Bringing Ideas to Life
Many organizations turn to customized applications to meet their specific IT requirements. The software capabilities available out of the box do not meet the needs of these organizations. For some, a simple customized add-on module can fill this void. For others, a completely customized application may be the way to go. Open Source software makes it possible to create the right solution without reinventing the wheel. Whether your project is in the idea stage or has been stalled, Freelock can help your organization complete the project and assist having a successful launch.
The process is quite simple, instead of working around cobbled together individual software products, you get a solution built to order, using standard specifications. It's like construction—when you buy proprietary software products to run your business, it's like buying a collection of finished rooms and calling them a house. They are built from someone else’s design, and they might fit together. In contrast, Open Source provides the basic building components, lumber, nails, and the tools to build a house that fits your needs just right. Freelock Computing is a general contractor who can build a software “house” to order. This approach takes more skill and experience than simply selling a piece of software.
Our primary development expertise is in the LAMP platform—Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Our team specializes in developing custom solutions for our clients, pulling together components from the Open Source world and using expert programmers to customize and mold them together. Generally the cost of customization is more than offset by the lack of Open Source licensing fees. Open Source software is designed to be customized; proprietary software is closed and difficult to customize.
Freelock Custom Development Offers Several Advantages:
- Comprehensive Documentation - Freelock has skilled technical writers who provide complete documentation of your project. From the beginning, we take the time to document the entire project, with built-in notes on the installation, documentation on the use of the application, and tips and tricks to help users learn the application faster. We also include a set of programmers notes and comments within the code to help any future programmers, either with Freelock or your internal staff, understand how the code was built and allow for easier customization.
- Open Source Methodology - The world of Open Source is rich in code, which has been developed and supported by some of the brightest minds in the programming community. Because Freelock works primarily with Open Source, you benefit from strength of the code of our clients and partners around the world. Our expert programmers are able to use modules developed for other clients to jump-start your project, shortening the development time and overall cost of the project. And because your application was developed using Open Source standards, adding features developed for other clients can be incorporated into your solution after the project is complete.
- Extensive experience with multiple platforms - We don't just build completely custom sites. We have built sites on several different frameworks, content management systems, and other platforms. We're actually quite lazy--if what you're trying to do can be done better on a content management system like Drupal or with a code framework like Zend or Symfony, we'll let you know. These systems can drastically reduce the cost of developing an application from scratch.