Business, CorporateMarch 20, 2023

The impact of cloud computing on software development

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way software development is done. It has enabled developers to create, test, and deploy software applications in a more efficient and cost-effective way. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits and challenges of developing software in the cloud, including the impact on scalability, cost, and security.

Benefits of Cloud Computing for Software Development:

  1. Scalability: Cloud computing enables software developers to scale up or down their computing resources as needed. This means that they can easily handle sudden spikes in traffic without the need for expensive hardware upgrades.
  2. Cost Savings: Cloud computing eliminates the need for expensive hardware and maintenance costs, as well as the need for physical data centers. This results in cost savings for software developers, especially for startups and small businesses.
  3. Faster Deployment: With cloud computing, software developers can deploy their applications faster than ever before. This is because they do not have to worry about hardware procurement and installation, as all the resources they need are available on the cloud.
  4. Collaboration: Cloud computing enables software developers to collaborate more easily, regardless of their physical location. This means that they can work together on the same codebase and make changes in real-time.
  5. Access to Advanced Technologies: Cloud computing providers offer a wide range of advanced technologies that software developers can use to enhance their applications. For example, machine learning and artificial intelligence services can be easily integrated into cloud-based applications.

Challenges of Cloud Computing for Software Development:

  1. Security: Cloud computing raises concerns about the security of data and applications. Developers need to take measures to ensure that their applications and data are secure.
  2. Reliance on Third-Party Providers: When developing software in the cloud, developers are reliant on third-party providers. Any disruptions or downtime can have a significant impact on the development process.
  3. Integration with Legacy Systems: Many organizations have legacy systems that are not cloud-enabled. Integrating these systems with cloud-based applications can be a challenge.
  4. Vendor Lock-In: Once developers start using a cloud computing provider, it can be difficult to switch to another provider. This can result in vendor lock-in and limit the flexibility of developers.

Conclusion:

Cloud computing has transformed the way software development is done. It offers several benefits, including scalability, cost savings, faster deployment, collaboration, and access to advanced technologies. However, it also poses challenges, such as security concerns, reliance on third-party providers, integration with legacy systems, and vendor lock-in. Developers need to carefully weigh the benefits and challenges of cloud computing before deciding to develop software in the cloud.

Read more
Business, CorporateMarch 6, 2023

3 Easy-to-use Mobile App Ideas For Startups

Here are three easy-to-use mobile app ideas for startups:

  1. Social media management app: Many startups struggle with managing their social media accounts efficiently. You can develop a mobile app that allows users to schedule posts, track analytics, and manage multiple accounts from one place.
  2. Task management app: Startups often have multiple tasks and projects to manage, and it can be challenging to keep everything organized. You can create a mobile app that allows users to assign tasks, set deadlines, track progress, and communicate with team members in real-time.
  3. Appointment scheduling app: Scheduling appointments can be a hassle, especially when dealing with multiple clients or customers. You can create a mobile app that allows users to schedule appointments, set reminders, and receive notifications when it’s time for their appointment.

These app ideas are relatively simple to develop and can provide significant value to startups. You can customize these ideas based on your client’s specific needs and industry.

Read more
Business, CorporateMarch 5, 2023

How to Hire and Manage The Right Remote Software Development Team

Hiring and managing a remote software development team requires a different set of skills and strategies than managing an in-house team. Here are some steps you can take to successfully hire and manage this team:

  1. Define your requirements: Clearly define the skills and experience you are looking for in a remote software development team. Consider factors such as the technology stack, years of experience, and communication skills.
  2. Source candidates: Use online job boards, social media, and other sources to find candidates. You can also use freelance platforms to find individual contractors or agencies that specialize in remote software development.
  3. Conduct interviews: Conduct remote interviews to assess the candidates’ technical skills, experience, and communication skills. Use video conferencing tools to simulate an in-person interview.
  4. Set clear expectations: Clearly define the project goals, timelines, and deliverables. Set expectations for communication and availability, including the expected response times.
  5. Use collaboration tools: Use collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom, and Trello to facilitate communication and project management. Use tools such as GitHub to manage code repositories and track changes.
  6. Set up a communication plan: Establish regular communication channels, such as weekly check-ins, status updates, and progress reports. Use a combination of video calls, chat, and email to ensure effective communication.
  7. Monitor progress: Monitor the team’s progress against the project goals and timelines. Provide feedback and guidance as needed to ensure the project stays on track.
  8. Build a positive team culture: Foster a positive team culture through team-building activities, recognition programs, and regular feedback. Encourage collaboration and a shared sense of ownership over the project.
  9. Ensure data security: Ensure that the remote team follows data security protocols and use secure tools to protect sensitive data.

