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Who are you?
We are a small group of software developers, designers, and artists
who work, as a team, on projects for our clients. Some of us are
full-time employees, some are moonlighters, and some are
independent contractors. All of us are the best at what we do. We
are located in Riverdale, New York and have been in business since
1985.
Are you a consulting, contracting, or recruiting
firm?
No, we are none of these. We don’t place people into open
positions. We don’t tell you how to run your business. We
don’t go away after a predefined duration of time. We are
simply a flexible, very capable, and dependable team for hire. We
can outsource your entire project, or simply help you through
“peak” times by working directly with your in-house
engineering staff.
Can you work at my location?
We have our own offices, our own computers, our own software, and
everything else we need to get the job done. For the most part, we
do the work at our location. Even so, we often travel to our
clients’ offices for meetings, troubleshooting, installation,
training, or even an occasional office party, if we’re
lucky.
Do you charge by the hour, or bid for entire
projects?
We can do both. Most often, we work by the hour. Our clients like
the flexibility and freedom of “do as I say” and
“pay as we go”. Periodically, we will offer a fixed bid
for a very well defined project. For some clients, we come up with
a hybrid of both hourly and fixed bidding. In general, we do
whatever makes the most sense for our client and the project in
question.
Do you bill for your time spent in meetings, phone calls, or
writing emails?
We bill only for time
that is directly related to actual design and development. This may
include meetings and phone calls, but only if the subject matter
pertains to producing the software. We never bill time for spent on
“business” activities such as sales calls, initial
consultations, contract negotiation, accounting, billing,
education, equipment maintenance, or cleaning out the
refrigerator.
How do you calculate your billable time?
We round each
day’s total time to the nearest quarter hour. We normally
don’t count quick phone calls or emails that take only a few
minutes to respond to. We promise not to nickel and dime
you!
Do you charge for travel time or expenses?
For trips that are relatively short, or if they are infrequent, we
don't charge for the time or the expense. When travel is required
more than about once per week, or is outside of New York Metropolitan, we may need to negotiate reasonable compensation.
Do you charge for your computers, software licenses, or other
equipment?
We have all of the tools we need to do most jobs. When special,
unusual, or proprietary software or equipment is required, we will
ask our client to provide it to us, at our location, for the
duration of the project.
Who are your clients?
We work for a wide
variety of clients, everything from Fortune 1000 companies to small
businesses, and even individuals. Most of our clients are located
in New York City Metropolitan area, but we often work with companies based all
over the country. (Some of our developers are also located all over
the country.) Our typical client is a small or medium sized firm
with programming needs but no programmers on staff. Please see our
“clients” page for specific examples. Also, check out
our “testimonials” page to find out what our clients
are saying about us.
Can I contact any of your clients?
Absolutely! We have lots of current and former clients who are
willing to take reference calls from our prospective clients. Just
ask, and we’ll send you the information.
Do you require a signed contract?
We don't absolutely require a written agreement to do business.
Even so, we do think that it is a good idea to have one, especially
for larger or more sensitive projects. We do require an agreement
for fixed bid projects.
Will you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
You might need to share sensitive information in order for us to do
our job. Even without a written agreement, we always exercise a
very high level of discretion in regard to your business operations
and your trade secrets. And, of course, we will back that up in
writing.
Who owns the software that you write for me?
In general, once a project is completed and paid for, you will
become the proud owner. In addition to the "excutable" files, you
will also receive source code, scripts, graphics, audio, project
files, and anything else that is necessary to build, maintain, or
extend the software. In most cases, we do retain the right to reuse
the source code in future projects, for our other clients, as long
as it does not contain trade secrets or any other proprietary or
protected information. As always, we can customize the terms to fit
your needs.
How do I pay for your services?
If we are working for you by the hour, we will send you an invoice
on the 1st and 16th day of each month. Our terms for payment are
"Net 10" We reserve the right to ask for a moderate retainer
whenever we deem necessary. If the project is a fixed bid, we
normally require half up front, and half upon completion of the
project. All source code will remain in“escrow"
until payment
is made in full.
Can I make "payments" for the software?
If cash flow or tax advantages are a big factor for you, there are
many reputable equipment leasing companies who specialize in
financing custom software projects. Once the loan is approved, we
invoice the leasing company for the full amount, and they pay us
directly. At that point, we begin software development, and you
begin making payments to the leasing company. The end result can be
better software, working for you sooner, that is paid for (or pays
for itself) over time.
What is the minimum project size that you will
accept?
We don't scoff at small projects. Even if we lose some money
working on a small potatoes, it is well worth the opportunity to
gain a happy client. Happy clients usually come back, and sometimes
they bring their friends.
What if I want you to work with a technology that you are not
familiar with?
If we believe that the knowledge gained from learning said
technology will be applicable to future projects, we will acquire
the knowledge at no cost to you. On the other hand, if we believe
that said technology is proprietary or not applicable to any other
foreseeable project, we will bill for the time spent learning
it.
What kinds of software do you develop?
We cover much of the spectrum of modern software. In addition to
standard Windows and Web/Database applications, we also develop,
image/audio processing systems, Pocket PC, Flash animation, MS
Office and AutoCAD plug-ins, and embedded real time systems. We are
also capable of limited electronics design and development. Yes, we
have programmers who can read schematics!
What operating systems and platforms do you specialize
in?
We primarily develop for the entire family of Windows operating
systems. We also have some expertise with Linux, UNIX, and
Macintosh. For web development, we most often use ASP/ASP.NET and
SQL Server. Our embedded development platforms include Intel, ARM,
using both Assembly and C/C++.
What development tools and programming languages do you
use?
Our primary development environment is Delphi, Microsoft Visual
Studio.NET. Our primary programming languages are C#, C++, Java,
JavaScript, VB, PHP, Perl, and Assembly.
What do you mean by "Quality, value, and integrity"?
We often (jokingly) make the following offer: "You can have high
quality. You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Choose any
two of these." With any project, large or small, achieving the
right balance between cost, quality, and timeliness requires three
essential ingredients: experience, expertise, and honesty. We've
got the goods.
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