Avantica’s Oracle consultants specialize in database administration and maintenance; application installation, support and maintenance; and performance tuning, backup and recovery. Specific capabilities include:

• Real Application Cluster Installation and Configuration
• Database Administration and Maintenance
• Database Installation and Migration
• Database Performance Tuning
• Database Technical Healthcheck
• Database Upgrades
• Oracle Database High Availability (Review and Implementations):

o Real Application Cluster (Installation, Configuration and Performance Tuning)
o Dataguard
o Golden Gate
o Recovery Manager

• Backup and Recovery (Review and Implementation)

Avantica Technologies’ specializes in software engineering for enterprise, cloud, social networking, consumer web, financial and mobile apps. We’ve helped customers successfully release nearly 1.600 software products and large-scale Web apps. The new Oracle service will expand the company’s ability to help these companies even further.

In Silicon Valley alone according to the U.S. National Venture Capital Association, 40% of the 130,000 open positions in 2011 were for software engineers, mainly in the social media, mobile and cloud computing technology sectors. Avantica is convinced its Release 1.0 service for start-ups will help more technology companies successfully get to market. Or, expand their existing market presence.

Bill Sutherland, Chief Engineering Officer at ArmedZilla.com found Release 1.0 helped fill the social networking platform’s need for talented software developers and testers who could quickly integrate into the company’s internal engineering team.

Sutherland explained: “The Avantica Technologies engineers were productive immediately, helping us meet our aggressive release goals.”

What is Release 1.0?
It’s a suite of integrated software engineering services designed to enable start-ups to rapidly build, launch or expand existing software apps. It supports scaling a engineering team within days, not months or quarters. The Release 1.0 framework consists of:

People:
Software Developers and QA engineers
Scrum Masters / Project Managers
CTO / VP Engineering
Talented, economical and available
Avantica Technologies customers choose the skill-set needed to integrate into their internal engineering team

Process:
Distributed Agile expertise, highly collaborative
Integrated extension of the start-up’s core team
Software engineering specialization, not IT services

Place:
Nearshore – Avantica’s software engineering centers are in Costa Rica and Peru
U.S. corporation, headquartered in Silicon Valley
Same U.S. time-zone, same English language

Price:
Avantica Technologies charges a fixed monthly rate per software engineer
Customers gain a dedicated team at a predictable cost

Release 1.0 Service for start-ups solves two addressable markets: one is the rapidly growing, venture funded start-up that needs to quickly release new features and integrations supporting its Consumer Web, eCommerce or Mobile app. offering. The second is the Angel or self-funded start-up looking to finish a POC or initial production software launch and needs to scale up a small engineering team. The service creates a path for small businesses to continue to do what they do well: create U.S. jobs. Forbes Magazine reported that small businesses created 55,000 new jobs in September, 2011. And, for the past two years, overall small business employment has been growing. Since November 2009, businesses with fewer than 20 workers added 735,000 new employees. Release 1.0 is designed to help that growth continue.

Measured Progress helps states and districts across the country comply with federal mandates to include all children in state-wide assessments and improve student learning. It works with state clients to provide customized, large-scale general and alternate assessments for K-12 students. Its innovative online classroom assessment and data management capability can be used by local educators to measure student knowledge relative to state and national standards.

Avantica Technologies testing engineers, based in the company’s Latin America software engineering centers (Costa Rica and Peru), and collaborating in an Agile model in the same U.S. time-zone, work closely with Measured Progress’ internal development team. The goal of the partnership is to deliver an effective and systematic software QA capability utilizing a set of metrics to evaluate various quality aspects; not only quality of the final product but also the quality of the whole process to deliver the final product.

Avantica Technologies, one of the largest Nearshore software engineering services specialists, utilizes leading testing tools, while facilitating remote access by Measured Progress to see the results as soon as they are generated. This enables Measured Progress to systematically deliver quality software to its customers across 17 states.

