcing

When the situation demands it we can supply individuals or even development teams for large projects.

Quality Control processes

Our QA check-lists, documentation and development control processes have been evolved over many years and follow principles such as "Continuos Process Improvement" and "Peer Review".

Post release support contracts

Until Microsoft write the perfect operating system there can never be a hundred percent perfect install that will work on every single computer in the world. So we can offer support contracts to ensure that should your clients suffer deployment problems, or your application needs updating then we can jump straight into action.

Training services

Training in-house staff is no replacement for years of experience but it can certainly suppliment the off-site specialist, reduce your overheads and enhance technical liaison. Therefore we are happy to provide and arrange training services for your personnel.

Custom code & utilities

Whether as part of overcomming installation obstacles or providing adhoc development resource we can help with software authoring to suite your needs. We frequently assist our corporate customers by being able to react quickly whilst their own highly skilled personnel are often unavailable due to long term project commitments

For example:-

• Creating install utilities to interogate and adapt to the destination computer
• Hardware & software audit & support tools
• Active Directory policy enhancements
• Debugging or enhancing un-supported legacy software
• Migrating software or data from legacy environments
• Integration seperate software elements
• XML, intranet, internet integration
• etc.

Additional Benefits etc.

As a valued customer, you will be granted access to our restricted on-line resources such as packaging utilities, code snippets, tips & tutorials.