Expertise

Occasionally, you will need assistance in bringing your products to market. Today’s Windows and Web applications may be easier to use, but they are more complex to develop. Skyland Systems has experience in all phases of product development and can provide the assistance you need to bring quality products to market in a timely manner. While specializing in software applications architecture and hands-on development, we can assist in all phases of the project. Our recent efforts have been focused on Windows, Client/Server and Web-based products. We are ready to meet with you to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Project Expertise

Project Management
We have personnel who have managed projects as complex as an end-user communications gateway with both an OS/2 and a DOS server along with Windows, DOS, and OS/2 clients.

We have experience in putting together an entire project including requirements, specifications, architecture, design, coding, quality assurance, documentation, and manufacturing. Accurate scheduling and follow through to assure schedules are met is one of our main priorities. We are skilled at facilitating coordination and cooperation among multiple people and organizations.

Specifications & Architecture
We have worked with many end-users to understand their requirements and to translate these requirements into software specifications and architecture. Some of our successful projects include multi-tiered internet-based business applications, LAN-based network management systems and a microcomputer-based dental office accounting system. Preparing specifications often includes prototyping and usability testing.  Recent projects have used object oriented programming techniques (OOP: OOA and OOD) utilizing Rational Rose.

Design & Coding
All recent projects have included design and coding of applications in C++ and Java, especially Windows and Web-based applications.  We understand that quality design and coding are necessary to obtain a robust, high performance product that is bug-free and maintainable. We have proficiency in many computer languages and have worked on both short term and long term development efforts. Some of our skills include RDBMS (SQL), compiler, Async communications, GUI (MS Windows, MFC, Java, HTML), and development tools.

Quality Assurance
Delivering an intuitive, easy-to-use, robust product that is on time and meets the user’s requirements is the goal of every project. We view the quality assurance phase of the project as the final test that these goals are met. We believe that quality cannot be superimposed on a product at this phase of the project; it must be built-in from the start. QA is used to validate functionality. GUI environments place high demands on product testing, therefore we use both off-the-shelf and custom built test tools.

Documentation
Both internal and user documentation are an essential part of any project. We produce internal documentation during the life of the project and normally work with technical writers for the user documentation. On occasion we have produced simple user documentation.

Manufacturing
We work closely with the people who will manufacture the product to assure efficient and timely production of the final product.

Troubleshooting
We also work with some clients on a troubleshooting basis by assisting their staff during troublesome parts of projects. For example, we assisted in an architecture and code review for a project that was having performance problems. We also recovered a source code base for a company that unexpectedly lost a key team member.

Performance
Frequently, programs do not perform as expected. We have analyzed several slow running programs and have usually been able to determine the performance problem. Additionally, some applications can be modeled during the design stage in order to predict expected performance.

Vincent A. Busam, President and principal consultant, has more than 12 years of experience managing software development teams, producing products ranging from compilers to business applications. In addition, he has more than 15 years of development experience in a variety of environments ranging from mainframes to personal computers. Included in his experience is more than 8 years technical consulting for a variety of companies including SBE, Amdahl, TRW, Tymshare, DataCom Systems, Attachmate, Network Associates and a number of PC-based application companies. He started specializing in microcomputer software development more than 18 years ago and established Skyland Systems.

Mr. Busam has a BS in Mathematics, an MS in Computer Science, and an MBA. He has published several technical articles and holds a patent.

While Mr. Busam specializes in "translating" user requirements into technical specifications and following through with product implementation, he has also served some clients by assisting their staffs through phases of projects. Mr. Busam's most recent projects have been architecture and development of Windows and Web-based applications. Mr. Busam's resume can be obtained from http://www.busam.com/skyland/resume.html.