Juan Carlos Porras Rodriguez, Director of QA Services at Avantica Technologies is convinced that because Avantica is in the same time-zone, its testing is truly collaborative with Measured Progress’ internal development. And, as a result, aligned with the non-profit’s engineering goals. The result: quality software supporting quality education.

Currently, there are 24 million American veterans and more than two million men and women serving in the U.S. Military. Many feel a need to share experiences, make new connections while in the military, and stay connected once discharged. ArmedZilla’s site, accessible at no cost, provides this community with necessary and easy to use support services that helps them in their day-to-day lives. ArmedZilla members can share their stories, be recognized for their service, re-connect with former buddies, and interact with friends, family and supporters.

ArmedZilla is one of many new companies that represent the continued bold segmentation of the social networking ecosystem. As the cable television industry took the newtwork few to thousands of targeted, very specific audience channels, so too goes social networking. The audiences with specific, narrow interests served by cable television are many. Some narrow in a larger context – Food Network or HSN – others in a much smaller context: The Puppy Channel.

As more segmented community targeted social networking sites prepare to launch, the need for talented software engineering resources as enablers grows in parallel. The demand has easily outstripped supply. Specialists like Avantica Technologies, with its Agile-based Nearshore model (same time-zone, economical, available, English speaking developers) is filling the gap. ArmedZilla’s founder and CEO said about his company’s collaboration with Avantica:

“Our decision to work with Avantica is based on their ability to integrate their talented software developers and testers into our internal team. They were productive immediately, helping us meet our aggressive release goals.”

Avantica’s Latin America-based software developers worked closely with ArmedZilla’s internal development team to build a reliable, feature rich site that can scale to support rapid traffic growth. Avantica’s QA engineers, also part of the team, utilize leading testing tools supporting TC definition, test cycle execution, and QA results delivery. It’s a highly collaborative effort between the two companies built on an Agile engineering model designed to get the platform rapidly launched.

As CBS, NBC and ABC once dominated American television, only to give way to an ever more powerful cable television tidal wave of audience segmentation, many see an appropriate analogy for social networking. Facebook, LinkedIn and others may face a similar future.

Step 1 – ruby-toolbox.com

First, I go to ruby-toolbox.com and click the Choose Category button in the upper right corner (hopefully they have not re-designed their site after pushing this post).  I find the category that best suits my problem and view the list of approaches.  What makes the toolbox so awesome is the user voting.  For this example, the Rails Authentication category indicates devise is the leading GEM.

Step 2 – railscasts.com

I next go to railscasts.com and watch the Ryan Bates video on my selected GEM.  Truthfully, Ryan Bates is one of the best online instructors I have ever seen and his video casts are to the point and very well-done.  I should know having worked on e-learning technologies for years.  The best part about the railscasts is you actually see how the technology works and what it takes to integrate it.  In other words, you get a “try before you buy” type of experience to see if the solution meets your needs.

Step 3 – stackoverflow.com

My final step is to make sure the technology is compatible with my stack and is not facing any major issues.  I do a search on stackoverflow to see what questions people are posting and what solutions are provided.  After a quick perusing of the posted questions about devise and rails 3, I see nothing to prevent me from moving forward.  Decision made.

Step 4 – github.com find the README for the GEM

Make sure you always check the README filer on GitHub to validate the usage of the GEM.  Most GEMS provide helpful instructions and informative summaries of the functionality.

Step 5 – back to railscasts.com

This time when I watch the railscasts video I make changes to my application in tandem with Ryan.  He just does an excellent job of talking you through each step.  You should verify key steps against the README in case changes have been made since the cast was created.

Cheers!

I am at that point right now.  I am about to start a new project inspired by some demos I saw at the SF New Tech meetup this week in San Francisco.  Comments on the Ruby on Rails : talk group in Google groups helped me realize it’s time to move to Rails 3 and re-evaluate some my preferred GEMS like restful_authentication. What I really want to do is to start my project right meaning doing things even more the Ruby-way and using the best recommended tools and techniques.  But how exactly do you determine that?  Here’s how I recommend you do it.

