Transforming versus Overhauling: .NET Framework in CRM

Transforming versus Overhauling: .NET Framework in CRM

Maintaining contact, keeping profitable customers, and preventing customer churn are huge concerns at customer care departments worldwide. This is why there is a constant search for the best possible customer information systems (CIS) that will allow frontline agents to concentrate on keeping customers happy instead of hunting down information on cranky databases and switching through many applications that refuse to talk to each other. Upgrading everything in one fell swoop with a Web-ready, multi-tier platform like J2EE or the NET framework may be an option but the prospect of a painful transition and frustrated customers is enough to cause CIO’s to hunt for compromises.

First of all, NET framework integration ought to include effectively handling multiple legacy CRM applications that are a fact of life at utilities, airlines, telecommunications and the hospitality trade because these industry verticals were the first to drive CIS deployment two decades ago. Today, agents have to cope with logging on to several applications to sign up a customer, relay service pricing, complete a credit check, confirm billing status, and validate a service outage report and so on. This drives cost per transaction sky-high.

To reduce the call queues, Microsoft likes to boast that NET framework architecture can aggregate customer care data into one seamless database. Such a database takes inputs from, and communicates with, all manner of self-service channels: e-mail, IVR scripting, automated online agent, ATM’s and customer terminals.

Rather than replace everything immediately, NET framework SOA can overlay existing systems and present customer care agents with a unified view of all information about a customer, pulled in from a variety of databases. The upshot, of course, is a dramatic decrease in average handling time and agent productivity. Clearly, a proposed solution using NET framework is most promising when it can seamlessly integrate with legacy applications (at least, at first), afford agents a single view of customer data, accommodates self-serve channels and is of course, competitively priced.

Security Advantages of the .NET Framework

Security Advantages of the .NET Framework

Recall how, in a recent post, I referred to securing reporting under the NET framework by customizing the IAuthenticationExtension security extension interface. One does this to override the default Windows Authentication mode and put a third-party security utility to work. Stepping back, however, posters often pose the question: is NET inherently more secure than that other hugely popular platform, J2EE? In other words, are open-source cryptographic tools just as good as commercial software?

The other day, the folks at Nashua(NH)-based HyTech Professionals, able code developers at J2EE and Net frameworks both, sent along an interesting showdown between the two platforms. Seems two Professors Francia (spouses, I hazard) of Jacksonville State U’s Computer Security and Forensics Laboratory got themselves a grant from the National Science Foundation. In short, this was a scientific test of cryptographic API’s running under Java and NET frameworks.

The head-to-head test involved four encryption algorithms (DES, Triple DES, RC2 and AES), as well as four message digest algorithms (MD5, SHA 1, 256 and 512). At the time, NET framework 2.0 was in use hence the test bed was System.Security.Cryptography under the VS development environment and C# language. The result was that the NET framework API’s ran almost twice faster than Java API’s. For the most part, Net framework message digest API’s also did better than their Java counterparts. The result likewise favored native NET framework applications (the test included exchanging environments and, for instance, running Java API’s in Windows) when researchers normalized the comparison by stripping the test conditions of file I/O operations.

All in all, the individual packages each have their encryption strengths. However, NET framework implementations generally worked more speedily. And that is hard science.

Porting and Flexibility Under the .NET Framework

Porting and Flexibility Under the .NET Framework

In a preceding post, I touched briefly on the speed, multilingual awareness, security and project management potential of porting over to the NET framework. Let’s get down to cases today and critically examine what happens when a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner gets on the job.

At Nashua, NH, -based HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com), a team of system architects and developers with a track record of delivering over 100 NET framework projects each year took on the requirement of porting an employee relations suite from Unix to the NET environment. The group had convinced the financial services client that there were important gains to be had in accessing the relational database capabilities of MS SQL Server and that NET framework modules afforded fairly painless development and deployment.

The team delivered in spades. End-users found much more intuitive UI’s, integrated links to the bank’s benefits administration program and flawless integration of third-party solutions that pushed decisions lower down the organization. Reports came back more swiftly over the web-based application. And the CIO liked it that HyTech Professionals had left certain NET framework modules future-proof, capable of accommodating legal, corporate policy and benefits changes with a minimum of new coding.

With careful planning, best of all, the HyTech Professionals team managed deployment down to the level of 850 supervisor and manager desktops in just one weekend. Indeed, an eminently satisfactory accomplishment but also clear testimony to the masterful deployment tools available in the NET framework.