By following these steps, you can successfully hire and manage a remote software development team. Remember, effective communication and collaboration are key to the success of remote teams, and it’s important to build a positive team culture and maintain regular communication channels.

Read more
BusinessMarch 3, 2023

Software development is an excellent way to improve your problem-solving skills.

Here are some ways in which software development can help you enhance your problem-solving abilities:

  1. Decomposition: One of the fundamental principles of software development is breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts. By doing this, you can identify the root cause of a problem and develop solutions that address each component of the problem. This skill can be applied to other areas of life where you need to solve complex problems.
  2. Debugging: Debugging is a critical part of software development, and it involves finding and fixing errors in code. Debugging requires a logical and analytical approach to problem-solving, which is a skill that can be applied to other areas of life. By identifying and fixing errors, you learn how to think systematically and logically, which can help you solve problems more effectively.
  3. Collaboration: Software development often involves working with a team of developers, testers, and other stakeholders. Collaboration requires communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal. These skills can be applied to other areas of life, such as working on group projects or navigating interpersonal relationships.
  4. Creativity: Software development requires creativity to develop innovative solutions to problems. It involves thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas to solve problems. This skill can be applied to other areas of life, such as generating new ideas for business or developing creative solutions to personal problems.
  5. Continuous Learning: Software development is a constantly evolving field, and developers need to keep up with new technologies and trends to stay relevant. This requires a willingness to learn and adapt to new information, which is a valuable skill in problem-solving. By staying open to new ideas and learning opportunities, you can expand your problem-solving skills and approach problems from different perspectives.

Overall, software development provides an excellent opportunity to develop problem-solving skills that can be applied to other areas of life. By breaking down complex problems, thinking logically and systematically, collaborating with others, being creative, and continuously learning, you can become a better problem solver and achieve your goals more effectively.

Read more
UncategorizedMarch 2, 2023

How to Secure Your Software Development Process and Protect User Data

Security is a crucial aspect of software development, and protecting user data should be a top priority for any software development company. Here are some steps you can take to secure your software development process and protect user data:

  1. Conduct a thorough risk assessment: Identify potential security risks in your software development process and prioritize them based on the level of risk they pose.
  2. Use secure coding practices: Train your developers on secure coding practices, such as input validation, output encoding, and error handling. Use secure coding frameworks and libraries to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.
  3. Implement secure authentication and authorization: Use strong authentication methods and implement authorization controls to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive data.
  4. Secure data storage: Ensure that sensitive user data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Implement secure data storage protocols to protect against data breaches.
  5. Regularly test your software for vulnerabilities: Perform regular security testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities. Conduct penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities that may be exploited by attackers.
  6. Use access controls: Limit access to sensitive data and systems only to authorized personnel. Use role-based access controls to ensure that employees have access only to the data and systems that they need to do their job.
  7. Keep your software up-to-date: Keep your software and security protocols up-to-date to protect against new vulnerabilities and threats.
  8. Monitor your systems: Implement monitoring and logging to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time.
  9. Have a response plan: Develop a plan to respond to security incidents, including steps to notify users, fix vulnerabilities, and recover lost data.

By following these steps, you can secure your software development process and protect user data. Remember, security is an ongoing process, and it’s essential to continually monitor and update your security protocols to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Read more
BusinessApril 14, 2020

The benefits of applications in the workplace

The use of applications in the workplace has become more prominent over the past decade. Businesses have been making investments in application development services to help grow their operations, as well as restructure it to be able to compete against rival businesses and in the global market as a whole.

Applications that are developed for operational purposes are very handy to a business as it can aid in smoothening the process as well as increase efficiency and productivity in the business. The use of applications in the business can also drive engagement with customers or other member of the business as you have to understand what their needs are and how to make their processes more efficient by utilising an application. This is important as this will ensure the customer is happy with what they get and that the investment that was made in the development in the application is worth while.

Applications or websites that are built to showcase an organisation or business can help build brand awareness. This is an effective form of advertising your business by giving a detailed description of your business and allowing users to see what services are being offered. By consulting with the developers you are able to style and design the app/website to your own specifications and update it accordingly when required.

Read more
BusinessApril 14, 2020

Development Process

Design

Once we’re armed with this information, we’ll set to work sketching out interface layouts for 3-5 different views, including the home page, sub page, the blog template, and any additional templates needed. Wireframes look like simple skeletons of your website without the visual polish of the finished design, allowing us to experiment and iterate on solutions quickly so that we have a good sense of how content should be laid out across different screen sizes.

We recommend having all of your content ready by this stage which will inform the design and make it faster to load the initial content on the development server so content would not hold back the launch. If you would not be able to provide professionally written content by this stage we recommend having our in-house copywriter create the content for you.

