Custom Software

Ballard Chalmers is one of the UK’s leading custom software development and integration companies, specialising in enterprise applications on the Microsoft Platform. Our core services and expertise give us great flexibility to work with you across any point of the development lifecycle.

With our principals’ combined industry experience of more than 50 years, if you are looking for a Microsoft Gold Partner with multiple gold certifications, we have a well-earned reputation for delivering expert service in these technologies, and for doing so at sensible rates.

SOME OF OUR Custom Software ENGAGEMENTS

CUSTOM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING FOR:

NEW APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT

APPLICATION
MODERNIZATION

DATA WAREHOUSE AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

APPLICATION
INTEGRATION

AZURE CLOUD
MIGRATION

MOBILE APP
DEVELOPMENT

MEET OUR CTO

Geoff Ballard is our co-founder and Chief Technical Officer. He oversees the technical team and is very hands-on in major software development projects.

Geoff is an all-round Microsoft enterprise platform expert and has a depth of expertise that is rarely matched. His 30+ years’ experience offers a safe pair of hands and an ability for deep problem solving where needed.

We invite you to take advantage of a no-cost informal review and discussion of your project with him.

THE RIGHT PLACE, THE RIGHT TIME

Whether it is application modernisation, custom software development for cloud or on-premises, migrating systems to the cloud or integrating online and offline systems, Ballard Chalmers has the expertise and experience to support your application development requirements.

Our experts can help you at any point in the software development cycle and have vast experience of doing so for clients across a range of industries.

As a Microsoft Gold partner, our developers are hands on with Azure cloud application development, .NET Core, Xamarin, SQL Server, Azure Integration Services and BizTalk Server day in and day out. Our expertise and insight become yours.

We work with you to understand your requirements and translate this into reliable code to deliver a system that exceeds expectations and, most importantly, works.

We work closely and consultatively so that the full business requirements are captured and analysed. This ensures that business processes are reflected in the software architecture and that designs are streamlined, efficient and flow logically. Proper design, architecture and user experience are essential to systems that function very well.

Once development is completed, we are happy to continue working with you as your application development partner – assisting with consulting, support, resourcing, ongoing system enhancements and further software development.

Custom Software Case Studies

OVO Energy

Parkinson’s UK

Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining

Transport for London: Future Ticketing Programme

TalkTalk

Children’s Non-Profit

The Royal Geographical Society

Young Epilepsy

Royal National Lifeboat Institution

We are delighted with our overall solution. The entire process was relatively painless and although Mike [from Ballard Chalmers] and the Fares and Ticketing team were under pressure and had massive amounts of development work to complete, the system has proved to be highly successful.

Project Manager – TFL

I have used Ballard Chalmers for website development, training and support in SharePoint. There’s no hard sell and within the terms of our contract, they’ve always got back to me with the information and support I’ve needed when I needed it which makes them very easy to deal with.

IS Manager – World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO)

Since March 2018, they have been supporting and developing our product and we have already made huge advancements in a relatively short time. The care and attention that is applied to the work they have done, the ability to resolve issues quickly, first rate communication and outstanding approach to project management all contribute to the success.

Managing Director – AppCan

Ballard Chalmers’ work was a big step forward for the business. We were able to access and manage far more information. That data was also accessible to a much greater number of people than previously available.

Commercial Director – CSI

We appreciate all the project input from Ballard Chalmers, who not only developed the system rapidly and without disruption, but suggested enhancements to our original concept. The system is creating opportunities for even better patient care than envisaged at the start of the project.

IT Manager – Queen Victoria Hospital

Ballard Chalmers brought the whole concept to life. They rapidly grasped the complexity of the business processes involved and created an easy to use tool that has since been expanded significantly. Ballard Chalmers are the experts you can rely on to deliver, easy to work with and cost effective – a fantastic extension to the team.

Managing Director – Mason Zimbler

To pass on some feedback from the testers, it is unanimous that everyone thinks this new system is an improvement with many comments about the improved functionality and speed of the system. Really fantastic feedback from users considering it’s the first time they have ever seen it.

