Bespoke software solutions 101.

Why would your company consider implementing a bespoke software solution? Where could it help improve your business and how much would it cost to put something in place?

Well, the answer to the above questions I seriously open ended, as there are many applications that can be applied to help improve the day to day running of any business. The clue is in the name. ‘Bespoke’ is exactly what it says it is.

Common applications.
In recent times, one of the most commonly used applications being implemented I the workplace is Microsoft SharePoint. SharePoint is one of the most flexible and configurable software apps out there and you can use SharePoint in every aspect of your business, from running your website to document management.

SharePoint really is a revelation. Bespoke Software Development Company I work for has a range of clients that use it for just about every purpose you can imagine. We have developed SharePoint for small business users such as ecommerce businesses that want total control of all aspects of their business form one centralised location, to large organisations that have a sales team nationwide that all need access to the same materials and other company information.
Databases. Other common applications include databases for clients such as hotels, boarding kennels, retirement homes etc., but need a GUI (graphical user interface) that allows them to easily access existing information and book in new details with ease.

CMS websites. CMS (or content management system) websites are now mainstream. Gone are the days of trying to update a website through amending the code or having to contact a webmaster to do it for you, now anyone can keep their website updated with ease. In Lehman’s terms, think of a CMS as a slightly more complex version of Microsoft word. From within an administration console, you can add new web pages and amend existing ones with ease by using a WSYWG editor that allows you to easily add text and images.

A CMS based website is now VERY affordable, thanks to open source software that is available to the general public. Costing nowadays is all about time and not about the cost of software.
Other areas. Other software options include helpdesk software for businesses that require call/job logging, with the ability to distribute these tasks amongst various members of staff and EPOS software solutions for shops that take tilled based payments and wish to keep a better track of their inventory.

Cost. Bespoke Software Development isn’t as expensive as it used to be, which is why many more businesses are considering and implementing the option. Go online and check out Google for software companies, but don’t pay through the nose because the need for this has long since past.

What is going on with the state of the pc gaming industry?

This is my second knoll that is not so much about knowledge but about an important question for the computer industry. I am a pc enthusiast that loves his modding and although I have a vast collection of video game consoles, generally the first machine I will play games on is my Pc.

The pc was always the first platform that games were released on. It was always the case that console owners had to wait for at least 6 months before they got their conversion of a quality game that us pc owners had been playing for months. Granted, we had to pay through the nose for the hardware but you can’t beat the feeling of your platform taking priority over others.

Crysis is a perfect example of a top quality game that came out on pc first. Crysis was amazing at the time, although a little overkill to be honest; there was no machine in the world that could run it at its highest settings. I remember playing crysis for the first time, pushing the settings to their limits, trying to get the most from the monster games engine, it looked jaw dropping at the time and still looks as good as anything else you will see in today’s gaming market. My console owning friends had to wait the best part of a year before seeing this game released for their consoles and the conversions couldn’t compete with the pc version.

These were the days, we were prioritised and you could actually justify the cost of a new graphics card, but now things have moved on. Here are some great examples;

Gears of War 2.
Apparently the second instalment of this game wasn’t released because of CEO of the company said it was a complete waste of time releasing the game for pc as most people will just download it illegally anyway. To be fair he has a point, but not all of us are peer to peer addicts. I would have bought it and I know a lot of other people that would have as well.

Far Cry 2.
This game would have never been released cross platform 2 years ago. It would have been released on the pc first and then ported over to consoles afterwards. Instead we got it at the same time as everyone else and a shoddy console port at that.

Grand theft Auto 4
If ever there was a perfect example of a rubbish port over from a console version then this is it. We had to wait the best part of a year to get the game AFTER it was released by Rockstar and then once it was released, it was a rubbish port over from the Xbox 360. Poor, poor, poor.

So where do we go from here? I think that piracy is the main reason why games are not released on the pc as a priority now. That and money. Anyone with a gaming pc knows how to download form a peer to peer site so most of them do. For this reason no one has to buy the game and if no one buys the games then no one will release them. Also, the financial muscle of someone like Sony means they either buy up all the software development companies or buy the exclusive rights to a title.
It looks like this situation will get worse before it gets any better, I only hope that some solution will be found and the pc gaming industry can be saved.

Resources;

IT Support London based company that I work for. This topic is hot conversation at the moment and most of us agree that the pc market will have to change soon otherwise the graphics card companies will no longer produce the latest hardware for the platform as it will not be required.

My spolit dog loves pink.

If you are like me and have a taste for the finer things in life then you are probably either 1. Loaded or 2. Act loaded but are not really loaded, unfortunately I am the latter.

Unfortunately I am also generous and don’t always spend this false economy on myself, I also spend it on my friends and above all my dog. My dog is the most spoilt dog in the country, I swear it. I have one of the only dogs in the UK that actually has its own custom made wardrobe. I had it made by someone that makes bespoke furniture and although they thought I was completely made, they didn’t refuse the work when I was prepared to pay for it.

