“We are a small software company specializing in database design using DBISAM as the database engine and Delphi to provide the user interface. We have a very limited knowledge of web design but now face the challenge of converting 2 of our main applications to web applications. We would not have considered doing this on our own were it not for IntraWeb and the ability to create a web application in a Delphi environment.”
Margaret Delaney Director, In Control Limited
Situation
Below is a list of current projects undergoing conversion:
InControl Sales Leads
This application is designed to provide a CRM solution, providing sales leads in the construction industry. The modules include Company / Contact information and also Project information project name, value, industry sector etc. Links are provided to between the Company tables and the Project tables to provide an over view of the Project Design Team those responsible for contract award etc. In the desktop version of the application all information is stored centrally and access by each user on a client / server basis over a LAN. The web application will allow individual sales personal to access the central database from anywhere in the world using just a personal computer and an internet connection. The features of Intraweb will allow us to develop a web interface, which will mirror the desktop interface very closely and provide the comfort of a familiar interface.
InControl DFM
This application is designed to provide an online access to Operating and Maintenance manuals. O&M manuals are provided by all contractors in the construction industry at the completion of each project. These are gather by the project owners and generally filed away to gather dust until an emergency arises or the project needs to be extended. When later needed they are often hard to find or difficult to navigate. InControl DFM provides a central storage for all O&M manuals in a digital format that is easily searched and quickly accessed. Using Intraweb we are able to provide a web base O&M manual that can be accessed by the project owners, emergency services etc. away from the site during emergency operations or on site during normal operations.
Implementation
Intraweb allowed our programmers, who were very familiar with each desktop application, but new very little about web application design to adopt each of the above projects to suit the web based solution required. We were able to re-use most of the code, business rules etc existing in each project without the need to start from scratch had we not discovered Intraweb. The demo project provided with Intraweb will provide most of the answers to any problems we may encounter. This plus the support newsgroups gives us the confidence needed to implement these challenging projects.
Impact
Intraweb now gives us the ability to provide web based solutions for all our clients and provides a way to extend the product life and usability of each of our applications.
Technology
Tools: IntraWeb, Delphi, DBISAM, Third Party components from TMS for IntraWeb
Developers: 2
Time to develop and test: 3 months