Next we will design high-fidelity comps that show what the final designs will look like on desktop, tablet, and smart-phone screen sizes, providing up to two rounds of revisions on the design.

Development

Next we will set to work making your design a reality by building the site using standards-based technology. We’ll build the front-end templates in HTML5, CSS, and use JQuery for simple behavior and effects like animations and form validation.

WORDPRESS Theme Development

We recommend WordPress as your content management system (CMS) so you can update the content yourself. WordPress is the most popular open-source CMS in the world and has thousands of developers constantly improving it and contributing plugins to extend it’s functionality.

We will install WordPress on your server, set up the admin panel for you and then create a custom WordPress theme that will mirror the design we created for you.

Your website will initially contain between 5-10 static pages (ie: pages that don’t change often) including the home page, about us, our services, our team, and contact us. You will be able to add new top level and secondary pages to the site navigation yourself in WordPress. We’ll also set up a blog for you to publish posts that will be displayed in a reverse chronological order with pagination, search, tagging and category filters.

The website will include a social media widget on the home page to display your Twitter feed, social share buttons on your blog posts, a simple email form on your contact page, and an email newsletter sign up form which we’ll hook into your Mailchimp account.

Plugins are a way to extend the functionality of WordPress and make the admin panel easier to manage. We will install a limited number of plugins for launch, which will include a simplified way to manage the navigation, automatically backup the database, SEO tools so you can manage the title and meta description tags, and an XML site-map generator which will help Google index your pages automatically.

Testing

We will test the website in a variety of browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer 9. We will also test the responsive design on iPhone and Android devices. We will test the functionality of the site to ensure there are no errors or broken links and then hand it over to you for review on a test server. You will have two rounds of minor revisions or tweaks to the sites, and then we will launch.

Support Retainer

We recommend retaining our services after the site is launched to assist with any further support issues that arise. As part of this retainer, we will provide monthly analytics reports and recommendations to further improve your site conversion.

Read more
BusinessJanuary 29, 2019

Six reasons why it is important to implement a Learning Management System

Why do you actually need a Learning Management System?

In the following paragraphs, we will discuss exactly how a Learning Management System (LMS) contributes to a company. An LMS helps provide optimal support for an implementation process for training, learning and knowledge sharing. The administrative load will be reduced and relationships with employees will be improved. We will discuss below six main reasons why an LMS needs to be considered.

Improved business results

With an LMS, employees are given quick and easy access to all the learning tools that are available. This gives them the opportunity to become better at their jobs.

Employee performance tracking

Offering training is a perfect way to provide employees with essential knowledge. An LMS facilitates the setting of training requirements per job function which allows a company to identify who needs relevant training and information. Alongside this, registering employees and managing teams can be arranged using only a few clicks. With these options, it is easy to ensure that employees have the right skills, while simultaneously monitoring the investment in additional training.

Additionally, you can easily assess whether employees meet the mandatory industry standards. A list of those following a course along with when and where it took place can be printed.

One overview

Perhaps there are different systems used within the company to keep track of training courses. With an LMS, all the information is held in an organized, manageable, secure way and all existing (HR) systems are integrated so that all the data is readily accessible.

Furthermore, employees also benefit from a comprehensive system whereby all courses can be offered directly. This ensures an effective learning environment and reduces the stress levels associated with learning and employee motivation.

More control over employees’ learning processes

Each employee has drawn up his or her own Personal Development Plan, from which learning needs can be derived. These needs are then translated into specific, personalized training.

The results of assignments created can be followed and suggestions or comments given. Likewise, reminders and other notifications can be sent automatically to employees, all resulting in a clear overview and control of the learning process.

Evaluation of learning efficiency

So long as the right reports are created, the success and progress of training can be easily evaluated but drafting the right report is not always easy. An LMS can provide straightforward tools and makes it possible to select the desired format and level. The results can be filtered by, for example, training, department, or group exam. It is also possible to select the type of user and any relevant certification.

Additionally, specific functions automate reporting and the tracking of learning efficiency, so this does not need to be done manually. The result is that you can demonstrate without any difficulties how successful particular training or the progress of employees is.

Cost and time savings

In reality, only large organizations could afford the cost and complexity of maintaining an LMS. However, thanks to improved software, even small businesses can benefit from an LMS via minimal cost-based pricing.

Read more
CorporateJanuary 29, 2019

Why Digital Presence is so Important

Did you know your online presence could make or break your business?
Especially for small businesses. While small businesses don’t have as many resources or as much time to spend on their online presence it is extremely important.

