Integrate Well-Architected, Supportable Solutions Into Your Mission Critical Systems

Solution Sheet: .NET Application Development

Integrate well-architected, supportable solutions into your mission critical systems

The .NET framework connects information, new technologies for building applications that people, systems and devices through software. enhance user satisfaction and productivity with: Integrated across the Microsoft platform, .NET • Windows Communication Foundation: technology provides the ability to quickly create a unified framework for building secure, and use connected, security-enhanced solutions reliable, transacted and interoperable with Web services. distributed applications.

The .NET framework enables you to: • Windows Presentation Foundation: the • Open the door to new business next-generation presentation sub-system opportunities by making it easy to connect for Windows, providing developers and with partners designers with a unified programming model for building rich Windows smart • Deliver more personal, integrated user client user experiences that incorporate UI, experiences media and documents. • Save time and money by cutting • Windows Workflow Foundation: the development time programming model, engine and tools • Increase revenue streams by enabling you for quickly building workflow-enabled to make your own Web services available to applications. It provides radically enhanced others abilities to model and support business processes. The Microsoft .NET • Windows CardSpace: a platform for Framework information cards that enable users to

The Microsoft .NET Framework is the new provide their digital identities easily and managed code programming model for securely, obviating the struggle with Windows. It combines the power of .NET 2.0 with usernames and passwords. 2 | Solution Sheet: .NET Application Development

The Catapult Benefit

Catapult .NET engagements integrate well- Catapult services provide rapid functionality architected, supportable solutions into your delivery and reduced cycle times, to minimize We create mission-critical systems. project risk and cost while maintaining high- highly effective quality results. Look to Catapult Systems to user-centered Our experts possess the industry’s leading-edge provide the full range of .NET development applications .NET knowledge base. This enables them to services: utilizing state- leverage the power of .NET to create reliable, • Technology strategy and architecture: we of-the-art extensible, high-quality, custom applications that assesses the situation and lay a plan for tools and achieve your business goals while offering: meeting the project’s requirements. a proven • Visually compelling user experiences • Business analysis: we guide you through methodology. • Seamless communication across technology a formal process of analysis, requirements boundaries definition and process improvement.

• The ability to support a wide range of • Project management: we have the skills business processes required to work as your business partner while providing the leadership to manage Our consultants have the expertise to plan, the complex requirements around this design, build, test and implement applications cutting-edge technology. that fully integrate into your organization’s • Application design and development: the existing business processes and system heart of the matter; we help you create environment. We create highly effective user- competitive advantage in the form of custom centered applications utilizing state-of-the-art .NET applications and enhancements that tools and a proven methodology by which we: marry leading-edge technology to your • Study your processes mission-critical processes. • Understand your systems and infrastructure • User experience: we encompasses branding, • Plan a custom application that meets your information architecture, interface usability, needs and the integration of business functionality

• Implement the application on time and on and supporting infrastructure. budget • Mobile solutions: let us show you where

• Support your IT staff with training mobile technology makes sense for your business to streamline processes and enhance communication with partners. 3 | Solution Sheet: .NET Application Development

Real-Life Catapult Eighty percent of Catapult clients are repeat customers. Here are the stories of two such clients, who leveraged Catapult’s industry leading knowledge of the Microsoft .NET Framework. Client Experiences Home Goods Manufacturer Gaining Competitive Advantage with Fast Time to Market

This company manufactures and sells to Enter Catapult Systems, the industry leader in homebuilders carpets, flooring, countertops developing applications in the .NET framework. With original and other finished goods for new houses. estimates, the The company continually aims to improve Catapult consultants built a complete application homebuilding experience for both its customers requirements document, analyzed the would have and homeowners, and leverages technology to infrastructure to ensure the new application required three support that mission whenever possible. would be able to access and use information years to build. from all the systems holding data integral to its However, with The company recognized a market opportunity functioning, and developed the application within Catapult’s for a solution that could immediately calculate these parameters. expertise, accurate building goods costs for customers, a sellable show them a complete picture of a home with As a result, the client realized: solution was those options, and let them see how different • Faster time-to-market: whereas, by its created in materials look, all to enable them to make more original estimates, the application would less than 12 informed choices. have required three years to build, the months. Catapult approach leveraging .NET 3.0 Given the requirements—to pull information resulted in a sellable solution in less than 12 from disparate data stores, perform the months, making them first to market. needed calculations and display the results in a • Lower costs, higher return and less risk: the customer-pleasing interface, all on the fly—the client is saving money in conserving internal development effort would clearly need to be resources in its solution development and within the .NET framework. predicts increased sales in the millions because of the greater value the company The problem: the company’s internal IT team can offer its customers. estimated that, with the vast amount of data involved in those processes, building this type of • Improved solution quality: Catapult’s application would require upwards of three years .NET 3.0 application is more maintainable, of dedicated effort. and delivers more robust functionality, presentation and performance, than what Further, because the IT team was not expert in would have been deliverable in .NET 2.0. .NET 3.0, the application’s interface would not support the stated objectives of design and function. 4 | Solution Sheet: .NET Application Development

County Court Agency Developing More Comprehensive, The agency Efficient Systems

now has Accurately processing paperwork for citizens result, the agency now has a solution with greater a solution as they pass through court is critical to a well- functionality and flexibility, and yet the new with greater run justice system. This county agency faced solution will not require additional time or budget functionality challenges maintaining an efficient flow of to deploy or maintain, ensuring: and flexibility information due to its aging, cumbersome court- without clerks’ systems. • Responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars: requiring as a government body, the fiscal soundness additional time The paperwork and systems based on Oracle of technology outlays is of paramount or budget Forms were difficult for staff to use and time- importance. The new applications require to deploy or consuming to modify to accommodate changing less IT resources, and their flexibility and maintain. legislative requirements. In addition, the agency maintainability means they will provide managed its court traffic with an IBM mainframe enduring value. running applications that had been developed in- • Better solution with same timeline and house 25 years ago. The mainframe was nearing budget: Catapult’s unique .NET 3.0 expertise the end of its life cycle, and it was becoming more ensured the solution met the client’s business difficult to find staff people to maintain it. requirements more quickly and cost- effectively than could otherwise have been Concerned about the effectiveness and reliability delivered. of its systems, the agency decided to overhaul the • User- and IT-friendliness: a key requirement supporting technology, to update applications so of the new applications was that they make that they would be easier for staff members to use life for both users and IT easier, and their while providing a flexible long-term solution. full functionality, coupled with ease of

It turned to Catapult Systems to recreate the maintenance, fulfills that need. court-clerks’ applications. The agency originally stipulated that the applications be developed in .NET 2.0. However, upon performing its technology strategy and business analysis processes, Catapult recommended a switch to .NET 3.0 as a more comprehensive environment for development. The client recognized the benefits, and Catapult developed the new applications in .NET 3.0 and deployed the necessary infrastructure to support them. As a

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