Many companies today realize that the applications and platforms they are using have become not only outdated but too expensive to maintain. At the same time new cost- effective and performance-effective solutions are emerging.

Strategies improves the value of IT systems by reengineering them to enhance functionality and productivity. We examine and analyze software systems and provide recommendations on ways to improve and convert them into effective productivity tools. We usually meet clients saying, We have this system that was developed for us, but we do not have enough documentation or knowledgeable staff. We virtually 'cannot touch it' safely. How do we maintain, develop further or integrate it?

Strategies has vast experience is maintaining poorly written and poorly documented systems and make them professional grade. In any similar situation, there are 4 major components:

• the system itself in a production
• test environment
• source code
• documentation and people with expertise

The fewer the components present, the tougher the job for the new developer. Still, in many cases, it is possible to analyze and 'open' the system even when only one component is present -the system itself. We combine our practical experience with fundamental knowledge of computer science principles in analyzing complex systems. The process follows the following phased approach:

Exploration
Depending on information available, we use advanced blackbox and whitebox analysis methods to probe the system. Input and output files are scrutinized and environment altered to 'scope' possible behavioral changes. Usually, exploration is deployed using two kinds of people:
• Creative Hackers' - brilliant investigators who think out of the box and fin original and creative ways to uncover missing details;
• Documenters - systematic, focused individuals, who ensure that nothing is overlooked and interpreted incorrectly. They usually make excellent product managers when the project moves into production;

Experimenting
Once our research team has found ways to modify or integrate the system, a multi- threaded testing stage is conducted, ensuring that alterations are always in-line with expectations and that none of the previously working functions are broken.

Documentation
In parallel with the first two phases, this step provides an extensive information library, covering each aspect of the system. The library includes regular technical documentation, along with code samples and prototypes. All existing documentation is brought to the client’s standard formats.

Production
At this phase, Strategies or client teams have enough information to make reliable decisions and set realistic goals for the system.

Strategies has successfully completed many 'exploration' projects and our experts are available for new challenges. It is the combination of advanced education and real-life projects that makes a researcher capable of solving tasks of this magnitude. Our Software Development Center maintains a large multi-platform R&D server farm that enables us to replicate virtually any production environment or system architecture running on Windows, UNIX and mobile platforms.
Strategies maintenance and support services cover:

• Corrective maintenance (bug fixing, test automation, testing, etc.)
• Adaptive maintenance (support changing business or technical environment, administration, etc.) Enhancements (new functionality/features)
• Improvement maintenance (restructuring, rewriting, cross-platform development work, etc.)

The list of tasks we undertake is not limited to the above. Please contact us with initial questions, and our experts will readily provide their comments about how we can assist you.