If you want your business to become successful in today’s market, you need to be online. Technology is making it more convenient for customers to shop online, visit a website to learn about a business, or Google location, hours of operation, pricing, what others have said about your business and directions to the business. By the time a prospective customer contacts you they have already decided to purchase your product or service. As quoted by adweek.com “ 81% of Shoppers Conduct Online Research Before Buying”.
So why is digital presence so important?

Visibility –Your small business can’t be everywhere, all of the time. With a digital presence, it can. Your business can be seen by thousands of potential customers in the search engines, on social media and in industry forums where people can learn what your business is about.
Authority –Having a digital presence and using it effectively can make you an authority in your industry. From publishing informative content, to posting demonstration videos, your digital presence can show customers why they should be shopping with you.
First Impression –The first impression the customer gets of you and your business is always the most important. In the real world, we can’t always control the impression we leave with customers as there are so many variables. You can control your online image and the impression customers receive through your digital presence. A premium digital profile and attractive website will get your business noticed and will plant a good first impression in the minds of potential customers.

Not having a website will result in you losing in a whole lot of business. Customers look at your website to determine if they want to choose your services or products to spend products on. This being said, if you have a bad website your business still comes up in a search, but you might come off as sloppy or unprofessional.
If you have been sticking to the old ways of doing business, you could be missing out on a large customer base. Do you want to establish a digital presence for your small to medium or enterprise level business? If so, contact us now and we will assist you.

Read more
EcommerceJanuary 29, 2019

5 Reasons Why Email Campaigns Are Still the Most Effective Form of Marketing

Deciding where to invest your marketing budget isn’t a decision you take lightly.
As a business your mission is to attract new customers and keep your existing clients coming back, but you can’t afford to invest time or resources into something that isn’t going to deliver the results you expect.

According to The Radicati Group, “Email remains the most pervasive form of communication in the business world, while other technologies such as social networking, instant messaging (IM), mobile IM, and others are also taking hold, email remains the most ubiquitous form of business communication.”

Say what you want about email being old and outdated, but the statistics don’t lie. Time and time again, email marketing has proven to be one of the most effective forms of marketing for both small and large businesses.

Email marketing is also a very personal way of reaching your target customers. Emails can be tailored to customer actions so that every communication is relevant to their interest. You can cover topics like changes in your company, victories, request feedback to your customer – this list is virtually endless. With 2.5 billion users worldwide, email marketing isn’t going anywhere.

And here’s why:
1. More effective than social media (for customer acquisition)
Social Media is a great channel for interacting with your audience and strengthening your personal relationships with them. And because of that, it is an important first step towards reaching your ultimate goal – the conversion.

But when it comes to converting people into members, customers or supporters, email marketing is the way to go.

A study by Custora from 2013 found that customer acquisition via email marketing has quadrupled in the four years preceding 2013. Email marketing then already accounted for nearly 7% of all customer acquisitions that occurred online.

2. Economic and Cost Effective
For many business owners who are working with limited budgets, email marketing is particularly appealing. That’s because email marketing yields an average ROI of 122%, according to a study from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). It’s easy, effective, and inexpensive.

3 Personal and Customisable
In email marketing, what you’re really doing is segmenting your audience into lists, and sending each list a tailored email message that resonates with your reader and can provide them with something of value (segmented and targeted emails generate 58% of all revenue according to DMA, and marketers that use segmented campaigns, have noted a 760% increase in revenue, according to Campaign Monitor). By segmenting your email list, you can easily provide consumers with the personalized experience they crave and increase your conversions in the process.

4. It’s Easy to Track and Measure Success
To get the biggest ROI, tracking and measuring the performance of your marketing campaigns is essential. Some marketing channels can be difficult to measure, but this isn’t the case for email marketing campaigns, like SPOT (http://spotcms.co.za).

Thanks to automated technology, it’s easier than ever to track key metrics, the performance of your segmented lists, and even what devices your subscribers are using to read your content.
Furthermore, with software systems like SPOT, you are even able to track hot leads from each email campaign created and convert them into sales. With all this knowledge, you can adjust your campaigns to maximize your ROI.

5 Mobile devices allow people to check their email constantly
Because mobile devices have become so common, people are checking their emails all the time—in line at Starbucks, during their office commute, in the waiting room at the doctor’s rooms, at the grocery store, everywhere.

Some people think that with the growing popularity of social media platforms, email should be forgotten and may be pushed to the side.
A study in 2016 from mybroadband.co.za reports that in South Africa, almost 90% of people use smartphones to access their emails. This compared to 83% of the people who use their smartphones for social networking.

Not using email as part of your internet marketing strategy means you are missing out on a large channel that a majority of the world uses on a daily basis!

Read more
Get an estimate of your project’s time and costs.
Get in Touch
Looking for a quote?
Enquire Now