PROVIDING CUTTING-EDGE CUSTOM SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Issue Number: 18  |  Date: November 16, 2009   Contact Digital Sabre Solutions for a FREE CONSULTATION and find out how you can use technology to help improve your business!   In this issue…   Testimonials: What Clients Are Saying About Us Hot Topics From Discovery to Implementation: A Look at the DSS Development Process Recent Successes Funkfestconcerts.com SpotAride.com Accomplishments Congratulations to DSS Social Networking Update We Need Your Success Stories About Digital Sabre Solutions   Testimonials: What Clients Are Saying About Us   “I really needed to update an old, outdated Web site. The pizza industry is utilizing technology and the Internet more and more for marketing and grabbing customer attention. So I wanted a great, professional Web site that would compete with the “big boys” in the pizza delivery business. Digital Sabre did a great job helping me understand the role my Web site would have in capturing and maintaining loyal customers for Farley’s Pizzeria. Since Farley’s is a small, locally-owned company, it can be hard to be heard above the din of advertising that many of the pizza delivery companies are able to generate.  Digital Sabre was an easy-to-work-with company that made it simple for me to understand the technical aspects of Web sites and search engine optimization. They were efficient at working on the project and always kept me aware of where in the process we were. Now, Farley’s Pizzeria has a great Web site to compliment its great food!” -- Grant Arons, Owner of Farley’s Pizzeria   Hot Topics   A Look at the DSS Development Process To clearly illustrate the systematic process that sets DSS apart from the competition, the next few newsletter editions will focus on the evolution of the development process as it pertains to an actual client, Colleton Software. In the Beginning… Connect: Discuss Project Possibilities We were first introduced to Colleton Software two months ago. Specialists in minimizing the paperwork encountered by emergency medical services, Colleton determined that their flagship product was in need of an upgrade. Together with Digital Sabre’s CEO Chetan Amalean and VP of Business Development Will Leger, both parties met to discuss the project possibilities in non-specific terms. This meeting and two follow-up sessions, set the stage for progress; DSS was just beginning to discover the client’s critical needs central to making the upgrade successful. The end of this phase resulted in a signed contract. DSS then began work on a detailed needs assessment. Analyze: Dissect Processes At the core of our process, is the belief that the key to implementing cost-effective technology solutions is to completely understand the client’s needs including: operations, internal processes, specific product requirements, plus short- and long-term goals. This phase in the development process is absolutely crucial to the success of the project. It is here that DSS examines all business processes, notes all details, and considers every option before actually engineering the application. Upon completion of this analysis, DSS was able to give Colleton Software a precise cost-estimate for the project, virtually eliminating any potential surprises. Propose: Present Detailed Plan DSS has completed this stage of the development process with Colleton Software. We visited Colleton’s office and spent over 3 hours presenting our strategy, company approach to software development, and our estimation process. The skilled project management team at DSS presented comprehensive deliverables, complete with timelines and a detailed implementation strategy, to ensure the project is successfully completed. At this point, DSS and Colleton Software have established a solid foundation for continued development success; communication is open and productive, project needs and goals have been determined, and a budget has been outlined. Next month, we will move forward with project implementation and the actual engineering of the upgrade for Colleton. As you can see, a significant amount of planning takes place in the beginning of the development process, before we even begin to build the application. These procedures are important because they help to insure the success of the project with the added benefit of saving valuable time and money. DSS uses CMMi Level 3 methodology, a development strategy used by some of the biggest software developers in the world. And as part of our Lean Software Development system, you as the client, remain central to our process. Ultimately, these advanced methods guarantee superior quality and ensure a positive return on investment in the shortest time possible.   Recent Successes   Funkfestconcerts.com Variety Entertainment Promotions, Inc., one of the premier entertainment and promotions companies in the country, came to DSS with the goal of enhancing their Funk Fest Web site. DSS used the Joomla platform, an award-winning content management system, to effectively restructure the Web site, making it more efficient and user-friendly. Now updating Web content is simple and fast while site visitors can easily access information about the latest old school musical groups playing at one of five Funk Fest locations across the country. See www.funkfestconcerts.com for more information. Spotaride.com If you would like to find a local cycling partner for your morning bicycle ride, look no further. Now, fellow riders are able to easily contact other cyclists that may be interested in partnering for an impromptu ride. DSS has created a practical, unique Web site that allows cycling enthusiasts to find other riders in real-time. Enter the location and the application will find cyclists within a twenty mile radius. Visit www.spotAride.com now, and see how easy it is to post a ride that you’d like to lead, or find a ride to participate in. This Web site will be promoted nationally, and can be used in virtually any city across the country! Next time you are travelling and want to go for a ride, check the site and enter your local zip code to see what comes up.   Accomplishments   Congratulations to DSS… Sabre Technologies, the IT research arm of Digital Sabre, was chosen as one of the top ten finalists in the wireless commercial application division for the 2009 NFC Forum Global Competition. Entries were submitted from across the globe, representing 21 countries and four continents. The NFC Forum is a non-profit industry association formed to advance the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, a standards–based, short–range wireless connectivity protocol that enables simple and safe two–way interactions between electronic devices. NFC technology allows consumers to perform wireless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with the simplicity of a single touch. Social Networking Update For the last six months, Digital Sabre has been working diligently to strengthen its position in social media networks and the results are starting to pay off. As of October 1st, DSS has over 900 Twitter followers and more than 500 professionals are connected to DSS via LinkedIn. The Digital Sabre Facebook site is becoming increasingly active with numerous corporate and individual participants sharing tips and thoughts on a daily basis. Why not become a fan of DSS on Facebook or keep track of us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or our blog? Follow the links to all these networks off our Web site home page, www.digitalsabre.net, or click the links below! Click on the icons and look for DSS on the following social media networks:         Digital Sabre wants to be your Facebook friend. For every friend between now and Thanksgiving, we will donate $1 to the Harvest Center of Charlotte. The Harvest Center has served Charlotte’s homeless and low income families since 1992. Help give a homeless person a thanksgiving meal. We Need Your Success Stories DSS would like to hear from you! DSS is asking for contributions from a variety of past clients and our newsletter readers (YOU) to share a previous success story, a Customer Attraction Story, or some interesting use of technology in your workplace. A customer attraction story details the way in which your company was able to successfully meet the needs of your customer. (See October 6th blog post). Send your narrative to Monica Alexander at monica@digitalsabre.net for posting on our blog or visit the October edition of What’s Your Customer Attraction Story? Click here to submit your example.   About Digital Sabre Solutions   Delivering affordable, timely technology solutions, Digital Sabre Solutions LLC provides the convenience and stability of skilled onshore project management at the cost advantages and scalability only an offshore development team can offer. A subsidiary of the MAS Group, a leading provider of design-to-delivery solutions, Digital Sabre Solutions is securely backed by over 20 years of industry experience and a surplus of skilled resources. Digital Sabre is located in Charlotte, NC. For more information call 704-944-5525 or visit them on the Web at www.digitalsabre.net.   We invite you to contact DSS for a FREE consultation. We’ll gladly meet with you, capture your ideas and then transform them into a practical proposal for your review. Please contact Chetan Amalean at 704-944-5525 or Will Leger at 704-944-3580 for more information.