Extending DotNetNuke to Meet your Specific Company Needs

Right out of the box DotNetNuke provides a great deal of value and can meet many needs. But custom DotNetNuke modules greatly extend the capability of the platform.  Many modules are available from 3rd party DNN module developers. These modules are great as long as your business exactly aligns with how they were designed. If a module meets 90% of your needs but that last 10% is a show stopper then you're out of luck.

That's where Keene Systems comes in. We are first and foremost a software development firm specializing in ASP.Net & SQL Server. Since DotNetNuke is built on top of ASP.Net & SQL Server it was a perfect fit for us. We have been delivering quality DotNetNuke custom module solutions since 2005.

How does DotNetNuke development work?

DNN Module development functions the same way standard ASP.Net development does except with only minor differences.  A regular ASP.Net web application is typically made up of different web pages, each performing a different function.  Likewise, a DotNetNuke web application may be made up of a series of DNN modules. (Note for you programmers out there: Behind the scenes a DNN module is really just an ASP.Net Web User Control). The entire application can be written in one large module or several modules that interact with each other.

All of the regular things you would do during a typical software development life cycle are still necessary such as database design, business process specification and the user interface design.  If the project is sufficiently large one of our business analysts will be assigned to help define your project and write a functional specification.  We have all of the personnel necessary to take your idea from inception to finished working product.

Integration with your existing IT systems

One of the best reasons to do custom DotNetNuke module programming is to directly tie into your existing IT systems. This is particularly easy to accomplish if the existing system stores its data in SQL Server.  DotNetNuke keeps its own content management data in a SQL Server database. New custom modules can read data that is stored in the DotNetNuke database or just as easily access data stored in another company system.  To integrate with systems developed on other platforms and at other locations, the development of "Web Services" is a good strategy to achieve communication between disparate systems. At Keene Systems we have extensive experience in Web Services and integrating with other systems. Give us a call today to find out what is possible with your project.

Case Study: National Geographic

In early 2007, after the Merger of National Geographic School Publishing wih Hampton Brown School Publishing they needed a new website and hired Keene Systems to deliver a solution. We looked at the sheer magnitude of what they wanted to accomplish and recommended DotNetnuke as a foundation upon which to build because of the built in content management.

The site we developed, www.NGSP.com, is based on ASP.Net, SQL Server & DotNetNuke. It manages more than 16,000 education products for grades pre-school through 12 and required dozens of custom DotNetNuke modules. There was extensive integration with their back end accounting systems, their sales management systems and even other websites they own. This project was 6 years in the making.

Case Study: Mohawk
Mohawk Fine Papers is a New York based maker of specialty paper products. Keene Systems built them a document retrieval system in ASP.Net & SQL Server. Later, while doing analysis on a new project, we realized that DotNetNuke would be a good foundation. We build a DNN application that tied into existing IT systems in the company to manage mill operations and provided flexible reporting.

Client Comments
"Keene Systems developed a profitable eCommerce site and two powerful intranet applications for us. One was an editorial application for entering new books and updating the live site through a workflow-controlled process that included editor, publisher and author approvals. The second was for customer service, billing, and financial reporting and detailed activity monitoring. In all three cases, Keene Systems delivered outstanding turnkey systems that were flexible and open-ended."
David Wilcox, CEO
MeansBusiness Inc.

“Keene Systems enabled us to create an internal database-driven HR application that calculated employee bonuses and hid its complexity from our users. The UI was as simple to use as a spreadsheet.”
Nancy Spalding-Gray, IT Mgr.
State Street Research

“To help us create an internal patient record-keeping system, Keene Systems provided the responsive service we needed, delivering the completed project on schedule and on budget.”
Sharon Hershon, IT Manager
Partners Healthcare