“HTML5 is making anything possible.”

TechPines makes awesome apps! They provide consulting services for highly scalable, cloud-based apps. They use responsive design and the real time web to deliver high value to their clients.

The TechPines team has a critical eye for the best of breed technologies and practices for making high performance apps that people actually want to use.

MO: What inspired you to seek and contract with small companies desperately needing to get up to speed?

Brad: I’ve been inspired by the innovation of our clients, and we just want to give them smart and savvy technical services to amplify success. Helping businesses build cool new products is very exciting. We work with a wide range of industries, and we use the same high technology used by the likes of Google and Facebook to deliver high value applications that really make a difference.

MO: What are some of the most common issues you see your clients facing and how can they be avoided?

Brad: Misperceptions about the Web and Mobile platforms are probably the biggest problem with most businesses. The advancements in Internet technologies have been absolutely tremendous, and the companies that embrace the new paradigm, and embrace the Cloud are going to be the big winners at the end of the day.

MO: What are some ways that you get on your clients’ level to understand what works for them, and where they are trying to go? How does that process enable you to serve them better?

Brad:  You really have to understand the fundamental problem that a client is facing which means you really need to understand the industry, whether it’s Telecommunications, Oil & Gas, Government, Biomedical, Technology or Retail. After we understand the industry, we really try to understand their entire technology ecosystem. This helps to make sure that our solution fits well and plays nice with their existing systems and processes, which makes everybody happy at the end of the day.

MO: What are some trends in your industry that you’re excited about?

Brad: I’m really excited about the prospects for Web TV. The idea of building “realtime” dashboards for businesses could bring about some truly innovative applications. You could have employees out in the trenches transmitting data from their mobile devices back to a realtime display at corporate headquarters. That just sounds cool. Web TV is actually just a small part of a bigger standard, HTML5, which is the the real driving force behind all the innovation we’re seeing right now. HTML5 is really making anything possible.

MO: What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming an app designer?

Brad: You’re in luck! The number of online resources for mobile and web development is absolutely astounding. Plus you don’t need any more equipment than a simple laptop to get started. I would say get online and figure it out, that’s what I did. I actually have a Petroleum Engineering degree. So I would say it doesn’t matter where you are starting from, it’s all about your willingness to learn something new.

MO: What tips would you give to a small company contemplating redesigning their existing app?

Brad:  This is tricky. For a lot of companies, technology is a black box, and when it works it’s great, and when it doesn’t it can be a nightmare. I think working with a few key guiding principles can help companies navigate the software landscape. Here’s a quick check list that I look for:

1. Data Liberation: The idea that you’re data is your data, and that you can easily get it out of whatever software system you put it into.

2. Cloud Services: The cloud is great, cloud-based apps require no setup and no installation for your end users. You avoid the need for specialized IT staff. If it’s not your core business, let somebody else handle it, and focus on what you makes you great.

3. Interoperability: Look for companies that use open standards for data exchange. You want software that can work well with any current or future system, and proprietary data formats can really hurt your prospects for interoperability.