Enduring Advantages of the .NET Framework

Enduring Advantages of the .NET Framework

NET 3.5 has passed the six-month mark since being officially released so this seems a good time to strip the hype away and focus on just why the Microsoft offering of Web-ready building-block applications is here to stay. Herewith a mere handful of the strategic advantages afforded by the ever-expanding NET framework set of technologies:

1. Dramatic boosts in performance with pages enabled for output caching. After executing a page and sending it to the requesting user, NET framework components leave the result in memory and serve the cached version when another user requests the same page (or part of it). This reduces the communication load with the back-end database, too.

2. Leveraging a broader set of stock knowledge in programming languages. On top of VBScript and Jscript, teams of NET framework architects like those at well-regarded HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com) in Nashua (NH) code in no less than 25 languages like C#, VB.NET, JScript.NET, and Visual Studio 2008. This is pretty much what you’d expect for a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner that delivers over 100 applications every year on the NET framework.

3. Great administrative and project management tools over the development life cycle. VS.NET enterprise edition helps with planning, analysis, four modeling options, three test tool classes, and productivity owing to a slew of templates.

4. Under Reporting Services 2005, default access security relies on the organization hewing to Windows Authentication mode. For Web-facing applications and to provide reports through the company firewall, happily, one can a write a bit of .NET code under the NET framework IAuthenticationExtension security extension interface so as to override the default and deploy a third-party security manager.

Where the J2EE Application Server Stands in the Scheme of Things

Where the J2EE Application Server Stands in the Scheme of Things

As the Java web servers of old housed servlets or JSPs, so J2EE application servers are the containers for Enterprise JavaBean (EJBs) framework components. That is, every J2EE application server provides a range of services to EJBs and manages their lifecycle. Understanding this architectural framework is core to working with the distributed-processing, multi-tier and Web-ready potential of the platform.

The learning curve is steep but taking advantage of J2EE application servers (and other J2EE technologies) enables one to reap great benefits like having to do less custom coding and considerably quicker turnaround of more robust applications. It pays to master the J2EE SDK for the necessary packaging and development utilities. One also needs to pay more attention to the underlying processes, like the way a J2EE application server completely takes over the management of Entity EJBs, lest over-reliance on remote interfaces and multiple JVM’s result in a messaging overload that slows the system to a crawl. The result? Unhappy end-users.

For the many companies out there wanting to move up from legacy client-server Oracle, Notes or Access set-up’s, it a huge comfort to know that J2EE developers like the end-to-end developers up north in Nashua’s (NH) HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com) are past masters at configuring J2EE application servers. At least, they had an abundance of success stories and completed projects, many about migrating and porting older architectures to the J2EE application server framework.

What to Look for in a Hyper-Effective Team of J2EE Developers

What to Look for in a Hyper-Effective Team of J2EE Developers

J2EE may be free open-source and, in the hands of the right developer, a powerful platform for multi-tier, Web-based applications. But easy it is not. Given technology that sees some new development practically every month, how do you find and screen highly effective J2EE developers?

Whether hiring for an in-house IT group or looking to outsource to an independent applications provider, the first step is to have a Java Architect working for you, not just a first-line, order-taker J2EE developer. This means broadminded thinkers who understand your business need, can conceptualize all the system components you need, and direct the J2EE developer team to ably link backend databases and servers, middleware and presentation layers.

At a software house like HyTech Professionals up in Nashua (NH), J2EE developers need not dazzle the unwary client with a blizzard of acronyms. An end-user organization gets much more comfortable learning from these quietly competent HyTech folks (www.hytechpro.com) about their completed Java systems integration work and end-to-end implementation of mission-critical J2EE applications.

For now, some parting advice: look askance at any J2EE developer still mired in pre-2005 technology like Enterprise Java Beans. Applications built solely with EJB are so irritatingly intrusive, hard to test and force such illogical design decisions. This is why a team of Java developers already comfortable with the Spring and Hibernate frameworks will be more likely to deliver what you want on time and under budget.

Smart Client Development

Smart Client Development

As a business owner, you are always looking for independent opinion on the concept of a smart client as the developers and development company, throw in terms, keywords and vague descriptions.

Here is what www.hytechpro.com has to suggest

- don’t go with any drastic change without evaluating your options

- understand, evaluate and decide when you have sufficient information

- consult with experts in Microsoft smart client with experts from www.hytechpro.com

- create a value metrics with clear ROI

- have a delivery plan and use the latest .Net frame work and tools

We believe that a lot of business owners make decisions based on market hype and Microsoft’s PR. You should look at the true value propositions offered by a smart client

- fast response heavy data lifting

- easy use of local device drivers and hardware

Essentially, it provides the best of both worlds – desktop and web applications.

Why should we use silverlight vs. flex?

Why should we use silverlight vs. flex?

