Evil Consulting Model of the Month: The “Managed Offshore” Company
An offshore software company is not a wholesale bad idea. Offshore developers are not any less talented or capable on an individual basis than any given US programmer. However, several factors, including time zone skew, communication barriers, and quality of computer science education do a lot to weaken the likelihood of project success.
Hurricane Ike Update
Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast early Saturday September 13, 2008. Galveston was devastated and the Houston metro area had extensive damage as well. However, we are happy to report that Entrance Software weathered the storm well and business is operating as usual. Our office did not sustain any damage so we were very fortunate. […]
You Database May be Abnormal
You may never directly see the underlying database structure that holds your company’s valuable data but what you can’t see may be unnecessarily costing you time and money. Database “normalization” is a technical term which describes how the tables, fields, and data relationships are structured in a database. Databases can be under-normalized or over-normalized and […]
‘Measure Twice, Cut Once’ Works in Software
Many clients do not understand why they should pay for an up-front “scoping” exercise that does not directly result in software being delivered. “Scoping” allows both the software buyer and the software developer to get on the same page by establishing well-defined expectations for the outcome of the project. Proper scoping is crucial to a […]
Custom Software Consulting Intern
This summer Eric Peterson has been working at Entrance Software as our Software Consulting Intern. Eric is a senior at Rice University, majoring in Computer Science. He is a member of Jones College. Eric is from Washington D.C., but chose to stay in Houston over the summer months to enhance his software development skills at […]
Evil Consulting Model of the Month: The “Proprietary Software Platform”
You engage with a firm because of their “unique software platform” which gives them an “edge” over the competition, because they’ve “already built most of the application into the platform.” You find that their proposal does, in fact, include 30-40% fewer hours during the implementation phase. Your project is implemented, but you find that you are encouraged away from certain enhancement requests for reasons that are not really business drivers, or with technical jargon that is over your head as a client. You might also find that deadlines slip, or deliverables are not exactly what you asked for, especially when a feature you requested was “already part of the platform.” One day, you decide to seek other options, and you present this to your current vendor. This is when you find out that the Vendor actually owns the platform. And you do not have rights to use it if you are not their customer, so they’re happy to give you your source code, but it won’t be much good without “the platform.” Even if you do negotiate for a copy of the platform, you are likely to be restricted to developing new features on it or enhancing it in any way, as it is not licensed to you to use in any way you see fit.
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
Entrance Software’s President, Project Managers and Software Consultants attended Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference July 7-10 in Houston, Texas. This annual event offers keynote speakers, sessions and forums for Microsoft Certified Partners from around the globe. The conference provides executives a chance to network with thousands of Microsoft Partners to expand business opportunities. In addition, attendees […]
Microsoft .NET
The Microsoft platform is the most pervasive platform in business circles for building web applications. For companies professing to develop solutions built on the .NET platform, look for a Microsoft Certification. The web-related elements of the .NET platform are collectively known as ASP.NET. While the .NET platform is most often found running on the Microsoft […]
Software Development Platforms
Most applications today are web-based or have a significant web-based component. Given this fact, it is important that a software consulting firm provide depth of expertise on one of the major web platforms. Each of these platforms has benefits to offer, but as a purchaser of software applications, it is important to consider the following:
Size of a Software Consulting Firm
There is a variety of firm size in the software consulting industry, but it is important to understand the risks and benefits of each. Freelancing Software Consultants Typically working from home, freelancers are the least likely to be classically trained software engineers. Often coming at the lowest rates, many freelancers are trained in another skill-set, but […]
What is Software Consulting?
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] Software consulting that is right for you It is important to distinguish software consulting from other similar service offerings like contract programmers, or staffing agencies that involve software development resources. There are several key factors that differentiate the software consulting firm. Consulting Business Model In order for a firm to truly be in […]
Offshore Technology Conference
Entrance Software exhibited at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas on May 5-8, 2008. This is the world’s largest event for professionals and industries involved in offshore development. There were over 2,500 exhibitors from more than 35 countries. Entrance software has a great deal of experience developing custom software solutions for businesses in […]
The Role of Custom Software For a Mid-Sized Business
Businesses are faced with a choice when selecting the software that will help run their business for the next five to ten years: elect for low cost and short-term flexibility – at the expense of long-term strategic options – or choose a high-end product with a large price tag that the company may never outgrow, […]
Entrepreneurs’ Organization Magazine Article
Nate Richards, Founder and CEO of Entrance Software, is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Houston, TX. His experience starting a custom software consulting business has led him to face many technological challenges common to entrepreneurs in many industries. His article “Show Me the Metrics” discusses the top 5 technology challenges facing today’s startup […]
Rent-A-Coder
Entrance Software now has an account on Rent-A-Coder. Read our Custom Software Consulting bio to learn how Entrance can help your business with its software needs. Our software consultants can find and complete work listed by technologies for which they have particular expertise. Alternatively, prospective clients can view our work history and resume online to […]
Rice University Recruiting
Rice University’s Career Services Department held their Spring Career Fair on January 29, 2008. The event featured an afternoon session for full-time opportunities and an evening session for summer internships. Entrance Software hosted a booth with information and refreshments from St. Arnold Brewing Company. President Nate Richards, Rice Class of 2001, and software consultants Eric […]
HTexas Magazine Article
HTexas Magazine recognized Nate Richards, founder and CEO of Entrance Software, as a “Top Professional on the Fast Track” in their December 2007 publication. The list includes young Houston area professionals who are considered to be experts and leaders in their respective fields of business, ranging from Technology to Medicine to Finance and Law. At […]
FastTech50 2007
Today Entrance Software received a FastTech 50 award from the Houston Business Journal. For the second consecutive year, Entrance Software was recognized as one of the fastest growing technology-based companies in Houston. Ranked at number 15, Entrance had over 120% revenue growth in 2006! The Hilton Americas hosted the awards luncheon and ceremony and all […]
Small Business Certification
Entrance Software has achieved Small Disadvantaged Business Certification with Houston METRO. Entrance will be listed in METRO’s directory as a small business program participant and in the City of Houston and Texas Unified Certification Program directory as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participant. Because METRO has reciprocal agreements with other city, state and Federal agencies, this […]
New Office Location
Entrance Software is pleased to announce our new office space on the 7th floor of 1001 McKinney Street. The new space more than triples our available workspace, relieving pressure created by our rapid growth in 2005-2006, and allowing room for additional growth in 2007. Our new offices are located at: 1001 McKinney Street Suite 750 […]
