3rd Wave Computing

Are you looking to invent, expand or re-invent a current website for your customers or business partners? Perhaps you want to build an enterprise portal or intranet to improve internal communications and operational efficiency? We are in business to help our clients envision and deploy web capabilities that generate measurable business value and delight the people who use them. We're not looking for awards for us - we strive for results for you. The following are some of the areas in which we can assist your business.

Usability & Site Design

A website needs to be more than a pretty face!

Usability is the cornerstone of a successful site. It is imperative to avoid clutter and to streamline your business process and communication style so that it fits the needs of your audience. We have seen far too many sites that feature elaborate graphics and "plug-ins" that take too long to display on-screen and then don't communicate well or drive users away. There certainly are times when visuals need to dominate in order to effectively convey a message but our experience is that extravagant approaches are seldom required. If flashing graphics and pop-up windows do not add value and bring accountable benefit to the site they are better left off. The goal should always be to keep things simple and clear. This practical motto helps to keep costs minimized initially and also serves to lower site maintenance costs over time. Site design must also communicate intuitively to your users – when they browse your site, they must be able to “get it” quick! Communication must be carefully planned as an “information hierarchy". Levels of information should be intuitive to website users and easily accessable and then allow interested users to "drill down" further if/when more information is desired. The web is a medium that demands a layered and consistent approach to communication.

Effective website design must pay attention to business goals and your target audience. By understanding how people use technology, and linking that knowledge to process requirements, we produce websites that reinforce your message, meet your business objectives and also work efficiently. Each site we develop has an information architecture component that can provide for lifecycle maintenance functions such as content management and site usage patterns. Our integration of design, technology and business communication expertise will make a difference for you.

Information Architecture

A building is only as good as its design – the same holds true for websites!

Our experienced information architects are fully qualified to strategize Web-based projects at both the conceptual and tactical level. The skills we offer range from designing site navigation and categorizing content to defining all architectural elements of the site - at the page level and the content/data level. We have specific expertise in database modeling and mapping data integration between websites and company enterprise/"legacy" systems. Our success in designing effective information architectures results from an emphasis on user-oriented design processes, a commitment to client collaboration, and the experience of past work on large data-oriented internet projects. Within our small company resides over 50+ years of experience in software development – on projects as diverse as large, order entry and distribution processes to websites of all types and sizes.

Web Development

You want a website that is first class and aligned to your objectives.

Websites are like automobiles - the stuff under the hood is as important as the way the car looks on the road! That's why it's essential to select a website development firm that knows efficient code from unmanageable code, and understands the differences between database design and graphic design. Each site we work on is built for maximum functionality and performance, easy modification, integration with other systems and scalability. "Scalability" is a techy word that you might hear in conversation. What it simply means is that your website can continue to grow as your business needs grow. We can help you think, not just about the present, but about the future. We develop all projects with the assumption that the site WILL be successful and thus an imperative concept to design and develop for is site growth. We also can offer assistance when you need to merge a website with back-end business applications. Many times in the past, we have worked with in-house project teams to co-develop interfaces between websites and other business systems. We are up to speed on all the latest industry technologies but, more importantly, we emphasize a practical approach to software development that reduces the time it takes to implement, the cost involved and your project risk.

Database Integration

Storing, retrieving, processing data – it’s all in a days work at 3rd Wave!

Do you need to grab information from an internal database for content input into your website? How about transferring data from your website to an external database or application? Or is there a requirement to analyze and report information gathered and archived from your website’s database. At 3rd Wave Computing, we specialize in website database integration. Our team is ready to help you address a full range of web-related activities, including legacy system, back-end, and middleware integration. In addition to "public" web sites, we are fully qualified to develop web applications that can cross multiple platforms, be multi-lingual for global outreach and can deal with core business processes such as CRM, inventory, and content management systems.

For one current client, we have designed an intranet application that allows salespeople to record customer requirements using a web-based needs analysis application -- receiving a customized report of business expertise based on the customer's actual answers, while simultaneously the database involved is identifying trends across all customers and industries for the marketing department. Another website features a built-in mechanism that tracks website usage right down to the products and documents being requested by users the most. Whatever it takes to drive and better understand your business, we can help you make it happen.

Support Services

Do you have a website that is in need of an overhaul?

Websites should never be finished. The beauty of the internet is that your business application and site content can, and in fact should, be constantly updated. In fact, your users expect that of you! Websites that are not managed and maintained experience a slow and costly demise. Having said that however, in today’s economic climate many companies are not always staffed to take on the added responsibilities and/or specific skill sets that come with administering a website. Many times this does not require a full-time staff but does need a skilled resource that is willing and able to support new content activity when required. In addition, there is the need for technical support, such as backups, software enhancements, and user ""help"" lines that requires an IT-type resource that is not always available in-house. We provide support like this to clients today and have the experience and know-how to help manage your website support needs.