The experience of PSA software specialists in the development of Android applications allowed PSA to develop its proprietary product named Stream Media Player. On October 30, 2009, it was published to the Android Market as a free application. Users of Android phones can download and install the Stream Media Player directly from the Android Market. The application is also available for downloading from the PSA website.
The Stream Media Player is an application that provides an ability to play video from different web cameras, watch Internet TV, and play locally stored files. The supported file formats are JPEG, MPEG, and Stream. The application saves links to in history for recall automatically. The media player also contains pre-configured links to start easily.
First three days brought an astonishing result with 3,000 downloads from all over the world. The Stream Media Player is gaining popularity among Android phone users. In the Guest Book of the product the major part of comments are positive with some practical suggestions on improvement. PSA professionals are going to publish the updated version of the Stream Media Player in the nearest future.
On October 20, the E-Training Manual Update project was finished for Alcon Labs, the most respected and trusted eye care company in the world. A PSA documentation specialist updated the electronic manual for a computer based training application which will allow Alcon Labs to train new employees on the operation of production floor equipment.
The following technical writing tools such as Adobe Captivate, Adobe FrameMaker, WebWorks, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and Java Script were used to complete the project. It was the second project completed by PSA for Alcon Manufacturing, Ltd.
B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company requested a new project for testing that will be performed by PSA quality assurance team.
The project is to add test cases for a new Zlinx ruggedized wireless platform and perform product testing and prepare product documentation. The new Zlinx Xtreme product is a device for transmitting digital or analog data across a wireless network. Previously PSA performed testing of a similar wireless device which has since been improved to included an improved version of hardware and extended functionality consisting of an updated analog module with increased accuracy, modem module, and a new temperature module.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of December 2009.
PSA released a delivery package for the Effective Rights Single Server and performed the delivery to NetVision on October 14, 2009 which successfully met the project deadline.
The Single Server application will be used for displaying effective rights for access to objects on a single file server system. The product developed for NetVision includes such features as scanning file system and Active Directory, and generating visual reports for an application user. Development was performed using technologies and tools such as .Net 2.0, C++, SilverLight, MS Visual Studio 2005, MS Office, and Subversion.
The project was a continuation of a project that PSA successfully performed for NetVision Inc. in the spring of 2009.
Software solutions offered by PSA to numerous companies also helped NetVision to find its immediate customers needs being met. PSA efforts in the development of NetVision Access Rights Inspector facilitated the ability for NetVision to publish a press release on October 7, 2009.
"The release of NetVision Access Rights Inspector with enabled support for NetApp file storage solutions was a response to pervasive customer demand", remarks NetVision CEO David Rowe in the press release. The new product determined user access rights on a Windows file system and provided a reporting interface to convey the results.
The Access Rights Inspector was implemented with participation of PSA Inc. at the request of NetVision Inc. The solution included a set of scanner services to scan a file system and active directory repository with all results moving to the database on the server. Web based user interface based on SilverLight technology allowed managing the system, generating reports, and getting quick information on user rights for a particular object.
Project Manager from the PSA Development Center in Belarus obtained an H1B visa and is moving to the United States to have a closer contact with PSA customers. This step will increase number of PSA Project Managers onsite and enhance role of PSA as a United States based software management provider. PSA will also increase quality of its services with enhanced ability to directly reach the end customer.
The advantage of the chosen individual is that she is familiar with internal processes set up in the PSA Development Center and has a first-hand experience in communicating with numerous PSA clients. To retain productive working relationships with customers, PSA makes every effort to maintain a high level of client satisfaction.
PSA released an updated version of the Commissioning Tool application originally developed by Universal Lighting Technologies. PSA was contracted to resolve defects identified during a Quality Assurance testing project also performed by PSA on the Commissioning Tool. All defects located during the Quality Assurance project were resolved and an updated Commissioning Tool application was delivered to Universal Lighting Technologies. Technologies used during the project included Visual Studio 6, Wise Installer, Seapine TestTrack Pro and TestLog. This project was the second project performed by PSA for Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., a global leader in ballasts and controls for commercial lighting applications.
PSA completed its work on Top10 SKU application. The application is used to perform automated testing of embedded control devices manufactured at B&B Electronics locations in China and the US. Visual Basic .NET was the core technology used for implementation of SKU project.