Inside this wardrobe there is a countless amount of dog clothes that she wears. At the moment I am clearing out here Winter wardrobe ready for this seasons new range of clothes, my baby looks great in Puchi (at least I think she does) and most of her wardrobe is in pink as I think she looks cute in this colour. There are lots of places out there that sell dog clothes but be warned, there is a lot of cheap rubbish out there aswell, so be a little selective about where you buy from. My advice would be to stick with the well known high street brands such as Puchi and Doggy Things as this stuff tends to be of better quality then the pet shop stuff. If you can buy from somewhere that you can take your dog to try on samples. This way it saves you going backwards and forwards for different sizes.

My generosity with my dog doesn’t just stop there I’m afraid. My dog also has the dog bed of its dreams :)

There are literally hundreds of dog beds out there to buy, but just like clothes there is a lot of rubbish about so tread carefully. If you want to get a high quality, expensive bed then you are best to look online as there is a lot more choice out there as opposed to on the high street, unless you are willing to pay the prices Harrods charge.
Personally I love a bit of luxury pet furniture. I love a bit of traditional decor and this is why I treaded my monkey to a wooden framed leather dog bed. There are some beautiful examples out there and in the end I plumped for a Wallace and Jones bed. They look stunning in your living room or kitchen and most importantly they are comfortable for your dog. Whatever you do, think about your own decor before buying a dog bed. It is so tempting to buy a cute pink number with all the bows and whistles but this is no good if you have a nicely decorated living room in traditional colours. Buy what you want for your dog but buy a bed that suits the house.
Next week I am going to treat my baby to a new collar and lead. I am not too sure what to go but at the moment I am swaying towards a Hunter leather dog collar and lead. These are a nice mixture of quality leather and bling and they are a bit specialist so usually you have to wait for a while until they are in stock. You guessed it, I am having one in pink :)

Resources.
Dog Beds website that have a massive range of designer dog stuff. There are lots of different websites like this on the internet so spend plenty of time shopping around.

What was your favourite vintage computer?

If like me, you have loved computers from a young age, then you may have fond memories of the old hardware that we all used back in the day, I was born in 1977 so by the time I was walking the video game industry was booming, just before it went into a depression. But just what is your favourite computer? What was your first memory of using a computer and indeed what was your first game you ever played? I bet most of you could remember, especially if you were a geek like me.

When I was 5 I asked for my first computer, understandably my parents got the cheapest thing they could get my hands on and my sister worked in curry’s, so I ended up with a commodore 16 from the bargain basement for about £30.00

I was amazed by this machine, it was rubbish, even back then, but I still loved it and loved typing away gibberish just because I could see it appearing onscreen. Another thing I loved was sitting there waiting for a game to load, the games all came on tapes and you had to wait an hour for a game to load up and most of the time they didn’t lead up anyway, but you still sat there waiting to play the game you were dying to play for the last 3 hours.

Which brings me to the next question, what was the first game you played? I can remember mine because it was on the commodore 16. It was called “punch”. You played punch trying to save Judy from a crocodile (I cannot remember the crocs name) you did this by running and jumping over obstacles and hitting enemies over the head with a club until you saved Judy. I wish I could say that my first game was a better known, glamorous game from the 80’s but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.

There were many other consoles and computers around at the time, I work for an IT support company based in central London and we often sit around chatting about the good old days of videogames. For some people their first console was an Atari 2600, for others it was a NES, some people even played on the old Atari “woody” console from the 70’s while some of the younger staff played on a master system or a Mega drive for the first time.

So just what was your first system? Think long and hard and I bet you will remember!!

As for games, this was a more tricky subject, I thought people would remember but they didn’t to be honest, the most obvious answer from a lot of people was “space Invaders” but I think a lot of the time it was because that was the first game they thought of.

I intend to produce quite a lot of blog entries about this subject as it is close to my heart, please give me some feedback on the games you remember playing so I can use these as examples in further posts.

BACK TO PLAYING PACMAN NOW!!

Resources;

IT Support Central London based company where I work (suppose to work) many a long conversastion is had about our past and the games we used to play :)

Garment Accessories Playing A Vital Role In fashion

Garment accessories play a vital role in current clothing trends. Fashion means something new and creative. It is very necessary to find out new and innovative quality making techniques for garment accessories. There are varieties of garment accessories available in the market such as cords, webbings, tapes, drawcords, threads and belts etc.

Garment accessories or narrow farbrics have become an indispensable part of new generation trends. They offer extra beauty to the product provided and accessories should be of fine quality with innovative designs. Traditional or minute scale supplier manufacturer of garment accessories don't supply innovative solutions as properties can't take out the cost of implantation of new machines and new methods of production.

The Garments industry is very competitive and the changing industry constantly demands new ideas. In order to increase demand of garment fabrics and products, garments accessory needs to be more beautiful and attractive. With the increase of demand some changes in production techniques, color, size, pattern, designs and durability of the products have changed in recent times.

High level of security is required in case of belts. It is therefore required to use best quality raw material with new and innovative production techniques to provide comfort with higher durability to these life safety belts.

Unique printed fabrics are in demanded more then ever, so new techniques that can provide unique printing and designs on the belts are being created. These steps are required to provide a new push to the clothing industry.

Raw material quality also affects the demand of the product. If you are Garment Accessory Manufacturer you need to use high quality of material as per demand and current fashion needs.
Resources;

Apparel Accounting Software From The Insustry Experts.