Ideonautics Corporation

Navigation Aids for Thinkers

Services

Operating as Ideonautics Corporation, I (Steve Walton) create custom enterprise software that solves real business problems, often by applying modern computational methods such as genetic algorithms and fuzzy logic. If your organization has needs that the usual technologies aren't meeting, I would like to speak with you.

Significant projects:

Client needed to produce optimal TV-advertising schedules, but the variety of possible components made any analytic or enumerative solution impossible. I applied a genetic algorithm and produced an industry-leading system that yields optimal schedules, while letting the user specify constraints (such as budget, complexity or minimum reach) and target variable (such as reach or cost) at runtime.

Client needed to provide reasoned allocation of multinational advertising resources while given inputs that might be incomplete or approximated in words rather than numbers. I designed fuzzy expert systems for managing the inconsistent inputs and producing sound budget allocations.

Client needed a management information system to accept input data in varied formats, combining media cost and effectiveness data with sales, finance and consumer-panel information. I provided a solution that offers a maximum range of selection, review and display options, and sends its outputs directly to Microsoft Office applications.

Client needed to enable users to invoke network-resident applications in simplest possible way. I built a secure system for launching applications through web pages and browser-based custom desktops.

Client needed to install new software, updates and data on individual PCs company wide without sending technicians to visit each desktop. I engineered a pioneering push-installation system.

Other Work (as independent or employee): programs for daily and cumulative calculation of the Industrial Materials Price Index for the Journal of Commerce; financial databases, profit-and-loss systems for daily trading and specialist clearance, bond calculators for Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.; Run/C, interpreter for the C programming language; rule-based expert-system shell; vector-drawing program; word-processing to typesetting converters

Services performed:

I handle all phases of development from analysis through complete design and implementation, to user documentation and maintenance. I am not wedded to any one language or development methodology, but work out situation-appropriate development strategies with full client participation, usually providing working prototypes for iterative refinement.

Please contact me by the means most convenient to you to arrange a no-charge consultation.