Covero Projects and Clients 

Our clients include some of the most exciting technology companies:

Our current and recent projects include:

  • Designed and implemented a real-time, rules-based mortgage product selection and pricing engine in Java, XML, and Oracle. The engine enables business users to define complex eligibility and pricing rules for mortgage products, groups of mortgage products, and delivery channels. Although developed as part of a custom application for a particular lender, Covero architected the rules engine as a standalone product, which our client, Dorado Corporation, is now successfully selling to other lenders.
  • Designed and implemented a real-time, robust, scalable, SOAP-based integration framework to integrate Dorado’s systems with various lenders’ and service providers’ back-end systems; integrated successfully with GMAC Mortgage, Greenpoint Mortgage, and First American's Vendor Management Services.
  • Investigated various middleware database-access technologies, such as TopLink. When we determined that none of the commercially-available systems met our client's criteria for functionality and price, we designed and developed a robust, easy-to-use middleware database access system.
  • Designed and developed an enterprise reporting system using Java Server Pages, Java servlets, and Oracle 8i for Cuíca Corporation.
  • Designed and developed a browser-based product for Cuíca Corporation that enabled business users to build GIF banners using templates.
  • Created a Windows product that uses the embedded Web Browser control to create the entire user interface in JavaScript and DHTML.
  • Helped Movaris architect and implement an Application Service Provider (ASP) version of an existing Web-based enterprise product.
  • Managed the load testing of Intuit's QuickBooks for the Web product, using Silk Performer.
  • Designed and developed a browser-based intranet application for managing a large set of partner and vendor information using ColdFusion .
  • Performed technological due diligence on a potential acqusition for VeriSign Payment Systems.
  • Architected and developed a client-server imposition product, DocBuilder Pro, for EFI. This product enables users of EFI's Fiery print servers to create complex imposition jobs.
  • Architected and developed the first three versions of Adobe's successful PDFMaker product. This product enables Microsoft Office users to easily create rich, complex PDF documents, complete with links and bookmarks, directly from Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Here are some case studies of recent projects:

Performance tuning an in-production system
A client found that a WebLogic/Oracle system that had already gone live could not scale beyond a dozen simultaneous users. It would usually crash once a day. We analyzed and instrumented the application, identifying the instabilities and adjusting configuration settings and Java and SQL code until the application could support 1000 simultaneous users with no hardware change and few unscheduled restarts.

Choosing an E-Commerce Platform
Employing our SPEED process, we helped a leading-edge technology company define its strategic goals for a new e-commerce web site. We then developed a detailed model of the technology required to achieve these strategic goals. We are using this model to evaluate the leading high-end e-commerce platforms, including ATG Dynamo, BroadVision, Blue Martini, and OpenMarket. Simultaneously, we are helping our client choose a system integrator to build the site.

Finding a strategic partner
Employing our SPEED process, we helped a top software company define its strategic goals for a new Web-based electronic commerce service, then developed a detailed model of the technology required to implement the service successfully. This model let us very quickly evaluate dozens of vendors of e-commerce software to determine whether their products had the functionality, reliability, and scalability required for this service. We then performed a very thorough investigation of several products that looked most promising, and were able to provide concrete, in-depth comparisons of the products.

Evaluating leading-edge technology
Employing our SPEED process, we evaluated leading-edge image processing software for an Internet start-up that is considering building a Web-based service on top of this technology. Our analysis provided concrete examples of what the image processing software could, and could not, do. We also envisioned several new roles that the image processing software could play in the system. One role could dramatically improve the efficiency of the back-end system maintenance tasks, and another would enable a new service offering.

Competitive analysis of handheld operating systems
Employing our SPEED process, we performed a detailed, technical competitive analysis for Palm Computing. Working with Palm engineering and product marketing, we identified operating system attributes that were or would soon be key strategic factors in four markets: Handheld organizers, mobile communication devices, 'edutainment', and vertical markets. We developed several applications and conduits (desktop synchronization modules) under PalmOS, Windows CE, and Symbian's EPOC operating system using many programming languages and development tools. This hands-on development enabled us to identify strategic strengths and weaknesses in Palm's support for third-party software developers, and deliver a set of action items for Palm to implement to increase their support for third-party development. This project leveraged Jim's long history with handheld computers; he is one of five people on the main patent for the GRiDPad, the first handheld computer with handwriting recognition and the predecessor of the Palm Pilot.

Identifying appropriate technology
Employing our SPEED process, we helped a top software company identify appropriate authorization technology for an online community they're building. Based on our experience building two online communities, we were able to provide highly detailed information about the pros and cons of the various approaches. Our analysis also took into account the necessary integration with the authentication technology the client is already committed to using, and the existing enterprise databases the system would use. We also located another engineering group within the client that was already developing similar authorization technology.

Web-based database management tool
We created a browser-based tool for updating and managing a large SQL Server database used to drive part of Intuit’s QuickBooks.com site. The tool enabled Intuit personnel worldwide to simultaneously create and edit database records and generate complex reports.