Crawley, West Sussex-based distributor Scientific Computers Ltd is aiming to help software developers achieve the ‘holy grail’ of Java write once run anywhere development in its new role as a Sun Microsystems Inc Sunsoft Java testing tools distributor and Java training shop. The company has also recently become one of only two distributors of Marimba Inc’s Castanet technology, for software and content deployment and management across the internet and intranet. Scientific is a small privately-owned company which specializes in leading edge technologies for software developers in all industry sectors. Since 1989 it has supplied NeuralWare Inc’s neural network development tool, and now also offers the NeuralWorks Predict Software Developers Kit to enable developers to embed neural nets into their applications. Managing director Alan Hall says Java is a programmer’s dream in that it creates safe, testable and robust applications. However, he believes that while Java has great potential as the language of the future, it is complex and requires a whole new understanding. Scientific offers the SunTest Suite of Java testing products, including JavaStar regression testing, JavaScope code coverage and JavaSpec API application programming interface testing, as well as a full range of training. Scientific currently turns over only 1.4m pounds, and is profitable, Hall says, but it expects to grow considerably in the next year or so as a result of adding Java and the Marimba products to its existing portfolio. The company also specializes in Unix X/Motif training and development tools, including NuTCracker, which enables conversion of code from Unix to Windows NT. Its main business at present comes from the UK, with some sales in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe.
