Software Development for Health Product

Fact: Over 50% of SSI Staff has 8 or More Years Experience

"You can count on the work being done right and on time." ~ SSI Client

Fact: 30% of SSI staff has twelve or more years experience

"The people blended in and became part of the design team."

Fact: Experienced Team Lead manages all projects

"I was impressed with the quality of SSI's work throughout this contract. I appreciated their ability to work with minimal guidance, and minimal design details. And I greatly appreciated their suggestions and alternate design proposals. Their willingness to work overtime when necessary to meet deadlines was greatly appreciated." ~ SSI Client

Fact: All SSI staff is trained on the Quality Development Process

"Work is spectacular. More exceptional than I thought it would be. Sensors work great. They can detect the slightest pressure accurately. It is WAY beyond my expectations." ~ SSI Client

Fact: Long term staff retention rate at SSI is > 95%

Fact: SSI's Internal Software process operates as CMM Level 3

"The experience was a good one" ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI has been in business 16+ years

"The best thing about working with SSI is that the people genuinely care about the success of the overall project. Typical contractors stop when they have merely met the letter of the contract that they are bound to; where as, SSI is willing to go above and beyond to drive a project to completion and ultimately success." ~ SSI Client

Fact: Over half of SSI Business is from returning clients

"I would use SSI again" ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI client relationships last several years

"The best thing about working with SSI is that the people genuinely care about the success of the overall project. Typical contractors stop when they have merely met the letter of the contract that they are bound to; where as, SSI is willing to go above and beyond to drive a project to completion and ultimately success." ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI's Customers report a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating for satisfaction

"Keep finding people who can get to the root of the issue and resolve it as specified. [Your Engineer] is golden!." ~ SSI Client

Fact: 100% of clients surveyed said they would recommend SSI to others

"SSI will deliver what is promised on a timely basis." ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI Supports Continual Employee Training

"Consistent high quality engineers who perform very well. SSI is the only company -- contracting or consulting -- who consistently provides the best talent who are not only technically accomplished but have excellent verbal and personal skills. I have not seen anything like it before." ~ SSI Client

The Company - Health Spa Steam Chamber Manufacturer

SSI's client is a pioneer in the development of oxygenated hydrotherapy systems and oxygen based products for improving individual health and well being.

The quality of health and vitality is closely linked to the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Oxygen and water are essential for human life. Our client provides solutions that increase an individual's oxygenation and hydration, detoxifying our bodies using water, ozone, and oxygen.

Technical Skills
Windows CE, Embedded Visual C++, Multi-threading, PLC, Windows Pocket PC SDK and Windows Mobile Emulator Images for Emulation and Debugging.

The Task: Improve the Speed of Operations, Add New GUI Features

SSI's client was seeking improved software efficiency as well as new features to their signature product, a deluxe steam chamber - a spa-like enclosure built for one. While comfortably sitting in the highly engineered enclosure with your head on the outside, your body is immersed in a cascade of flowing ultra-pure oxygenated water.

The SSI Solution - Adding Multi-Threading, Graphic Improvements, and Documentation

Initially there was just a single thread handling all software operations. By introducing the more efficient multithreading, SSI separated the threads that were handling the PLC Polling and UI Polling. This improved the speed of operations significantly.

GUI changes, additional PLC operation modifications, and protection against cell phone interference were made during the second phase of this project. On the GUI side, the heart rate button changes color when the heart rate is in the danger zone. SSI added a state machine to ensure that the aerobic spa starts functioning only when the heart rate is within a permissible range for the given age of an individual.

The project's maintenance phase including providing a way for the client to check on the correct functioning of the PLC hardware modules. An emulator used by another SSI team was utilized to test and debug the software.

Overall, the entire project benefited by a team adhering to source control and well-defined software process. Improved documentation will ease future modifications.