Custom Software

Even though you have the best hardware that is available it will do nothing without the right software. And although there is a huge amount of software out there, you will rarely find something that does 100% of what you want, 100% the way that you want it done.

Most of the time people will reach a compromise between what they want and what is available.

In my case I've always had an extra set of tools available to me - I have been writing my own software since I was a teenager.

Having started my career in the New Zealand Government's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), and then moving on though a number of electronic and computer companies, I've always been inspired to create what doesn't already exist.

In the years since I've built my own business on the same principle:
"If it doesn't exist then I'll just have to design and build it from scratch."

This applies as much, or even more, to software than it does to hardware.

Although I have the capability, and I have in the past taken on some huge software projects, this is not always the best solution. Software development takes time. LOTS of time.

Most people don't realize that you can't just pull apart and make small changes to somebody else's software. Unless you have the source code, and the original author documented it well (and most don't), you are forced to backward engineer almost all of the code. This can take months, or even years.

And when you develop a new software product, although you think it is a completely new idea, in reality you'll be in a race with a few hundred other developers around the world all working on the same idea. In the end the winner is the company with the best marketing, not the best product. We see that everyday with companies such as Microsoft, MacDonalds, and Coca-Cola.

However there are still times when custom software development is the best solution, and I've learned to specialize in these areas.

If you'd like to know more about what I can do for you in the custom software area take a look at the following pages: