Building a state of the art web application and site presence requires more than a great idea and some good coding practices. It requires organization, interactive discussions, documentation, a clear design, targeted creative, rock solid development, thorough testing, and a fluid launch.

Breakthrough has been in the custom application development business for over 15 years. We have over 40 years of experience in our core team alone and focus entirely on building web sites that leverage the power of dynamic data and content delivery. We call these sites dynamic – just like our methodology. Our process is fluid depending on the needs of the client, but most of our projects utilize many of the following distinct phases to sharpen ideas, expand horizons, and clarify missions.

Discovery

"All is not what it appears to be" is a phrase that comes to mind. You know what you want, you think you know how it should work, but getting the concept into the minds of another is a lot tougher than it might seem. Discovery is the most important process in a new engagement. It clarifies directions, coordinates efforts, and brings reality into the equation. The web is not cheap, and time is money. Knowing where you are going, what you will spend, and the results you will receive are the most important assets we can provide to you.

Design

Design has many faces, and vendors approach design from many points of view. Breakthrough is a rapid development company. What might seem like an innovative idea for the internet is quite possibly an existing technology leveraging the internet as a medium. We understand that. We also understand that sometimes time to market is more important than spreadsheets and 200 pages of specifications. Design gets to the root of the effort. We design the systems to meet your objectives, but we work with you to learn your process. Our typical early documentation consists of site maps, flow diagrams, and database entity relationship diagrams so everyone knows where we are heading, but what is most important is that the resulting design meets your short-term objectives as well as your long-term goals. That's where we shine. That's where we add that special quality that differentiates us from our competitors.

Creative

Let's face it, creative is cool. It's the stuff that makes you say "Wow" when you hit a site. We also know that creative affects people in different ways, and what might excite you could likely upset another. Your market and your direction will drive the type of creative that clicks for you. What we've learned is that not all creative is created equal – that's why Breakthrough partners with creative firms across the nation to provide the best variety to fit your needs. Each creative partner we bring to the table has pros and cons. What makes the difference in our process is that you get to drive where it goes, how it happens, and what it costs. We have creative partners of varying skill, creative ability, cost structure, process, and market awareness to meet your exact requirements.

Development

We believe if you're going to do something in life, be the best at it. That's what we strive to do. Being the best at something means giving up being average at everything, and in the internet world, if you can't differentiate yourself from others, you might as well say goodbye to your stock options. For this reason, we focus almost entirely on Microsoft technology. It works. It's a known quantity. It can integrate with everything. It's a proven commodity in our line of work. We leverage their tools, we use their servers, we architect according to the standards and process that are proven to work, and perform, on the internet. You may not always understand the buzz words, but we try our best to educate you where it counts. If you're informed, you can make better decisions. That means you learn what 3-tier architecture really means to your bottom line, how it will help you scale up to millions of users, and can extend across multiple servers without starting from scratch. And if you dare (or care), we'll tell you how session management works across web farms and how to cluster database servers to meet the needs of your customers. Our development process is rapid. It relies on a combination of innovation and intuition to insure that risks are minimized, development effort is optimized, dollars are utilized appropriately, and most of all, that it works according to your needs.

Deployment

Your design and product requirements, as well as your growth strategy, will drive how you host your solution. We have strategic relationships with managed hosting providers such as Data Return, DIGEX, and UUNET that can expedite your launch. We can host you on our web farms for short-term or long-term engagements, or direct you to the partner that best fits your needs.

Transition

Breakthrough has experience in working with other technical teams. From coordinated project management to team-based development processes, we can often work within the framework dictated by our customers, and still perform at the upper end of the rapid development spectrum. Our technology transfer services allow our clients to secure their investments and take control of their future.

Support

Enterprise web development is far more complex than static html thrown in a file. It encompasses system integration, database design, object oriented design, transactional procedures, scalable configurations, fault tolerance, template-based architectures, and much, much more. When your site is delivered, we don't throw away the key, and our customers don't throw away our card. Whether we remain their single-source provider, partner up as a strategic vendor for a longer-term engagement, or perform a one-time service, we stand behind our work and our solutions. Breakthrough provides a variety of secondary support services tailored to your operation. From application support to fixed-priced release cycles, we're available to take you to the next level as your business grows.