ambientPineapple is a new company so some of this section describes solutions that have been created by our staff with previous employers, however it does emphasize the depth of experience that we have available to share with you on your software development project.

Analysis

The UK music charts is driven by massive sales volume where fashions and trends change at enormous pace. All types of sales from shops to digital downloads must be recorded and collated in a database which grows at a terrific rate and must provide history for at least 10 years. The generation of the charts is what the public see; however the real purpose is to provide the music industry with a tool to investigate the potential to generate new revenue streams.

Solution

An Oracle database was utilized making most of all modern features especially partitioning to store the terra-bytes of data that have thus far been collected. The user interface was developed using ASP.Net and allows registered users to access historic charts and to collate bespoke reports to perform market analysis. Due to the data volumes involved, the reports can run real-time or be put in a queue depending on the likely time to process. A suite of admin tools were also developed to facilitate product validation, sales data feeds, product bundles…

Review

Review The system has evolved over a number of years and has never failed to deliver the charts on time. The volume of data involved is massive as the charts have been extended to include video and electronic games as well as the many different ways to purchase music that are available today.

Analysis

A multi-national market research company required a secure customer interface to enable information to be exchanged in both directions. The interface was to act as the gateway to all of the company’s on-line offerings for blue chip clients.

Solution

A template SharePoint portal was developed that allowed secure control for client data yet quick and easy data exchange. The template comprised a number of web parts and so can be developed as new streams of data become available.

Review

SharePoint provides facility for customized organization of displays and so although each client portal was developed from a template there remains scope for a degree of individuality. The way in which data is arranged and organized is extremely flexible and the search capabilities are very powerful providing simple document listings to full text searching. The portals developed a culture of data exchange between company and client which improved general relationships and promoted further business.

Analysis

A data analytics tool was required to empower people with little or no data processing or statistical knowledge to perform complex analyses whilst investigating client data for insight. The tool was also to enable users to quickly and easily create presentation material to demonstrate findings. The tools would be used in offices world-wide and should be capable of performing analytics across data from different countries.

Solution

Through analysis and performance testing it was decided to develop, initially, three data hubs at strategic points around the WAN. A .Net framework was developed with a bespoke messaging system based on MSMQ to facilitate communication between a desk top application and the data hubs. The entire system was built using the latest OO and SOA techniques meaning that new services can be introduced to the system via discovery proving they respect interface protocol. The desk top application used a smart update deployment model to minimize maintenance overhead and to ensure data and analysis integrity. The process of performing complex analyses was simplified by the implementation of a number of well designed wizards to guide users through the process.

Review

The implemented solution revolutionized the working process of the company enabling people to spot potential insight using a number of score cards, rather than having to wade through time series charts and cross tabs created in bulk. The score cards provide facility for greater analysis by allowing drill down into the data behind and the facility to create custom charts for presentation to client.

Analysis

A bespoke CRM system was required to facilitate the particular nuances of relationship and contract management within the heavy engineering industry. The system was required to provide areas of shared and private information for each user, and there were to be a series of executive reports that could be accessed word-wide, 24/7.

Solution

A web application was developed with a SQL Server database sited on a secure server in the UK. The user interface was developed to the exact specifications of the client to facilitate accurate and efficient data entry. A simple on-line report writer was also developed to allow the management team to generate and store custom on-line reports.

Review

Sales staff were provided with a central repository for all CRM information which could be audited by executive staff and which facilitated efficient and streamlined management.

Analysis

A manufacturer of specialist woodwork on the Isle of Man required a website to showcase their craftsmanship and to provide a retail outlet.

Solution

ambientPineapple created an extremely user friendly online shop that allows customers to browse and search for items and purchase using PayPal.

Review

The online shop has significantly increased revenue for Manxbox and has generated interest amongst people who wish to commission bespoke furniture. The system is simple to maintain and new products can be added quickly and easily.

ambientPineapple are proud to be working in partnership with a leading provider of source control management tools to develop a suite of tools to further enhance the project and resource management capabilities. Please see the Contacts page for further details if you would like to speak to us about this exciting product range that will be available soon.