Step 1 : Contact the experts you know

I have the advantage of working for a leading development company.  When I need to learn about a topic, I can email our architects, project managers and team leads and just ask them.  Truthfully, this is a great resource!  I also work some of my social contacts.

Step 2: Follow the experts you don’t know

This one is simple: @dhh on Twitter.  David Heinemeier Hanson is the creator of Ruby on Rails.  From there, I jumped to the Google groups used by the community including Ruby on Rails : core and the aforementioned talk group.  I am also a member of the Ruby on Rails group at LinkedIn.

Step 3: Use social as an expert

Go to sites that have good information but also feedback loops from real developers.  Stackoverflow is the king of these, but Quora is a new rising star on the horizon.  One of the guys I mentioned in step 1 turned me on to The Ruby Toolbox which is simply awesome!  You’ll find categories of tools there along with votes for the best approach in each category.  That’s how I found out my user account tool of choice, restful_authentication, was not actually the leading choice by developers.  Both devise and authlogic ranked higher than what I was comfortable with.  I may need to make a change.

In my next post, I will list what I ended up with as my new toolbox for developing Rails applications.

Enjoy!

A few months back I searched to see what other IDEs people were using and NetBeans came up as a nice choice.  The price was right, free, thanks to Sun open sourcing the tool.  NetBeans built it’s rep on Java and many Rails developers seemed pleased with it.  I downloaded the product, installed it, and then like so many of my investigations I abandoned the task for some deadline or need to be productive.  After all, switching your IDE is a significant task.  Your productivity goes down as you learn the new actions and key strokes.  It’s like when you move to a new neighborhood.  It takes a while to figure out where to get the best take out, so you eat what is convenient for a while even if it’s not that good.

Fast forward to the present, I decided to create a new iPhone app to play around with location services.  I upgraded my iOS and that lead to an Xcode 4 upgrade, new provisioning, etc. etc. Many of you know this pain.  I spent more time futzing around than learning though in the end I did show a map of where I was on my phone.  I went back to my Rails project and that’s when I realized the hidden ramification of my pursuit.  Can you guess?

I had upgraded my development environment for Rails without really thinking about it.  Darn it! There goes my productivity as I learn the new tool that is actually a bit different from what I am used to.  Not one to sulk, OK I might have sulked a bit, I decided to use this as an excuse to dig into NetBean again. I am happy to say I am a NetBeans convert for sure! Here’s why.

First, getting my project up and running was simple.  I started a new project, selected the option to start my Rails project from existing source, and I was off and running.  NetBeans had inferred just about everything I would want from looking at my folders.  My database was linked.  My source code repository was hooked up.  Really, they did a good job of connecting the dots.

What’s more, the IDE offered a bunch of features I didn’t get in Xcode either because they were not there or not easy enough to find.  NetBeans treated my classes as objects adding extra navigation and functionality.  I liked the way Find worked.  My windows and tools were all integrated where as with Xcode I ended up creating a hodgepodge of applications including terminal for shell scripts, svnX for source code management, and others.

I realize of course that Xcode or Xcode 4 may have some or all of what I am already using in NetBeans.  But that’s the key point.  NetBeans got me there faster and without slowing my productivity that much.  Switching my IDE, while accidental, has actually lead to a richer set of tools in my toolbox.  I am almost ashamed to admit I didn’t look harder for these with Xcode.

For you Eclipse or Xcode 4 fans, please don’t take offense.  Selecting your IDE is really like picking a car.  You’re going to spend a lot of time with it and the overall experience matters as much as if it has features you want like integrated GPS and bluetooth, anti-lock breaks, or a sun roof.  I am sure I could be just as happy with these tools long-term as I expect to be with NetBeans.  But for now, I am smitten and comfortable driving the car I have.