Principal Consultant – Management Consultancy

All three of our major projects have been delivered on time. Any delays came from our side. We have 1,000 users because it’s used by the whole organization. It’s used quite heavily on a daily basis, too. The application has tracked 50,000-60,000 incidents by now.

Head of IT – Young Epilepsy

Thanks for delivering a fantastic solution for our client. You’re a pleasure to work with and I hope this will the first of many collaborative projects.

Managing Director – Box of Blue

Ballard Chalmers are a friendly and highly responsive company, with a strong level of expertise within the technical and project teams. We have worked with Ballard Chalmers for several years now and keep returning to them for specialised and standard assistance on in-house and client projects.

UK Service Desk Manager – Artelia

CLOUD
ON-PREMISES
MOBILE
HYBRID

Cloud

Development and support of cloud-based software is core to our business and has been since the move to browser-based software systems.

Our pioneering work includes online enterprise business systems developed for the likes of GE, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, and many more. This expertise continues today with a focus on the Microsoft Azure Cloud and supporting all aspects of migrating custom developed enterprise business systems to the Azure Cloud.

Our specialisation is the design, development and integration of custom enterprise software systems. We focus our expertise on Microsoft .NET, Azure cloud application development, SQL Server based-applications and Azure Integration Services and/or BizTalk Server for enterprise systems integration – for which we are one of the very few experts in the UK.

On-Premises

On-premises based software remains a vital requirement today, particularly where specific security or legislative requirements demand it.

Also, there remains a legacy of working enterprise systems deployed on-premises, which will continue to require enhancements, upgrades and support for the foreseeable future, saving the costs of replacement. We continue to develop, enhance and support enterprise systems for on-premises deployment, for clients including the NHS, Transport for London and other public institutions.

Application modernisation is the redevelopment or enhancement of legacy software systems to align them with changing business needs in order to create renewed and future business value from existing applications. Ballard Chalmers is an expert in consulting on implementing application modernisation programmes so that on-premises systems continue to deliver value and save on the costs of replacement. Application modernisation programmes can also include integrating legacy systems with new online systems (such as Microsoft Navision, Salesforce, etc.), as a hybrid solution.

Mobile

Mobile functionality is now central to many, if not most new custom business systems.

Enabling mobile and distributed staff as well as external clients and partners to access systems, view data, and interact with them has become crucially important for business efficiency. In fact, today, in most cases we ensure our new-build systems are natively mobile-enabled from the outset.

Key to this is Xamarin technology, allowing rapid cross-platform development of mobile applications. And where required, we can also develop native iOS and Android applications.

Hybrid

Hybrid systems refer to an amalgamation of public and/or private cloud systems, on-premises systems or a combination of these. Connected they provide interoperability, access, and visibility of data and business collaboration.

The key value of hybrid systems is retaining existing deeply embedded and highly valuable back-office systems, and adding cloud systems ‘on top’ of these to enable extended functionality and data visibility. Most systems can be connected using API or other functionality, and where appropriate, Azure Integration Services and/or BizTalk Server provides a full enterprise connectivity layer to deliver massively complex systems integrations.

As one of the leading experts in Azure Integration Services and/or Microsoft BizTalk in the UK, Ballard Chalmers is one of a very few select companies that can fully support a hybrid enterprise system project fully with our consultancy, project, and team augmentation services.

CLOUD: Cloud

Development and support of cloud-based software is core to our business and has been since the move to browser-based software systems.

Our pioneering work includes online enterprise business systems developed for the likes of GE, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, and many more. This expertise continues today with a focus on the Microsoft Azure Cloud and supporting all aspects of migrating custom developed enterprise business systems to the Azure Cloud.

Our specialisation is the design, development and integration of custom enterprise software systems. We focus our expertise on Microsoft .NET, Azure cloud application development, SQL Server based-applications and Azure Integration Services and/or BizTalk Server for enterprise systems integration – for which we are one of the very few experts in the UK.
ON-PREMISES: On-Premises

On-premises based software remains a vital requirement today, particularly where specific security or legislative requirements demand it.