The demo version of Mobile Interoperability Workstation developed by PSA was publicly demonstrated by Mutualink Inc. at the APCO International 75th Annual Conference held on August 16-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The solution was introduced under the Smartphone Commander trademark, as announced by Mutualink, the IP based multimedia interoperable communications company. In August Mutualink received a delivery of the demonstration version of Mobile Interoperability Workstation designed to demonstrate Mutualink technologies on a mobile platform. The application is designed to create networks of interoperable communications that are capable of sharing voice, text, radio, data, and telephone communication in a secure environment.The application is able to create and manage incidents, including the ability to invite other agencies and add resources. The application will allow users to participate in incidents using push-to-talk speech on radio and intercom channels and by sending and receiving text messages. The solution has been implemented using such tools as Google Android v1.5 framework, Eclipse IDE, SVN, and different testing software.At this point Mutualink company and PSA are ready to start another development project to update the Smartphone CommanderTM operating on Google's AndroidTM mobile platform with additional enhancements that will be available for public release.
PSA delivered to C-Com Satellite Systems, Inc. a Windows 64 bit USB driver to support communications between a Windows application and the iNetVu 7000 satellite receiver. PSA finished the project within 3 weeks from start to finish for the project. The delivery also included a signed driver for Windows 64 bit Vista and XP.
Successful completion of Phoenix 2 project based on SilverLight technology resulted in granting two new projects from NetVision Inc. The Single Server project suggests development of an application to select information on effective rights for access to objects on a single file server system. The solution will include scanning the file system and Active Directory, and then generate visual reports for an application user. In objective of the course Delegation Wizard project is to take the existing NetVision effective rights system and extend the existing Active Directory related reporting functionality with the capability to allow transferring of administrative responsibility for a specific administrative task from a higher authority to a lower authority.
In July the Canadian firm C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., an acknowledged leader in the deployment of mobile satellite-based technology, selected PSA to perform a driver upgrade project. The project is a continuation of project lines related to upgrading drivers for 64 bit Windows platforms. The key objective of the project is to perform porting of USB driver for running on different Windows 64 bit operation systems. Scope of work for the project includes modification of an existing drive for compatibility of Windows 64 bit platforms, driver installation upgrade, and signing the driver for installation on various Windows 64 bit platforms.
PSA has started a new project on updating a computer based training for InfinityQS application which is used at Alcon Labs, the most respected and trusted eye care company in the world. The e-training was created by PSA in the end of 2008. It is used to train new employees from a CD or online to operate on the floor through simulating the application used on the production floor. The application consists of a demonstration part where the real application was captured and the user is guided through the application with simultaneous audio narration, text captions, and quizzes. The second part is about testing the skills of the user. It allows learners to practice an actual procedure hands-on, test their performance with scored mouse clicks, data entry, buttons. Final scores are sent to the supervisor for review. E-training is a more efficient way of transferring knowledge of the applications to employees, without the need to attract a human tutor. This project is aimed at improving the end-user experience while taking the test.The project is based on such technical writer tools as Adobe Captivate, Adobe FrameMaker, WebWorks, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Java Script. It is the second PSA project with Alcon Manufacturing, Ltd., developer of electronic training applications.
In May 2009, PSA completed verification testing of the Commissioning Tool on 5 different Windows platforms for Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc. The Commissioning Tool is designed to configure programmable lighting ballast controllers for florescent lights. Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc. selected PSA to resolve defects found in the application during verification testing. The project also includes installation creation and regression testing of the Commissioning Tool. Technologies used for bug resolution and testing include Wise Installer and Visual Basic 6.
PSA's experience in working with Android Framework for mobile phones was instrumental for securing a new project with a new customer, Mutualink Inc. PSA was contracted to develop an application to demonstrate Mutualink technologies on a mobile platform. The application is designed to create networks of interoperable communities that are capable of sharing voice, text, radio, video, data and telephone communication in a secure environment. The application called Mobile Interoperability Workstation must be able to create and manage incidents, including the ability to invite other agencies and add resources. The application will allow users to participate in incidents using push-to-talk speech on radio and intercom channels by sending and receiving text messages. The Mobile Interoperability Workstation project will be implemented using such tools as Google Android v1.5 framework, Eclipse IDE, SVN, and different testing software.
On completion of the Effective Rights solution implementation, NetVision Inc. and PSA agreed to continue with the development of Effective Rights next release, the beginning of a new short-term project which is called Phoenix 2. Main activity included tuning the developed application to provide data compression, improved data analysis, and support of NetApp. The application is based on SilverLight technology with engaging .NET 2.0, C++, MS Visual Studio 2005, and MS SQL 2005.
PSA expands its business. To facilitate the company's growth, BestSoft, the Belarusian Development Center for Professional Software Associates, Inc. moved in May 2009 to new offices which are twice as large as the BestSoft's previous offices. The new office is located in the center of Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Moving to a new office will undoubtedly improve efficiency of PSA to complete projects and increase marketability of its solutions.