The one piece of advice I would offer is you may want to consider learning Rails before moving to NetBeans.  NetBeans does so much for you that you might not learn the guts of the framework and how to really develop in Rails at the lowest levels.  For example, doing a migration from a dialog box is not the same as learning migrations at the command line and all the nuances that come with.  Still, if you are shopping for a new car, I mean a new IDE, I’d put NetBeans on your radar.

Cheers!

Wellness in the workplace is way more than a trend.  For years now Avantica has been committed to the overall wellness of our employees, structuring our benefits programs and work environments to be more conducive to making healthy lifestyle choices.  Every year we host a health fair in both our development centers in Perú and Costa Rica, bringing doctors to work so our collaborators can find the time for a check up. In Avantica health fairs, our employees enjoy a wide range of services and advice on topics such as nutrition, optometry, blood tests, physical therapy, posture correction and stress relief.  You can see some pictures from health activities at the end of this post.

Recently we have taken a more active and constant approach to our employees well being by developing a fitness program with several classes that adapt to the different goals that Avanticans might have, whether it is weight loss, toning, relaxation or just plain fun. We offer Kickboxing, SuperFit (a sort of insanity for beginners), Pilates and even Dancing.  With an office located right above a grocery store, a brief moment of relaxation often comes hand in hand with a freshly baked buttery danish. And let’s face it, this might be convenient, but easy is not always the smartest choice.  We’ve all been there.  The sedentary hours we spend at the office; no matter how rewarding our work might be, takes a high toll on our waistbands. It is very important to find the time to squeeze in a little exercise every once in a while.

We want Avanticans to enjoy their work environment, and to bring the best of themselves to their jobs every day. Encouraging our employees to embrace fitness as a lifestyle choice pays off in numerous ways!

• Increased health
• More energy
• More self – confidence
• Better attitudes
• Less stress
• Team building opportunities
• General well-being

Our program has been around for three consecutive quarters and we keep getting more and more fitness enthusiasts every time. The benefits are obvious – an improved health, alertness, and general well being of our staff, resulting in a reduction in the number of injuries, turnover, and sick days. In effect, we believe a fitness program will help our employees become a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.

We hope you take the time to focus on your own personal well-being and encourage your company to do the same as Avantica has.

Pura Vida!

An Avantica employee gets health advice at our wellness fair

Eye exams are an essential part of our health and wellness program

Avantica employees in a company sponsored kick boxing class

Mobile is here to stay and offers the growing possibility of new opportunities. Application systems using mobile devices will require an analysis of architectural constraints and further considerations. Let’s take a look.

Mobile devices are small, portable, powerful machines that are usually connected to services. Still, they are limited. They are not for intensive processing. The battery is drained very easily when using features, so care must be taken to reduce resource usage. The bandwidth is limited for communications and has an associated cost too. They have limited display capabilities, memory and storage space. Any design must take these limitations into account.

A system using mobile components may have different configurations.  Here are the most common ones and their implications:

1. A native, standalone app — These are applications that use the mobile device’s features to its maximum and may not require much communication (internet access).
2. A client-server app — These are applications that have part of the functionality in the mobile device, part in a server. They require communication and data transfer.
3. A Web App — These are very common, applications written in web. The client in the mobile device is just the browser and all the functionality is on the server.

Depending on the application type, architectural considerations may vary. Also, if the application is created from scratch or if it is a mobile exposure of an old app. The following is a list of issues the architect should check or take into account when creating or adjusting the system architecture.

Communication and data transfer. This is really important when designing the app or when porting a normal app into the mobile world. Communication consumes battery and data transfer has its cost in time and money. It is advisable to keep communication to a minimum. That means aiming for minimalist interfaces on web apps. For client-server, the transferred data should be information (meaning detailed info is “cooked” in server and just the require info is sent to device). Also, review the possibility of using compression. UI should reduce the use of images and other media like video or audio.

