NEEC Kickoff / Workshop
July 26, 2010
Samko on site at U of M for NEEC kickoff and workshop presentation.
|
NEEC Beta Approved
July 14, 2010
Going live late August 2010 @ NEECPortal.org
|
NEEC Beta Delivery
July 2, 2010
Naval Engineering Education Consortium software beta delivered and in testing.
|
ADS and Samko
June 21, 2010
Associated Dealer Services chooses Samko's Network Services.
|
RedE Vault Website Launch
June 17, 2010
RedE Vault website launched, see it here.
|
|
 |
Frequently Answered Questions
Who is Samko Technologies?
We are a small group of talented software developers and designers who work, as a team, on projects for our clients. We are full-time employees, moonlighters and independent contractors. All of us are the best at what we do. We are located in Farmington Hills, Mi (Metro Detroit) and have been creating custom business solutions and web sites since 1996.
Who are your clients?
We work for a wide variety of clients, everything from Ford Motor Company and Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago to small businesses, and even individuals. Most of our clients are located in The metro Detroit area, but we often work with companies based all over the country and overseas as well. Our typical client is a small or medium sized firm with programming needs but no programmers on staff.
What kinds of software do you develop?
In addition to standard Windows, internet and Database applications, we also develop, Pocket PC, Flash, MS Office, and Smartphone applications. Our developers also have experience with many of the professional standards and government organizations, HIPAA, military contracting, grant based funding, etc.
What development tools and programming languages do you use?
Our primary programming languages are C#, SQL, XML, JavaScript but we are also experienced with C++, Java, Perl, PHP, MySQL, VB, VB.Net and VBScript as well as many others. The majority of our recent development has been with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/8 / Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0/3.5 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005/8, but we use many other software packages and always aim to use the best tool for your unique application.
Who owns the software that you write for me?
In general, once a project is completed and paid for, you will become the proud owner. In most cases, we do retain the right to reuse the source code in future projects, for our other clients, as long as it does not contain trade secrets or any other proprietary or protected information. As always, we can customize the terms to fit your needs and have even been known to discount prices on projects that we believe will be marketable or useful for Samko.
Can I resell my custom software?
Yes, you can brand and sell your custom software if your agreement includes licensing rights. If the project is for distribution your we will all benefit greatly from knowing before development begins.
How do I pay for your services?
For any work without a signed agreement, we will generate invoices on the 2nd of each month. Our terms for payment are “Net 20". We reserve the right to ask for a retainer whenever we deem necessary. If the project is a fixed bid, we require a non-refundable deposit up front ranging from 25% - 50% of your project's development cost.
Do you require a signed contract?
We don’t absolutely require a written agreement for hourly, ongoing or support contracts. We do require an agreement for fixed bid projects.
Will you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
Even without a written agreement, we always exercise a very high level of discretion in regard to your business operations and your trade secrets. And, of course, we will back that up in writing.
Does Samko offer technical support?
We support every product we custom build. If you find a bug in our software at any time and you are the licensed owner we will fix it for you. We also provide general (non-bug) software support, general network and software support.
Do I need an on going support contract?
Most contracts include support for a limited time. Beyond that an agreement is not required. But, more complex projects will definitely benefit from a support agreement.
Are you a consulting firm?
Samko Technologies, Inc. will consult with your company on the best technology solution for your needs and we also offer corporate training for your employees.
Are you a contracting, or recruiting firm?
No, we do not place people into open positions. We are simply a flexible, very capable, and dependable team for hire. We can outsource your entire project, or simply help you through “peak" times.
Can you work at my location?
We usually work at our location. Our computers, software, testing equipment and library are all here and having them handy definitely increase productivity on your project. Even so, we often travel to our clients’ offices for meetings, troubleshooting, installation, training and support sessions.
Do you charge by the hour, or bid for entire projects?
We can do both. Most often, we work on bid based projects. But we have also been known to work hourly or in a fixed bid / hourly combination. In general, we do whatever makes the most sense for our client and the project in question.
Do type of activities do you bill for?
We bill only for time that is directly related to actual design and development. This may include meetings, email and phone calls, but we never bill time for spent on “business" activities. Sales calls, initial consultations, contract negotiation, accounting, billing and general internal maintenance tasks will not be billed.
How do you calculate your billable time?
We round each day’s total time to the nearest quarter hour. We normally don’t include the quick emails or phone calls unless they are scheduled in advance or require lengthier answers or research.
Do you charge for travel time or expenses?
Any travel charges will be outlined in your signed agreement. Any projects that are not currently covered by an active agreement will be charged for travel time.
Do you charge for your computers, software licenses, or other equipment?
We have all of the tools we need to do most jobs. When special, unusual, or proprietary software or equipment is required, we will ask our client to provide it to us, at our location, for the duration of the project and support agreement.
Can I contact any of your clients?
Absolutely! Give us a call and with a little information regarding your project we can provide you with a number of client references with similar projects and / or technologies.
Can I make “payments" for the software?
We are often able to create a payment schedule that keeps everyone happy. In the odd case that we cannot or if cash flow or tax advantages are a big factor for you, we can put you in touch with a company who specialize in financing custom software projects. We will invoice the financier directly allowing you to work with them on a suitable payment schedule.
What is the minimum project size that you will accept?
We our interested in working with you on your project regardless of size. Contact us today for a free consultation.
What if I want you to work with a technology that you are not familiar with?
If we believe that said technology will be applicable to future projects, we will acquire the knowledge at no cost to you. If we believe that said technology is proprietary or not applicable to any other foreseeable project, we will bill for the time spent learning it.
What operating systems and platforms do you specialize in?
We primarily develop for the entire family of Windows operating systems.
|
 |