Desktop Applications

Cooperation starts with Splendix’s BA specialists thoroughly analysing the customer’s needs and elaborating detailed requirements for the functionality and look-and-feel. By establishing a fruitful communication of these requirements between stakeholders and the development team, as well as by accurately documenting all the processes, our specialists ensure the customer gets exactly the software they need

At the pre-development stage, our team emphasises careful planning and architecture design to advise on better technological options with respect to the customer’s challenge and industry, as well as to suggest how to reduce development costs and improve the solution’s performance.

Splendix’s in-house design team works in tight collaboration with the customer and developers to embrace user needs, brand identity and latest trends so as to come up with the concept of desktop software that looks appealing and feels intuitive.

Splendix’s approach to desktop application design rests on 3 pillars:

• Planning every user interaction with the software to make it convenient and easy to follow
• Providing mockups and welcoming feedback to visualize the Customer’s ideal app
• Designing with brand consistency in mind and bringing fresh ideas for visually stand-alone apps

Splendix mainly focuses on delivering turnkey desktop applications ready for shipping to end users. Yet, our development services also include:

• Work on separate parts of the Customer’s project, e.g. testing, delivery of a platform-specific version or application maintenance
• Augmentation of the Customer’s IT team at any project stage to bring in particular competencies or experience

Following the time-tested procedures of architectural sessions, code review, writing self-documenting code, and unit testing, we organize our team’s efforts to deliver maintainable software with a clear and unified code structure. This means no technological lock-in and ability to try another service provider for modification of the solution while being welcome to continue with Splendix’s maintenance services.

While working on desktop projects, our team focuses on:

• High-performance. With desktop apps being on average faster and more powerful than their web counterparts, we make sure our solutions are capable of solving complex tasks quickly.
• User convenience. All our apps undergo scrupulous planning and extensive testing to make sure they are easy-to-use.
• Security. With verified experience in information security, we place a high value on multilayer protection of delivered offline apps.
• Smooth integration. To ensure that the deliverables conveniently fit user activities, we create desktop applications that can easily integrate with other out-of-the-box or custom enterprise software.

With many years experience in quality assurance and testing, Splendix brings together a well-developed QA process and the capabilities of an in-house testing center to meet the customer’s quality expectations. To bring out high-quality desktop solutions, we use proven testing methodologies, techniques, and tools to perform different test types, including functional, performance, and localization ones.

Our desktop applications can be delivered with the required test documentation (test plans, test cases, checklists, etc.) to give the Customer a clear view of the application performance in different cases and simplify its modification in the future.

Splendix’s team offers a full range of maintenance services to let the customer seamlessly introduce the desktop software and its updates into the work of end users, as well as adjust the application to the emerging business challenges by introducing new features. With 24/7 support, we strive for high-quality resolution of any issue within a reasonable time. Splendix’s standard packages cover maintenance services for 1, 5, and 10 years, with an option to be prolonged when the service period expires.

Qt-based development allows our team to deliver desktop software that can run on the majority of operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) with high performance and smooth UX. With cross-platform desktop development, we can reduce project delivery time and cut delivery costs compared to separate development for every platform.

To ensure a new application flawlessly integrates with the user’s system, our team complements every desktop application with a sophisticated installer supporting automated checks and reaction to the installation conditions, such as the OS version, user language settings, third-party libraries, other software, or previous versions installed.

Acknowledging the need to timely introduce enhancements and fixes to desktop applications, Splendix helps to make the update process seamless and convenient to users. Our team can organise updating at any required level of complexity, including:

Splendix’s approach to desktop application design rests on 3 pillars:

• Entirely automatic checking, downloading, and installation of updates
• Automatic updating of the previous version, with manual process triggering
• Complete re-installation of the application

Splendix ensures high usability of delivered desktop applications by enabling them to support tight integration with operating system functions, such as rebooting the computer, timely blocking access to the Internet, auto-updating applications, incorporating the app’s icons in the task-bar or their functionality into the OS context menu.

Here is how it worked for a productivity tool recognised for its high efficiency by The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and the BBC.

Platforms Supported

• Windows
• Mac OS
• Linux

Technologies

Putting together customer needs and a vast technological experience, Splendix’s team opts for the most effective technology for every project.

C++ Qt is the most popular option as it is a number-one technology for cross-platform desktop app development, used by 5 out of top 10 Fortune 100 companies. It allows building high performing applications, as well as helps to reduce costs with one source code base for all platforms.

.NET WPF is used for development for Windows platform when a tight and seamless integration of the desktop application with Microsoft products is needed.

Java SWING is commonly applied for maintenance of legacy applications. Though the platform can be used for cross-platform desktop development.