On 29 April 2009, PSA launched new project with Southwest Microwave Inc. which is a technology company specializing in perimeter security, communications, and microwave connectors/adapters. This project is to develop a graphical user interface module for monitoring and administrating the perimeter control for the Intrepid system. The Southwest Microwave Inc. Intrepid system is a collection of outdoor perimeter security sensors and devices. The GUI module will be developed with Qt cross-platform application and UI framework and running on the Fedora 10 operation system in the KDE environment. The Graphical Control Module project is expected to be completed by August 2009.
PSA has been awarded a project by Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc. for the testing of Commissioning Tool. PSA is responsible for testing and verifying the application developed using Visual Basic 6 which is designed for configuration and programming of a lighting controller. The project scope includes test case creation, usability testing, and functional testing on six different operation systems. This is the first project between PSA and Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., a global leader in ballasts and controls for commercial lighting applications. Its products include electronic linear fluorescent, compact fluorescent solutions, HID and sign ballasts.
A new documentation project to improve on the Zlinx I/O product line documentation is now being performed by PSA for B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company. The project includes restructuring of the existing documentation to improve on the organization of information, quality of content being presented, and incorporate definition of new features being added to the next generation of Zlinx Wireless I/O products. Restructuring included changes to product manual and user quick start guides.Success of the project is being insured through close collaboration of technical writers with QA engineers that are also engaged in product quality testing.
In January Perdue Farms, Inc., the leading food company which produces premium fresh chicken in the eastern part of the United States of America, chose PSA for implementation of a project to improve its manufacturing departments' business process. A PSA Business Analyst visited Perdue Farms, Inc. to hold on-site discussions with Perdue colleagues and gathered requirements for the design and implementation phases of the project. PSA will develop a distributed system to support the process of Perdue business improvement. The solution will deal with counting and summarizing industrial indexes. Basis for user interface implementation will be .NET, data warehouse will be organized at a Microsoft Server 2005, and the MS Reporting service will be used for chart generation to represent the outcome industrial reports.
B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company awarded PSA the Additional SKUs project. It consists in updating an existing Top 10 SKU application to include eleven new SKUs to support relocation of these SKUs manufacturing to China. The application is used to perform automated testing of embedded control devices to insure that these devices are produced without defects and to reduce the opportunity of errors during the testing process. The core technology used to perform the Additional SKUs project is Visual Basic .NET.
On 3 March 2009, a new testing project with B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company started. It is focused on engineering testing of VESR firmware. The primary objective for VESR testing project is to move existing test specification for two VESR devices into Test Case database, define new test cases, and execute tests on 1, 2, and 4 port versions of the VESR device.
The successful completion of the My Valet project on data synchronization between Android-based mobile phones and personal computers laid the foundation of the new project with a la Mobile, Inc. which is the premier open-source technology provider to the mobile industry. PSA was asked to extend the previous data synchronization system and provide comprehensive support service for it. Besides, the project includes transferring the already deployed software to a new server version. The solution will be provided with new functions to expand capabilities of the system. The most up-to-date technologies such as Android SDK, Funambol Sync Server, SproutCore 0.9 Framework and CodeIgniter are being used in support of this project.
PSA partnership with NetVision, Inc. is driven by harnessing the comprehensive understanding of technology and processes. New NetVision Effective Rights project which has started today pursues an objective to perform implementation of a new product that determines user access rights on Windows systems and provide a reporting interface to convey the results. Additional efforts will be applied to provide high performance of the solution under development. It is caused by the necessity to process a huge amount of data. A customizable user interface based on SilverLight technology and availability of performance tuning will become specific features of the Effective Rights system, capable to function at Windows server platforms. PSA will use various tools for implementation of the Effective Rights solution, such as .NET 2.0, C++, MS Visual Studio 2005, MS SQL 2005, etc.
At the end of January 2009, PSA completed a short-term Effective Rights Discovery project. During this Discovery project a PSA specialist had on-site discussions with NetVision Inc. staff. The project included investigation activities to review an architecture design and to define high level requirements, technical risks, user interface prototypes, and testing approaches.The performed discovery work will be a basis for the upcoming Effective Rights project. Its beginning is planned for February.
At the beginning of February PSA signed a contract with its long-standing partner, B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company. Project activities will be focused on testing of new Zlinx products.B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company is a manufacturer of embedded control devices. These devices support a variety of different manufactures environments and application uses. Zlinx devices are serial wire data input/output systems for the industrial market. The system is a modular input/output design for transmission of software selectable analog and digital signals in industrial environments.In the course of the project, PSA will create a specification document including regression tests for existing functionality, define test cases for the newly implemented device, and test cases for latency test conditions. Then PSA will perform testing of wired and wireless models of Zlinx device for B&B Company. All testing activities are expected to be performed by April 2009
On January 19, 2009, PSA launched the LDV Streamer (version 2) project for B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company which is a manufacturer of embedded control devices. The goal of the project is to develop new firmware that will be used in the next generation device consisting of a new hardware platform. An onsite meeting held in December 2008 resulted in the completion of the initial discovery phase for the project. The result of these activities included a review of high level Streamer V2 project objectives and proposed architecture, updating of architecture documentation, review of new features to be introduced into the Streamer device, and implementation phase requirements defined. The specific feature of the implementation phase is in on-line teamwork of B&B and PSA developers. It is anticipated that the project will take 6 months.