At www.hytechpro.com our team has been aggressively evaluating tools and best practices to assist our customers in selecting between Microsoft silverlight and flex.

Here are some of the questions that hytechpro.com suggest that you answer:

1) Do you like smoother integration with .Net?

2) What’s your technology background in action scripts 3.0?

3) What’s interest and core strength of your development staff or partner?

4) Is there compatibility concern you have with various platforms and browsers?

If these are some of your questions, hytechpro.com team will help you make an informed decision.

Suggestions

- solution should be Web 3.0

- team should be conversant with the technology

- use best practices

- take time to review your options

The Spectrum of Choices for J2EE Training

1. The Spectrum of Choices for J2EE Training

Even as J2EE remains at the forefront of robust, highly capable platforms for Web-based applications, there is a pressing need to fill the ranks of developer teams worldwide. Just how does one gain a foothold in the field or, if already hands-on in a team, get the J2EE training to architect Java projects?

There are many ways to obtain solid J2EE training. Sun itself funds many J2EE training programs, with course tracks for Web Component Developer, Business Component Developer, Mobile Application Developer, and, for those of you with aspirations to be world-class, Enterprise Architect. And there’s a choice to do this online, or arrange for in-house and offsite classes. In the end, you get a nice Certified Developer credential to hang in your cube.

In this era when online college education attracts hundreds of thousands of students every academic year, it should come as no surprise that online podcasts, lengthier video webinars, and complete courses on CD’s enrich the variety of J2EE training options available. And these are affordable, from US$150 to $170 or thereabouts depending on where exchange rates are this week. Nor are these slapdash affairs. A typical J2EE training syllabus offering covers the range from Overview to coding JavaServer pages, learning about servlets and multi-threading, Enterprise Java pages, databases and Web Services. Schools, training centers and Fortune 500 companies with strong in-house IT skills routinely purchase multi-user licenses.

Take the time to choose the J2EE training mode that’s right for you. And don’t fret if the course tracks stretch upwards of 6 months to a year or even more. As the folks at HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com) who architect middleware or entire systems all day long will tell you, Java is a difficult beast to tame. But finally deploying that robust, multi-platform and networked system in a manufacturing setting, in retail, or in a bank bestows immense satisfaction that you’ve invested in the right sort of J2EE training.

J2EE Server

J2EE Server

Last time, I pointed out that the continuing lack of J2EE Enterprise Architects and Business Component Developers puts a crimp on plans by Global 2000 enterprises to migrate their applications to the Web. The other huge hindrance, revealed by a Precision Marketing Group survey a couple of months back, is the complexity of transitioning from legacy client/server frameworks to Web-ready J2EE servers.

Taking the survey at face value, one would have to believe that nearly 99 percent – that’s virtually everyone, folks – of these large, globe-spanning businesses are still stuck in Microsoft Access, Lotus Notes and Oracle Forms client/server tools, obviously never intended for Web applications. Even those enterprises that already have some rudimentary Java team in-house complain they still lack the skilled developers to architect and maintain J2EE servers. Without well-administered J2EE servers, there is just no way to attain rich internet applications like wikis, portals or CMS.

Until in-house capabilities can be beefed up and true point-and-click J2EE server admin utilities become available, leading enterprises wishing to leverage the power of the Web have the option to outsource mission-critical development to system integrators or experienced and fleet-footed third-party application developers. There’s no lack of the latter and on a trip to Nashua (NH), I chanced across HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com). Frankly amazing how they took the challenge of rich functionality and robust performance off of a J2EE server as “part of the service” for clients in production, retail, financial services and technology startup’s.

J2EE: Back to Basics

1. J2EE: Back to Basics

By the very nature of their operations, large and medium-sized businesses have complex requirements. And when the time comes to port legacy systems to today’s business demands or to build entirely new functionality, IT planners in the know tend to think in terms of .NET, Oracle, SAP or Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE).

The great appeal of J2EE rests on its open source heritage, pretty much an anti-establishment way to get even complex enterprise applications developed without license fees or kowtowing to “Big Brother”. Far from being scanty, the Java programming language defined basic objects, as well as the needed higher-level classes to handle security, networking, XML parsing and GUI crafting. And to this, as most users have known since 2003, the Enterprise Edition added the ability to develop and run very large, scalable, multi-tiered and increasingly robust networked applications.

One of the most enthusiastic J2EE supporters I’ve met are the folks at HyTech Professionals (www.hytechpro.com), out in the Nashua (NH) extension of the eastern Silicon Belt. Simply amazing, the number of J2EE systems they’ve developed for industrial, gaming, banking, insurance and e-commerce companies.