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Since the launch of our new web site and newsletter, we have received a lot of positive feedback (thank you for your support) as well as a number of interesting questions. So we thought we would pick one of those questions and answer it in this issue.

Q: "I think my business really needs a customized software solution, but isn't customized software going to be way too expensive for us?"

A: While it is true that in the past customized software could be very expensive to develop, the rapid application development (RAD) tools available to today's developer have significantly reduced the cost of developing custom software. Small companies with limited budgets can now afford leading-edge custom software solutions that maximize the payback from their technology investment.

The following are the five areas that should be considered when deciding between an off-the-shelf software package and a customized software solution:

SUITABILITY

A custom software solution is designed specifically to address a company's unique set of business requirements and goals. The company only pays for the features that are needed, thereby maximizing the return on its investment.

Custom software can also be tightly integrated with a company's existing software, thereby leveraging past technology expenditures and creating an integrated solution that eliminates redundancies and maximizes efficiencies.

ADOPTION

Custom software solutions are designed to maximize application usability in order to ensure rapid adoption by company employees. We employ design strategies that reduce the user learning curve in order to ensure the success of the solution implementation. These include getting feedback from frontline users during the design process and, where appropriate, retaining features of software being replaced.

FLEXIBILITY

Because business is constantly changing, a software application must be flexible in order to guarantee the continued payback of a company's technology investment. As business requirements and related software needs change and grow over time, custom software can be modified in a timely cost-effective manner in order to continue to meet the requirements of the business.

With a customized solution, changes to business requirements will never render the software obsolete.

LICENSING

When Datapro develops customized software for its clients, the client takes full ownership of the resulting solution including all of the underlying programming code.

As the business grows, new users can be added without incurring additional licensing fees. In addition, the company is not bound to costly support agreements that provide little added benefit.

Since the company owns a copy of the code, they are not bound to any one particular service provider for future development. In the event that the company establishes internal support capabilities, the continued development of the software can also be brought in-house.

SUPPORT

A custom software developer usually develops a close relationship with a limited number of clients in a relatively small area, while off-the-shelf software vendors tend to have large, geographically scattered client bases.

During the custom software design phase, a strong relationship develops between the client and the developer, as the developer gains the in-depth understanding of the client's business that is necessary to create a solution that meets the unique requirements of the organization.

This close relationship allows for the hands-on, responsive support that is crucial to ensuring the continued return on a company's technology investment.

If you would like more information on our software consulting services, including custom software development, please visit out web site at www.dataproforbusiness.com.

If you have an interested question, please feel free to send it to us at info@dataproforbusiness.com or call us at 416-977-1991.