Also, there remains a legacy of working enterprise systems deployed on-premises, which will continue to require enhancements, upgrades and support for the foreseeable future, saving the costs of replacement. We continue to develop, enhance and support enterprise systems for on-premises deployment, for clients including the NHS, Transport for London and other public institutions.

Application modernisation is the redevelopment or enhancement of legacy software systems to align them with changing business needs in order to create renewed and future business value from existing applications. Ballard Chalmers is an expert in consulting on implementing application modernisation programmes so that on-premises systems continue to deliver value and save on the costs of replacement. Application modernisation programmes can also include integrating legacy systems with new online systems (such as Microsoft Navision, Salesforce, etc.), as a hybrid solution.
MOBILE: Mobile

Mobile functionality is now central to many, if not most new custom business systems.

Enabling mobile and distributed staff as well as external clients and partners to access systems, view data, and interact with them has become crucially important for business efficiency. In fact, today, in most cases we ensure our new-build systems are natively mobile-enabled from the outset.

Key to this is Xamarin technology, allowing rapid cross-platform development of mobile applications. And where required, we can also develop native iOS and Android applications.
HYBRID: Hybrid

Hybrid systems refer to an amalgamation of public and/or private cloud systems, on-premises systems or a combination of these. Connected they provide interoperability, access, and visibility of data and business collaboration.

The key value of hybrid systems is retaining existing deeply embedded and highly valuable back-office systems, and adding cloud systems ‘on top’ of these to enable extended functionality and data visibility. Most systems can be connected using API or other functionality, and where appropriate, Azure Integration Services and/or BizTalk Server provides a full enterprise connectivity layer to deliver massively complex systems integrations.

As one of the leading experts in Azure Integration Services and/or Microsoft BizTalk in the UK, Ballard Chalmers is one of a very few select companies that can fully support a hybrid enterprise system project fully with our consultancy, project, and team augmentation services.

OUR CUSTOM SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE AT BALLARD CHALMERS

We want you to achieve maximum return on your investment, meaning we put your business goals first, always looking at how the software can best help you achieve them. We do this through expert development, a flexible approach and an excellent understanding of business process.

OUR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:

Our management team is hands-on, your Project Manager always keeps you informed, and your delivery team are all Microsoft experts, doing what they do best.

When we custom develop software for you, we’d like you to think of us as a partner – your flexible outsourced IT partner. Here for you, at every stage of the software engineering journey.

Our software development process:

Scoping
Design
Environment configuration and CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Deployment) covers automated deployments to TEST, UAT and LIVE
Development – Software Engineering
Documentation
Sprint planning & reviews
Testing, manual and automated
UAT testing support

After custom software development projects are delivered, we offer:

Mentoring and handover to your internal tech team if required
Optional on-going support for your system, in line with an agreed Service Level Agreement.
Azure hosting, Managed Services and licensing, if required.

Our flexible approach

Flexible Development is our own unique delivery method and describes a practical blend of waterfall and agile software development, and with it, we are guaranteeing our expertise, honesty and partnership to deliver successful project outcomes, on time and in budget.

Why Ballard Chalmers

HERITAGE

We were established in 2005, though our heritage is much longer. We have over 30 years’ experience of building successful custom software in a range of sectors, from financial startups & enterprise energy companies to international charities.

EXPERTISE

We are not just software developers; we are software engineers. As software engineers, we are technical problem solvers. This is what we do. We work with Microsoft technology daily and bring that expertise and experience to you.

MICROSOFT GOLD PARTNERS

Only the top 1% of Microsoft Partners have attained Gold Microsoft competencies, demonstrating best-in-class. We have met extensive technology requirements and demonstrated expertise through rigorous exams.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Each of our clients has an assigned Project Manager, so you have a single point of contact throughout the project. Additionally, we also enable you to speak directly to your developers and engineers where necessary.