Adaptive Micro Systems LLC. and PSA signed a Service Level Agreement for 2009. The subject of the agreement is rendering offshore software development services for Adaptive during the year. Adaptive Micro Systems LLC. is a leading supplier of indoor and outdoor programmable of LED electronic display systems. PSA has worked with a number of the different products from Adaptive including ooh!Media host software, ooh!Media players, installation software, and BetaBrite USB drivers. Continued support and development of Adaptive products on the part of PSA will include:
- - Developing requirements and software design specifications
- - Project reporting and reviews
- - Preparing acceptance and test plans
- - Software application implementations
- - Developing software test cases
- - Software testing
- - Product manuals
- - Training manuals
- - Package and delivery of software product
NetVision Inc. has accepted a PSA proposal to perform a discovery project. The project is to accomplish discovery tasks for determining a high level architecture and prototype concept elements for a product on the Windows platform that will expand their organizations product offerings. A PSA representative will visit the NetVision office for on-site define product capabilities, high level requirements, architecture design, technical risks, user interface prototypes and testing approaches. This project is building on PSA previous experience of collaboration with NewVision Inc. during 2007 and 2008.
In January 2008 FiberPlex Inc. selected PSA for development of the Shadow Platform Software Controller (SPSC). It is a multiplatform desktop application for configuring and managing a network of audio devices connected over fiber-optic cable. The SPSC will be used for auditoriums, concert halls, music clubs, and other performance areas.During some months of intensive work, PSA coped with all tasks on development of multiple hardware modules and their interconnection to transport various types of data, such as Analog and Digital Audio, Video, Intercom, Ethernet, and control data. Now the application can graphically represent an entire existing star network and has the ability to 'talk' and 'listen' to any module in the system. It is equipped with multiview support and customizable layout. Its release is expected in January 2009.
The project consisted in implementation of Google phone widgets for weather, stock, and also one more Home widget for configuration and management of the created widgets. The widget manager is a home screen widget enabled to manage any other widgets in the phone application. Implementation was based on the modification of the Android 1.0r1 software. To verify the functionality of the widgets, the comprehensive testing was performed.
PSA has a long history of productive collaboration with Adaptive Micro Systems LLC. Manufacturing of state-of-the-industry software for advertising area has an outlook with fair promise. At present, PSA professionals provides support and update for the previously developed ooh!Media system. The system includes a desktop application to create digital media content and a sign player firmware to render this content on outdoor LED signs. PSA Support activities imply development of the new version of application to enable rendering digital content on new LED signs to be produced by Adaptive Micro Systems LLC.
Speedy and consistent work of PSA quality engineers resulted in meeting deadlines set by the B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company to perform the MESR Acceptance Testing project. MESR is a gateway for communication between serial ports and Ethernet ports. Immediately after the test area and test cases definition, the testing itself was performed. In the course of the project, functionality of MESR configuration utilities was tested in the different OS environment such as Windows 2000, Windows XP Home and Professional, Windows Vista Home and Premium, as well as Windows 2003 Server. Different types of Internet browsers were tested for each platform. The project included the following types of testing:
- - Basic hardware tests
- - Installation tests
- - Automated tests
- - GUI tests
- - Performance tests
- - Exceptional tests
In the course of the LASAIR III project, PSA developed firmware for a portable aerosol particle counter device that is used for cleanroom monitoring and facility certification. The firmware includes the customized user interface, web server, and MHT reporting. The LASAIR III device interface features include a VGA color LCD display, touch screen input, sample probe, and a built-in thermal printer. The release of the product is going to be shipped to the customer on October 28, 2008.
Jamaica Public Service Company, the predominant provider of electrical power in Jamaica, addressed the PSA for improvement of the current inventory control system. The project is based on the Oracle tools including the Warehouse Management System (WMS) module. The key objectives of the project include reduction of efforts required to perform quarterly cycle counts, establishment of the barcode system for all inventory items, and improved inventory reporting. To achieve these objectives, numerous actions are to be performed including modifications to the existing management system as well as implementation of the WMS features for improved inventory tracking. In the course of the project, mobile barcode devices will be selected and incorporated into the system. As a result, real time data updates will be possible.