Processing. As mentioned, the device is not a super computer. The process design should consider using the device for processing some data under a threshold, or balancing processing and data transfer with a server. Consider a charting example.  The chart can be generated in the server and sent as an image, or the server can send the chart data for the device to render the chart, or even send the detailed data for the device to process and render. It depends on the amount of data, the processing power of the device and the load in the server.

Memory. When working with the native part of the app, consider macro elements and static processing. The idea is to minimize the memory use, in terms of space and allocation frequency. Consuming all the memory is one issue, consuming less memory but continuously creating objects and destroying them is also bad.

Security. This is an important issue. Using encryption in communication increases processing. Also, care must be taken when storing credentials in the device or deciding to send the credentials over the air. Consider encryption of stored data. Also consider having data backed up in the server, in case the device is stolen, lost or destroyed.

System interactions. As part of a system, the mobile device may be seen in the architecture as a process or a functional element too. It should be taken into account that the device may be offline at times, or may be lost, in which case the system should keep working, either side. Architecture must contemplate incomplete or “frozen” transactions that may occur when the device fails to complete the steps or takes too long to complete them. It must also consider mobile devices to be disconnected in any moment, and thus there should be ways to recover transactions.

A careful analysis of the goals and possibilities of mobile should be conducted, as the devices will open new possibilities but also post some restrictions and modifications to common architectures. Architect must avoid pitfalls like thinking the current server or apps can be ported as they are directly to mobile, or assuming the load of opening the server to support also mobile is manageable without proper load testing. Finally, any adjustment must be drive tested in the device, as the user experience may cause a project to fail if mobile special issues are not considered.

Every solution is different.  That is why these considerations are so general. Each solution should be treated in a special way, based on the current needs.

Mainly because it is growing field and continues to gain importance in recent years. Plus it’s a challenging job that demands constant research to stay current on issues and technologies and application development.

Can you tell us about your group? What are your primary objectives?

At Avantica, we know that quality is non-negotiable and this is why we have implemented a powerful methodology that comes from working on development projects with companies around the world for many years.  Our primary objective is to collaborate with our clients in the development of quality products, not only checking the final result but also improving the process used for development. Our goal is always getting the highest percentage of coverage as possible.   Our experience in the field of Quality Assurance, Software Testing and Quality Management and our complete understanding of the software development life cycle enables us to help our customers deliver high quality solutions keeping the budget under control.

Nowadays, the fast pace of the business world and the necessity to place products in the market drive software development companies to implement new methodologies to develop products that fulfill the customer’s expectations in the shortest time possible.  The risk of releasing a new product without a rigorous QA process have greater implications now more than ever because the Internet can affect the marketing position of a company if a product delivered does not satisfy the expectations and demands of the users. Users have the possibility to comment on the products using blogs and forums and many people can read their comments.  These comments can affect not only the product itself, but also the name and the marketing position of the company that produced it.

Do you do any projects that are only QA? How do you get your team integrated with the development team in this case?

Yes, we have projects that are only QA and we integrate with the development team in the same way when we do the development at Avantica. Our methodology lets us execute QA activities in parallel with development activities. For example, once the requirements are ready, we start reviewing them to create our test case estimation, then we start creating the detailed test cases in our test case management tool. When the first builds are ready, we run exploratory tests and when possible start to automate test cases. Finally, we start the formal QA cycle when the first versions are ready.

What tools and techniques do you have experience with?

We can do, for example, functional testing (design and execution), test case execution and automation, performance, load and stress testing.  We have a portfolio of techniques designed to solve all of our clients testing needs such as analysis of boundary values, decision tables, Cause and Effect diagrams, State Transition diagrams, exploratory testing and evidence of pairs to name a few.  We are familiar with automation tools, test case administration tools, defect tracking tools, monitoring tools and load, stress and performance testing tools.  Our team has experience working in projects using Agile methodology, so, our people can be integrated with the Agile teams too.