The AndPlus Software Development Blog

“Artificial intelligence.” “Artificial neural networks.” “Machine learning.” “Deep learning.” “Computer vision.” “Statistical pattern recognition.” There has been a whole lot of artificial intelligence terminology thrown about recently because of the accelerating pace of advancement in the field. These aren't just silly buzzwords we use to sound cool (well, not always). To the uninitiated, all the terms tend to sound alike, and many of them have been used more or less interchangeably in the popular press. However, there are subtle differences, and in this blog I'll sort a few of them out for you.

Most professional software development shops, AndPlus included, have adopted some variation of the Agile development methodology. Among the most important concepts in Agile is that of the product backlog, which is simply a list of items (front-end features and under-the-hood tasks) that need to be implemented in the software product.

Futureproofing software designs and user experience minimizes the risk of ending up with obsolete programs and outdated apps. It’s a challenge facing all software development companies, but by keeping up with trends it's possible to anticipate and prepare for changes in requirements and include them in the planning.

Here are some of the issues we expect to see, and what we’re doing to address them.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “Virtual reality is coming, and it’s going to be so cool! It’s going to change everything! It’s…”

OK, yes, you have heard it before. So much so that, like the neighbors of the little boy who cried “wolf,” you might not believe it anymore.

So you can be excused if you’re a bit dubious about new claims that virtual reality (VR) is just around the corner and will have all this compelling content and useful applications. Every time these claims have been made, the actual results have been disappointing at best and stomach-churning at worst.

For as long as most of us can remember, we have interacted with our computers via some variation on the theme of the graphical user interface (GUI), keyboard, and pointing device. The advent of touch-sensitive displays, and their popularization via smartphones and tablets was not really a radical departure. It eliminated the mouse and clumsy stylus sure, but there seems to be obvious missing piece.

All of that may change sooner than you think. Augmented reality and virtual reality are rising in popularity as the tech continues to advance.

Companies are progressively realizing that IT and software have a critical role in their business strategies, and this makes it essential to align a custom software program with business goals across the organization. Before engaging in a development project, it’s important to have a clear idea of how the new software will support their strategic objectives in the long term. This enables us to understand the larger, operational context of the project, and helps at project level to spot potential roadblocks. JD Roger, project manager, explains how AndPlus works with prospective clients to ensure that we do just that.