Open Initiative Consulting is a Richmond Metro Area consulting company that provides comprehensive software development solutions at each phase of the lifecycle. We've got you covered throughout the process: from requirements, design, development, testing, and deployment.
phone -> 1.415.728.1565
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The Dilemma…

If you’ve ever been responsible for building an internet-based application, you know there’s a lot more to it than picking a color scheme and hosting provider. No matter how much you plan, unexpected questions always seem to present themselves:

  • Did we need to build this from scratch? Isn’t that “off-the-shelf” solution just as effective?
  • Our development process never seems to end. Is it our people, process, or software?
  • Where can I host this application? Can it grow with our customer’s demand? How much should we pay?
  • Our only server hard drive has died. Where is the data? How long will our service be down?

At Open Initiative Consulting, we’ve faced these dilemmas and learned what works and what doesn’t. We will help you make the tough decisions and implement effective solutions around your budget and schedule.

Database Administration
Relational databases are the main datastore of many internet applications. Poorly designed, they can also be a source of many sleepless nights. We can help optimize existing implementations or choose the right solution for your next big thing.
  • Performance Evaluation (i.e. complex join issues, indexes)
  • Replication
  • Scaling (i.e. sharding strategies, clusters)
  • Backups
  • Alternatives (i.e. object-oriented databases, search indexes, key-value stores)
Software Development
Open Initiative Consulting can cover a multitude of software development needs, from choosing a platform to implementing solutions. We are primarily a "Java shop" but love more dynamic languages like Groovy and Python. We can provide these services:
  • Short Term Coding (i.e. temporary staff support, troubleshooting)
  • Strategy Development (i.e. iterative design principles, bug assignment / tracking, code audits)
  • Testing and QA (i.e. unit, load, and functional testing)
  • Performance Optimization (i.e. caching, bottleneck discovery, memory leaks)
  • Complete Project Development
  • Front End Web Technologies (i.e. XSLT, templating systems, AJAX, MVC)
Systems Development and Administration
Open Initiative Consulting can help you choose the best strategy to meet your hosting needs. "Cloud" computing is rapidly changing the hosting landscape, allowing for "pay-for-what-you-need" service as an alternative to costly private data centers. Here's how we can help you:
  • Linux Administration (i.e. Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian)
  • Solaris Administration
  • Virtualazation (i.e. Solaris Zones, Linux V-Server, Xen, VMWare)
  • Virtual Private Servers (i.e. Amazon EC2, Linode)
  • Application Hosting (i.e. Google App Engine)
  • Redundancy / High Availability Strategies
  • Backup Strategies (i.e. LTO, rsync, filesystem snapshots)
  • Monitoring (i.e. nagios, monit)
Training

Too busy to take time for that seminar 500 miles across the country? Let Open Initiative Consulting develop a class to meet your needs. We can come to your office to provide basic training on an array of technologies.

  • Classroom Style
  • One-On-One
  • Beginner Classes in Java, Python, Javascript, Linux, and more