Custom development and advisory consulting
Polytrope LLC develops database applications deployment on local area networks and/or on the World Wide Web. We also enjoy working on the occasional Web site development project that does not involve a database.
Our clients are mostly small businesses (<100 employees) but we have worked with universities and one of the largest school districts in the country. FileMaker Pro from FileMaker, Inc., is the foundational technology for most of our database projects. But we have experience working with a variety of technologies, including XML; PHP; Flash and Director; Quicktime VR; and more. Because custom development is not the only thing we do, we are selective about the projects that we take. We have particular experience in the fields of law, publishing and education.
Some of our consulting projects involve active partnerships with other developers (both in-house and independent). We particularly enjoy projects that give us the opportunity to "coach" in-house developers.
Polytrope's owner and principal is Dr. William Porter. Will is an Associate Member of the FileMaker Solutions Alliance and a FileMaker 8 Certified Developer. He has written for top computer and technical publications including Macworld, Tidbits and MacTech. He has extensive experience in design and development of both database and web applications and in user interface development. He is also a serious photographer. When appropriate, Will draws upon his many contacts in the fields of database development, programming, web development, networking and graphics. In late 2005, Daniel Taylor, an outstanding PHP/Flash programmer from Mexico City, joined Polytrope as an associate. Si, Polytrope habla Español! Daniel's special expertise is in PHP (web programming), Flash and Quicktime VR.
Do you need a custom solution?
Maybe, maybe not. We routinely advise clients and potential clients that there are alternatives to hiring us to develop custom solutions for them. We also prefer low-tech solutions to high-tech solutions, whenever possible. If you are not sure whether you need to hire a consultant to do custom development work for you, call us, we'll talk.
What will custom development cost?
We know that this is one of the first questions you ask, but it is not one of the first questions we can answer, for many reasons. We can't begin to estimate the time and effort that it will take to build your solution until we know a fair amount about it. Your initial phone conversation with us will be free; at that point, we're simply trying to determine if your project is the kind of thing we would be able to help you with. Once that question has been answered in the affirmative, we will reach agreement with you regarding a relatively short requirements gathering process, billed at our normal rate. At the end of this phase, we will provide you with a document describing the project, and giving estimates regarding phases, milestones, schedules, and costs. We will also try to help you analyze the ROI the project will give you. After that, if everything looks good to you and to us, typically, we'll sign a contract and begin work.
The costs of custom development are notoriously hard to estimate. We take small projects that can be completed for under a few thousand dollars. More of our work involves projects whose costs are measured in tens of thousands. We will go through all this with you in detail.
This page last modified: July 30, 2007