Custom Application Software
The Software Application Dilemma
Developing robust engineering software applications that are cost effective to maintain and upgrade over their projected lifetimes requires a lot more than the ability to simply write computer code.
Technical staff who understand the scientific and engineering issues often have no experience with robust software development practices. On the other hand, IT experts often lack an understanding of engineering processes, and the conditions in which the software will be used. Either way it's a compromise, and you can end up with software that is unreliable, difficult to maintain, or plain just doesn't work!
Software Tools Optimised for Scientific and Engineering Applications
ICON Technologies has over 18 years experience developing custom application software to meet a wide variety of scientific and engineering needs. See our Projects Page for more details.
We use powerful development tools from National Instruments that are optimised for the acquisition, analysis, display, and distribution of technical and engineering data:
- LabVIEW: A graphical Dataflow language that takes full advantage of modern multi-core and parallel processing computer architectures.
- Measurement Studio: Supercharges Microsoft Visual Studio for scientific and engineering applications using Visual C++, C#, and VB.
- LabWindows/CVI: ANSI standard C.
Software Applications Without Compromise
Our software application development staff typically have qualifications in both a scientific or engineering discipline, and in computer/software engineering, so you don't have to compromise:
- We understand measurement, and the processes you are trying to measure.
- We practice professional software design, so our code meets your requirements, is scalable, and can be upgraded as technology and your business environment changes.
- We use structured programming techniques to create modular code that is consistent, and cost-effective to de-bug and maintain.
- We have established procedures for revision management, backup and archiving, and documentation.
- We can provide full local support, including training, for custom applications and for National Instruments' software development tools.
- Currently, three of our application developers are certified as Certified LabVIEW Developers.
What About the Cost?
For most custom software applications the cost of lifetime maintenance and support substantially outweighs the initial development cost. Getting it right the first time pays off many times over.
If your scientific or engineering business needs a custom software application, ask yourself "What is the cost of not having it professionally designed and coded?".
